Lake Street (Mpls, MN) in the 60s

Are you suggesting that the Avalon showed movies that might not be approved by the PTA ? My only interest in that place was the Art Deco architecture of the building.

 

I used to cruise Lake Street in the late 60's. I lived close to the west Porky's but there was way more action at the east Porky's. Minnesota Auto Specialties (MAS)
was across the street from the junior high school I went to and Dick Charbonneau's
wagon used to sit right out on Hennipen Ave. during the day, inside the shop at night. There was a group of guys called "The Soulful Strutters" most of the cars had
straight axles ( 54 Chevy, 68 Hemi Dart ). There was another drive in about 2 blocks
further east on Lake St. called "Franks" where the really "cool" people hung out.
There was alot of racing in " Hi-Lake" shopping center. I was about 17 at that time and am sure all the "older" guys looked down their noses at us youngsters. I currently
cruise over to the Porky's on University once in a while contrary to popular belief it is
not full of Honda's or rice burners but there are alot of new Mustangs and Camaros. No matter what anyone says its still a fun place to go, on Friday nights when
No. St. Paul is going alot of those people cruise thru Porky's after that show. I guess
my point is we all started some where and there are still kids going to Porky's with cars they modify and enjoy. P.S. my 21 year old son hangs out there in his 63 Nova
wagon with a 283 and a 4spd. Thanks for reminding me of all the good times.

 

I used to cruise both Lake Street Porky's and Univ-Porky's in the 60's. I belonged to the Torquers CC in Mpls and we had a blast cruising on Fri and Sat nights in both cities. We had a friendly rivalry with the Amblers CC and had a lot of fun with our old cars back then. Here is a picture taken in the late 60's of a group of us getting gassed up for a cruise. Note the Green Stamp signs. They were a big promo deal back then.
JJ

 

jjrodder, you didn't know Bruce Ross by chance did you? He had a 32 P/U and has been looking for pics of it...

 

I used to cruise Lake Street in the mid 60's to early 70's. Had a 57 Pontiac Safari wagon with a straight axle, purple metalflake paint, and a 389 with 3 2's and a 4 speed. Ran my Olds powered 34 Ford 4 dr sedan there also. A drag race at every stop light on Friday and Saturday nights. We would drive 2 MPH holding up traffic, just to to stage the next race at the next red light. The trip was Porky's Hi Lake to Porky's by Lake Calhoun. Worst I ever got was a loud muffler ticket in all those years, the cops were pretty nice back then. That was before all the gang bangers showed up.

 

Man, I snuck into that place when I was 16 with my buddies! I grew up about a mile and a half south of Lake st. between Bloomington and Cedar ave. Lake street was pretty done with being the hot cruising spot in the late 70's when I went to HS, we cruised out in Hopkins.

 

Nora's had the best onion rings on the planet.

I cuised Lake in the early to mid 70's in my Grabber Yellow Boss 302. I'll
have to see if I have any pics. University too.

 

OT
Anyone cruise Lake Phalen on Sunday afternoon or Hopkins when it was so windey?
There was some cool cars at Phalen.

 

Porky's on University still has great onion rings. Twice the grease & twice the salt. You can almost feel your arteries hardening

 

I can feel it just reading this. LMAO!!
I forgot they still make 'em there. My wife had to take her sister from New Jersey over to St Paul from here in Plymouth so she could have her Nora's/Porkey's ring fix.

 

funny we snuck in (as much as a group of 4 GUYS 2 CHICKS can)the Avalon underage during a HIGH school day ... my buddies thought it funny to fling HANDFULLS of corn huskers lotion all over .. well thats what they said they brought the lotion for????

THIS THREAD MAKES FEEL ALL WARM AND TINGLY...
AVALON XXX THEATRE.Richard Charbonneau's BROOKDALE FORD WAGON ,WJ'S CARS, HECK I WAS AT THE TOP END OF BIR WHEN HAGEN CRASHED , CRUISIN ALL AROUND THE ST.PAUL MPLS AREAS ...
GOSH I'M REALLY OLD and need threads like this to keep me thinking I've had a wonderful life

WO OHHHH MEMORIES WO O,HOOO MEMORIES

 

Went to Dunwoody 64-66. Engaged in a couple of acceleration contests on Lake. Kept the 55 running and paid tuition. Worked at the Ford dealer in Edina evenings 4days a week. Cruised from Lake Calhoun to the state house. Got stopped a couple times, but John just looked the car over and told me to keep it down. Used to have dozens of pics of cars and locations there but all disappeared during a cleaning at moms place along with 30-40 model cars, a 55-65 collection of playboys and a new 2x4 setup with a Mallory Mini-mag. Good times.
Anybody remember the "Leapfrog Falcon"? Pics?

