Original Northeast Speed Shops?

Boy does this post bring back memories. I was there the day Frank Marata opened Connecticut Dragway. Had to wait in a line of cars for along time before the gates opened. While waiting I met a guy with a beautiful duece roadster,began talking and ended up buying a 1930 5 window Model A coupe body and fenders complete for $40.00. That had to be in about 1960,and I still have the coupe, on it's third motor and drive it everywhere.
Don Gallant's over on the Berlin Turnpike used to be just below the carhop joint we all used to meet to drag from. Or back across the river to Augie and Ray's next to Pratt and Whitney. Had the quarter mile painted out on the Wethersfield Bridge. Would go through the toll booth, line up, and blast toward the bridge.Those had to be some of the BEST DAYS ever for a car guy. Thanks for joggin my memory.

 

Can't forget the Jersezy guys .... J&F, New Brunswick,Central Jersey & Van Inderstein Speed Shops

 

There is an "Otto's Garage" on Rt. 85 in Chesterfield, CT....Just a town north of Waterford. It certainly looks like a speed shop that has been around for a while....it doesn't look like that there is a much action in there these days as I have seen the same cars parked out front for close to 2-3 years.

I grew up in Newington, met Don Gallant a couple times....not through the car world but because I went to scholl with one of his daughters.....Nice family

 

I get the impression that "Don's Speed Shop" in Newington is still around. Does anyone know where on the Berlin Tpke it is & maybe a phone number. I would be interested in stopping in and looking around.

Thanks

 

Wow you're a treasure trove of New England hot rod history!

 

Don't know if they're still in business, but there used to be a few Ben Pilla speed shops around central and southern NJ.

 

Thanks for the kind words.I have to amend one thing though;Fibreglass Engineering was run by CARL Carpenter,not Ken.

The Saugus branch of New England Speed was run by Bill Welch who had the greatest channeled 40 Ford sedan.Painted white;it had the fenders raised the amount of the channel and the hood was sectioned.It had a little scoop cut into the left side of the hood to clear the generator on the 265 Chevy under the hood.Not so wide whitewalls and chrome reversed wheels with no bumpers made this a pretty radical custom-rod for it's time(1959-60).

Bill looked more like a CEO of a big company rather than a hot rodder which must have freaked a few people out when they saw him driving the 40.

A builder from Peabody Mass(John Silva)wound up with the car and made even more custom mods to it;using it as a tow car for his radical chooped,channeled,and sectioned(41 inches high at the top)41 Mercury coupe that Len Legere finally wound up with.The 40 Sedan got wrecked(I think he was trailering it to a show in Hartford during the winter and it skiddied off the road when the hitch broke)and I don't know what happened to it.John went on to build some pretty radical show cars afterward.

Brian Peavey(PV Speed)had a 55 Nomad drag car that he used to haul with a bright yellow 59 chevrolet sedan delivery that was Pontiac powered.The 59 was only a few years old at the time.Mike Guiffreida(who worked for Brian and eventually managed his stores)had a beautiful 60 Chevrolet sedan delivery then.

Don't know what happened to Brian's 59 but a friend of mine(Ed Murray)got the Nomad and made it streeable(he put mufflers on it)and drove it for awhile until he died quite unexpectedly(at 41).Don't know where it is now.

Mike's 60 was in a body shop in Woburn about 12 or 13 years ago.I wanted to buy it but it was pretty rough.

Sorry for getting so far off topic;just thinking about those days brought it all back.

 

That is Don Gallant's T roadster and The Danbury Modifiers Lyndwood rail on the Dover Drag strip opening day program. Don still owns the T and I've owned the Lyndwood rail for almost 20 years now.

 

Tim Hallock owned Competition Automotive in Danbury, Ct. , and was the original driver of the Danbury Modifiers Lyndwood rail. He had a falling out with the club and built his own blown Lyndwood that is on a Lyndwood factory built trailer pulled by his shop truck. Photos are fron 1961.I've never shown these photos before, Merry Christmas!

 

Dons was a friggin trip to walk into..I'm 27, use to go down there and just look around..seems like Don could answer any question I could throw at him...stories of old days gone by...old speed stuff he always had lying around...When I pulled into the parking lot shortly after the fire..It brought tears to my eyes I must say..My dad was a regular at Dons during his street racing days...told me all kinds of stories about it, and what they got away with back then..only seemed natural to kinda follow suit...I asked Don about a set of pie crusts he had in the rafters..never would sell them to me, or anyone else for that matter...maybe I'll take a ride tomm since I'm at the folks for christmas... awesome post..thanks guys

 

Is that the Glass Slipper in that last pic?Sure looks like it!Great old pics;thanks for debuting them here.

