History Old Time Philadelphia area Hot Rods + drags

Great stuff that you guys posted, I went to Abington High School with Dill Coffman. When in high school Dill built and drove a Willys Jeepster, he powered it with a Chrysler Hemi engine. That was one bad ass street car back then. Dill sucessfully raced drag boats for many years. He is still working at the same place, Coffmans Service. I talk to Dill occasionally, when I am at his shop for Pa.state inspections on vehicles.
To address the inquery about Hurst & campbell and Hurst Performance. I knew George Hurst from back in the days when my friend Bob worked for him making motor mount kits at the first location on Old York road in Abington, Pa. When I went into the Navy, Hurst moved to Glenside Avenue in Glenside, Pa near the train station. That is the location where they did the Hot Rod magazine photo shoot with Don Garlits. Don completely dissassembled his AA/FD in Hurst shop after setting the first NHRA 200 mph run at Island Dragway in August of 1964. On the cover of HRM, Big Daddys dragster was in pieces and he said "This I swear is true " about the secrets of his car. The final location of Hurst Performance was on Street Road near Jacksonville Road and catticorner from The Naval Air Developement Center at Johnsville. After that the company was traded on the open market and purchased by Sunbeam and later by Mr. Gasket Co. and moved out of Pa.
The article that I wrote for Traditional Rod & Kulture Illistrated makes mention of cruising Old York Road in 1958 and driving past Hurst & Campbell where they made the motor mount kits that everyone used. That article will hit the news stands and Barnes & Noble in July of 2015, not in April as previously stated.
Lots of Hot Rod history in the Philadelphia Area, lets keep posting your stuff on this thread..

 

Put thousands of miles on a few cars and bikes on York Road without leaving Hatboro.

 

you from Hatboro?

 

Hatboro - an old car guys haunt.

 

for Hatboro's 300th birthday they are gonna have a huge cruise in august

 

Not the same. Won't go to the car shows when they shut down York Road. Staged bullshi_. Could you imagine what the Pigs would have done if we shut down York Road. They would have called out the Riot Squad. When we cursed Hatboro it was spontaneou events and whatever happened just happened. The Boro did everything they could in there power to shut us down and stop the cruisers. They forgot how much revenue our harmless actions brought to the town and local business. Now that they stopped the cruisers the Chamber of Commerce wants to invite them back. I don't think so. I say don't wish to hard for what you want you might get it.

 

Does anybody on here remember cruising the Green Arrow on York Road in Abington, Pa. in the mid to late fifties ? The scene was like McDonalds in Hatboro during the seventies. The Green Arrow was a car hop where the servers were girls dressed like cheerleaders that came out to your car to take food orders and set the tray on the car door. It was a real hot rod hangout in its day. One night a Chrysler Hemi powered T- roadster lit the tires up coming out of "the Arrow" and lost control. There was a boat shop across the street and the roadster went through the showroom window.
A lot of races were challenged by driving through "the Arrow" I was fortunate as a youngster to experience that kind of Hot Rod Americana of the that time.

 

We used to go to the 'Hotte Shoppe' on York Road (I think there was one on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philly too). I know there was a 'Green Arrow' but I'm not sure I was ever there. I did hear about the crash into to the boat shop window. I also heard a story (don't know if it really happened) that Dick Belfattie fired-up his dragster on York Road one night.

 

Yea I remember. Also remember Big Boys at Cottman and the Boulevard . Also
Hot Shoppe, Broad and Stenton. Also Kulps Garage when he was just starting
in Pendell next to the railroad. Everybody had knick names. Long time ago. Early
to mid 50s

 

Yes sir, I cruised all those places, it was like a circuit. The Green Arrow closed in 1959 so it was before the Hot Shoppe that opened on York Road across the street from Hewett Buick and Wanamakers. The Big Boys on the Blvd and Hot Shoppes at Broad & Stenton Ave. were a hotbed of racing activity. We also used to travel up to The Big Pixy near Lansdale. Our permanent hang out was Kenyon's Diner at Limekilm pike and Mt Carmel ave. in North Hills, Pa. My cruise cars changed as years went passed. I cruised "The Arrow" in a 36 Ford roadster and a 56 Ford pick up. The Hot Shoppes, Big Boys etc. I cruised in my 36 Ford, and 30 A coupe ( That I still have ) and later in a 409 Chevy and 58 Corvette.
I could not believe my eyes when I first saw the movie American Grafitti. That movie reminded me so much of cruising York Road, down to Broad Street and over to Roosevelt Blvd in my 30 Model A hot rod.

 

Here is what the Model A looked like back when I was cruising Old York Road.

 

Here is what it looks like today

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Just thought that I would check into this thread to see if anything was going on.

 

Goldy. I can't believe we never ran into each other. We have been going to the same places for sixty years.

