I have a chance to buy some Casler headers from a closed machine shop. The guy wants me to buy them all. I have found a listing for some. These are the ones I can't find #319 #330 #334 #530 #623. There is also a set that wasn't in a box, but I don't know if they are Casler or not. They are the ones in the picture. Thanks for any help, Gene,
The Casler Headers that I’m familiar with used to have two large tooling holes in each flange, 1/2” holes about 12” apart. Post some photos of the whole thing.
Google says the #334 are to suit 1969 Camaro/1968 Corvette. Couldn't find anything on the other numbers. Cheers, Harv
Gene is going to be the new source of headers! What's the most interesting set you saw? How many total are we talking? Inquiring HAMBers want to know!
Hello, The funny thing is the ads looked too familiar with the names, Casler and ******. The ****** Header Company started in a large industrial complex in Ontario, So Cal. The same building had several addresses starting with 1009 w. Brooks Street. But, if one remembers the old buildings, now refurbished, it covers a long city block and has several industries in each sector. Back then, ****** was the main industry. Then Casler also had a shop several doors down from ******. 1031 w. Brooks street. It was/is all one large industrial building with several doors leading to the street. The last ad on the right is for ****** Headers and the address is 1024 w. Brooks Street. Right next door to the last known Casler building. So, the facts look like the companies were in the same building... YRMV Jnaki So, what was the connection? Casler (specifically Casler Racing Tires/Products) and ****** Headers were under the same ownership in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ****** Headers acquired the Casler name and business in 1969. Bill Casler, founder of Casler Racing Tires, was heavily involved with ****** Headers and owned a large portion of the company during that period. Note: Casler's career changed when Gary ******, who lived across the street, approached him. "Gary's header shop had burned down, and it had wiped him out," said Casler. "He asked me if I wanted to be a part of his business and help him rebuild. I looked at it as a venture with some potential, and agreed. We leased some property on Brooks Street in Ontario from the Dawton Berry Construction Co. and went on from there. Not long after that, Dennis Holding [of the Frantic Four Top Fuel team] introduced me to Stan Goldstein, who had an advertising agency, Graphic Things, on Calvert Street in Van Nuys, Calif. Stan came up with the ****** heart logo, and I knew right then that we were on to something. The logo's shape was easy to recognize, and it had a distinctive lettering style. I liked the red and yellow colors. " By the late 1960s, ****** had clients such as Bill Jenkins, **** Landy, and the Sox & Martin team, and its sales rose dramatically. "We had our own development shop, and we worked closely with racers to come up with a better product, "said Casler."Plus, we were tired of Doug Thorley coming up to us and beginning discussions about who had the biggest list of back orders. " ****** became one of the more popular brands in the country, and many of the top racers used its facilities as a work area when they traveled West to attend the Winternationals. Casler took pride in the fact that he was involved in two very successful businesses without the benefit of formal business training.
Don, I have been trying to get jnaki to put All his history in a book(s). Maybe we, and I Know there are more of us, could make him change his mind. He definitely has a Wealth of California Hot Rod History!!
Thanks to everyone!!! Here is the story, a local shop closed down. It looked very much like they left on Friday and were coming back on Monday. They didn't. The building and property were recently sold. The new owner hired a consignment shop to sell off the leftover inventory. They didn't. I was able to get in to check things out. There is only about 8-10 sets of headers. And I'm not even sure of a price yet. I will update. And, the set I posted a picture of were said to be early Doug's but who knows? Thanks for all the replies and thanks to Janki for the history.
...Any other interesting stuff left in the shop or are you not at liberty to divulge that information?
Hello, Thanks... @lothiando1940 We used to visit industrial buildings similar to that large building in Ontario. But, they were in Long Beach and Huntington Beach/Costa Mesa. The walls were almost portable and constructed of metal or wood, plus drywall material. So, an opening between each section could be made for different companies. Although one company could have the whole complex with wide open doorways to connect the whole building sections. A different company could lease part of the building and have a different company wares or shop next door. This has been done in industrial buildings many times over when we visited those shops. Jnaki Some of those smaller shops are attached to the next shop with the standard wall thickness construction. We have all seen standard walls in our houses. The industrial walls are taller and can have similar wood framing or the metal framing. I have seen very large, tall walls of a warehouse building opened up to create a separate room for more space of the original layout of the company wares or storage. YRMV Some times, places like a car museum is constructed in a similar fashion. When more display items are ready, the next door building has a interconnected wall that is opened up and now the museum has more room for other displays. This creates two large warehouse buildings into one large place for more displays... Note: How nice that someone is interested in old history from the way back time machine in my old brain. We had interesting lives and were exposed to changes in what we liked doing from a couple of hot rod teenagers to old folks with plenty of time to relax and enjoy life as we have. For now, all of the information, films, photos and writings are stored away in a 6 TB external hard drive. So, unless someone robs a local big bank, our files are safe for now. Yes, they get updated every two months if there is new information from our family history. Since we got married young, my wife and I have expanded our lives and history. But, those things are saved for our young granddaughter who is still interested in a couple of old folks she sees on breaks from her college timeline openings. She stayed with us from 6 months to pre-teen years as her parents were new job adults trying to get along in the tough society. So, we took in a little girl and watched her grow up into a wonderful person. The fun stuff and laughter was always there. We have enjoyed every minute of it and now, as we relax daily, can remember exactly those fun times watching her grow up into a college student getting to the end of cl***es, soon. She has asked about our history prior to her staying with us. So, that is also a step in the right direction. But, it probably is a granddaughter thing and in between her difficult college cl***es, wonders how we are getting along in our “old days…” HA!
@jnaki ....Your Grand Daughter sounds like a very ambitious young lady. Wish her all the best from the HAMB community.
Great stuff Jnaki! I always ***umed that Casler Headers were just private label ****** street headers because they shared the same flanges and tube designs, and it seemed like they shared the same address. I didn’t realize that Casler and ****** were that closely involved in business.
I bought these at a swap probably about 40 years ago. I think I still have the catalog sheet that came with them, and I’m pretty sure they are Casler’s. They are stamped R 310 A, does that appear to be a Casler number to anyone? I think the application was ‘63-‘67 Corvette.
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