Mighty Mo or Hot Shoppes photo?

Thanks for bringing this thread back to the top. Hopefully some more folks will see it and chime in with additional stories and maybe even some pics from back in the day...................Don.

 

....Just read your bio and I see you have some very deep roots in drag racing. There's another thread on here about Aquasco with lots of great photos. If you've never seen it, do a search. It's worth a look and I'm sure it would bring back lots of memories for you. We welcome any and all stories you may have ......and pics are always cool...Don.

 

Roy Fiddesop at my house Thanksgiving 92.

 

I just about grew up at the Hot Shoppes in Wheaton, always backed into "racers row".

 

Grew up in that area, The Mo was a bit before my driving years but spent many a weekend at University Bl. Mcdonalds. Tic Toc liquors and Jimmy Commers bar accross the street, you could cruise-drink all night and then get a nasty taco at Jack in the Box which never seemed to close.
I read in an earier post about racing on Z street NE. It was actually V st off of South Dakota Av. and there was some crazy sh-t that happened most every weekend. Alot of money, fights and accidents. The racing was done along the front of many warehouses, very tight with little room for a screw up. The Fire Dept. would come in and hose the street off at night to keep racers out but they would come any way and it just made it more treacherous. The police finally put up concrtete bariers staggered along the street so you could not even drive the road without heavy steering back and forth. That is when the racing moved to Rt. 50 and still happens today I believe.

 

My sister told me the same story, Queenstown Mo would kick you out for cruisin and not buying anything so to save a few bucks they would eat at Burger Chef down the street and buy a soda at Mo's. Then cruise to the one on New Hamp. av. and back again. Hell, no body cruises any more they just go to shows and bring out the lawn chairs.

 

What were you cruisin' Mickey D's in Wraymen?

I loved Jack-in-the-Box. Best cure for the midnight munchies and better than coffee to shake off the party fog.

 

I was in Dads 66 Mustang, had a 289. I thought it was bad *** until I ran another Mustang on Ager road and got beat so badly I just kept on going. That would have been about 1974 when I got my license. Before that it was in an early 60's Buick wildcat owned by my buddy Brian. We also cruised in a late 50's dodge wagon that was painted gold and had flakes big enough to eat off of. Some other cars from our neighborhood- black 55 chevy, 58 Dodge truck with a 440 in it(wood bed and keg for gas in bed). These guys were all older but very cool to us, by the time I could drive most of the cars showing up were muscle cars. If I remenber right the cars to beat were a camaro with a big block and a pinto wagon with a big block ford. He had the dash moved back to fit the motor and pretty much drove from the back seat.

 

I might remember one of those cars but the others don't ring a bell as being regulars.

 

Most of our cars were not too much on the wow factor as we were all 16 or 17 at the time. A group of us from Chillum, Avondale and Green Meadows were there most weekends. Older brothers and friends bought us the beer. After high school we hung out in college park trying to pick up M.U. girls. Do you remember the pinto? He was there alot kinda ratty looking but it would fly.

 

Ancient thread here...but here are some Hot Shoppe flics on Shorpy.
Earlier times, no hotrod hoodlums in sight, but some of the look of the restaurants carried over into our times...mmmm, the fudge cake, Aquasco, and DC armory shows in one post!

http://www.shorpy.com/search/node/hot+shoppe

http://www.shorpy.com/search/node/hot+shoppes

 

Guys,
I did some time in the Wheaton/SilverSpring Area in the 60's. The HottShoppes on Viers Mill Road next to Wheaton Plaza was the hang out. Best Burgers and Hot fudge Cakes in the world! There was a Little Tavern across the street and we used turn around there and drag race back to the "Shoppes".

The closest taste in Shoppes Hot fudge cake is the ones from Friches or Big Boy.

Evolvo--what and when were you cruising the Wheaton hot Shoppes? I had a Turquoise 1958 Impala during the mid-to late 60's. Then a 1967 Olds Cutl***. Then a 1970 Rallye 350.

 

I graduated Wheaton High in '67, moved out to the PNW in '72 so I spent most of my time at the Hot Shoppes in '68, '69, '70 & '71. I was working at Lanman Litho in Rockville on the midnite to 8am shift. Go home and sleep all day, get up and have dinner with my folks and head to the Shoppes. Back into the row that was closest to the Plaza, not under the canopy, and pile into one of my pals cars, or them into mine. Order a chezburger, set of O-rings and a Coke in a dirty gl***, pour out half the Coke and fill with JTS Brown (that's what Paul Newman drank in the "Hustler") for dessert we'd all light up either Swisher Sweets or Rum River Crooks and whistle at the girls, then I'd leave the shoppes at 11:30pm and go to work in Rockville. Good times, if a little foolish in hindsight!
I was driving a '55 Business Coupe at the time. This car later became the "Addict" running B or C Gas. I also had a '57 tudor wagon for a while.
I hung out with Pat Brennen, Dale Matthews, Jeff Hubbard, Phil Curry and many others whose names are lost to me. Our paths had to have crossed at sometime or the other

 

........Sadly there's neither a Friches nor a Big Boy anywhere near me.

