Boston Ma area - Street Racing in 60's remember this car?

I know not too "hamby" my dad bought this new of the showroom floor after getting out of the hospital,,,after being in the hospital for a year, he wanted to go to NY to get a Baldwin but didnt want to wait.

375hp 396 (425 actually) TH400, 3:55 gears

One of 200 or so built in 1969

 

Thank you for starting this thread ! I cant say I remember seeing that 55 on the street,but do believe I met your dad a few years ago and he showed me pictures of it....This whole Boston area has a ton of hot rod history . And speaking of PV in Malden, my 55 was owned by a guy who used to work at PV but unfortunately was killed in a motorcycle accident in the late 70's .(I think his name was Steve???) He had 2 55 Chevies,one was red and jacked up sky high from what I can remember ,and another primer grey 2 door sedan with a big block (my car).

 

My dad just retired but was a salesman on the road, supplier to body and other automotive shops, so he knows a lot of people in MA for sure, so it is likely you bumped into him.

We also sell parts on the side out of my family's barn in Medford, just to finance our builds, so maybe you have been down the house before..there are pics of the 55 on the wall of the barn.

I am 38, so all of this is before my time, but likely I have been told stories about a lot of it.

 

ahhh yes...I knew her too!!



sorta glad I was just a tad too young for the 80's!

 

As far as I know Jim Mahan still runs His store Down on Boston St in Lynn.
It has been a while since I have been in there. Last time I was in there one of his dragster frames was still hanging from the ceiling.

 

what is the store? im in lynn.....

 

Sign out front says Mahan`s hardware. Its about a block down on Boston st from Chestnut.
Thanks for posting all these pictures.

 

thanks for sharing the stories....u guys lived it

 

Edmund St. in Malden, a side street off of 800 Main St. The garages were torn down around 1975 to make way for a Sunnyhurst Convient Store and a parking lot. The store is still there, but has a different name. They also managed to squeeze two house where the parking lot was. We had the last garage away from the street, you still can see the wall that also served as a retaining wall for the adjacent property.

 

I have been told that there were a few hot rodders renting garages here since the fifties. By the late sixties nearly every garage had a hot rod or race car. I started hanging around there when I was seven years old in 1967. A lot of these guy were still in high school and the older guys were in their mid twenties. My parents were not crazy about me hanging with these guys. Jim Mahan's aunt was a friend of my mother, and she assured my parents I would not get into any trouble. In this picture Paul Delaney and Mike Camberlain take a rest from building their new trailer for the Hard Guys new A/FD.

 

Jimmy's store is still there...Jimmy is semi retired and his son Chris runs the bussiness.

 

BC These pictures are great... I have some of these pictures also, that I will be posting.This is Prudential center 1970.

 

Post them in this thread, lets keep it going!

My dad also knows Mahan and actually use to sell to him, my friend Kirby who is building a blown Firebird lives just up the street from their automotive/hardware store...they will be our new local parts store for sure!

 

Church Key, I know where that Sunnyhurst is/was...I know where you mean.

 

Some more pics of the 55

 

I think this was from a test and tune session

 

Another car from the Edmund St. garages. Joe Bannan and Ray Marcotte B/A Bantam roadster. When Joe first moved to the neighborhood he had a one bay garage, When this two bay opened up, he just moved across the driveway to more spacious digs. This garage upgrading happened everytime someone moved out. The Main St. garages were up the street from Edmund St. Bill Nobel had a Model A coupe project going on up on Main. He wanted to move down to Edmund St. The coupe was just a body - frame and boxes of parts. A half dozen guys picked up the coupe and just walk it down the street to it's new location.

 

Here is another shot of the Bannan and Marcotte "Quick Sand" B/A, at the Boston Car show in 69. Notice the for sale sign...The next year they would have a new AA/A.

 

Bill Nobel sold his Model A project off to Jeff Steele and joined the Bannon Marcotte team. The guys moved across the driveway one more time to share a five bay garage with Don Gianquito. Don had his AA/D and shared space with Tom Brewer that had drag bike.

 

Great stuff guys, I'm really enjoying this thread.

 

Jack was that Curly? A friend of mine from Maine were talking about him the other day.I remember doing some stuff for Tommy Brewer when he and Charlie Greer used to hang out.Tommy had Buddy Murray's 49 Olds fastback(the Bronze Bomber)and Charlie had that radically channeled 32 Ford roadster that he used to drive through the woods in back of the Tally Ho in Lynnfield. I think Charlie still owns that car. I think Charlie's dad(Matty)either owned the Tally Ho or he was a bartender there.He owned Maplewood Motors in Malden I know that.Brewer was a certifiable lunatic.I did a racing snowmobile for him once and he was racing it and lost control at about 100 mph.Flipped him off and he broke his back.I think he went back to racing after a year or so.Charlie has to be the most laid back person I ever met.I don't think ANYTHING ever upset him.
BTW I talked with Tom O'C the other day.Didn't realize he had been so ill.Glad to hear he's on the mend.Spent about an hour trading war stories and the good old days.I can vouch that his sarcasm is still greatly intact and his way with words not diminished at all.
My wife and I will be heading to the Boston area the end of August for my son's wedding and hopefully we can see some of the old guys before we have to return.

 

Don Gianquito also known as Curly ran this AA/D. He had five bays at the Edmund St. garages. Here is his dragster at the Boston Car Show in 69. That is an SPE Chassis from CA., with a fiberglass body made by Charlie Karambilis of Haverhill, MA. During the 69 season Curly had a bad clutch explosion, he was fine but, the chassis was damaged and the body was splintered. The chassis was sent back to CA., for repairs and mounts to switch to 426 power, also a new Hanna aluminum body was made.

 

Here is Curly with the car repaired running at Naperville, Canada. The car is now running a 426 Dodge engine. The new body also got a new paint scheme blue and white stripes.

 

u should see the Lynn marsh road now.....all done over. smooth. parking spots ar bridges for striper fishing..Atlantic lobster burnt doesn't rumor of insurance....sign is hanging in my house now...

 

I'm gonna try to go through more photos..i think my dad has his early Massachusetts circle track pics