Got my first car at 14 y.o. A 1940 Olds' coupe with the flathead straight 8 in the trunk. Spent the next two years putting it back together. The original grille was busted up and found a repro in the J.C. Whitney catalog. Horrible knock-off, but it fit the hole in the front of the car...kinda. As you might imagine, finding an original for that car was simply impossible. Damn thing rusted almost immediately. Complained to J.C. Whitney and they sent me another at no charge...and then another when that one rusted also. Go figure. Loved that wish-book. Hours of leafing through the pages. Some kid in high school tricked out his car with a ton of the add-on goo-gaws. Curb whiskers on the fenders, chrome exhaust tips, fuzzy dice, dingle balls, and of course, Winky the cat. Hi-larious. Andy
first few vehicles had JC Whitney parts. orders also including pinstriping kits, detailing kits, etc.
Did anyone ever buy the “engine overhaul pills” they sold? I believe you were supposed to drop one in each spark plug hole, and they would “increase your compression and reduce oil consumption”, or something like that.
Yes, my Dad would receive the Warshosky catalog at his car repair garage. I bought a ton of stuff through them.
I still a have a couple of JC Whitney catalogs. This shifter that is in the Kyle Marshall Junior Stocker is from JC Whiney
I bought a top from them too, for my Bonneville convertible. I think it was about the same price and was pretty good quality.
I Still use them. Now if I can only find a Mons-turn and a chrome dagger dipstick handle, my car would be complete.
Yeah, I'll say, at $1.00 an hour when I was 16 years old working during summer vacation it would take like 3 plus days plus tax to afford! Just to put it into perspective!
JC WHITNEY was the catalogue to use back then. I used them a lot on my builds. Between JC WHITNEY and NAPA, I couldn't go wrong.
i remember when honest charley had a big clearance sale on flathead speed equipment; it was headlined, "they ain't dead yet!"
my first car, a '53 ford V8, needed a dual exhaust. j.c. whitney furnished headers and head pipes, and a 6-cylinder tailpipe. mufflers from the local montgomery ward catalog store. total cost may have been $30!
Ordered quite a few things from JC Whitney. I think I still have some dummy spots in my shed that I never used or opened.
The Jalopy Journal
