You may have heard about the nature vs. nurture studies performed on twins separated at birth. Such a study might show that after decades of separation, we find that reunited siblings, Jack and Jill, both love pistachio flavored ice cream, rock out to Pearl Jam on their iPods and that they each graduated from the top rivaling communications schools in the country, holding degrees in marketing.

Well, the reunion of Dick Railing and Ed Eichelberger has absolutely nothing to do with the separation of twins at birth, but the story of the long lost friends finding each other, after 35 years of separation, with nearly identical Grundy-insured ’32 Deuce 5-Window Coupes, could be considered just as phenomenal.

In June, during the NSRA Nationals East in York, Pa., Dick excitedly approached the Grundy exhibit saying that he had quite the story to tell.  Once he began to explain the history of his friendship with Ed, and their recent reunion, my eyes lit up a bit and I asked if we could go check out the cars and meet his friend. 

After walking on the black top for a short while, we approached Dick’s bronze ’32 Ford 5-Window Coupe that was traditionally styled with “Class of ‘59” blazoned across the dash and a 1959 Pennsylvania license plate and matching registration tags. Parked behind the bronze Deuce was Ed’s yellow hot rod— a replica of the “American Graffiti” Deuce Coupe (1962). As Dick, his son and I chatted about the cars and the reunion of friends, Ed returned to his hot rod and was happy to elaborate on the story.

“It blew our minds when I got a hold of him,” says Ed, who reached out to Dick, this past fall, after losing touch with him over three decades ago.  “When I called him up, he couldn’t believe what I was telling him.”

Dick and Ed first met when they were gear-head teenagers, living in Malvern, Pa.  Ed says that in the 1970’s, the social scene in Chester County, Pa. was one and the same with what was depicted in the movie “American Graffiti.”  He says that almost all of his friends had muscle cars and hot rods; and, all the local kids would meet up and hang at the local burger joint.  Sometimes, upwards of 50 cars would cruise the town and over Philadelphia’s Walt Whitman Bridge to get to the New Jersey shore. 

Dick went to the local vocational technical school, and Ed attended the local public school, Great Valley High School; and, the two had not yet ran into each other. 

But, a mutual friend of the two teen-aged men, John, kept telling Dick that he had to meet this guy named Ed. John was determined to get the two guys talking, because of the uncanny similarities between their cars— Dick had a copper 1957 Chevy Belair 2-Door Hard Top; Ed had a 1957 Chevy 2-Door Post.  And, both Dick and Ed’s ’57 Chevys were equipped with nearly identical 283 engines.

(Note that these guys both have 283 engines in their deuces today, too!). 

One day, Dick finally dropped by the garage at which Ed worked to meet this guy who he heard had a car just like his.

“And, we became inseparable,” says Dick.

He says that the two became fast best friends and did everything together, including dating sisters, getting chased by the cops and “all the silly stuff you did in the ‘70s.” 

Dick says that the inseparability lasted for a few summers, but eventually the men went their separate ways.  Ed went to machine shop school, met a girl, got involved in a traveling drag racing team and moved to South Carolina.  Dick began working at a local car dealership and delved into his work.  And, somewhere along the way, the two lost touch completely… until the hobby brought them back together, just within this past year.

Ed explains that he held onto his ’57 Chevy for many years.  When he moved to South Carolina, four cars went with him: the ’57 Chevy, a ’55 Chevy (that Dick helped him build), a ’67 Camaro and a ’69 Nova.  His Chevys were his prized possessions and he did not let go of them until about six years ago when his wife became ill and required an operation that would not be covered by insurance.

In 2004, Ed decided to sell the cars in order to cover the medical costs. 

After some time passed, and the couple had recovered both physically and financially, Ed says that he got the itch to get another hot rod. And, he adds that he had always wanted a 1932 Coupe. 

Through an eBay search, Ed found the perfect car in North Carolina; it was about 75-80 percent finished, which was exactly what he hoped to buy. Ed agreed to buy the car and brought it to South Carolina. 

Ed says that while scouring the Internet to find some parts for the vehicle, he began looking at photographs of the cars of various customers on one vendor’s Web site. A picture of a copper bronze Deuce caught Ed’s eye – and the name that was under the car required a double-take.

It said: “Dick Railing.”

“I said ‘This couldn’t be the same Dick Railing,’” recalls Ed. “That’s unreal!”

Ed quickly began searching the Internet and he found more information about Dick and his involvement in the car hobby.

“I said ‘Oh my gosh!’” states Ed. “I couldn’t believe it.  We both had ’57 Chevys, and now we both have ’32 Fords.”

Ed did another Web search and found Dick’s contact information.

“I got a phone call this past November,” says Dick. “And, Ed was asking ‘Do you know who this is?’”

Thirty-five years had passed, and two old best friends were catching up and making plans to see each other. Dick explains that Ed still has family outside of Philadelphia and planned to visit in the summer. The two men thought it would be pretty cool if Ed planned his trip to Pennsylvania during the NSRA Nationals East in York, Pa, so they could meet up at the show, check out each other’s once-again-nearly-identical cars and spend some time reminiscing.

So, Ed made the trip just in time for the show, and the two gentlemen reunited... first at Dick’s house and then again in York.

While in York, a fellow hobbyist accidentally hit Ed’s coupe, bending some of the front suspension parts— but Ed and Dick did not let the incident ruin their reunion.  Instead, they found enjoyment in learning that not only did they have very similar cars, but they both had insurance policies with the same company, Grundy Worldwide.

“That was kind of amazing,” says Ed, who has been insured with Grundy since the 1990’s.

Ed says that he’s happy to say that a well-known and respected adjuster assessed the damage on his car within three days of his return to South Carolina, and he is expecting to have his car back within a couple weeks.

“I’m very satisfied,” says Ed, in regard to his experience with Grundy.

And, while there may have been that incident at the show, Ed still says that meeting up with Dick in York is probably one of the best experiences he has ever had, related to the car hobby.

“After so many years, we are both still involved in the hobby!”

And, really – it is this hobby that brought them together, both in the 1970’s and again this past year. 

Only time will tell how the car hobby will keep the two in touch. Dick says that he’s planning on picking up another project in the near future—something “with a 1960’s flavor.”  This leaves me wondering: Has he informed Ed that he better roll up his sleeves and get ready for a new project of his own?  If history proves to repeat itself again, it looks like both of these fellows have got some work to do!  

Story by: Becky McLaughlin, Gazette Editor

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