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Kaua‘i Classic Car Club: Local

Kaua‘i Classic Car Club

1957 Chevrolet step side pickup

Kaua‘i Classic Car Club

This one thousand nine hundred fifty seven Chevrolet step side pickup is wielded by Kaua‘i Classic Car Club President Richard Aki and was restored after it sustained front-end harm more than twenty five years ago. It took three years of work to get it looking this acute. Leo DuBois/The Garden Island

Kaua‘i Classic Car Club

This one thousand nine hundred fifty seven Chevrolet step side pickup is possessed by Kaua‘i Classic Car Club President Richard Aki and was restored after it sustained front-end harm more than twenty five years ago. It took three years of work to get it looking this acute. Leo DuBois/The Garden Island

Kaua‘i Classic Car Club

This one thousand nine hundred fifty seven Chevrolet step side pickup is possessed by Kaua‘i Classic Car Club President Richard Aki and was restored after it sustained front-end harm more than twenty five years ago. It took three years of work to get it looking this acute. Leo DuBois/The Garden Island

Posted: Friday, March 20, two thousand nine 12:00 am

Kaua‘i Classic Car Club By Leo DuBois – The Garden Island The Garden Island Newspaper | zero comments

In the fine world of automotive excellence one can lightly admire flashy foreign cars, Detroit muscle cars, digitalized hybrid custom-built creations and off-the-rack kit cars, but if you take the time to look truly close, you can also admire an original like Richard Aki’s one thousand nine hundred fifty seven Chevrolet step side pickup.

Richard Aki is the president of the Kaua‘i Classic Car Club and bought his customized Chevy step side twenty five years ago from his friend “Atta-boy” after the truck’s front end was bruised and left to hibernate in a garage. One day Aki discovered the pickup and suggested to buy it but the possessor refused to sell. Then an agreement was reached with Aki trading his ’79 Chevy 4-wheel drive for the ‘57 Chevy pickup.

It took Aki three years to restore and customize his ‘57 “ride” taking the truck down almost to the framework. He rebuilt the three hundred fifty Chevy V8 and automatic transmission, adding a one thousand nine hundred seventy one Camaro front end with disc brakes. Then he reworked the aging assets, adding fresh fenders, an original chrome grille, fresh front and rear bumpers, a pair of custom-made tail lights purchased in Reno, Nevada and a powered French antennae kit.

Aki next chose a royal blue paint color from a one thousand nine hundred eighty five Ford pickup and added a special crimson tint to the final mix providing his one thousand nine hundred fifty seven pickup a truly very first class assets color. “The downside of this custom-made paint job is whenever there is a scrape; it cannot be repainted with the same color effect” Aki said, adding, “This means one of these days I’m going to have to switch my truck to a brand fresh color.”

Aki’s nephew free-hand painted the incredible “Ghost Flame” design on the figure and a truly acute pin striping was painted to the sides by former Kaua`i resident Alan Perriera. “Likeke”, the Hawaiian name for Richard, was also arm painted on Aki’s ‘57 desire machine adding a nice private touch.

Eventually, a custom-built bone-white tonneau cover created by Sharky at Kaua`i Canvas was snapped on to the bed completing a genuine rodder-style look to Aki’s retro-ride.

“I have to peak my hat to my future son-in-law, Pancho Lopez for detailing my truck every week. It’s nice to always have my truck in beautiful condition whenever I want to take it out for a demonstrate or a parade,” Aki said with a warm smile.

Aki stores his prize truck in his garage and only drives it out for local auto shows, parades, and Kaua`i Custom-made Car Club meetings at the Wal-Mart parking lot on the last Sunday of every month.

Both Richard Aki and Harvey Maeda are the driving force behind the Kaua`i Custom-built Car Club and Aki describes how they very first met during a Kamehameha Day parade in Lihu`e. Aki said, “We had around fifteen cars gathered together at the top of Rice St. and were watching the parade when Harvey Maeda drove past. He stopped and asked, “Hey! Can I join you folks?” We said, “Sure,” so Harvey drove home and returned with his Model T, then we talked story for hours. The Kaua`i Custom-made Car Club came about after a dude named Squeaky Sugitan who wielded a Ford T-bucket with a four hundred fifty engine, suggested they go cruising with their classics around the island together and then keep on meeting every month. The club has been meeting ever since.

