Anyone here from south Texas....and by that I mean the Rio Grande Valley? I was born and raised there and my family goes back to the 1890's in that area. The guy in my avatar is my grandfather. That's his brand new 34 that he's sitting on....somewhere near Mercedes, TX. According to my dad, there was quite a hotrod scene there in the 50's....which is pretty cool for it being such an out-of-the-way place. I was born in 69 and was at the races at Edinburg pretty much from birth. My memories start in the early 70's but I remember car related places like Pinky's Hardtops on old Highway 83 and Red's Garage in Harlingen (which is still there). My dad said he saw his first highboy roadster (in person) sitting in front on Red's Garage in about 1949 or so. He talks about it like it was almost a religious experience. We stopped by there one day to pick up a part for a car and he showed me right where the roadster was sitting. Anyone from the Magic Valley....chime in. I loved growing up down there.
My dad ran this Vega with a big block in it.....around 1978. He ran it at Edinburg and took it to San Antonio a few times as well. He said it could get pretty squirrely due to the short wheelbase.
Edinburg Speedway.....mid to late 70's. It was pretty primitive back then for an organized 1/4 mile track. There was one small bleacher, but pretty much everyone just sat in/on the back of their cars or pickups along the length of the strip.
Yep I grew up in the Valley and spent many nights at the track BBqing by the tailgate of my dads truck and watching the drags. I remember the "Hustler" and a bad ass vega wagon called "Quick Delivery" I will have to dig through some old pics to see what I can find
When I lived in McGregor, just west of Waco in the early 70's you could pretty well count on a bunch of rods from the valley showing up at most major Texas rod runs. Those guys didn't bat an eye at a 500 or 600 mile one way road trip in those days.
Cool. What town did you grow up in? I went to elementary school in Harlingen and graduated from Rio Hondo HS. I remember a little sedan delivery (I think) called the "Flying Nunn". That one always struck a chord with me.
Hey Rusty, I worked down there in 64 I think it was. Doodlebugging, and stayed a while in Harlingen at the Hacienda hotel. Remember the nice cars and Confederate Air Force planes. Crop dusters putting their wheels into the beans and clipping the palm trees on almost every run. There was also some kind of strike or something having to do with onions, there were mountains of them piled up just rotting for some reason. The fields were fertile and beautiful. Quiet a place to see. There was a place with straw on the floor and you could burn your initials into the table there. Then there was (across the line) the Texas Bar with nachos each with half a pepper on them and good beer. Was neat...They had a neat drive inn there to. Can't recall the name though.....
Like most kids, my favorite nights were when the exhibition wheel standers or jet cars were there. When they'd wind up those big jet engines and pop 'em loose and go screaming down the 1/4 mile, I can remember jumping up and down and screaming like, well, a little kid.
Awesome! The place with the straw on the floor in Harlingen was called Sammy's Red Barn. The building stood there for the longest time, but I think it's gone now. My mom was the secretary for the Confederate Air Force. I have some good photos of the office and hangars, etc. that'll I'll have to dig up. You're right, back in the day, it was one of the prettiest garden paradises that ever was.....nothing but neat little towns, orchards and fertile fields. It's kind of turned into northern Mexico now. That really happened when amnesty was declared for illegals in 1986. That unleashed a tidal wave of illegals trying to get in on the deal.
Also worked with a man from Alamo Tx, he was a good worker. We could go across and have a good time and not worry about anything. Could get pistol holsters and boot hand made. One pair we had when you would take them off the tops would just lay over because the leather was so soft. And old guy in Nuevo Laredo made them. The Texas Bar was in a little square and was really a good place to relax. It's a shame to hear that it's so messed up. Remember the border patrol guys that we came across sometimes they trailed up people. And we even worked on the King Ranch for a while and in Baffin Bay.....that is one salty place.....Good music with what I call Texas swing......Almost like being in Bandara.....
It may be OT, but what the heck. Father's Day was a couple days ago. This is me and my grandfather....1969. I called him Papaw. He's the guy in my avatar. His parents settled the Valley right before the bandit wars and were in the middle of several fights as that escalated. He was a big bear of a man, and could fix anything with anything. He owned a small auto repair shop and sold new Chevrolets in downtown Rio Hondo. He was loved and respected by the whole area and died when I was seven. He was one of those old-school men who loved his family fiercely and could do anything. I got my love of cars from being in his shop with him and my dad and I was simply devastated when he died. Call me weird, but I still don't think I'm fully over it. Rest in peace Henry Allen. I'll see you again one day.
