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An avenue for EXPRESSION No ordinary MILLENNIAL
ANTHONY DiLIBERTO BLENDS ARTISTIC TALENT WITH A KNACK FOR WRENCHING UNDER THE HOOD HAGERTY’S FIRST EDUCATIONAL GRANT RECIPIENT SHARES HIS SECRET FOR SUCCESS
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ticed as an up-and-coming protégé and WHILE HE would never say so, 19-year-old Anthony DiLiberto Joseph, owner of Classic & Exotic Service in Troy, THE MILLENNIAL Generation (those artistic successor of master Alan Johnson is nothing short of a pinstriping prodigy. A suburban kid from Michigan, led to a cross-country move. Voss was soon born between 1981 and 1997) often would be enough to kick-start a successNew Milford, New Jersey, DiLiberto has been drawing cars with working on everything from Bentleys to Packards. gets a bad rap for being coddled and The RPM ful career, but DiLiberto has other plans. flaming front ends longer than he can remember. “I’ve always The RPM FoundaIn December, Voss struck out on his own, and his soft. When it comes to cars, studies Foundation “I’ll probably always do the pinstriploved the colors, the paint and all the chrome,tion the general look accelerates the Cross the Action Classics is now open for business in say they have less interest in driving, accelerates ing, but as a sideline to working in a hot of hot rods from the late 1950s and early 1960s,” he says. growth of the next White Lake, Michigan. let alone getting their hands dirty growth of the rod shop,” he says. He points to his other DiLiberto’s father, Don, worked as a technical trainer for generation of autoFrom farm kid to fabricator at the Midwest’s premier under the hood. Not Josh Voss. next generamajor influence, the late Ed “Big Daddy” BMW of North America. Together, father and son worked on motive restoration tion ofrestorer automoof American and European classics, and now an “Growing up on a farm in Washington, and to preservation Roth. “He showed you could work on an cars in the family garage and traveled regularly car shows. tive restoration entrepreneur in a hobby he loves, Voss admits his incredI got my driver’s license when I was 14,” craftsmen engine and be a great artist.” At one show, DiLiberto met renowned pinstripe artistthrough Alan and preservaible success came without much of a plan. His advice? the 29-year-old says. “My first car was a Thanks in part to a grant from the Johnson. Years later, DiLiberto emailed him, scholarships, they recon- formaltion craftsmen “If you have a good work ethic and the right 1973 Plymouth Valiant that I bought from training RPM Foundation, DiLiberto is attending nected, and the man who literally wrote the book Howand to mentorthrough scholarpeople take notice, things will pay off,” he says. “At my grandfather for a dollar.” ship. Learn more at the Pennsylvania College of TechnolPinstripe became the boy’s mentor. Shadowing Johnson at ships, formal least, that’s what has worked for me.” Even as a boy, Voss gained valuable rpm.foundation. training and ogy’s two-year Automotive Restoration every opportunity for the next five years, DiLiberto eventually experience in making old engines run. mentorship. program. In addition to his regular class began accepting commissions of his own. “My father used to bring home old alterLearn more at schedule, he’s also building his very own “Flames, pinstriping and custom lettering—for me, it’s all an nators and carburetors that we would rerpm.foundation. After work“T Bucket”—a 1925 Ford Model A chasavenue for artistic expression,” he says. “But I’m also the hours son, Josh enjoys build together around the kitchen table.” ing onand thefixDuesenberg Model sis powered by a 350 small-block V-8 grandson and nephew of mechanics. I think diagnosing In keeping the old Valiant on the road, J he co-owns with Butch —from parts mostly donated by friends. ing problems [under the hood] is what I’m really good at.” Voss rebuilt the carburetor, replaced the Kamphausen. “It’s one of the styles of cars that Starting as a freshman at New Milford High School, valves and ported the intake in addition Last fall, DiLiberto started my interest,” he says of the quintDiLiberto saved every penny he made in commissions. By sophto rebuilding the transmission. He also helped customize essential late-1950s/early-1960s hot rod. omore year he had enough to buy his first car: a 1962 Chrysler developed a love for the process. Hagerty’s four-day DiLiberto aims to have the car running, Newport, though he still had to wait a year to get his license. Model A build at What he didn’t have was a plan for and wearing a killer paint job, by the time In 2014, the New York Times published a profile of the AACA Hershey how to earn a living after graduation. he graduates in 2018.—Bob Butz DiLiberto and his interest in classic cars. For most, getting noSwapmeet. “In my junior year, 2004, I met Buck Kamphausen of RM Auctions, after three of my friends and I decided to restore a 1928 Ford Model A and run it in the Great Race.” Kamphausen asked the boys if they would be interested in detailing his car. Something about Voss’ work stood out. “I went to work for Buck, who then encouraged me to apply to the RPM Foundation (then called the Hagerty Foundation) for a scholarship.” Voss was accepted and used the money — $36,000 — to attend WyoTech in Laramie, Wyoming, an accelerated, year-long associate degree program. Voss graduated debt-free with a degree in business and a certificate in Street Rod and Custom Fabrication. While working for Kamphausen, another chance encounter, with Brian