 

the truck in the picture is a 31 or 32 ford with a buick nailhead motor with 6 two's.the owner is lester grinnings and the car was built by Lester & my brother Mike Munley.....Lester & i took it to Ocean City and terrorized everything on the road...It was awesome....Lester now lives in Rhode Island & collects old bicycles& is in the process of putting a rodster together.....pat Munley /bill klein

 

back up

 

........................Tell us more stories.....and pictures are cool as well.

 

Spent many nights cruising New Hampshire ave .Hillandale Hot Shoppes was the place near me , would put the races together there and then race out on Rt 29 . Knew of a few guys from P G Customs , Richard Glymph [ tremendous painter , beautiful 55 Chevy ] and another guy named Buddy [ I think , worked with Richard ] . I would go to the Mo but you had to be on your game to race those guys . Wheaton was another place to find nice cars , beautiful lime green 56 was there a lot and a 31 silver blue coupe . Would buy speed parts from Douglas Speed & Sport , The Rod Shoppe on Us 1 and the was another speed shop near Peace Cross [ very close to Sonny Routt's shop }. This was the hayday of my life , we had it so good and did not relize it .

 

I Bought a bunch of parts from Routt's for my Harleys. I think I still have a shirt or two from there. The shop near Routt's; Supercar Engineering, owned by Malcolm Durham?

 

It was not Malcomb's shop but he was really nice to me as a young 17 year old kid . Sonnys shop was on 42pl and the speed shop was very near there . For those that didn't know Malcomb , he would always be whistling while in the shop ,all the time . As a young broke kid I was always trying to learn from these guys . I lived in Hillandale just off of New Hampshire . There was another good speed shop that may still be in business just outside the air force base .

 

I am probably a few years your junior but I remember a bunch of auto shops in the area of Routt's. I can't recall a speed shop though but I do remember seeing some nice cars parked in the different lots. I hung out at Malcolm's also, pretty much just being a nuisance. He and his sons were always nice to us.

Are you talking about Andrews AFB? That would be Speed Unlimited and they are still very much in business. I work just down the street from them.

 

Racer121, you might look into buying this book. Might be some people you know.

The web site- http://www.beltsvilleshell.com/index.html

 

Yes , very good ! Speed unlimited . That was a bit of a ride for me to get there but did do some business with them . Malcomb worked at Hicks Chevrolet and when things started to get in place for him you would see some of the coolest stuff for his car .He had some really hard luck at Aquasco & Capital , it was all a big learning curve then and information was kinda tight lipped so it was trail & error . He never gave up. Is Sonny's shop still in business ? Ed that worked there was another good guy.

 

Routt's is long gone. I heard he went with another bike shop, R&R cycle in Oxon Hill. That is also gone now but they did some amazing things back in the day.
The more i think about it. It could have been a motorcycle shop in Beltsville (Precision?) that he went with. That one burned down years ago. I don't know if it ever reopened.

 

Ahhh the T shirt from Sonny's , if it is what I remember it was " pretty " outspoken for the time, but there was the hippy free love expression

 

...........Likely G&M High Performance. Gaines and Marino. Also known as Automotive Specialties. John Gaines and Fausto Marino were the owners.

 

Automotive Specialties was the place I was thinking of . At the time putting a big block into a 55 chevy was new to the scene and they were able to get me a set of ****** Headers that fit . The only other choice at the time was Herb Gebler in Beltsville , another good guy .
Great thread , so glad I found it . I have tons of stories from this area and the Mo .

 

..........Keep the stories coming. We love to hear them. Any pictures you might have from back then (cars, people, etc.) are also encouraged. Where do you call home nowadays?

 

The Queenstown Mo was no doubt the place and I did not go there often unless I felt I could hold my own but not always was it for racing , the atmosphere was all good too , cars , bikes , ladies …… One evening I remember a guy that was there on his 3 wheeler . Art Lowe was his name and I think was a member of a " club "that would cruise threw at times with his " friends " . This was a pretty well known Harley and he had stroked the engine out to really large displacememt [ like 110 inches or in that neighborhood ] . While waiting to turn out of the parking lot , he turned the forks to the left , revved it up and let her go . Trike did not turn but plowed straight forward across the street …….. crashed the trike and busted himself up .lived to see another day . Yes this is some of the stuff I remember from the queenstown mo . Ager Road Gulf was owned by a good friend John Meyers and had a very smart friend work for him Andy Sharpe . Would like to know where those guys are . I live in Florida , moved here in late ,late 70's miss the area up there but not the same I'm sure , cold weather is something I do not miss . Pictures are something I will work on ,