Road Rebels Car Club
The Road Rebels Car Club was founded about 1958-1959 by Al Schuller, Bob Henry and Tony Tino of Ellwood City, PA. The club had an eight car garage in Ellport where they worked on their cars and installed larger more powerful engines. The Road Rebels held races for their cars at drag strips in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The club had a maximum membership of twenty five active members who all wore black leather jackets with the car club logo on the back. The logo was also on metal plaques attached to the rear bumpers of member’s cars. There was also business cards made that matched the jacket logo. The cards were handed out to a lot of people, especially when we helped stranded motorists.
The club was sponsored by the Ellwood City Elks Club which let the guys hold their annual meetings there and on Saturday nights and they also held dances for the local teenagers. The rebels also had a good reputation in the community for helping stranded motorists whose cars broke down along the highway or got stuck in bad weather. Member Al Schuller who gave us this information was not sure when the Road Rebels Car Club disbanded because he left for the U.S. Army in 1961 and served overseas patrolling the Czechoslovakian border. However, he was sure that all the members have good memories of those times together. If you remember the Road Rebels Car Club, we would enjoy hearing your memories.
Please leave a comment below or email us at info@ellwoodcitymemories.com. Al Schuller (of Antelope, Ca) can be reached at sagebrushal@yahoo.com
I remember the Road Rebels and Bob Henry who had a white 55-56 Ford named “Below Zero”. My father was friends with Mannford Alford and from time to time we would stop in to see what Mannford and the club were working on. I don’t know if it was the cars and horsepower I was attracted to or all of the Playmate Pinups there were on the ceiling of the garage. I remember when Dick James put a Buick engine in a 40 Ford Sedan named “Lil Rebel”, Ron Weisz with the “Silver Coffin (when he was caught drag the local paper called him “Top Gun”). Bob Lambert with the 4 door 55-56 Ford sedan that had the door handles shaved and was named “Lonely Blue Boy”. Todd Heinz and his red 58 Chevy convertible named “Why Baby Why”. Also Darrel Dean from New Castle and the 36 Chev sedan named “Coffin Hauler” after he beat Ron Weisz in the “Silver Coffin” and also a red 57 Chev from the New Castle area named “Red Coffin”.
I worked at the Pinky James Gulf Station at the corner of Line & North Street and was good friends with Dick James and Earl James Jr.. I dated Pinky’s daughter Becky for awhile as well. Life was good at that point I was making $1.00 an hour, going to Youngstown University at night and dating the boss’s daughter. Do you happen to know if there are any of the Road Rebel car plaques are available??? I have been looking for one for some time.
I also remember when Joey Loccisano came back from California with the chopped 57 Chev Hardtop named “Dago Red” and Ron Houk that brought back a black primered 55 Chev. He later painted it school bus yellow, looking back some of the guys were ahead in their thinking and ideas. Also the Pistachio brothers who had a 40 Ford coupe named “Misfire”. Some other names come to mind Wendy Shoemaker, Joe “Who” Weisz, Bob Bauder (who rolled a beautiful 36 Chev sedan on the Mile Hill bend) Joe Perno who had a 57 Chev hardtop also Bob “Fats” Straw, Dave Cutri (who tried to blow up his black 65 Corvette Convertible every time he got behind the wheel).
I also remember “The Coachmen” who had a club garage on the North Side of Ellwood as well. I had a 50 Chev hardtop (light green bottom and black top) that we split the exhaust (2 in the left side and the other 4 cylinders in the right side) It was a real dog but sounded like an airplane taking of and was a great car, I bought it off of Bill Sullivan (who sold it to me because he was going to Nam) Simpler times, great times and great memories. If you know of any club plaques or hear of any I would be interested. Thanks for taking time to write your memories!
Dale: I’ve got to say that this is one of the best posts I’ve seen since I started following Ellwood Memories. I’d forgotten all about most of these guys and their wonderful cars. I guess I was about 12 or 13 when the Silver Coffin roamed the streets of Ellwood. The others I remember as well. Here’s a couple more that came to mind: Crete Crawford’s 1954 Bergundy and white chevy hardtop, Joey Rubino’s 1957 Ford convertible with the hard top that folded into the trunk. Bill Miskolcze’s black and cream 54 ford two door and Carl Izzo’s cherry 1957 Chevy two door. They were all great cars in an era when great cars were everything. Thanks for the post.
Good morning Pem, you were a year or two older than i but I do remember you. Milton Anderson Jr.and I took piano lessons from Mrs. Vic Ryder (spelling). I was doing well with lessons then I discovered “women” and my piano career take a sideline. Yes I remember all these cars as well, I remember looking at Joey Rubino’s car just after he had the entire interior done in white leather with diamnods sewn into it. And at each criss cross he had small blue buttons put in. I may me mistaken but he may still have that car. And the cars were a big deal then. He operates the electric shop in the old family store on the corner. Another one I forgot was Gene LaRitz and a dark green with white top 54 Olds hardtop. At the time I had an old 1950 Chevy and we had split the exhaust. It was not fast at all but sounded like an airplane when you took off. There were 4 or 5 of us sitting in “Willies” and Bill Miscolze walks in and said ” I just bought a new 409″……….409 being the Chevy with the 409 cubic inch monster engine. We all laughed and said yeah right. Then he said “okay come out and look at it”. We went out and sitting in from of the soda shop was a BRAND NEW dark blue 1864 Chevy hartop,409 with dual 4 barrel carbs, 425 horsepower, 4 speed. It had light blue interior and we could not believe it. I can not remember what happened to that car but it certainly left an impression on all of us. I was good friends and a lodge member with Howard Weisz who was Ron Weisz’s father. Ron owned the “Silver Coffin”, Ron was driving fast all the time and I understand Howard told him “if you keep driving the way you are you are going to kill yourself”……Out of that came the name Silver Coffin. Ron is doing well and lives in Arizona. Great times! Dale
@Dale
The Group was called Kingsmen, not “coachmen” and i am hopping to get Ben to post some info about them…..I remember Jerry Cole was the Pres, and was a large group of members, and yes we had a garage in the north side.
WE had several dances at the Elk’s club to raise money. The rent of the Large building was $50.00/ month….Fun times and great years and a lot of good friends…………..
my name is bob r thought i would drop in and say hi . i belong to the road rebels car club westford mass . was looking for other road rebels in the u.s.a to maybe be in touch with . we first started in 1957 ended in 1968 one of our ariginal members restarted it in 1995 i have been in it sece then .anyways just wanted to drop in and say hi . from the road rebels in westford mass bob r
I bought the “red coffin” off of Darrell Dean, then tradedit in at Chambers Motors in New Castle. Often wondered what ever happened to it after that.
My father James b. Jones Sr. past away last year, and in his things was a large patch that looks as if it goes on the back of a jacket.
I was looking for info on it but need some help.
The only thing i was told was he belonged to this car club about 1956-58
Thank you for any help you could give.
I found this while looking for info about another Road Rebels car club. I have a contact who has the original patterns for four car club plaques from Ellwood City, PA. One is for the Road Rebels but I don’t know if I can post a photo of it here. If anyone is interested in getting a plaque for the Box Bangers, Cabriolets, Road Rebels or Travelers, you can contact me at clubplaques@frontier.com and I will put you in contact with the person.
Bill Junge
Lake Havasu City, AZ
In a book I have, titled Hot Rod and Custom Car Clubs, there is a club listed from “Elwood” called the Kings Men.