PLUGS car club plaque Canyon,Texas

In about '56 my brother and his friends started a hot rod club called the Plugs. Their plaque had a spark plug in the center and said Plugs and Canyon, Texas I think. I would like to locate on of these or at least get a good picture. His was on the back of our '52 Dodge pick-up and we broke it in half changing the irrigation water one night. There were probably only 25 or so of these made. Thanks!

 

Have you contacted O'brien yet. They might have the die.

 

O'Brien? have an address?

 

http://www.relicsandrods.com/carclubplaques.htm
http://www.obrientruckers.com/

 

Sorry, but the only patterns I have with Canyon on them are the Road Aces, Canyon Wheelers and Celtics.

Dennis O'Brien

 

Weird.. I live just 15 miles north of Canyon and currently go to West Texas A&M University in Canyon. Never thought there would have been hot rod clubs back then.

Now I'm determined to find a plaque I can run on my A!

 

Dennis thanks for trying. I'll keep looking, There has to be one out there somewhere. Tom

 

The club was small. So was Canyon in the '50s. There were probably less than 20 of those plaques made and I don't know where they were done. A lot of those guys probably didn't go farther than Amarillo and I bet some of those plaques are in garages in Canyon or on farms near by. Hey, do me a favor and have lunch at Fat Boy's. It is a must we we go back to reunions. Is that '48ish Chevy sedan delivery still sitting by the road about 5 miles east of town?

 

Oh, Fat Boy's is still good! I pop in there every once in a while. It's just right across the street from WT. I don't see any Chevy deliveries around here although there are some gems sitting around town..


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My mom graduated from WT when it was West Texas State Teachers College. My brother and members of the Plugs hung out there every summer during Band Camp to check out the girls from all over the state. Texas girls are second to none.
Here's a link to pics of the sedan delivery. https://picasaweb.google.com/sixpics/SedanDelivery?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCL_Wjer2y9_UdQ&feat=directlink
It was sitting by the road where Farm to Market Road 1062 veers off of Highway 60 about 5 miles west of Canyon on the way to Umbarger. By the way I grew up on a farm 1 1/3 miles down Arnot Rd just a mile up the Farm to Market road. That's where my brother got me into hot rodding. He and I left that farm one morning in the summer of 1958 and drove his '39 Ford coupe to Pittsburg California. He was 18 and I was 13. What a trip! Sorry to ramble. Do Know John Stromberg?

 

The delivery is gone now....I used to p*** it a lot on my way to Hereford...I've never heard of that particular club but might be able to find someone here in Canyon that can help you if you want to pm me your contact information

 

I hope it went to a good home, maybe I'll stop dreaming about it. I was sitting in one of those when I heard Kennedy was shot. Really.
PM sent Caddy-O.

 

I live in Canyon. Never heard of the club but will keep my ears open. That delivery has been gone for probably 3 or 4 months now.

 

Just gonna say howdy to the Texas folk. I grew up in Panhandle and p***ed through Canyon many times on my way to Tech ('67-'72).

Didn't want to go to WT -- it was too close to home and dad might have wanted me to come home weekends and plow

 

Find me a plaque too. I would love to run one on my A. I haven't met any original hot rodders that were around here back in the day.

Texas girls = second to none. Fact.

 

We go back to Canyon every other July for a family reunion. My dad's folks moved near there in 1917. My Mom's folks were already there. In my brother's pictures is one of him and his friend Ray "Ace" Mills and Ray's '51 Dodge. There is a Plugs plaque on the car. Maybe I can get that photo and recreate the plaque from that. My brother's plaque was hanging on Dad's '52 Dodge pickup. In the summer of '56 or '57 we were changing irrigation syphon tubes in the middle of the night and got stuck. The plaque got broken in half. I do remember seeing it in my brother's garage in the '60s in Concord Cal. It may still be there.
That delivery sat there for several years I bet the guy wanted a lot for it. I stopped by on two different trips and couldn't contact anyone.
Wild Turkey Did you know the Hagers in Panhandle or the Caytons in Claude? My son and several cousins went to Tec. My son went to Tec because UNR was too close. Funny thing we heard from him more often than the son who went to UNR. Gene Cayton was probably at Tec when you were.
Alright this is a offer to you Canyon guys, If I can find a good image I'll look into getting some plaques made. Would you be interested in commemorating Canyon's first Hot Rod club?