A little racing story if it's ok. When I was working in the Tenneco Bldg in Corpus there was a drive inn kinda on the lake front. I was there eating a burger when a girl in a 65 mustang coupe challenged my 65 fastback to a race. We talked a while and then we headed out to some little narrow two lane road and another girl got out of the coupe and flagged us off. I beat her the first race then we raced again and she beat me by a bit. That was my first race with a gal....but she had what it took to run hard with her car.
Nice.....gotta love a girl who had the "balls" to drag race. Driving up to Corpus was like going to the big city for us. Going to San Antonio was kind of the same thing. Going to Houston was like visiting another planet.
Ha, Houston is another planet to me. My brother lives there and I am forever lost in that place. Hey Rusty, I not the best with words, but remember that in some way your Pawpa lives through you, and he would be proud of your accomplishments. A friend of mine told me that when it came to cars anything you need can be found in Houston. He is still there racing with his brother.
I don't have any history to add but I think this is cool. I live in Laredo, born and raised, but have family in the Valley in Santa Rosa. My grandparents once owned a bar there before a truck ran right into the building. Unfortunately, I've been down there maybe less than 15 times in my lifetime. Good luck in your search.
Hey Blue, Used to live on Market St. Remember Lamones Texaco, Cactus Gardens, LaRoca ??? Another great city in Texas......used to wax only a one by one square before the fine sand would settle on the car...then have to wipe it off again and do another square....Have a good evening.....
My wife was born and raised in LaFeria! Now we live in Ohio. We are retired and are now "snow turds,or winter texans" We still have lots of family there. There is a dirt track in phar,but I never get to go as we have to play "chulipa" on saturday night. Small world Russ
Thanks. Chances are that I know her or her family. In the RGV, if you don't know somebody directly, then it's usually just one degree of separation. At least that's true of the folks from prior to the 1980's.
The Rio Grande used to flood on a pretty regular basis, until they put in some flood control measures. Mercedes, TX usually got the worst of it. This photo was taken by my great-grandfather near there, in 1921. The guy with the phaeton's having a bad day. The best I can figure is that he's attaching a tow rope.
Maybe a little O/T but back in the 60s we drove from Dallas to Nuevo Laredo on some Saturdays to "party" at "Boys Town"..
no dirt track in Pharr, but there is a 1/4 mile dirt circle track in south McAllen ( town just west of Pharr ) that is still running also, there is a 1/4 mile drag strip still running in Edinburg ( town just north of Pharr )
The "Hustler" was name run on a couple cars owned by Jay Hanshaw. His last car to run the name was his 70's Corvette funny car as seen in the pic. He ran this car in several circuits across the country up into the 80's
have lived in parts of Texas, thought some might be interested in thread I have going: History-Drag Racing, Laredo, TX 1950's - Need Info : jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=702553&highlight=laredo
I grew up in the mid-valley, mostly Mercedes/LaFeria. The old Wes-Mer drive in is in Weslaco, still up and running, and has even regained popularity since ticket prices in theaters went thru the roof. (drive in is $10 a car load for two shows!) My grandfather owned the old Jungle Inn, and worked for many of the local dealerships in the 60's! Being that I was born in 76, I missed most of the "hey day" of car culture here in the valley, but now I understand the amount of vintage tin down here. Sure most of its rusty as all hell, but there's a wide selection if you know where to look! I took some pics of an old car dealership in the upper valley a few years ago - just because I was amazed at the sheer number of oldies for sale! Unfortunately, the current/longest running automotive trend around these parts is low riders - no, not classy ones, think 80's buicks. As of late I have noticed a few more oldies on the road though - maybe there is hope after all?
I'm going to tag this post. When I get there next winter,I would like to contact you guys and find out where you get together for cruis ins and what days. We went to a good show year before last in mcCallen at the civic center. but I think you guys go to a home depot or lowes in Brownsville or Harlingen. russ&Irene
Very cool to find some RGV folks here on the HAMB. If you'll indulge me a bit, I'll throw down some Valley history.... The man in the photo is my great grandfather. He was a Texas Ranger on the Rio Grande River during the bandit wars and was employed as a hired gun by the W.E. Stewart in the founding of Weslaco, TX. (You take the initials of the W.E. Stewart Land Company and you get W.E.S.L.A.C.O.) He was an imposing fellow at 6' 5" tall....which is probably part of the reason why they hired him. As part of his payment, he was given a lot in the new town of Weslaco....which he promptly sold and set up camp in the new town down the train tracks....Mercedes.
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