Kaua‘i Classic Car Club: Local

Kaua‘i Classic Car Club

1957 Chevrolet step side pickup

Kaua‘i Classic Car Club

This one thousand nine hundred fifty seven Chevrolet step side pickup is possessed by Kaua‘i Classic Car Club President Richard Aki and was restored after it sustained front-end harm more than twenty five years ago. It took three years of work to get it looking this acute. Leo DuBois/The Garden Island

Kaua‘i Classic Car Club

This one thousand nine hundred fifty seven Chevrolet step side pickup is wielded by Kaua‘i Classic Car Club President Richard Aki and was restored after it sustained front-end harm more than twenty five years ago. It took three years of work to get it looking this acute. Leo DuBois/The Garden Island

Kaua‘i Classic Car Club

This one thousand nine hundred fifty seven Chevrolet step side pickup is wielded by Kaua‘i Classic Car Club President Richard Aki and was restored after it sustained front-end harm more than twenty five years ago. It took three years of work to get it looking this acute. Leo DuBois/The Garden Island

Posted: Friday, March 20, two thousand nine 12:00 am

Kaua‘i Classic Car Club By Leo DuBois – The Garden Island The Garden Island Newspaper | zero comments

In the excellent world of automotive excellence one can lightly admire flashy foreign cars, Detroit muscle cars, digitalized hybrid custom-built creations and off-the-rack kit cars, but if you take the time to look indeed close, you can also admire an original like Richard Aki’s one thousand nine hundred fifty seven Chevrolet step side pickup.

Richard Aki is the president of the Kaua‘i Classic Car Club and bought his customized Chevy step side twenty five years ago from his friend “Atta-boy” after the truck’s front end was bruised and left to hibernate in a garage. One day Aki discovered the pickup and suggested to buy it but the possessor refused to sell. Then an agreement was reached with Aki trading his ’79 Chevy 4-wheel drive for the ‘57 Chevy pickup.

It took Aki three years to restore and customize his ‘57 “ride” taking the truck down almost to the framework. He rebuilt the three hundred fifty Chevy V8 and automatic transmission, adding a one thousand nine hundred seventy one Camaro front end with disc brakes. Then he reworked the aging assets, adding fresh fenders, an original chrome grille, fresh front and rear bumpers, a pair of custom-built tail lights purchased in Reno, Nevada and a powered French antennae kit.

Aki next chose a royal blue paint color from a one thousand nine hundred eighty five Ford pickup and added a special crimson tint to the final mix providing his one thousand nine hundred fifty seven pickup a truly very first class assets color. “The downside of this custom-built paint job is whenever there is a scrape; it cannot be repainted with the same color effect” Aki said, adding, “This means one of these days I’m going to have to switch my truck to a brand fresh color.”

Aki’s nephew free-hand painted the incredible “Ghost Flame” design on the figure and a indeed acute pin striping was painted to the sides by former Kaua`i resident Alan Perriera. “Likeke”, the Hawaiian name for Richard, was also arm painted on Aki’s ‘57 desire machine adding a nice individual touch.

Eventually, a custom-built bone-white tonneau cover created by Sharky at Kaua`i Canvas was snapped on to the bed completing a genuine rodder-style look to Aki’s retro-ride.

“I have to peak my hat to my future son-in-law, Pancho Lopez for detailing my truck every week. It’s nice to always have my truck in beautiful condition whenever I want to take it out for a showcase or a parade,” Aki said with a warm smile.

Aki stores his prize truck in his garage and only drives it out for local auto shows, parades, and Kaua`i Custom-made Car Club meetings at the Wal-Mart parking lot on the last Sunday of every month.

Both Richard Aki and Harvey Maeda are the driving force behind the Kaua`i Custom-made Car Club and Aki describes how they very first met during a Kamehameha Day parade in Lihu`e. Aki said, “We had around fifteen cars gathered together at the top of Rice St. and were watching the parade when Harvey Maeda drove past. He stopped and asked, “Hey! Can I join you folks?” We said, “Sure,” so Harvey drove home and returned with his Model T, then we talked story for hours. The Kaua`i Custom-made Car Club came about after a fellow named Squeaky Sugitan who wielded a Ford T-bucket with a four hundred fifty engine, suggested they go cruising with their classics around the island together and then keep on meeting every month. The club has been meeting ever since.

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