Vern LaCoursiere's 1949 Ford

A photo og Vern's firs car, a 1949 Ford coupe that he restyled in 1957. Vern was 19 years old at the time, and he did all the work himself. Modifications included custom side trim, a two-tone paint job, shaved door handles, lakes pipes, Oldsmobile Fiesta hubcaps, dual spotlights and a custom upholstery. Photo from the Vern LaCoursiere Photo Collection.

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1949 Ford coupe owned and restyled by Tacoma Toppers member Vern LaCoursiere of Tacoma, Washington. Vern rode the bus to school during high school, and he couldn't wait to buy his first car after graduation so he could join the Toppers; "I had so much respect for the Toppers, they were THE club." You had to work hard to get in the club. They had strict rules and regulations, and your car had to have three modifications custom-wise to get in. In addition you also had to be a pretty nice guy. Some guys had the car, but their reputation wasn’t quite there." In 1957, at age 19, he finally bought his first car, a 1949 Ford coupe. Vern did all the work on the car himself, and the modifications included custom side trim, a two-tone paint job, shaved door handles, lakes pipes, Oldsmobile Fiesta hubcaps, dual spotlights and a custom upholstery.