I put a Speedway axle (MAS?) in my Rambler about 13 years ago. Parallel leaf (trailer springs) - iron hemi - iron torqueflite. Still problem free. Don't know if MAS made mine or not, but if they did - no complaints here.
Gary Kohn was from Hayfield,MN. (I believe) He started MAS (Minnesota Auto Specialities) and grew it into a major business. Gary died in a freak accident a number years ago and I believe his brother (or maybe some other relatives) operate the business now. They do a good job as do the employees at the store. I've seen some Speedway boxed products on the shelf at the MAS store. There is a MAS engine shop in Ellsworth, WI that advertizes crate engines in the magazines. I've wondered if it is related to the other MAS.
It's funny, I asked this same question a couple months ago and there was hardly a good word for the axles they sell.
Definitely an interesting shop... it's fun to pick through the consignment area... never bought anything from them through the mail, and haven't used any of their own components, but the guys behind the counter seem decent enough. Ben
Didn't they do a deal for a while where you had to have an appointment to get into the place? I seem to recall a no walk in policy. I had stopped by when I was up there on business. If it is back to being open I will stop by again.
Yea but the cost of living is 10xs as much as the old days. You should use all the current tools available to help your business succeed.
If you've been to their shop you'd see why they don't do anything by todays methods, it's just an old school speed shop tucked away off the main drag...they do have newer catalogs now, but no website that I've seen...
I bought one of their hairpin steering arms and drag links for my T way back when and would buy again. They were a bit slow because the guy who did the hairpin steering arms at that time was on vacation.
I have one of thier axles, supports a big hemi and I was more then happy with the axle and hairpins. I think it took about a week from time of order to hitting the front door.
www.masracing.biz Tom just got the site up not long ago... and trust me when i say, the place IS the real deal speedshop. a lot of guys got down on MAS for not having a website presence for so long. but let me tell you, if you'd ever stood at the counter and heard the phone ringing NON-STOP all day every day you'd know he really did NOT need a website to stay in business
A friend of mine used one in his Studebaker, and couldn't get things to measure up right, turned out that the axle had a 1/2" difference in drop on one side. Here's a thread with pics- http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199067
MAS was just sold to another shop out of Baldwin WI- Bruce has been doing the axles and all the "T" parts since the 60's he fabbed all the stuff out of his house in Bloomington. He just sold all the fixtures for axles, radius rods, "T" chassis to the new owners and now it will be fabbed out of WI.. Looks like the prices will soon go up on everything...
DAMMIT...that was one of the few old time throwbacks we had here...I just hope the new guy doesn't screw up and run the name into the ground...maybe he'll only raise the prices to 1980's standards? Here's to wishful thinking...
7500 miles on the streets and highways in the past two years, in my 55 chevy. NO PROBLEMS. Works so good I am building another one!
i have been there a few times and bought front axle kits and one rear spring kit.. all i can say is nothing fits together properly without drilling hairpins and having to have axles honed.. speedway would never stay in buiseness if they sold crap like mas does!!!! <!-- / message -->
you mean like speedways rear 4 bar kits? speedy bill sells some fuckin horseshit, same as everyone else...just gotta find the pile that smells the least
Had one with econoline spindles on my Plym. Got it up in the air by falling asleep and running up a berm. Impressed the hell out of the guy behind me. He saw the bottom of the car. Came down hard on the wheels, wide awake. Dinged the car up a bit, didn't bend anything. Tough frame, tough axle.
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