Just curious (Phx. hist.)

Thanks a bunch for posting those! The one I remember the most was the big GOODYEAR sign on I-17. In close proximity to that was the Roadrunner gas station.That neon bird must've had about a 8' long pecker.


sorry

 

I've told you before...I think if you look to see where most of our city managers/council members are from, you'd find most are from somewhere else, back east(?), and as such, our mid century architecture is deemed not worthy of saving, especially in exchange for a shiny, new building and tax revenue.

WWBGD


(What Would Barry Goldwater Do?)

 

Thanks for link, brings back a lot of memories.

 

Here's a Sunnyslope directory from the same guy with a bunch of neat service station ads.

http://www.bradhallart.com/sunnyslope.html

Click on the pages to enlarge.

 

Back in the early 70's they had a NHL team, a Stanley Cup contender, called the Phoenix Roadrunners. Not the same one's that they have now....

 

I lived in Sunnyslope from 1970 till 1974 or '75...

 

Pic #6 in post #360 should be the old library parking lot at Central & McDowell Rd. The Deuce Roadster with the white top belonged to Ben Lovey and the T Coupe foreground is Dick Smith's Wife's ,still has it looks the same. Building left background was Mountain Bell's switching center where a LOT of young females worked,remember "Operators" ? They would get off work second shift at about midnight and a few would hang out on Central.
And the freeway pic is looking south from Thomas Rd at Grand Ave in the foreground. The south bound ramp to I 17 was DAMM short and you better have a hole to get into 'cause under that first overpass there was no real shoulder. Went that way most days to get to work at Automotive Sales at McDowell and I 17 ,was a good place to WOT on my Vette to get on the freeway. Ah ,those were the days.

 

Bob, Dave Workman is still racing. he has a late model mustang LX now and still runs some stock Eliminator races every once in awhile. Any one remember a 55' chevy called bankrupcy? Tommy Evans use to race it. Also have a friend of the family Everett Pemberton who use to race out at Mel larsons' place aswell as Beeline.

 

Found this pic buried in one of the links above. 1960's on Central Ave.

 

Just dawned on me this morning that the original of that phoenix library picture is hanging on Ron Olmsted's wall...

 

Beno roadster built by Dick Smith! I was suprised when I saw it was for sale at LARS this year.

 

I figured that's where I saw it. Also wasn't sure if it was Dick or Beno's car in the background.

 

I was too! Not what I expected to see.

I feel a bit embaressed that I didn't think to caption that photo. I have seen it so many times and know all the cars and people involved I sort of just said "there's the library photo again". Not a very responsible way to treat history, huh?

 

Yes, remember the operators. My mom worked in as one there in Phx from about 1965 until she retired in 1981. My sister also worked there in the late 60s and early 70s.

I remember automotive sales as a little kid. Going there at night with my older brother and sometimes my dad to get parts. They were, I think, the only place open all night back then.

 

Sure, I remember the Road Runners playing at the coliseum at the fairgrounds. My sister was dating a guy whose parents had season tickets and they often did not go. So, I got to go along, that was 1971.
Also, my first rock concert was at the coliseum in 1969- Three Dog Night!
I went along with sister on most of her dates as my parents insisted. I was too young to understand but, remember riding in a lot of cool cars with here in the late 60s when I was 8-11 years old. One guy she dated had a blue '64 Chevelle. I was too little to know what it had for a motor but, was probably a 283 or 327. It had chrome reverse wheels and an 8 track tape. It was a 4 speed with a bench seat. I got the sit between them and he would let me shift the car. He would push in the clutch and tell me to pull the lever. Very cool that he was so patient with me at that age.

 

I remember Automotive sales from the early eighties. At one point, I got sideswiped on the I-17 driving back from getting a generator for my Falcon in the middle of the night down there. My first accident! Too bad it was my mom's nearly new El Camino that got whacked! I always laugh and wonder if it was you that sold me all those damn parts at 11:00 pm when it became apparent that wasn't going to school or to open the families business the next morning without them...

 

"The Mad House On McDowell". Our family doctor (he delivered both the kids) was the team physician for both the Roadrunners and the Suns back then. We would get free tickets whenever we wanted them (all the time) and would run into players at his office.
I wasn't much on rock concerts but we used to go every year to see Johnny Cash when he was in town. Johnny Cash, June Carter, Mother Maybelle and the girls, Carl Perkins, The original Statler Brothers... Man, what a show it used to be! If I remember correctly, that was where the 1st Willie Nelson concert that we went to, was. Lot's of memories from 19th Ave and McDowell...

 

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Just to the left of this intersection was Reliance Truck's yard, I had my truck leased to them for quite a few years. I pulled many many loads thru there.....

 

1st Grumpy: I started on the parts counter at Automotive Sales in 66 and sold a fair bit of parts to Reliance . You should remember Red Purdue that ran the shop, his son Ron was a friend of mine.

 

Yes, I remember Red. I used to do a lot of business with Automotive Sales so I'm sure that we have met. Do any of these names ring a bell? All were/are friends of mine...

Gene Beidler - Kachina Diesel Service
Ernie Essry
Claudel Smith
Leon "Popcorn" Worton (spelling?)
Ray "Widowmaker" Fenton
Kary Hamm
Gene Pennington

 

1st Grumpy: I'm terbile with names but I ran into Leon"Popcorn" about 18 months ago ,went to his place down on Southern Ave to take some pics of a KW for a friend of mine inTexas. I was on the parts counter at AS nights and weekends 66-71 ,days mostly till 74.

 

Was it an old '60s model KW conventional? If it was, I bet it was Ernie Essry's old truck. Ernie completely restored it back in the early '80s, it was painted hugger orange and had brown interior. Popcorn bought it after Ernie died and used it to haul oil along with Claudel Smith. Glad to hear 'ol Popcorn was still kickin, I haven't seen him in close to 20 years...

 

Nope this one was a 50's truck, butterfly hood. When I was playing with/collecting semi tractors I had 2 '64s . One was a W900 3 axle and the other was a 2 axle with the earlier style hood and cab,got that one from ol' "Speck" Gilbert.

 

Was it gray?

 

Yep ,as I recall grey.

 

He had that truck for as long as I can remember, damn nice...

 

I was at the PIR track the night that a young driver was killed in a top fuel car. It had been having problems with the throttle sticking. The regular show refused to drive it. This young guy wanted to get his TF license so he stepped up. I was on the far end of the track standing on one of the cut off telephone poles that served to retain the dirt bank. He made a very straight pass only problem was it was straight off the track. The car nearly hit me and my friend and we were showered with gravel and dirt as we ran away from the oncoming car when it hit the post. The car was owned by a California guy and word was he knew of the problems and insisted running the car. Rumor has it that he disappeared in the desert o his way home -

 

Bobby Ball?