Drivin Deuces of Carlstadt

George Egan's 1950 Ford Convertible of New Jersey. George was a member of the Drivin Deuces car club, and the first iteration of his Ford was restyled circa 1955.

An early photo of Don Blake's 1951 Ford 4-Door, showing it before he chopped the top. The 1957 Ford belonged to John Hyde. Blake worked at the station where the photo was taken. He started working on the car in 1956, while he was in high school. Photo from The Ray Soff Photo Collection.

Don Blake extended the quarters on John Hyde's 1957 Ford, installing custom taillights and lucite lenses. Don told Ray Soff they performed the work in the rain. "John held the umbrella while Don leaded." He also told how John's father, who was a bus driver, slammed on the brakes in front of his house, jumped out and started waving his arms and screaming at the boys for "wrecking a brand-new car!" as they were installing the 1958 Chevrolet Impala roof vent. They both ran in the house scared! Photo from The Ray Soff Photo Collection.

A later version of Don Blake's 1951 Ford 4-Door as it appeared after he had chopped the top on it. Don is the fellow with the white shirt. We don't know who the other cat is. Photo from The Ray Soff Photo Collection.

George Mizzi Jr.'s 1950 Mercury Convertible of Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Mizzi was a member of the Driving Deuces car club, and his Mercury was restyled at Monego's Body Shop. Named the "Purple Bug," the build was completed circa 1958 - 1959.

Ernie Geisler's 1956 Chevrolet Convertible of Lynhurst, New Jersey. Ernie was a member of the Drivin Deuces of Carlstadt car club, and his car, known as "The Black Knight," was restyled by Monego's Auto Body in the late 1950s and the early 1960s.

George Egan's 1950 Ford Convertible of New Jersey. George was a member of the Drivin Deuces car club. Known as "The Apollo," the second iteration of Egan's Ford was restyled in the 1960s.

Don Blake's old Drivin Deuces shirt. In 2023, the shirt was part of the Ray Soff Collection. Photo from The Ray Soff Photo Collection.

The Ray Soff Tribute Shirt - Click here to check it out

The Drivin Deuces was a car club from Carlstadt, New Jersey.

In 2018 East Coast Custom historian Ray Soff told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that the Drivin' Deuces used to hang out at the candy store in Lyndhurst. The candy store was owned by Dottie's father, the girl that George Mizzi Jr. was dating.

Around 1959 most of the guys got drafted, and according to Ray there was a new group of guys in the mid 1960s.

Tom Sansoe lived on Union Street in Carlstadt, and in 2010 he told Sondre that for some time the Drivin Deuces were in a garage on Washington Street adjoining us. "I was probably 10 years old around 1962." Later on, he recalled them moving to a garage on Garden Street in Carlstadt.

Around 1978 the club was still around, and Tom remembers buying a 409 engine from one of the guys in the club for his 57 Chevy rag top. "I remember the garage on Garden Street. It was late 1970s, maybe 1979. The garage had their sign on it. I think I reached out to someone that had a note in the window." Sometime after that, the club disappeared.

Members

Donald Blake
Ernie Giesler
Donnie Rainish
George Egan
George Mizzi Jr.
Harry Bradley
Joe Padalick
John Hyde
Mickey Mazzuca
Tom Clark
Tommy Lee

Club Cars

The Drivin Deuces 1940 Ford Truck
Tom Clark's 1940 Mercury Four-Door Phaeton
Ernie Giesler's 1950 Ford Convertible
George Egan's 1950 Ford Convertible - The Apollo
George Mizzi Jr.'s 1950 Mercury Convertible - The Purple Bug
Joe Padalick's 1951 Chevrolet
Don Blake's 1951 Ford 4-Door
Ernie Geisler's 1956 Chevrolet Convertible - The Black Knight
Mickey Mazzuca's 1956 Mercury
John Hyde's 1957 Ford