Super Shops is back!

yeah, had one one dayton,too.....

 

The main problem with Super Shops was that if you wanted something for your '71 Camaro with a 350, they probably had it, but if you needed anything for another kind of car, they never did. They completely bypassed the 5.0 Mustang craze, and never stocked a thing for those cars when they were the hottest thing going. But they always had stacks of Holley 600s and SBC Edelbrock Performers taking up floor space, and maybe a 289/302 Ford intake that dipshit Rob would tell you would also fit your 351W.


Now Tell Me, What is so different today ??

Any time i go anywhere & ask for parts for my Pontiac, Mopar, or even the 170 in my Daughters Falcon... They dont have shit

Its still the same... Everywhere carries S/B Chevy parts & has to order everything else.

By the Way, Was that guys name Rob Yule ? little short fucker with a hair lip ? If so He transfered out here to the Oxnard store to get the Asst Manager to quit .... It worked !

 

The Super Shops Arrow Car® debuted in 1977 at the NHRA World Finals for shake-down passes with Super Shops' AA/FA shoe Dave Hough at the wheel. Hough drove the car through mid-78 when Pat Foster took over the helm. Foster became the third member of the Cragar 5 Second Club with a 5.99 in Apr 79 and won the 79 Div 7 F/C championship in this car.

Ed McCulloch took over the reins of a new Super Shops Arrow in 1980, won the NHRA Nationals that year. Car was well known for it's "Win This Car" front spoiler although rumor has it this car was not the car given away.

In fact, this car showed up for sale in the Jan 81 issue of National Dragster... being offered by Super Shops... mmmmmm?

 

I dont know.....

When I think of Super Shops I think of mullets and Cragar super trick wheels......

 

I remember being a wee lad and riding my bike or skateboard up to the one on University Ave. here in San Diego every weekend to get free manufacturer stickers. There were always different muscle cars out front and the guys that worked there were super cool. I must have been around 10 at the time. Ahhh, the memories!

 

LOLOL... Yes there was some of that......Mostly the guys with Chargers & Super Bee's were rockin mullets. I worked the Oxnard store which was in the Latin Hood & Thousand Oaks which is a Rich Folk town.

Back then i was Rockin the Surfer Shag & was runnin the All New
Center Line Pro Stock Series 15x8.5 & 15x3.5 wheels on my '67 Pontiac Tempest that sat so low it would wipe the freeway dots off the street if you changed lanes.

 

I have to disagree. The "Ramchargers" chain, obviously with a Chrysler heritage, thrived through the 5.0 Mustang boom, and in fact in their new incarnation, Detroit Speed Shops, still has a healthy interest in it. Maybe because I'm not looking for rare Slant Six speed parts, or BBM parts, but anytime I go in there, I get what I want. The counter people are helpful, friendly and will actually tell you if you are barking up a wrong tree. At the Livonia location anyway. So props to Scott and Bubba and all the guys there.

We had a Super Shops over on 8 and Grand River. Never went by there, but drove by alot. I think it's a Krispy Kreme now.

Good luck to the new owner, in the age of internet and mail order, running an actual store is gonna be tough.

Jay

Edit, after re reading my post, I just wanted to clarify that I was, at the time, looking for rare Slant Six speed parts, (which they never had) and know that Ford also made a 170...

 

We had one in Lynnwood (just north of Seattle for all you foreigners); they were a major purveyor of BFG T/As.

And they sold me a 0-1850 for a 383 Roadrunner. And the crappy Edelbrock kickdown adapter that doesn't quite fit.

Wonder if they ever thought of offering me a 750 vac carb? Guess it doesn't matter; the Roadrunner and the store are both gone.

-bill

 

Wow, that's pretty bold. Blatantly advising the employees to perform a standard bait-and-switch, then belittling the customers that didn't bite.

 

I remember the one in Milwaukee, on hwy 100, now a chinese resturant, but if you look at the back door of the place there are still hot rod stickers on it!

 

I work at the warehouse in Grand Prairie, Tx When I was in high school. It was always cool looking at the parts.

All four of my managers had mullets

 

WOW, they sponsored Ryan. In lowlife's picture, which one is Ryan???.

 

that's some great news, super shops was a hotspot in san diego!

