Hot Rods OLD SPEED SHOP PHOTO'S

The granddaddy of all speed shops, Lee Chaple's on San Fernando Road in LA. He later moved Oakland.
Opened in the late '20s I believe.

 

very enjoyable - thanks for sharing...

 

Blair's --- maybe the oldest speed shop to be in the same location, on Foothill and Daisy since around 1950. Colby Scroggins drove Don's sprint car, I later got the TE-440 and put an Ardun in it.




Don's first shop, 826 Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena. The building is still there.


Blair's early engine dyno

 

I bought my first chrome parts and a pair of headers from “The Go Shop” in Lansing, Michigan. Anyone else remember that place?

 

I bought a Cyclone head and twin 97s manifold at Blair's in late 50s -- just so I could blow up my first Model A.

 

Mickey Thompson Shop close to our house 1410 COTA Westside of Long Beach 1960

Hello,

Before this address and building was taken over by Mickey Thompson Enterprises, it was the new edition of the Joe Mailliard Automotive Engineering. That was his own speed shop business once started in a joint effort with Joe Reath. But, as partnerships go, the new Westside shop opened for business. Reath stayed at 10th and Cherry on the Eastside of Long Beach.

Soon after Mickey Thompson moved their offices to the next big street over next to the Santa Fe Italian Import business, the remnants of Joe Mailliard disappeared and is hard to find in the history publications.

Extra: As far as Mickey Thompson’s shop, it was on 1410 Cota Ave. It was located one block behind Santa Fe Importers Delicatessen on Santa Fe Ave. Trying to stay as accurate as possible, in doing further research in several books and files, I finally found the correct address for Mickey Thompson Speed Shop in our Westside of Long Beach neighborhood.

Jnaki

It is difficult to find a photo of the exact location, but Joe Mailliard had another speed shop near our high school on American Avenue. From the building/shop in the Westside of Long Beach at 1410 Cota, they moved in November of 1958.

The new business with showroom, parts and an open door for garage mechanical work. It was 3 blocks South of our old high school in the downtown area. It was the first hot rod/drag race speed shops in the whole downtown Long Beach area.


The name American Avenue changed to Long Beach Boulevard in late 1959. So, the American Avenue location was finished in late 1958. From that location, it remains a mystery as to the history afterwards.

From the Westside of Long Beach location on 1410 Cota Avenue address, they moved to American Avenue in downtown Long Beach on the busiest street in the whole area. More walk-in traffic, more drive-by traffic and spotting a speed shop on a busy corner improved the whole business. For us, the location was now closer to our high school campus.
1959
I knew there was a reason I went to this shop after school during our teenage years. The offer of a free copy of a Drag News saved us a gallon of gas each time. Why did Joe Mailliard have a HEmlock phone prefix? When his shop was farther in the Westside of Long Beach, the whole area had a HEmlock prefix.

All phones on American Avenue had GArfield prefix, like the auto dealers on that same street. But, because the original speed shop started in the Westside of Long Beach, they were allowed to bring their HEmlock phone number.


1959
1959


NOTE:
By 1959-1960, Mickey Thompson took over the 1410 Cota Ave location and history later expanded, then moved on to its final shop next to the Santa Fe Importers Deli/Restaurant/Market.

 

Dave's Home of Chrome; Compton, CA, 1957; Life Magazine


Rocco & Cheaters Speed Shop; Birmingham, AL; unknown photographer

 

I remember buying a Zoom flywheel, clutch disc, pressure plate, Hurst shifter, Lakewood bellhousing, traction bars, etc. at this little shop near where I worked. It was great being young and spending most of the money I made working at a gas station on speed parts.

 

I remember this place!!! He built a belly tank into a dragster and used to run it at the old Fontana Drag strip back in the day. Stories my dad used to tell me .

 

Still in business.

 

I got my first "speed Part" (a Mor drop Model A axle) from Van Iderstein speed shop in New Jersey where he shared a building with Tony Feil engine builder. I had to wait a couple of weeks for the dropped axle to be returned from CA before finally installing the Axle on my 1930 A coupe and adding '48 Merc front brakes from "G I" auto salvage in Pine Brook NJ (1962)

 

My Brother Walt, ( circa 1954) purchased parts from Western Auto _ Aluminum Hi-Compression heads, dual carb intake, with carbs, air cleaners, necessary linkage, and Mallory distributor for his '49 Mercury convertible_

 

From Phoenix, AZ, circa 1972...Rundles Speed Shop...Joe started selling speed parts from
his market, out of an unused meat case, on the corner of Mill Ave. and University in Tempe.
Moved to an actual store on Mill Ave., just a couple of blocks down from the used car lot
where the movie "Used Cars" was filmed with Kurt Russell. Here is a pic of his '55 gasser
he ran at Beeline drag strip.

 

Great thread.

 

King Corvette and speed shop in Lansing IL.
VanSenus auto parts in Hessville IN.
Whites Pit Stop in Dalton IL.
Spent a lot of money at King and VanSenus. Whites was never interested in my bucks though. Sorry, I didn’t go to those places to take pictures.

 

Noah Canfield was a friend of mine who lived in Dunedin, Florida once he retired.
Very smart and knowledgeable man who had raced and sold speed parts for many years.

Jimbo

 

This was one of the most popular speed shops not to mention one of the oldest speed shops next to Honest Charley Speed Shop.

Jimbo

 

Here are a few more old speed shops.
Jimbo

 

I grew up 2 blocks south of there

 

Another from Phoeniz, AZ, circa 1965, Goosic Speed shop...E. Indian School Rd.

 

Do you know Gene Hughes the owner? Gene's first wife is my cousin. They made about 14 years. He's a wealth of knowledge.

 

Can you share any more pics of that 55 Chev?

 

Cool thread, love the Speedway Motors image with our honorable Bill Smith out front with I think Marty Bassett sitting in the t-bucket.

 

yes sir I know him real well his son Brian was down at my house all the time he had a motorized skateboard he is a good kid haven't seen him in a long time

 

Recall when a kid would ride my bicycle across town hitting some off beat stores, 2nd hand shops etc. looking for model or promo type friction drive cars to build & customize, a favorite stop on Farnum street downtown Omaha were two car accessory type stores just a few doors apart, I believe one was National Auto, probably not an official type speed shop but they stocked all the bling stuff that a kid could build his dream car....funny never really did go with the chrome thing aside from some Astro rims, valve covers & a bracket or so, probably lacking funds to do so.

 

Yeah, Brian's a good kid (almost 40 now). He took a different route than his dad with the speed shop. Brian is a National champion sporting clay shooter. He owns a sporting clay facility east of Oklahoma city and is doing good.

 

that's way cool I knew he was real good at that

 

And they did it all with no computers. Imagine that.