Early members of The Philadelphia Modifiers met at the Rose Auto Parts store on the corner of Rising Sun Avenue and Wyoming Street in Germantown, PA from 1949 to 1954. These founding members branched off of the Hell’s Angels Car Club, a hardcore group of enthusiasts who only accepted one type of paint job: Dark Gray Primer.
In the Spring of 1955, Charlie Wise voted himself as the first president of The Philadelphia Modifiers. The club was comprised of six members and had only two rules to join:
1) Members had to be at least 18 years old.
2) Members’ cars had to be at minimum 20 years old.
The Modifiers soon moved into a small garage located at 4249 1/2 Orchard Street, Philadelphia, PA which was only accessible through a narrow alley hence, the 1/2 in its address. It was at this garage that Philadelphia Modifier legends such as Tony “T.G.” Tierno and “Bowers Brothers” Ray and George built their Hot Rods and race cars.
The Modifiers quickly gained notoriety through their handywork such as Tierno’s 1932 Ford fitted with a 313 cu. in. blown flathead which he called “MY SIN”, and the Bowers’ modified 1934 Ford Competition Coupe which was powered by a 346 cu. in. with a crank-driven 671 blower from a rear-engine Oldsmobile.
The Modifiers not only built cars for show, but often raced their cars at local drag strips. Members frequented the 1/8th mile in Hatfield and Langhorne and the Convair Field in Allentown, PA. Later racing spots included the Quarter Mile of Vargo Dragway in Eastern Pennsylvania, the Atco Dragway, and the Vineland Speedway in New Jersey.
In 1970, Joe Brunett and Marty Ritter, along with three other members, pushed to form the Bucks County Chapter in Ft Washington, PA. Three years later, Ritter filed to incorporate the chapter on May 18th as the Philadelphia Modifiers Bucks County.
In 1972, the Modifiers helped create the Mid Atlantic Street Rod Association (MASRA); An association comprised of car clubs spanning the east coast from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. MASRA is our link to the Nation Street Rod Association (NSRA).
In 1975, the Bucks County Chapter sold their incorporation to the original club in Philadelphia. The Bucks County Chapter went on to form the Mod-Tiques of Eastern Pennsylvania and still have strong ties with Philadelphia Modifiers today.
Tragedy struck in 1977 when a garage fire destroyed several street rods and most of the club’s tools and equipment.
In 1986, Modifiers member Dave Rudan contacted Joe Sway and Bob Van Sciver and proposed to host a drag event at the Atco Dragway as they did in years past. The following year, the Modifiers held their very first event; a Yesteryear Drag, Rod-Run, and Swap Meet. From 1989 on, the Modifiers have held the same event each year every Spring and Fall.
In 1994, the Philadelphia Modifiers’ bylaws were broadened. Instead of accepting only pre-1948 street rods, the club began to allow cars and trucks built before 1959 with additional qualifications being that it must be a running vehicle of show-quality with some form of modification to the engine, wheels, paint, etc.
The club gained its current name in 1997 when it was incorporated as the Philadelphia Modifiers Street Rod Club.
Today, the Philadelphia Modifiers Street Rod Club is over 45 members strong and holds several car shows, cruise nights, and banquets each year.
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