Don's Speed Shop T-Shirt Metuchen NJ

Fellas,

Back in about 1966 a kid in school gave me a t- shirt from
Don's Speed Shop that was located on Rt 1. in metuchen NJ.

As I recall it had an artist's rendition of a "Little yellow Wagon" wheelie truck on the front and the truck was of course sponsored by the shop. It was a white t-shirt w yellow and black print.
Would anyone have a picture of one of these shirts that they could post ?

 

Don himself may have a picture, I'm pretty sure he logs in ocassionally. He goes by the name 5quart here on the HAMB, maybe send him a private message.

 

Don Raleigh was and is a pretty cool guy. I spent lots of money in his shop back in the early 60's building my '56 Chevy gasser. He was a Lyndwood dragster dealer, and I should have bought this rail when he had it up for sale, but Uncle Sam needed me to help protect the world.

 

Oh my God! Metuchen, NJ?! I've lived in this 2 sq mile town my whole life and never heard of this place! Where exactly was it located on Route 1? Closer to Bonhamtown or Menlo Park Mall?

Very cool, I'd love to hear some more about this place!

 

Rich, can you invite Don to the Lyndwood Reunion @ York ?

 

57Joe...the original building is just south of the Mall on the south bound side. It was still there last time I was up that way last summer for my 50th year high school reunion. Ya gotta look close, cuz it's only 30' x 30'.

Jack...that's a great idea. Don's health has been an issue in recient years, but if he's able, I'll bet he'll take a ride out to York.

 

I've lived in the area my whole life and I can't remember Don's Speed Shop on Rt.1
What is the building being used for now? The only 30X30 building I can think of over there is the check cashing place. Is that it? I do remember going to the Don's Speed Shop warehouse on Whitman Ave. in Edison. I still got a SBC chrome Holley fuel pump I got from a junk sale there many, many years ago.
While we're on the subject, remember "Heads Up". They were a hard core race car/speed shop on Rt.1 south up by Edison Lanes. Those were the days.

 

Don's Speed Shop, now that brings back memories. In the early '60s three of us started B & R Speed Supply here in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh PA. One of our suppliers was Don. I remember driving to NJ in our '49 Pontiac hearse company car during a snow storm to pick up a load of parts. I think besides the snow plows we were the only vehicle on the PA turnpike. Don made the trip worth while. He helped us get the shop on it's feet so to speak. Thanks for this memory jump start.

 

I think that Blake (Heads up) is still operating out of a shop in Milltown NJ, or was at one time not too long ago

 

The warehouse was the probably second location, just south of the first small block building and on the same side off Rt 1. To keep pace with the Keystones of the world, Don knew he had to go big or find a new line of work. He went big, but still got his lunch eaten by the really big boys.

 

pete I have a black and white photo of the little yellow wagon riding a wheelie down the englishtown track about the mid sixites

 

blake, from heads up performance passed away back in the late 80s or early 90s

 

Wow,
I didn't know that, I moved out of Edison in 92,can't remember if the shop was still on route 1 when I left.
Still sad to hear of his passing

 

How about Jersey Speed & Sport? I posted this photo of the only remaining piece of their T Altered. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=557928&highlight=jersey+speed+sport

 

Yes, Don is a great guy. Sells under oilnspeed on Ebay if anyone needs to get in touch with him..

 

there is a guy doing some sort of car shop in milltown behind a gas station down a back street. i never really checked it out

 

Wayne Celko of top alcohol car fame was running what was left of blakes heads up perf. in a old wharehouse in milltown in the 90s and up to 2002 as far as i know

 

Yeah, I remember him, been a long time...........

 

bertha,

Could you possibly post the pics of the wheelie truck ?

 

Pete, I hate to burst your bubble but Don's Speed Shop was never in Metuchen. I don't remember it being on Route 1 either, I remember it being near the corner of Whitman Ave and Vineyard Road in Edison, near Metuchen Transmission, which is still there, but is also not in Metuchen. Many parts of Edison used to have Metuchen mailing addresses, which caused the confusion. That and the Ford plant in Edison was called the Metuchen Assembly Plant, the train yard in Edison was the Metuchen yard, etc etc. But Edison Radiator was on Main Street in Metuchen for many years! I have met people who thought the lived in Meuchen as little kids but later learned they actually lived in Edison. Menlo Park Terrace in Woodbridge still has Metuchen mailing addresses -figure that one out!

Anyway, back then I couldn't afford the cars I wanted to buy. My fave was the 71 cuda.

 

Eileen,

Yep, same Don's Speed Shop, I must be gettin' old ...

 

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=15xuzif&s=7
here you go pete, it's the only picture I have. Let me know if you can give me any information about it.

 

bertha,

Sorry for the long delay, I'm losing it, not as young as I used to be.

Thanks for the great shot of the Little Yellow Wagon Ford Falcon truck ! It's a dead ringer for the one I remember on the t-shirt. I wonder if Don'e Speed Shop had a sponsorship going with the truck ?

Maybe Don can shed some light...

Can I post the pic ?

 

Holy old thread Batman!
.... RE: Don's Speed Shop, Metuchen, NJ
Just joined this message board, and thought I could add a few of my memories of the original Don's Speed Shop.
* First, let me say something about Don. What a GUY! Summer 1964 or '65, late on a Saturday afternoon, we discover a broken rotor on my buddy's Duo-Coil distributor. Going drag racing with the ol' 301 '55 Chevy at Flemington tomorrow! Call Don, yep, he has one, but he's closing up and walking out the door. We're in Carteret, 20 minutes away, can't make it there in time. Don says he'll leave the rotor outside on a window ledge, pay him when we can. I'm not sure if Don even knew us. Like I said, what a guy! He saved the day.
* Don's was located on Rt. 1 south, just before the I287 ramp. There is a Flooring/Carpet shop there now. After Don moved to the "warehouse on Whitman Ave. in Edison", the old building remained, and looks like it still may still be standing, connected to the Carpet place, almost out on the highway. Wouldn't swear to that though.
* Was the original shop in Edison or Metuchen? It may have been either, depending if you are counting who you pay your taxes to, or what the zip-code/U.S. Postal Service calls it. Over the past 40 years the zipcode structure around Edison has evolved... a lot. Nowadays, looks like that would be considered Edison on both counts, but a few hundred feet off the highway in that area is considered Metuchen.
..... Scotty

 

I used to have a 1951 Mercury made in Metuchen.... but I guess it was really made in Edison....

 

Yep, thats where I remember it being

It was advertised as being Metuchen, but who really knows there was always a boundary issue right in that very area, could have been the last 3" of the building over the line

 

Found it!

 

WOW it is the carpet building, basically at the bottom of Myrtle Ave. That's right on the border of Metuchen and Edison, it could be either.

 

Fellas,
Looking for a photo of someone wearing a Don's Speed Shop T-Shirt in New Jersey with a image of the Little Yellow Wagon on it, or better yet one of the old t-shirts...