The other day I was driving to Bangor, Maine on a personal matter. As I was driving into Brewer which is across the river from Bangor I noticed a mid 70's Chevy truck with a chopped top. Seeing as I am trying to put together a cost estimate on a build that includes a chopped top and I need an estimate for the side and back glass, I decided I would stop in and talk to the guy on the way back. Move ahead about an hour and I am back at the guys shop. I walk in, introduce myself and ask if I could pick his brain about dealing with chopped tops. Well, did I ever stop into the right place. This guy's name is Larry Bowden and he had a whole slew of chopped Merc's and various other cars. Here is a photo of one of his personal cars that he built and it is a real show stopper. It is one half of a pair that have won best in show many times.
We get talking and he is real interested in what I want to build. A modern Chrysler 300, lowered and chopped and of course a hemi. He thinks it will be a real cool build and wished that he had thought of it himself. Anyway, he takes me on a tour of his building. There are cars everywhere. Mostly Fords from the 50's and early 60's. He has a 50 Merc that he is going to take to shows next summer, another 50 Merc that is under construction. I feel like I fell into a time warp. Larry is in his 70's and loves to talk cars. We finally get back to talking about glass and he takes my name and says that he will be talking to his glass guy and he will ask him to call me. He says he is about the best glass guy in the eastern U.S. After an hour and a half of talking I sort of convince him that I have taken up enough of his time, although I could talk to him all day and never get tired of it. He asks when I will be down that way again and tells me to stop in and he will take me up to his house and show me the rest of his collection which is much bigger than what I have seen so far.
The knowledge that he has as a customizer is invaluable. I sure am glad I took the time to stop in and ask a question. You never know who your going to meet.
Jack
We get talking and he is real interested in what I want to build. A modern Chrysler 300, lowered and chopped and of course a hemi. He thinks it will be a real cool build and wished that he had thought of it himself. Anyway, he takes me on a tour of his building. There are cars everywhere. Mostly Fords from the 50's and early 60's. He has a 50 Merc that he is going to take to shows next summer, another 50 Merc that is under construction. I feel like I fell into a time warp. Larry is in his 70's and loves to talk cars. We finally get back to talking about glass and he takes my name and says that he will be talking to his glass guy and he will ask him to call me. He says he is about the best glass guy in the eastern U.S. After an hour and a half of talking I sort of convince him that I have taken up enough of his time, although I could talk to him all day and never get tired of it. He asks when I will be down that way again and tells me to stop in and he will take me up to his house and show me the rest of his collection which is much bigger than what I have seen so far.
The knowledge that he has as a customizer is invaluable. I sure am glad I took the time to stop in and ask a question. You never know who your going to meet.
Jack
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