Lake Street (Mpls, MN) in the 60s

Bill Boyer Ford was in the downtown area ... Hennepin and about 12th St. They closed up shop about 1980 or so.

 

Back in '68, that story was going around (girl/vette/sticker) but I never saw the car and girl, and I never met anyone who did. At that same time I also kept hearing about a '68 Charger R/T that cruised Lake St. that was actually was being used by the Minneapolis police as an unmarked car to catch street racers. Never saw that one either ... wrote both stories off as urban legends.

 

This car was for sale on Craigslist a few weeks back. The seller mentioned that it was customized and owned by his uncle. The car has not been kept up, condition appeared a little rough.

 

My Dad and Uncles were from the Wayzata area and used to go down to lake street probably around that same time. My Dad graduated from Wayzata in 1965. His ride back then was a 1963 Impala SS convertible 327, 4-speed. The 327 was ditched in favor of a 396 that was bought through Village Chev in Wayzata.

 

In the '60's/early '70's Jay Kline Chevrolet on Lake St. was the place to go for performance Chevy's and they also moved a lot of new and used Corvettes out of inventory. I saw a new Yenko Camaro for the first time(1968) in their showroom. They usually had some interesting hi-po Chevelles and Camaros on the used car lot (for some reason a lot of them came out of Montana, according to the dealer stickers and license frames).

Also, Minor Ford on Central Ave. in Northeast Mpls. was a Shelby dealer around 1969-70. That was about the time the insurance industry dropped the hammer on muscle cars (your insurance payment would be higher than your car payment). I was working in downtown Minneapolis and living in Fridley at the time ... drove down Central every day past Minor. They had 3 or 4 new Shelby KR350/KR500's sitting in a fenced-in storage area in the back almost 2 years after production ended. Apparently no buyers because of the price and insurance. I have often wondered who was smart enough to buy them and stash them away. Minor Ford went out of business about 1973.

 

Minar Ford moved up to New Brighton at some point, to the corner of I-694 and Silver Lake Road. I believe they were still known as Minar up until just a few years ago, now they're just called New Brighton Ford.

 

wasn't the ford dealship on lake street Woodhead ford

 

king of the Road 500

 

lol that story was also told in New Jersey,and chicago IL .I heard it in both places but it was a vette .This was in the 70s and a older friend heard it in the 60s.

 

wow... how timely for me that this thread popped back up today.

just today, 'Stuart in MN' gave me a ride in his very sweet '61 Pontiac (original MN 4sp tri-power car) in the Lake street area. great history here, and i was proud to sit shotgun in a car with true history. really nice to read tonight about what was going on here.

thx again Stuart - it was great inspiration to continue on my project. also, nice to see there is good hot rod history beyond So Cal (which was my dad, and he was in back seat today - he enjoyed the ride too).

 

My mistake ... should have typed GT350 or KR500. My Mad Cow disease has been acting up.

 

When I was a kid, we lived just across the railroad tracks from the west lake Porky's / putt-putt. I remember stories about how the Baldies and the Animals would show up to rumble.... Never saw one though...We'd climb up the outside of the grain elevators back by the tracks and sit on top. You could see down Lake, and pick out the Buzza building and the Sears tower.
My mom would warn me not to cross the streets, but she never said anything about walking the tracks, which paralleled Lake St. pretty much all the way to Hiawatha.....

In the summer, we lived in Spring Park, and I used to go over to Lou Feger's on my home-built mini-bike. I'd look at all the cool stuff, and vowed that some day I'd be back to buy parts for a real hot rod! I remember Lou's kid one time I was there, he seemed really bored with the whole thing. I told myself that I'd never be a mechanic because I didn't want to get bored with the thing I loved most....wound up going to med school because of that. Years later, after a medical conference, I found myself going thru Maple Plain, where Lou had moved his shop. I needed some stuff for my 53' Stude with the 509" Cad I was building, and finally I had an opportunity to buy something from Lou's shop. I came to the counter, and asked if Lou was still around and active. The guy at the counter said he was Lou's SON! I couldn't believe it, and told him the story from years ago. He said "you just musta caught me on a bad day. I love this sh_t!"
I told him it was his fault I went to med school!

