Up until the late 1980's we had a loop to cruise (as well as several old drive up burger joints around the Puget Sound area) where I grew up in Renton, WA. There was nothing like the glow of the street lights and neon reflecting on the hood of my car and my friends cars (albeit several o.t.) that were also cruising. Historically some of my favorite shots are the nighttime ones of Larry Watson's Grapevine and '58 Thunderbird at night.
Looked for one like this for a lot of years, found it at Carlisle about 25 years ago. To me old rods and beers go together :
Signs from all over the USA saved here in Cincy at the American Sign Museum https://www.americansignmuseum.org/
So, where's the picture of the Wagon Wheel sign? This one in Minneapolis was recently converted from neon to LED for longevity purposes, but it's still pretty cool.
This sign is on the Sports Center (bar/cafe /tavern ) on Yakima Avenue in Yakima Wa and has been a landmark since before I was born. Gus the hunter with the shotgun rotates and is fully lit by neon lighting. In the photo (not mine) the crew from the local neon sign company that restored the sign was reinstalling it and that was a newsworthy item as all of us who grew up in the area remember it. Along with being neon it rotates. It was just about in the middle of our cruise the ave route back in the days when we cruised the Ave an the clock that was mounted on a post in front of a Jewelry store a block or so away was our way of telling time when we cruised. In the past the back room of the place was a serous poker room that you had to just about know someone to get in and a lot of money changed hands back there. You had better be able to handle yourself if you decided to sit at the bar in the bar section and the cafe part wasn't for the timed either. Now it is all Trendy with live music, fancy food and local craft brew on tap. The new owner just spent about a year remodeling it and wouldn't open the door until the sign was up in place and rotating.
LOL. I used to drink there when I was in cooking school at Schoolcraft college. circa 1980 I heard that Northville was becoming "Gentrified". I see from their website that the hipsters have taken over the place. Good to know it's still there. Torchie
I lost my pictures from that night when I switched computers, but here's a good one of the Wheel in all its glory. I'd like to shoot a car in front of here... Photo by Justin Don
Wonderful pix of "The Jewell" and Steve's Merc ragtop in front of the Austin Motel, then a nice blast of Omaha hot rods posted up by Nick. Outstanding
The Jalopy Journal