 

Not "The" Glass Slipper just an East Coast lookalike. I think it was called The Green Banana, owned by a fellow in Mt. Vernon, New York. I met him at the first Dover Reunion years ago, still had the Hemi but cut the car up years ago. This photo shows the car behind the Danbury Modifiers rail at Montgomery, N.Y. Airport Drags in 1960. Note the Hemi, steel front wheels and unpainted body on the Lyndwood. They never got the Hemi to perform and swaped it for a SBC with Algon injection, and went out and beat blown Hemis.

 

If you are talking about Murph from the Ty Rods, I could probably track him down. I saw him about a year ago.


CWS Speed was down New London /Groton way, and Chet's Speed Shop was just over the line in Rhode Island.
B&B Performance in Branford
Ridgerunner Speed Shops down New Haven way

Wholesale Tire & Battery (WTB) in Hartford.
Performance Centers of America (PCA) East Hartford

 

You guys may have already seen it but there was a post about a week ago about the drag race reunion coming up in hudson Mass at the Elks Hall 3-8pm Jan 20th.The updated Cool Cars book will be on sale.There will also be one in I think February in Wallingford Ct.for Ct.dragways guys but there are always folks from the other New England strips there as well

 

Doesn't look like anyone actually answered your question. Yes, Don's is still in business at the same location.

Don's Automotive Specialties



2193 Berlin Tpke
Newington, CT 06111-3201
Phone: (860)666-9156

 

how about names of gas stations and/or car dealers on the doors
such as moe's auto service from e. springfield ,mass. or adams service center etc.

 

Here's a couple of slogans you could use...

MOE's
Auto Repair Service.
Free pick-up and delivery.
Try us once, you'll never go anywhere again

Adam's
UsedCars
Why go elsewhere to be cheated? Come here first

 

Thanks!!

 

Ah, yes Don's Automotive, affectionately known as The Berlin Bandit or The Hammerslammer.
"What do ya got to trade? huh? huh?

 

Dean,

There is a reference to an old auto repair place in this article about the old Moodus center, Axelrod’s Service Station.

I spoke with one of the guys that was in my Dad's club, Chris Voorhees.

There was a CWS Automotive in Niantic Connecticut that was a speed shop, owned by Charlie Strickland (who was in Hotrod magazine in the late 50s, and I am checking on the issue).

There was also Spinner Smith in New London on Bank Street, who was a flathead ford Guru. He ran a twin-fire flathead 8 at Waterford.

I still need to talk to my Dad, and I am going to call Steve Harwood and Pete Tytla also.

 

What year and make is your N/SS car? How about a dealership sponsor name?

 

Axlerod is in business near or in east Hampton axlerod Tire I have a friend that lives out there and we go by it on occasion just not sure of the town

 

I seem to remember a guy by the name of Bill Strickland from Niantic who had a Hilborn injected nailhead powered T roadster that was a pretty serious drag car as well as street machine.Probably related.

 

Yes, That would be "Willie" Strickland, who was in the Eliminators also.

I don't want to hijack this thread, so I am going to make some calls and put as much info together on the club as I can find and post it up.

 

I believe that's the same guy (Charlie? Willie Strickland)
I think he passed away awhile back.

 

Re: Murph
Are you referring to Ray Murphy of the Dominators Hot Rod Club out of Mass?
His 40 Frod coupe (The Flying Toilet used to reall cook)
He's still around and very active with his lt. gray primer deuce, full fendered , p/u truck.
It's easilly identifified by it's dual stacks mounted behind the cab.
He's always at the "nostalgias" at New Englad Dragway.
He lives in Hopkington Mass.
Still an active Dominators member.

 

Deb's was a pretty big name for a while.
There was Orange County Speed Shop in Washingtonville, N.Y
Speidel's Speed Shop IN Wingdale (seen on early pictures of the "Black Arrow". Carl Speidel owned that and helped "Doc" early on. He had a '53 or '54 Chevy with what he claimed was a real TJ tuck and roll interior. There was also Ed's Speed and Custom in Newburgh N.Y. which was a pretty big player for a few years also. Saturno's Speed Shop in Orange County was another one In N.Y. There's more; that's all I could come up with in a few minutes.

 

jersey ones:
california speed and sport
van iderstines (i think that guy owns early wheel co in CA now)

pa:
almquist
langhorne speed shop

ny: (i think)
belmont

 

willie,s speed shop in neark n.j. then moved to dover on rt.46 dave,s speed shop in harrison,roger,s speed shop in cranford ( i think) routona bros newark,pappy huff in paterson a few i rember from the 60,s in north jersery and from the late 60,s early 70,s bontempo bros