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long gone speed shops, anybody from Texas remeber Hotrod Exchange in Dallas?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by apound, Jan 21, 2009.

  1. apound
    Joined: Jul 13, 2008
    Posts: 542

    apound
    Member

    I was thinking about how there used to be speed shops everywhere and now there is almost nothing but internet mail order. Being from northeast Texas two come to mind that I remeber going to. Hotrod Exchange on Beckley in west Dallas and closer to home The Hub on Wesley st. in Greenville Texas. Anyone remeber those places or have stories of other shops. Things were more personal then. One more thing that was better back then.
     
  2. hotrod-Linkin
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 3,382

    hotrod-Linkin
    Member

    do a search..."shops in texas"
     
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  3. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,820

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I went there a few times when I lived in Texas.

    I still have the decal on my tool box
    [​IMG]
     
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  4. FunnyCar65
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 2,092

    FunnyCar65
    Member
    from Colorado

    kinda still on topic.
     

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  5. apound
    Joined: Jul 13, 2008
    Posts: 542

    apound
    Member

    Wish I could find one of those decals today. I had a few of them back then but didn't keep one.
     
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  6. pastlane
    Joined: Oct 4, 2007
    Posts: 1,063

    pastlane
    Member

    I sure remember Hot Rod Exchange. I used to work at S&H discount Auto Parts on East Grand (they had another store in Oak Cliff) Used to be a funny car body on the roof at Hot Rod Exchange I wanted real bad. In one of my weaker moments I bought a Beiber shifter from Harry's. Sure wish I had it now.
     
  7. apound
    Joined: Jul 13, 2008
    Posts: 542

    apound
    Member

    Yeah I forgot about the funny car body on the roof. I also remember a mid engine 427 Vega sedan delivery they had.
     
  8. In '66 I bought a '60 Corvette fuel injection complete with dual point distributor for $150.00 at Hot Rod Exchange. They had a shelf full of vette fuel injections back when no one wanted them. Wish I had bought them all!!
     
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  9. Larry T
    Joined: Nov 24, 2004
    Posts: 7,874

    Larry T
    Member

    Anyone remember RPM Automotive and the Anglia they ran out of there?
     
  10. jimb0
    Joined: Oct 29, 2007
    Posts: 137

    jimb0
    BANNED

    were you from apound? i live over in leonard about 60 miles north of dallas way out in the country.
     
  11. Boodlum
    Joined: Dec 19, 2007
    Posts: 353

    Boodlum
    Member

    Hot Rod Exchange is where I got the 5.13 Posi, dual-quads, cam and lifters, Power Pak heads, straight axle and a bunch of other parts for my flip-front '56 Chevy 150. That place was like heaven to a racer on a budget.

    ETA Can you remember how HRE smelled? Walking down the aisles with speed parts stacked three shelves high and reeking of motor oil, brake fluid, alcohol and nitro.. man that WAS heaven.
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2009
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  12. Hot Rod Exchange...and the great Ben Benson(owner)..he also had an El Camino with an Olds Tornado eng in the bed...real wheelstander....He was the best wheeler dealer on used parts in all of Dallas. May he rest in peace.
    My avatar was also another speed shop in Dallas since late 40's I was there for 11 yrs
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2009
  13. I remember Custom Automotive from a kid in the 50's and 60's but I do not remember where it was located.
     
  14. Custom Automotive..2122 N Pearl st......Between McKinney ave and Ross Ave
     
  15. Tinker51
    Joined: Oct 14, 2008
    Posts: 261

    Tinker51
    Member
    from Dallas Tx.

    thats you bobby in jefferson tx. the good old days of hot rodin.
    who did not work for charlie adams. you had jl payne, charles smilly sitton,dubby erwin, tinker faulkner and all the cars they built there i still here about those cars.

    charles tinker51
     
  16. Hi Charlie.....Go to work and make Tinker some money HAHAHAHA
    And you forgot to mention Chas Tunnell,,Mike Wallace,,,Bob James..Bob Johnson
    Murray Oxman...oan on and on
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2009
  17. Boodlum
    Joined: Dec 19, 2007
    Posts: 353

    Boodlum
    Member

    Was that Delmo Johnson's brother Bob?
     
