Muffler Men

I remember them, $10,000 for one now WOW!!!!

 

There is one here and one in Sioux falls SD. Both the cowboy type.

 

A little O/T but I 'member someone stealing a "Big Boy" from Bob's in Pasadena . I was returned however sans the burger patty and lettuce !!

 

I grew up with this in my (back yard)
less than 1/2 a mile from my parents house

 

I always thought it would be cool to have a Manny, Moe, and Jack

 

They are pretty cool!

 

I need to go check and se if the one is still outside the muffler shop on 16th St here in Indy. He was also "Mr Bendo"

 

great thread, i've always wanted to go check out the forrest up by Lake George that a bunch of these guys are hanging out in, but the bonus was seeing the A&W family and finally finding the true origin of the "burger guy and burger lady" that sit on top of Gregory and Paul's (now Paul's Daughter) in Coney Island. I've always been kind of obsessed with them and if that place ever closes, I'm showing up with a checkbook. In the meantime I'm framing up a pair of shots I took of them to hang in my living room (here's the guy):

 

Yep, Ralph's Muffler Shop on 16th street still has " Mr. Bendo " . He's an icon. Ralph's made another one for their East Washington street location but the zoning people wouldn't let them put it up. Supposed to be stored somewhere.

 

There was one in Valley Park Mo. At Rt 141 and HY 44. It has been gone for a couple years. I miss it. Never got a photo ether.

 

I bought my 1989 Dakota convertible in its parking lot.

 

If you ever seriously want to pick a Burger Family member or two let me know. I know of a few currently looking for a new home.

 

Great thread, fun stories and pix! When I had my shop Astroluxe on Melrose here in L.A., I found Manny, Moe & Jack from a closing Pep Boys, and a Jack in the Box head--they were traffic stoppers! And Cyclone Kevin, if you're reading this, the Muffler Man at Tune Up Masters on Sherman Way just east of Van Nuys Bl. is named "Kevin." ;-)

 

This guy in Unger, WV, is living the dream with this collection in his back yard

 

I remember the one in Waxahachie (1st post) when it was in front of the Chiefs, I wondered what happened to it?? Now I know....

 

Digging this up. Found someone else with a passion for these big lugs.

http://rightpalmup.com/

 

Just a quick update on this very old thread but after 10 years of searching we finally landed a Muffler Man! He was formerly located at the Sterling McCall Auto Museum down in Texas. He blew over and took a bit of damage back in 2010 and has been sitting in their warehouse ever since.

He just arrived here in Portland and goes in next week for a complete restoration. The plan is to have him back out on public display this summer.

Here's a shot of him the day we unloaded him:



We've also recently added a Paul Bunyan/Lumberjack Muffler Man head and one of the Tastee Freez Twins statues to the collection.

We're gonna need a bigger yard.

 

LOL that rabbit used to be in front of a boat place out on the TV highway. Maybe it still is been there pretty much all my life.

That A&W Rootbeer family is from the A&W in Hillsboro and they are nearly as old as I am too.

 

I haven't ventured out Hilsboro way for some time now, curious if the big rabbit is still at Harvey Marine in Aloha.

 

I haven't been out that way since for quite a while either, but it was there the last time I was. My sis in law lives near Witch Hazel elementary I'll ask her the next time we speak.

 

Beaner
This is just plain weird, did you see my post (minutes ago), or did you just happen to open this at same time as me, prior to today, it hadn't been added to since 2012.
Anyway, I had to switch from my tablet that stopped copying images to my wifes' (which I couldn't get to turn on), went right back to mine and see you had posted.
Funny thing is; you quoted an old post, not mine.
Just plain weird.

 

Ask her if she ever hears a lot of engine noise in her hood, Larry Kalsch(big Ford SOHC guy),
has his engine/dyno shop OnWitch Hazel rd., right behind the skate world on TV hwy. IIRC.

 

I was just scrolling through, thinking about the jingle, "Do you know the muffler man, the muffler man the muffler man . . ." And saw the rabbit and the A&W family.

My daughter was actually @ the auction for the A&W family she was trying to buy them for me. They ended up out at the park in Hillsboro for a long time, right near where the skating rink used to be. They used to have one of those big ol' Paul Bunion dudes in front of the WigWam in Hillsboro as I recall and it seems to me that there was a muffler shop in the area that had one only holding a muffler instead of an Ax.

Good memories for me. A damned long time ago it seems.

he was zooming one of his engines the last time I was visiting her. LOL

Hey someone was telling me that they turned the old Fire Engine shop on Corn Town into some sort of a hot rod shop. Do you know anything about that?

 

Harvey the Rabbit is still out there in Aloha. With the way the Portland area is growing lately we're concerned that property will eventually get developed. Hopefully Harvey stays out there for everyone to enjoy.

 

Do you remember when the Wigwam closed? Would love to dig up a photo of it with the Bunyan in front.

 

I'm pretty sure it was still open in '71 when I came back this way. Maybe it wasn't but I am pretty sure that it was. Let me ask the missus I am pretty sure that she will know.

 

I think you are referring to Ernie Halls' Western States Fire Apparatus in Cornelius.
He was one of the nicest racers in the NW, in Top Fuel.
Don't know Bean, I'll look into that.

 

We had a Muffler Man in Teays Valley, WV that had been converted to Paul Bunyan and stood outside of a local truck stop restuarant for many years. They had a "Babe the Blue Ox" that stood next to Paul. The location changed hands (and theme) so the statues were donated to the county fairground. For their security, both currently reside at Town & Country Supply (farm store) that is owned by one of the Fair Board members. I'll try to get a pic of them the next time I'm in the area.

Jim