Features Corvette hot rods - picture thread

Bill, thanks for clearing up a continuing question that has lingered my my mind since the original postings. My final question is: Was your Dad's garage the same "Bill's Garage" on Olympic Blvd that was later operated by Bill Blakeney?

 

Yes,
His the was on Olympic BLvd. Right next to the Fire station. Closest cross street Altlantic Ave. When he retired he sold the shop to bill Blakely, who also had his own race car if I remember correctly. Yes, my father opened up Bill's Garage after serving in the Marine Corp and serving during the Korean War. He also taught part time at East LA College for a couple of years. Once he retired he moved up to Southern Oregon and still resides in Grants Pass.

Mark

 

Thank you for that confirmation. I became acquainted with Bill Blakeney during the early '70s while racing although I'd often stopped at "Header's by Doug" shop on Whittier Boulevard while visiting school sites in East L.A.during the '60s. I worked in that area and an average day at Doug's usually included a "Who's Who" look at L.A. drag racing. On occasion, out-of-town racers took their cars to Doug's and tested his products with short blasts in the parking lot. I once saw Hubert Platt's Falcon match racer engaged in that practice as well as Doug's own "Chevy 2 Much" Nova. Blakeney occasionally mentioned his predecessor as "Old Bill" but I never knew the rest of the name.

 

Let’s see, build plan, check, vehicle, check, engine, pending, transmission, pending, seats, pending, whees and tires, check, rear axle, check, paint, it’ll buff out, parachute, double check. Carry on.

 

Picked up the engine for my car today

 

those belong to Sky Pilot on here

 

Is that a 6-71 GMC blower and Hilborn injector used as a mailbox on the porch?

 

He is like the rest of us and has been collecting for a while. There’s some pictures of some of his stuff on his profile page

 

Wow. Nice cars!

 

Mark Kashisian, Bill's son sent me these pics of a few of the cars that Bill sponsored or drove during the early through mid 60s. Some great looking cars in my opinion. Bill sponsored and drove Earl Peterson’s 57 (black with red coves-Bill leaning on hood and Earl in red jacket-powered by 283 with a McCulloch supercharger) at the 1962 Winternationals to a B/MSP class win against some stiff competition, as well as campaigning his own 57 Corvette at various California tracks including the Winternationals in the mid 60s. He wrenched on and sponsored a number of drag cars and solid axle Corvette such as Mickey Williamson’s injected 58 Corvette which ran at mainly the California tracks. Corvette drag car fans owe a debt of gratitude to guys like Bill that helped make the Corvette what it became in drag racing history.