 

I visited the one in Cincy and Indy quite a few times

 

Had one on Miller rd. in Flint. I bought my first NEW tires there.

 

The first street race I ever won was in my 1980 Z28 camaro. Me and my friends met up on the Wiener Shnitzel on El Camino Real and would shit talk and grudge run. The passenger side seat had a box from a vac secondary 780 holley sitting in it. The box had an (overpriced) Supershops sticker on it. Aah, memories. (I think I was sixteen?!

 

Same one I would go to (Brandon...I'm sure you also remember Swallens) They just took the Super Shops sign down around 3 years ago, after being closed for over 10 years, I did snap a picture, will try to find it and post it.

 

I used to go into the original store before it was called Super Shops. The original store was called San Bernardino Racing Equipment on East Baseline Road in San Bernardino, started by Harry Eberlin. I think they eventually owned Erson Racing Cams and Mallory Ignitions. Brings back many old time memories.

 

I was the assistant manager at that store... (The San Gabriel one...)

I met Kong Jackson there... Also had a guy offer me a Barris built 49 ford there too... I was broke... So no soupe for me.

I watched the chain go to shit... Poor management... Horrible associations... And greed killed it.

 

The shop they had in Dayton Ohio was staffed with the same quality of folks like the autozones,there might have been one that knew anything but I still some bought parts from them. Jeff

 

Its called BUISNESS... Every place does it.. Advertise a leader low price product & try & sell up when the customer gets there.

Have you ever seen a car advertised on T.V. then went down to buy it ? They advertise the Fully loaded car and say it "STARTS" at $14,999.00... but in the small print it says "CAR SHOWN" $21,999.00.

Same deal Man, Ya need to know what ya want or listen to the salesman to see what he has to say.

 

P.M. me with shipping. I'll take them.

 

I have great memories of visiting the Mesa store,while we were in town racing at Firebird.Couldn't believe the amount of stock hanging on the walls and such.

 

There were two that I remember near me when I was younger. One in Paramount,Ca,and one in LaMirada,Ca. Looking back,they were like the "PepBoys" for racers. The guys who were really serious about racing went to Downey Service Center. There was always racecars and Dragracers there. I went in to get some braided fuel line and stuff for my Webers,and the guy kept trying to sell me tires. Finally I left and went to Service Center.
Anyone remember Autohaus? I spent many dollars in the one in Downey,back when I was racing my 67 Bug(on and off the street!).

 

Correct me if I am wrong I am getting old, didn't one of the funny cars burn up? I can remember seeing a pic where all that was left of the car was the front that said win this car. I am pretty sure Ed the"ACE" was driving it. I would like to see the pic again if anybody has it.

 

I used yto go to the one in Oxnard and bought all kinds of goodies once in awhile I found some good things on sale that was what I was looking for. Anybody know Jeff Highland that used to be high up in the SUPER SHOPS

 

Is that the same Jeff Highland who owns Highland Motorsports here in SoCal,that sells old cars and Hotrods?

 

Super Shops, that brings back some memories. The only one I remeber in Portland, Or was on 82nd Ave. Nice shop but never had any parts you really needed, like 950CFM Holley 3 Brl, Chevy II fenderwell exit headers, and their prices were a little higher that our own Thrifty Auto, Baxter Auto stores...maybe because my grandfather was the machinest at the main Baxter Auto store in St. Johns and I got to know John and Skip Baxter and went to highschool with Steve Hopkins (now owner of Thrifty Auto...his dad started it in the 60's)..............the Super Shop we had didn't have the same feel, plus their counter people changed quite often.
We usually were at the Ron Tonkin Chevy parts counter late at night with(Klint, head couter guy with a "very nasty" 55 Chevy with blown SBC) or the Francis Ford parts counter...............talk about guys knowing which parts made your motors sing that high RPM song.........Really brought back some memories I hadn't thought of for a long time................thanks!
I now live in Redding, CA and would welcome any "Hot Rod" store!
My 48 Chevy form 1968..........(the guys from Super Shops wanted to sell me the 950 but didn't have it in stock....Klint from Chevy talked me into a 750 which Baxters had in stock) high 12's street car! Wish I had her now.

IMHO