Just curious (Phx. hist.)

Also went through the whole thread the other day and fixed a bunch of lost links, images and videos.

 

A couple of neat decals spotted in an old junk yard over the weekend.

 

Another cool pic of Bob Sefton's roadster from post #490 just popped up in the Drag Cars In Motion thread. Wanna say the car was named Lil' Miss Carriage.

 

Goosic.... Miss them.

 

Just found some good shots of Beeline over on Getty Images.

http://www.gettyimages.com/editorial/beeline-dragway-pictures


And Mel Larson in a Sun City sponsored Pontiac, just down the road from where his Phoenix Drag strip was.

http://www.gettyimages.com/search/2/image?phrase=mel+larson&clarifications=

 

Anybody have any info on the Valley Auto Special? Some info in the link below.

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/n...s-the-fastest-open-wheel-news-photo/150191794

 

A few more of Beeline, '67.

http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/S...&assetType=image&p=1967 ahra winter nationals#

 

And '65.

http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/S...&assetType=image&p=ahra winter nationals 1965#

 

A few from 71'.

Can't get link to work. Have to Google gettyimages.com and search AHRA Phoenix.

 

Sprint Cars at the Fairgrounds, 1951. This is next to the grandstand, looking towards Encanto where the regular auto swap meet is held. Outer track covered most of the property.

Also have to Google gettyimages.com then search Arizona Fairgrounds racing.

 

An article on Mario Andretti in the outdated but potent Clint Brawner prepped Offy powered Dean Van Lines Special from the July 1965 issue of Modern Rod.

 

Phoenix Drifter, Popular Hot Rodding, January 1963.

 

Some more magazine bits.
Hot Rod, Feb. '55.

Looks like Perryville.

 

Don Marks mentioned this one flipping through old mags at the SoCal swap this morning.
Car Craft, Dec. '59.






Guessing this car later became "Thunderbird"? I think Kraft Auto would have been at 2102 and 2118 east McDowell, now gone to make way for the 51.

 

Hey! Is that a fuel injection emblem I see on Johny Lopers 59 Chevy black tudor hardtop?

 

I think your right.




Here's some mention of it, just after the picture of the yellow Corvette. Says maybe only 30 built. http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/project-cars/sucp-0805-chevrolet-w-engines/1959-1960.html

 

I moved to Phoenix after high school to go to Arizona Automotive Inst.for auto mechanic school in 1973 and stop by all of the shop you have listed here, also stopped at ED's shop in Glendale. I was in Phoenix for two year and got to know the shop pretty good. Also got to see my then hero Bill Jenkins at the Beeline Drag Strip.I was 18 years old from South Dakota and life was good. I drove a 68 SS Chevelle with a Big Block 4 Speed. Lived on Central Ave on weekends. Guess i would have to say it was one of the best highlight in my life. I remember there was a Firestone tire store on Central ave. that was going out of business and they sold ET Wheel so i stopped down and bought 2 6x14 and 2 8x15 for a total of 30 some dallors and i still have all 4 of them. They were Super ET five spokes with the Gold Spokes. Totally awesome Tread.

 

I worked there 1970 -

 

Did I miss something? Did he die?

 

Not that I know of. Estate sale was his mothers, a large old house the family lived in at about 27 Ave. & Glendale. I think his dad ran livestock transporting business out of the back?

 

Neat, on a side note, Lopers may start looking and operating a bit different as the rumor is it has changed ownership recently.

 

Might as well put this here! I was over at Ronnie Olmstead's place the other day, and he gave me a copy of a picture I had admired on his wall forever. It's his club's race car from '58-'59. The car was destroyed in a towing accident in '59 coming home from Santa Anna, I believe.

 

Thanks for joining in. Went out to Beeline just before Veterans day and the remaining tower is now just a memory, nothing but freshly turned dirt.

 

Awesome, looks like Carl Grimes bus behind it too.

 

Since this things back up, here's a pic posted recently on the Vintage shots from days gone by thread that caught my eye, post #95029.

Appears to be taken from the Westwart Ho at 1st. Ave. & Filmore. First Baptist Church on left (now an empty shell) and First Presbyterian Church to right in the distance. Wonder how many of those cars are still around today?

 

I have some video footage of the Playboy's Henry J rolling through the pits at Santa Ana in '59.

 

I'm pretty sure I have that too! Is that the one where a bit earlier in the C.D. the camera pans Ronnie checking out a V8 60 powered MG?

 

Probably the same one.
I should dig it out and watch it again.

 

There were also a couple of shops up in Flagstaff. Highland Speed and Browns Performance. I can remember going to the drags in Winslow at an old air strip. This was in the 80's.

 

More stuff for you guys to look at.

Deer Valley Dragway, Hot Rod, July 1960.