  18. jdj9410
    Joined: Sep 4, 2007
    Posts: 324

    jdj9410
    Member
    from Paris TX

    Hung out there when the last guy (Butch I think) owned in the early eighties. He sponsored my dirt car about 85 or so. Sad when his son killed himself. Used to go there in the 70's before that, got me a real 302 chevy crank and shoebox funnel ram (what we used to call a tunnel ram. Thought it was the place back then, wish those days was still around.
     

  19. Charlie Tunnel and Oxman had a bada** fuel altered....Desoto hemi I think??
     
  20. Elrod
    Joined: Aug 7, 2002
    Posts: 3,566

    Elrod
    Member

    Hmmm. That is now the address of the Federal Reserve Building here in Dallas.
     

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  21. falfas55
    Joined: Apr 21, 2004
    Posts: 288

    falfas55
    Member

    I used to go there on saturday mornings just to see what used stuff had come. i still have one the decals they used to give away. Also worked at Custom Automotive in 1976-77 when they were on crown and emerald.Met some cool people when i was there.
     
  22. Lobucrod
    Joined: Mar 22, 2006
    Posts: 4,122

    Lobucrod
    Alliance Vendor
    from Texas

    Back in the early 70's I used to drive from west texas to Dallas just to go to Hot Rod Exchange. I would take a grocery list of used stuff that all my buddies wanted. Usually found it all. Got stopped speeding on the way home once. Since I was a long hair the cop had to check my trunk. Good thing I had a receipt for everything. HE asked my why I was going so fast, I told him that I had buddies back home that were having Hot Rod withdrawals. He gota chuckle out of that and sent me on my way.
     
  23. Boodlum...No relation....Bob Johnson super machinist...Delmo Johnson of
    Johnson Bros Chev corner of Ross & Akard long ago..Delmo in insurance now at Addison airport...Also had Pitts Spec Acrobatic BiPlane..
     
  24. We had "Competition Sales" stores in Houston & Austin. The one in Austin closed in the mid 90's. Not sure what happened. Are any still around?
     
  25. Hello Wayne: yeah and I know where that decal came from,dont I?
    as an add on here the guy that bought Custom Automotive was Butch Lehman...from the east Coast.. The good old days are gone.
     
  26. Locomotive Breath
    Joined: Feb 1, 2007
    Posts: 708

    Locomotive Breath
    Member
    from Texas

    Hot Rod Exchange, man that brings back memories. Wasn't the black guy that worked the counter named Major? I was thinking that it turned into Chris's Performance Center after that. If I remember correctly the owner's name was Chris as was his (18 yr. old) son's that killed himself at the shop after closing up one evening. It was a really bad deal.
     
  27. Locomotive Breath
    Joined: Feb 1, 2007
    Posts: 708

    Locomotive Breath
    Member
    from Texas

    I also remember doing plenty of long burnouts leaving the old Supershops on Buckner.
     
  28. I bought a Man-a-Fre from Ben around '67 for $150. Also traded for a set of chrome "slots" to fit my new '66 396 Chevelle. Ben was THE man.
     
  29. My wife and my first date was a trip to Hot Rod Exchange in Feb. of '65. I was trading 331 hemi parts for Y block parts. She can't ever say she didn't know what she was getting into!
    I bought a set of hurst motor mounts to put that 331 in a '32 3 window from the Ace Muffler Shop on Inwood in about '61 or '62.
    Tinker used to do the machine work for the Norris Bros. digger I crewed on.
    What ever happened to Mr. Putty? He did our cranks. Thanks, Mike
     
  30. Locomotive Breath
    Joined: Feb 1, 2007
    Posts: 708

    Locomotive Breath
    Member
    from Texas

    Then Blaine bought Tinker's and got really rich. I always used Bailey's for my cranks.
     

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