Sent from my SM-G360V using H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Hey 49 John, If you spot a little old guy wearing a Beret at the races or shows or cruise nights it is probably me. Just say Hi !

 

Just found this site & read the whole thing - so many memories. My older brother talked of drag races at Hatfield - got my dad to take me 1 day. When got my license when often. First race was stole brother's '57 Chrysler 300c (? ) 2 4's on hemi. As I remember put me in a/ss auto against 354 Fords ('59s) - blew them away so bad... Push button auto could spin the tires & not move - well maybe couple inches. Hatfield starting line was angled ( from corner of oval ) so always fishtailed off the line - memories. Was there when Garlits ran - put flag/cone out at about 100 feet, blew tire smoke 100 feet into the air & coasted rest of way - around the turn 1. His time was beat by 2 guys in 6 carb Buick that rolled it in corner - the win was so great they were dancing. They had beat the swamp rat & cost them scratch on cage & 2 busted carbs. Remember the hemi roadster at Green Dragon. Used to park on the slight hill so could coast & start. When he spun into boat shop window, no injuries - until cop put his knee on window sill & giant piece of glass fell & hit him in knee. How about Big Pixie or Big Boys ( forget which ) on Roosevelt blvd. & store next door which was closed at night but open parking lot. One night about 100 bikes pulled out & stopped at light where cop directed traffic. When light turned green they all took off drag style past the cop. Ton more memories - still race at Maple & older then Goldy...but a lot slower with door cars. Hope to see more on this site.

 

Some great memories on here. I was born and raised in Philly and was included in the first raid by the Police on Decatur Road when 93 of us went to jail. Still have the clipping hanging in my garage. My dad came to pick me up at police station the next day and thought it was a big joke. Hung out at Big Boys and raced on Roosevelt Blvd. from light to light. Also remember a small strip of road at the end of the Blvd. they called the "Concrete Strip" had some scary races. The good old days.

 

Anybody remember racing on a road back by Ft. Mifflin. It was out by the airport off the Industrial Highway. Some pretty serious racing went on there.

 

These posts bring back alot of memories growing up outside of Philly in the Glenside area. I remember hanging out on Easton Rd at the Carvel or Dunkin Donuts, cruising up to Hatboro and sometimes heading to NE Philly to Big Boys. Street races on Moreland Rd in Horsham and up on Rt 309 around Ft Washington. Great old times with good friends.

 

It was Enterprise rd

 

Amish Mike, About Hatfield - the track record was 99 mph set by Mike Drill in 1957 with a rear engined Buick powered dragster. That record was never broken, when I ran my Buick powered dragster at hatfield I also ran 99 mph but I did not break that record. I was told that Garlits did not break it either but that was never confirmed until your post now. I was in the Navy when Garlits ran there, but I heard about it through the grapevine.

 

What year did you hang out at Carvel & Dunkin Donuts?

 

Goldy,
Sent you a PM a while back. Just wonderin' if you received it.

 

Anybody remember the MOO out in Radnor/Villanova on US-30(Lincoln Hwy)? Guys like Newton Wosak & Dickie Linenbaugh? this would be late '50s- early '60s.

 

Joined: Feb 10, 2007
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Goldy
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from Southampton, Pa. USA

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Thank you Wayne for the invite, the show looks very interesting. Each year in October we tow the 134 AA/Fuel coupe across country to race in AA/Fuel altered class at the California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield Ca. This year right before we left for Bakersfield we went to Henderson, NC. for me to be inducted into the East Coast Drag Racing Hall of Fame. That was such an honor for me to be recognized. We drove from Henderson, NC. to Pittsburg, Pa. to pick up the 134 AA/Fuel Coupe and left for California the next morning.

 

I just read this whole thread and I love the history, thanx for posting. Such great stories. Does anyone remember a 61 vette street car named mighty mouse? John Hines?

 

Congratulations Goldy! An honor well deserved. Our friends, the Osburns were there with .38 Special and were unable to make our show as well. You're quite welcome for the invite. It, too, was well deserved. We're so sorry you were unable to make the show, but certainly understand your need to be in Henderson at that time as well as your annual trip to Bakersfield for the CHRR. The funny part is that while you were in California, we had several cars from California in our show. This year we had just shy of 500 hot rods on the outside and 105 on the inside, which was decorated to resemble the drive-in restaurants we all frequented back in the day. Perhaps, next year you cud stop by on your way to the CHRR. The 2017 Jalopyrama will be taking place in Westminster, MD, on Sat, 14 Oct. Congratulations, again, and hope to see you sometime in the future.
Wayne

 

Plenty of great old memories and pictures from the good old day's
Jimbo

 

Congratulations Goldy! Thanks for the stories here. I still have not found any info on my Uncle Eddie Woodland from Frankfort Ave but glad you started this thread.