 

My dad had a used car lot at 501 W. Lake Street, Royce Motors "Roll with Royce". It was fun to go over to the tall Sears building and get tools. We gave alot of business to the nearby White Castle (I heard that the Sears is closed and the White Castle is gone). There were so many used car lots and new car dealers on Lake Street back in the day. It seemed all the "cool cars" were out on the weekends cruising Lake Street. Now if someone ever invents time travel........

 

I remember a dark blue early 60's Falcon with a straight axle & cut out rears.

 

If it's the lot I'm thinking of, he had a mid 50's olds with a chopped top & a Pontiac Parisienne 4 door with a factory 4-speed. Also remember a gasser style GTO on a different lot.

 

I moved to the Twin Cities from Wichita, Kan. in 1973 out of High School.
Had a red 66 Mustang Notchback 3sp 289. My first car. I have some great memories of cruising all over the Twins and Wichita. I get the misty eyes too reading all this. I only raced at Minnesota Dragway once in 75. Glad I'm old enough to have lived the muscle cars and Beatles and all that the 60's and 70's mean to me.
When I say my brain still hasn't grown up we can all realate to that.
Who wants to grow up?
I think I'm having as good a time as ever.

 

Does anybody remember a guy by the name of Bob Standell? Not sure about the name but he drove the most beautiful candy pagan gold 57 Ford with a straight axle,
big block, and Goodyear bluestreaks. I think it was a 2 door post, the axle was all chrome and I think it had a crossram and a 4spd. Anybody?

 

Question,,, was HIDDEN beach always THE place for SKINNY dipping?

xoxox
MISS hbh

 

If your talking on Cedar Lake, then yes!!!!

 

JJ,
How about sharing more of those photo's of the early days of Minnesota Rodding with us young guys who have grown up hearing all the great stories from all our MSRA Forefathers!?!?!?!?!?!
My Dad's been a member since about 1974, so I've heard a bunch of good stories. It's been fun to getting to become friends with a lot of the "old timers" that were my heros when I was a kid.

 

I lived on the other side of Cedar Lake from " Private Beach". I don't think I ever used to see any skinny dippin there, but we sure did drink alot down at that beach. We were riding mini bikes up and down the path to the lake one day and had a really cool crash at a blind spot on the path unless you were the guy that got a bunch of stitches.

 

I didn't stop to take pictures, to busy having a good time

 

40 & 61 Fords: Thanks for the reply. I will try to get some more old photos scanned soon. I have a lot of them in my files but most are B&W prints, so scanning is the only way to do it. Those were the good old days.

 

JJ,

Would love to see some more pictures when you post them. The one you posted is exactly what I was looking for.


Here are a couple of Lake street & a couple for those that grew up in South Mpls.

Lake Street 1956



Lake & Portland 1960


For those from South Mpls

Airloha Drive-in


Beek's Pizza


Charlie's A & W


Porky's on University

 

Great pics above. Before my time here but I can feel the ghosts .

 

Thank you
i'm still gettin good vibrations ....from this great thread

who says that all the good stuff was from the left coast!

 

God, you guys! What memories this brings back! My eyes are all misty too! I went through the whole thing! I had a '51 Ford 4door back then and wasn' competitive, so I guess I was "lurking" even back then. The one thing I remember is the "rich kds" from Edina, Wayzata etc. bringing their families new 4door (mostly GM) sedans to Porkies. Does the term "Daddie's car" yelled at them as they cruised through bring back any rememberances?

Tubman

 

I cruised down Lake Street a few times in late 60's. Some nice cars , cruising from one Porkys(Noras) to the other Porkys. I lived out of St Paul and everyone cruised around the Loop there. Lotsa cars, girls and Oh Yes COPS. They loved pulling you over for anything. Losta racing going on after 10:00 at night when the traffic died down. Also crusing down University ave three Bears resturant down to Porkys, and drag racing across the Lafayette Bridge in St Paul. Also crusing around the Lakes. Looking for action. There is still a lot of Muscle cars cruise down University Ave. when the weather is nice.

 

Man, there are days a hate being my age. I wish i coulda been there.

 

I graduated from Roosevelt in 1968. Lived on 42nd and Cedar. I spent countless fondly remembered nights cruising Lake St. from 1966 (drivers license) through July 1970 (drafted). I worked at Sears on Lake St. that whole period. I vividly remember myself and friends breaking a lot of parts on our cars during Lake St. acceleration demonstrations.

As I recall, we usually always ran the course from Frank's on Hiawatha, a quick pull through Porky's at 21st Ave then down to Hennepin Ave and back again. Occasionally all the way to Porky's west.

I saw some real action through the hight of the muscle car era on Lake St that will never be seen again. It was a sight to behold.

74Bob