I'm with you. I started working in a gas station the same week I graduated from high school (1963). Pumped gas, greased cars, tune ups and general repairs. At $1.00 an hour, I was on top of the world.
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum · Ralph "Speedy" Helm was born this day in 1905 in Sidney, Illinois. The 2002 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee ran a race at the age of 17 at the Champaign-Urbana in a Model T with four-cylinder Chevy power. His driving career was brought to an end with a crash in Chattanooga that took his sight in his right eye. In 1926, Speedy partnered with Ray Fulton and Billy Walsh to form the Tri-State Racing Association. "Big Car" races in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky were promoted under the banner for ten years. Speedy and brother Robert wrenched on the Brown Dreyer of Louie Brown (who died in a crash in Georgia), on the O'Day Marine Miller and the Johnson Miller on the MDTRA (Kerosene Circuit). Following World War II, Ralph returned to racing with the "Helm Hisso" #3, winning races with both the MDTRA and CSRA. Cliff Griffith drove the car to titles with MDTRA in 1946 and 1947. In 1952, Speedy purchased two Indy 500 winning Offy engines. With driver Don Carr, he picked up more wins with CSRA and IMCA. In 1957, he purchased the last Hillegass sprinter, and he ran it until Tony Hulman purchased it in 1963 for a restoration project. Speedy continued in racing until 1974. The list of Hall of Fame drivers campaigning Speedy's cars is long and includes Tom Bigelow, Jerry Blundy, Joie Chitwood, Dick Gaines, Bobby Grim, Jim Hurtubise, Jud Larson, Harold Leep, Johnny Rutherford, Deb Snyder, Spider Webb, Jimmy Wilburn, Jay Woodside and many more! Speedy passed away in 1993.
Early aero package, No info on what,where,when, but she's sideways and looks like some tire smoke, Kool
You guys were rolling in it LOL. First job at a Chrysler Plymouth dealership in 1967 I got $0.95 CENTS per hour when I got married a couple years later they gave me a big bump to $1.05 to take care of the new wife.
I was always an entrepreneur, cut grass, shovel snow., paperboy 12-16, got my first hourly pay job at 16 in a Clark gas station, paid .85/per, got my first check, quit and said, shit I made more with my paper route. The following week I started at Kohls foods for 1.65/ then to National T foods, ended up making 2.70/ by 1966, my HS graduation, my Dad was a factory maintenance mechanic at this time, made 2.60/. I was lucky, the food stores were all unionized back then, I worked in that industry part time all through my Tool & Die Apprenticeship. I did land 1 good gig in the gas station area/business ( big operation, repair, towing, snow plowing) for a few years, ended up working for cash( big time $$$ at that time)when Winter weather was bad, I would take wrecker out to jump start cars in cold, tow them in if did not start and drive a snow plow truck for snow removal as needed, Grocery store/ no problem, but used to piss off the shop where I was an apprentice as they figured it out, bad weather I didn't show up. When I told them the money I made in one day with my statement to them, fire me or get off my case. I worked in other shops after apprenticeship completion, I started my shop in 1976 ran till my retirement 2010, still did some industrial work part time till 2012 in my scaled down hobby shop, now just hobby type stuff only for myself and on a rare occasions for friends. Enjoy reading others stories of their life adventures here, Coffee/ HAMB, as good as it gets.
National Geographic Magazine August 1925 Come see more ads and other things at https://misforgotten2.tumblr.com/
I had two paper routes, then pumped gas, tires, etc for 1$/hr in 62, left after graduation to the Pontiac/Cadillac dealership for $1.10/he, a 10% increase !. Got a dollar for each car I undercoated and almost every car sold was undercoated. When I did my Mom's '62 Bonneville car must have weighed 100 lbs more. Great time compared to now. Paul in CT
A follow up by Pat on the "Flamer" and some great images from Drag Race by Ron Brooks .. Just click on the link: https://patganahl.com/2021/02/08/flamer-follow-up/
The Jalopy Journal
