Lake Street (Mpls, MN) in the 60s

3rd one down (camaro), was and still is owned by my dads friend Dave Borell, it has been redone since then but is basically the same, the hood scoop was resused but just sectioned so it wasnt so tall, and the car is tubbed now, but he still owns it and its very nice.

If i remember correctly the car had been a drag car when it was new and was rolled at one time then fixed.

JEFF

 

Don't forget Randolf Light Studebaker about 2 blocks west of Blaisdale on the south side of Lake St.. Wasn't the Ford dealer Woodhead Ford I don't remember where it was located though. Hull Dobbs Ford was on 26th and Hennepin south 4 blocks north of Lake St.

 

Is this the car that was known as "Hailey's Comet"? If I remember right it had a big shooting star painted on the side and said "Hailey's Comet" on the back.

 

I remember that Camaro from lately and back in the days of Lake Street
nice car then, nice car now.

 

Buffalo's a nice town. My family and I lived out there at my parents Cabin on Lake Pulasky while our house was being redone in Plymouth.
It was from Jan 2004 to about May. I drove my '40 Merc around town a lot that winter and commuted to work and the kids school in Plymouth. 25 miles one way. Not a terrible drive.
It was a pretty mild winter for Minnesota.
It's fun to get a reaction from people. I think that's part of the reason we drive these "old" cars.

 

I had heard of some chick that had a really fast car. It might have been a Road Runner with a hemi in it. On the back of the car it supposedly said "If you can beat it you can eat it". Is that just a myth or is there any truth to the story?

 

Yup

 

It's true!!!! She drove a Challenger!! My Dad is having an engine built by Gary Headen (Magnum Superchargers) and we got talking about the "old days". She came up in the conversation and he said he actually used to date her! I can't remember what he said her name is, but he still see's her from time to time.

 

LOL!! That's pretty amazing. I heard the story when I worked at a Texeco station in Richfield in the late 70's. The owner's son had a really pristine orange Challenger and I think that's what prompted the story. Did she cruise Lake? I think I heard of at least one guy that beat her and she was true to her word. Good to know that it's true.

 

If your referring to the 63 Dodge Panel wagon, the was Push Button Bill. Had a 540 BBC on 2 stages of NOS. I spent 1 unforgettable summer riding shotgun in that thing. He actually had 2. 1 race truck and 1 he towed it with. The 540 1 was his tow rig. Pump gas, low compression and lotsa NOS. The 1 with the cage that was barrel rolled at the track never got rebuilt. I remember him saying after the accident if he woulda known how rough the roll over was gonna be he woulda padded the floor and the steering wheel. I remember he pinned it (the tow rig) in front of Wendys and it hooked so hard when the front came up we drug the tow chain hooks in the pavement. That truck was insane.

 

In the early 50's, the Ford dealer was Boyer-Gillfillan. Don't recall exactly where they were located, but I think it was further downtown--maybe on Hennepin.

 

Yep! That's the one! I didn't realize there were 2. I did see the second one at his house after the wreck, and thought he may be using that one to bring the other back to life. I remember seeing it on the side of the street when we'd go down on Central. Most of the guy's I hung with then had Novas and Camaros that were pretty fast street cars for High school kids. I ran a pretty hot 66 Mustang with a smallblock ford/stick. we all knew not to mess with the "power wagon" though. We even made a few trips down to "Red Rock Road" to watch the big dogs.

 

I get the feeling we've met. I used to frequent Red Rock every weekend for a few years. Never had anything fast, just watched and ran when the cops showed.

 

Heard the rumor, but never saw the car.

 

I remember the girl had a 70's blue vette on the loop in St. Paul

 

Can't tell ya anything about these, may be someone knows more.

 

buflochp,

I can't ID the locations, but great pictures.

 

I saw a late 60's 427 Vett with a girl driving on Lake Street around 1969 or 70 with the "If you can beat me you can eat me" bumper sticker. I saw her race from a few stoplights and never get beat. There was a girl that had some sort of Chrysler product hemi car that hug around Isle Shell on 25th and Hennepin south, in the late 60's. I watched her remove and replace the clutch in it one Saturday in the parking lot out side the station.

 

She must have been from Lake Woebegon, "Where the women are strong, and the men are good looking."

 

What is that beautiful blue fastback?

 

I think the blue fastback is a '41 Buick. I remember seeing that car or one just like it in NorEast Mpls in the 60's. I think either Bill Gefre or his buddy "Peanuts" owned it.

 

That thing has some killer lines.

 

A buddy of mine was helping some friends move, and found an old photo album in the attic. Forty years of 110 degrees in the summer has an effect on pictures. I have been trying to scan the ones that I can get off the plastic pages.

Here's a couple more.

 

That's the story I remember.

Summer of '69

One of my good friends met a girl while cruising on Lake St. She was from St. Louis Park, very nice, very pretty. She also had a brand new '69 Dart 340 Swinger 4 speed 3.91 rear. Orange, black interior. That was a nice car. They took her car to Minnesota Dragway one weekend, he trophied with the car, which was a testimonial to the car, and also his knack for driving it. The car was turning mid to low 14's. Her Dad found out about the dragstrip outing and put an immediate stop to that.

I wish I had been thoughtful enough to take photos.

Another friend had a '68 Dart GTS 383 4 speed. That car would hold it's own on Lake St.

Most of the acceleration contests on Lake St were pretty short, as I remember, across the intersection and maybe a half of a block if you really stuck it out. I did see much more intense ones, but not too often.

Just more random memories from Lake St. I've got lot's of stories.

74Bob

 

My kid hangs out with Bill Gefre's grandson, they go to Porky's fairly often.

 

Anyone know if the car still exists?

 

Here's a picture of that lot, but it must have been before your dad owned it - this is from 1946 when it was Bettig Motor Sales.

 

Peanuts & Gefre's Crosley. Minnesota Dragways about 1962.

 

OK, let's change direction for this post. PLEASE post any pics you guys have from back in the day. Not just Lake Street, but any stuff you have from drags to cruising.

 

Let's keep it from the Twin Cities.