 

You know, I probably could, but for some reason, I always looked for Woodcraft raceways instead at that point!.....

The Foshay has an interesting history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foshay_Tower

 

Any more Lake Street cruising stories? It was the hang-out for all of Mpls. and western 'burbs.

 

Well, st paul, the loop,hell I would get into 2and and the light would of wabasha and 7th change at cedar most of the time we just went through a lot of short bursts on 9th and 10th sit down there all nite get morning energy at the castle ,sun morn head out to mn dragways for the day one day I busted all my motor mounts on my 67 ford and Roland Leong helped me get to the trophy dash and ya lets hear from the winstad boys great memorys all, slicks we din,t need no stinkin slicks just lower air pressure on those redlines ah my old Q stock ford make sure you stoped at the little station on 65 and 242 to refill those back tires........yup those were the days

 

Ain't that the truth! I'm right there with you! Porky's on University was pretty good when I was in high school, late 90's, but I've quit going down there because it's pretty much been taken over by the imports.

Would be cool if we could find a place to cruise around here like back then, but I think those days are gone for good.

 

I am trying to locate my uncle's old hot rod. My uncle, Denny Bateman, grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota and had quite a few nice cars over the years. He still has his 34 Ford Tudor that was painted by Jon Kosmoski (HOK) with 30some coats of hand rubbed black lacquer long ago and his 63 Corvette that saw lots of street racer duty. I've been told he spent quite a bit of time at Twin City Dragways as well.

But the stories that stick with me are the ones he's told me about his 35 Ford pick-up called "Lil Ebony." I haven't seen pictures (don't even know if they exist even), but I was told that it had a hot 53 Merc flatty painted chrome yellow with 3/4 race cam, twin Strombergs on a Fenton manifold and Offenhauser heads. The truck was black with red & white candy striped tuck & roll interior and tonneau cover. It also had chromed torque tube exhaust running just under the bed rails. This is really all I know about the truck.

He sold Lil Ebony just before heading off to Vietnam, but pulled the engine and replaced it with a small block Chevy (I believe) before he let it go. I have the flatty and all the goodies sitting in my garage that he pulled before he sold the truck.

About 17 or so years ago my dad and I tracked down the truck. At that time it was owned by someone in Montana. We made an offer, but they didn't want to part with the truck. I've since lost track of Lil Ebony and would like to find her again -- even if the current owner isn't willing to sell. I'd like to see some pics and learn some more history. Anyone have any leads?

 

In the early 70's we would drive up from Waseca and hang out in front of HOK ,if I remember correctly it was next to drag Specialties. Hang out all nite and eat at the castle then go home great times. Gary

 

Some of us still frequent Lake Street on a very regular basis. A friend and I were nurturing the Twin Cities Norton Owner's club along in the 80's and decided to move it over to Dulono's on Lake and Lyndale.
On the first thursday of every month (inter included) you will now find Dulono's crowded with gearheads.....most to talk about non-Harley bikes, and almost all with interesting gear-headed hobbies. We've got lots of hot rodders in our bunch, including salt racers, old body men, engineers etc. More bike dweebs in the summer, more hard core gearheads in the winter.
Ask anyone for the "Dictator for Life", I'll introduce you!

 

Interesting, last time I was there it didn't look to be a cruising place like days of old, but things can always change. All them little used car lots, used to check out the inventory at those on a regular basis!

 

Not the same car. My uncle's 34 has black tuck & roll and steel wheels with 50 Merc caps.

 

this car, couln't get the pic to respost, was in a book "Car Culture". i wonder if the past owners knew anything about that?

the black and flamed '67 "Rat" scooped Camaro was also in the August '75 issue of Car Craft. cool stuff! i remember these cars from when i was a kid and i'm on the east coast

Dave

 

I thought I would ask, Does any bidy remember my 60 Studebaker 4 door, Pontiac royal blue body, red frame, steel wheels, and a gasser stance cruising mostly in the northern suburbs in 1965- 1966

jim h