Art & Inspiration METAL BADGES AND EMBLEMS FROM OUR PAST

Growing up in the San Joaquin Valley ( Atwater ), California, my dad had a wrecking yard with a wheel alignment pit and bays for tune up and a body shop as well.



After 20 years of that business operating, sadly he passed away at the young age of 48.

I would go down to California annually for a gathering of vintage aircraft ( Luscombe's ) at Columbia California, and on the way home, I would stop at the property that used to be our wrecking yard. One year I went into the building that had long since been abandoned and I wanted to look around to see what was left, if anything.


All that was left, were the " JOHN BEAN " cabinets, for the wheel alignment equipment.

The turn tables were gone, the projectors and mirrors were gone, but on the cabinets, were these two really cool "JOHN BEAN " badges / emblems and they were easy to remove. In essence, that was literally, all that was left of my dads business. I have had these badges for years, but over the years, they had disappeared into some box, someplace. Just a few days ago while going through a lot of boxes, there they were, still bright and gleaming. Indeed just finding them again brought back a lot of great memories.



So I invite all of the H.A.M.B. universe, to post the the metal badges and emblems from your past, that brings back memories to you as well !

Thanks for reading, from Dennis.

 

After reading an article about the article about Keikenhafer and the daytona racing with the hemi cars I found this back in high school in the 80's. The Fire dept sign was taken off of my gradpas truck. The impala badges s well as the c10 badge, volks and harley badges ive been packing around since i was in jr high.

 

Grandparent's St. Christopher travelers visor clip on the header above the steering wheel. My Grandad's Hyvis oil token on my oil filler cap and his Johnson Winged 70 Gasolene token on my gas cap.....and the key to his model A on my key ring....for luck.

 

My sister found this at a thrift store, someone had cut off the hands..kinda wierd. But, she added a
crescent wrench and gave it to me to put in my garage to give me good "Carma" when I am working on
cars. Must work as I have had no cars fall on me since...haha...

 

Here are some Euro ones I have had. The Fordson is UK, The MatFord's (not mine) . The Fordson and German oval fits in the '32 Ford grille bezel perfectly. View attachment 5157726 View attachment 5157727

 

Wow, great responses from the H.A.M.B. universe indeed !
Here is a very cool badge that I recently gave to fellow H.A.M.B.E.R., @ClarkH that fits nicely on the voltage regulator of his mercury speedster.

 

This one is still attached to my Hydro. I bought a basket case '36 Willys coupe from a class mate in '64 for $75. Got a basket case 331 hemi from another classmate for $25. Bought a wrecking yard '56 Oldsmobile for $15 hoping to get a rear end and tranny. Unfortunately I found out GM discontinued the Dual Range Hydro in '55. Was able to trade the '56 tranny for my '54 Hydro to another classmate. The tranny came from an old Mercury that had an engine swap sometime in the past. How fitting that this is a Willys Hydro in a Willys coupe 'gasser'?!!

 

No, I'm not a PE. But my grandfather was and I remember these badges on the grilles of his Buicks over the years. So I had to buy it for my 37 sedan when I found it at Carlisle.

 

I'm a PE! California P1482

 

*Mobil Pegasus - Hung in my grandfathers basement shop, always loved it as kid.
*Grill Badge from my Great-Grandfathers first car ...
*Rod Bender Plaque my Dad carved as a teen in the 1950s ...
*Rearview mirror from Augie Garcia's 1950s Austin Healey - Augie was a local Rock-n-Roller, credited with cutting the first Rock-n-roll recording in MN back in '55.

 

You must be OLD! Here in Iowa the PE license numbers are up in the 20,000's.

 

Club in the 1950s

 

A) I am old, got it in about 1985, and B) it is Petroleum and there are WAY fewer of them than mechanical, electrical, civil, etc.