Hello all, I've been a member for a little while and this is my first post here... I think. I was wondering if any of you might have some old photos from the Everett, WA area that feature cruising and places anywhere from the 50's through the 80's. I'm trying to put together something for my dad and I. He was cruising Colby back in the 50's and I was cruising Evergreen and Broadway in the 80's. Would love to see some pics of Herfy's on a Fri and Sat night etc. Also if anyone has any photo's of Al Van****'s Evergreen Speed Shop it would be awesome. We bought just about everything for our cars and trucks there. I just recently started a build on a 63 Nova SS and dad has been coming over to help when he feels well enough. It's great to get back to doing this with him after 20+ years. He can't help with the heavy stuff but thank god he's there to smack me when I'm doing something stupid His brain has more automotive info in it than all my buddies and I put together. Thanks in advance Marc Henry
No photos, but I was there and lived it too. The HWY 526/Boeing Freeway, at one time, even had a marked off quarter mile with "Pacific Speed" (speed shop on Broadway?) painted on the starting line for the street racers. Al Van ****s speed shop on Rucker was basically a walk in closet, with a back store room; he had his own filing system with tags on everything. He later moved a few blocks away after the hardware store took his space, and the new store did't survive. Did't spend a lot of time at Herfies; saw the Narco's arrest a dealer there once, and they did't treat the guy too well. They repeatedly slammed his head into the roof line intensionally, while placing him in the car; really pissed me off, and I've never used drugs. Used to race on Hwy 529 through the Marysville flats; there really was't any place the cops could hide, and the bridges were concrete so traction was good. I still have the 340 HP 327 from my 63 Chevy II, sleeper, wagon (that engine has been in 4 different vehicles now), but the body was long ago destroyed by the guy I sold it to. I raced a 57 Chevrolet off a light on Colby one night with my 70 340 Dart; the cops were a few cars back behind me. I pulled over, the guy in the 57 did't, he just kept on going. I got a "talkin' too", and sent on my way with the cop saying, "you and I both know what this car can do, don't do it in town", to leave and not come back. That's when I took to the Marysville flats for my street racing. But, that's not what really closed Colby down; it was the people urinating in the business doorways and causing other problems, and the residents of the streets surrounding the area complaining about the noise and vandalism. Then there was the 1320 Express Company car club; you did't want that decal on your car as the cops targeted them. I was around for Colby "the Gut", the Renton Loop, Golden Gardens, and they're all history now. On Colby one night, was a group of guys with an amplifier and microphone "annoucing" the cars at a light, trying to get everyone to race. They got chased off pretty quickly by Everett's finest. Now, there are the "No Cruising" signs on Evergreen way/Rucker; I wonder if anyone has ever been cited with the $1000.00 threat of doing so? I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
We used to drive down from Mt Vernon to cruise Colby back in mid '70's, then i moved to Phoenix AZ and did Central.
Hey guys!!! Oh man... I can't tell you how awesome it is to find this discussion! F-head: I recently met the guy (can't remember his name) who owned the bad black Vette that Colby Rose used to cruise in!! He said he's no longer with her though... traded up- his words not mine! I was at Colby CONSTANTLY in the 80's, we cruised in the rain and snow.. Fridays and Saturdays, on Christmas... then later Herfys, Lake City Way, Golden Gardens, Alki.. I too remember the drags at a couple spots around Boeing (the union hall used to a tavern and starting line) as well as on the Sno. river road!!! Damn!!!! SO many stories!!! Anyway.... I'm putting together a FB page so that next time someone wants to see pictures, see videos and hear stories, they'll have a place to go. Its still in progress, but I would just love for you guys to like the page, post whatever you have of your cars back in the day.. (even if its isn't technically at Colby) and maybe tell a stories like above. facebook.com - crusin' northwest. (they won't let me have a dedicated easy to remember URL until I get 25 likes.
The Jalopy Journal