 

I am also in Canyon and will watch for that piece in the antique stores on 6th st in Amarillo. If I see one I will let you know.

I also have a buddy in his mid 70s who was in another club that has dissapeared. We have discussed bringing it back to life since he is the last living member.

 

Absolutely! Not trying to brag or anything but I'm building an A just like they would have back in the late '50's and some components that I've picked for it (which will remain top secret for now) are genuine go-fast goodies that they would have used back then. I think it would look great with one of those plaques on there!

Gosh.. I really want a plaque bad. I need to quit drinking so much sweet tea before bedtime.

 

When my son went to Tec '01-'05 he met a lot of Texas hot rodders. A**** them Was Flat Top Bob from Wellington owner of Owens Salvage and an old time HAMBer. Bob and a bunch of Wellington guys resurrected the Road Rockets a club Bob's dad helped start in '57. My son and I both got Road Rocket plaques. Owens Salvage is a very HAMB friendly place with lots of good parts.

Do you guys know each other? I really appreciate all the help guys and I look forward to more sharing of news from home. You can take the boy out of Texas but you can't take Texas out of the boy! I spent my 14th birthday on Rout 66 with my dad in a '52 Dodge pickup pulling a huge trailer loaded with all or stuff moving to California. My Cushman was tied across the tongue and a fresh flathead for my brother's '39 coupe was in the bed. Even then the '38 coupe he had bought for me was waiting in Concord.

 

I am game, have seen a few clubs come and go in this area. The panhandle had a very rich hot rod history, especially if you count drag racing. And if you don't count drag cars you are missing out. Several big hitters and some high quality cars have come from around here thru the years. Even more if you include Lubbock.
Don Hardy, Kenny Bernstein, Carrol Coddle, and bunches that you have never heard of.

 

My Brother was able to get his driver's license at 14. That was 1954! In order to get use of the family car he took me along a lot. I was 9 and got to hang out with his friends, sort of a pain in the *** mascot. We spent a lot of weekends at the Amarillo drag strip in the beginning days of the NHRA. The Dale Ham era. Talk about run what you brung. I don't even remember where that was other than it was near the railroad tracks. I do remember going to a meeting where Dale Ham and other NHRA guys talked and showed Drag movies. It may have been one of the Safety Tours. Every one of those young rodders was smitten by Dale's wife Glynanna. Me too. The original Hot Rod Girl, for us anyway. Yes a lot of rodding history in the Panhandle and I wouldn't dream of leaving Lubbock out. Not after what I saw there when my son was at Tec.
The plugs had a club project but all they accomplished was dis***embly. It was a really straight '32-'33 Dodge or Plymouth pickup that they bought from one of the Burris family, Bradley I think. The last I saw of it was in the back of a shop in Canyon not far from B.C. Taylor's gas station on 60. That would have been in '58.

 

Here's what I have the original patterns for:

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Dennis

 

Thanks again Dennis. What an undertaking.
Yea Speed, Don't snitch the guy out. Every one her wants to know about it already does. Too many thieves around. I'd like to see your A. I'm working on a '26 Chevy roadster. Just starting the frame, been gathering parts for years.
Another guy that hung out with the Plugs and may have been a member was from Amarillo. His name was Robert Blakely. His family had Blakely Potato Chips. We had plenty of chips at all events. He was around because another member Ted Fowler had two very pretty sisters. He also had some cool cars. A black '52 or '53 Ford with a built flathead, Then a new T-Bird in '55 or '56, and I think he had two '57 Chevys. I think he wrecked one and got another one.

 

What a great poster. It appears to be signed. Do you know who did it?
As far as knowing a little, Listen to an old guy, a little is all you'll ever know about 'em. They are not be be known but they are a wonder.

Well sorry, I just read your profile and see you've had the time to enjoy the wonderment with out my help.

 

It's a Budweiser poster, and there is no info visible as to the publisher. Funny you asked about who did it..got me to googling the name of the gal in the pic. I had heard the name, which is Debra Jo Fondren, but I ***umed she was a Miss Texas or the like. Wrong!!...she was ******* playmate of the year in '78. Not too far back for a couple old guys to remember.
By the way, I'm fairly new to Amarillo, don't know but a few guys here into the rodding scene, so unfortunatly don't know anyone that might have info on the Canyon Club, but I'll ask at the local shows.
Rich