Walt Koda's 1948 Harley-Davidson Panhead

1948 Harley-Davidson Panhead owned and built by Walt Koda of Stamford, Connecticut. Koda's custom chopper gained significant attention in the 1960s for its unique design and appearances in several national magazines and custom shows. The bike was inspired by the works of Jimmy Karcher and Russell Grady, two prominent figures known to Koda from Stamford. Koda did all the work, except for the chrome, himself. This photo was taken in 1965, when it was first built. Photo courtesy of Walt Koda.

Koda's chopper was not just limited to local shows. It appeared in custom car and bike shows across Connecticut, Long Island, and New Jersey. Furthermore, the drag bike version toured shows in Lansing, Michigan, and was notably featured in Modern Cycle Magazine. This photo was taken in 1967. Photo courtesy of Walt Koda.

The drag bike version of Koda's chopper with the root beer fogging was inspired by Russ Grady's 1957 Oldsmobile. The photo was taken in 1968. Walt painted it every year until he sold it. Photo courtesy of Walt Koda.

A photo of Russ Grady's Oriental taken at an indoor car show at the New York Coliseum in 1962. Koda and Grady showed their vehicles together, and Koda believes that one of the shows was the 1966 Hartford Autorama. Photo courtesy of The Jalopy Journal.

1948 Harley-Davidson Panhead owned and built by Walt Koda of Stamford, Connecticut. Named "Rigamortis," Koda's custom chopper gained significant attention in the 1960s for its unique design and appearances in several national magazines and custom shows. The bike was inspired by the works of Jimmy Karcher and Russell Grady, two prominent figures known to Koda from Stamford.

History

The custom car culture of the 1960s influenced Koda when he set out to build the bike. The first version was completed in 1965. He painted the bike every year, and in October of 2023, he told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that in 1968, he painted his Harley after Russ Grady's 1957 Oldsmobile, a famous custom known as The Oriental. According to Walt, the drag bike version with the root beer fogging was inspired by Grady's Olds. Koda and Grady showed their vehicles together, and Koda believes that one of the shows was the 1966 Hartford Autorama. Koda also recalled that the yellow version of The Oriental was done in flocking, not in paint. "Gary’s Auto Body wouldn't paint it because it already had multiple paint jobs and the flocking was something no one had done on a car before."

The chopper was not just limited to local shows. It appeared in custom car and bike shows across Connecticut, Long Island, and New Jersey. Furthermore, the drag bike version toured shows in Lansing, Michigan, and was notably featured in Modern Cycle Magazine.

The Accident

The last paint job Walt gave the bike was in 1968. "Last paint was solid pearl yellow with a chrome front fender and chrome sissy bar with a heart in the middle of the bar." Later the same year, Koda and the bike were involved in an accident when a driver cut him off, crossing the median strip into a parking lot. Luckily, the bike only got a few scrapes, damaged paint, and sculpting to the tank. "I was very lucky to lay the bike on its side and slid under the front bumper of a 1963 Chrysler Imperial. I was bruised from my ankle to my shoulder." Koda took the bike to Gary's Auto Body for a damage assessment. However, the insurance company initially rejected the quote because it was out of state. When they sought local shop quotes, they repeatedly encountered Koda's name. Eventually, the insurance company settled at Koda's quoted price. In June 1969, just before being drafted into the Army, Koda sold the bike to Billy Buchanan from Bedford, New York. The last known sighting of the bike was at Ransom's Harley in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Where is it Now?

Koda has been looking for his chopper since he sold it. Do you know what happened to it? Please get in touch with Kustomrama at mail@kustomrama.com if you have any information about the bike to share.