Not sure if that's the same guy, I met him here in Texas quite a few years ago. I know that he used to live in Upland, Ca. not sure where he went or if he went back to California. Last I heard he was working for Rehr Morrison.
The ace won Indy in 1980 with the "Super Shops " car. From what I can find he was contracted to drive the car for 1 season.I feel lucky, I met Eddie and Ercie Hill and I met Fuzzy and Jana Carter.Good people who were ahead of the times and broke into the 4's. Man I had fun.....
I'll confess to working there many years ago... I miss the Erson cam catalog and the great prices on BFG tires. Pissed off my mgr when I was overheard telling a customer to pass on a Painless Wiring hot start kit and to just use a ford selonoid. I told her my credibility and repeat business was about honesty. She said her job was about monthly sales. I didn't work there much longer...
They will do well, if they assist and advise a customer who wants to buy a part. It seems like a lot of places will sell you anything without asking what you're using it on and offering helpful advice. If a shop can't give a little advice, people might as well shop online.
I remember the one on 82nd in Portland. Never had anything you wanted, but had a ton of crap hanging on the walls. But mostly I was just home on leave, and being deployed 250 days a year, never had time for cars. That yellow always made me ill. I just looked at their web page, and their online store. These people may be looking to franchise, but they are not ready for prime time in my book. They need to hire an IT staff pronto...
Ahh good old Super Shops. They were the reason I got my first credit card....... to make ordering from Summit and Jegs easier! Though I do have to admit that I loved to browse and that it always smelled so good in there.
I remember going to the Costa Mesa store to get a set of Blackjack headers...same $85 as the mail order guys, so why not? What, no reducers? Seems they took them out of the header box to sell them separately for $15. Pretty crafty.
Cool! There were 3 of them in Colorado; I had quite a few friends that worked for them. I never really bought too much from them, back then I worked at an auto parts store, and then at Kenz & Leslie, so I was able to buy my parts cheaper than I could at Super Shops. However, with Denver recently loosing another speed shop (Denver Specialty Center) it would be nice to have some more real speed shops around!
Hey....I resemble that remark!!! I prefer "mullet heads" over unwashed, greasy, slicked back 50's wannabe's.......spend more time getting "dolled up" than a chick.....hahaha!! I was a "regular" at Super Shops on So. Tacoma Way (now 4 Wheel Parts), bought my first set of Cragar Superlights there....on layaway, hahaha. I'd be there just about every Sat. to have my NOS bottle refilled for my Charger for the street races that night in Kent......or South Park. The guys there always treated me good. Still have many of my old receipts too...... I remember when they first got their NOS refill station setup. I went for a refill (before I had to get my fills at Honest Performance) and all the counter guys wanted me to "hit the button" on the way out. So I did (no traffic),,,,right when I pulled out onto So. Tac. Way, I pinned it and lit 'em up, all sideways and shit......when 4 Wheel Parts moved into the building, a few guys stayed and they still talk about it when I go in there (I build 4x4's too.... )
In sacramento int eh 80s, I rolled in there with a 1973 Opel GT and they help me fit the biggest meats in the wheel wells I could. At the time 50 series tires were not even popular and I had to have them. When I rolled out of there on 15" enkies and 195/50-15 BFGs, I was high I was so happy. They even gave me a free t-shirt!
Any of you "experts" on counter help quality ever worked in retail management? I thought not. I ran the last Super Shops to close down in the east. Flipped the main breakers off, tossed the catalog racks in the dumpster(dumbass) and got my last check from the liquidation company. What a ride. For all you professional customers out there...try hiring a person who can speak inteligently with everyone from Joe E Racer who wants a 3/4 race cam and a 750 double pumper with aQ-jet adapter for his 305 monte carlo.. To.. the local Squirell or Bruce Lancaster, or the local sportsman racer,or AMC expert.... Then you get the local expert who just knows someone has to make a kit to put a 455 buick in his 77 Chevy pickup cause he has the parts layin around . Or deal with the guy who brings that "deffective" 750 dbl back when it would'nt run on his 305. Or the guy who trys to bring back that "soft" Erson cam that you sold him without new lifters because he did'nt need them Oh, and pay them as close to minimum wage as possible with a sales based "competition" for a bonus, because your hands are tied by the corporate office. I learned alot about cars,buisness( alot of what not to do),people, and life after working my way up from tire buster to sales, to manager. I got to meet Steve Tanzie (who grinds John Force's Cams) and lots of very cool customers who I still consider friends all these years later. I wish the new owners luck. They are gonna need it. BUT...if they have any affiliation with Harry Eberlin or his lawyer, I hope they lose everything this time Any old S.S.I. veterans out there that want to catch up feel free to p.m. me.
Ahh yes, I remember Super Shops in Sacramento. When I was rebuilding my Jeep Buick V6 I picked up the biggest cam I could fit and some $89 Black Jack headers!! Must have been in about 1985? Mike
Thats what I remember too. If they didn't know the answer or application, they just "made one up", swearing the part would fit, and when you bolted it up, their response was, "we cant refund anything, it's out of the package". Started using other speed shops after that.
The building that our Super Shops used to be in is now a bank. Kinda ironic. Miss the store though good to hear they're back. Hope it goes.
I was just in the El Monte SC a couple weeks ago. Richard is still there and he's still a big boy but, I'll bet he's dropped over a hundred pounds sine the last time I saw him.
I used to love going there, nothing better than holding a part in your hand when you lay down the money. As far as the "experts" behind the counter, no big deal, after reading at least a couple hundred hot rod mags, I didnt expect them to tell me nothing I didnt already know, except do they have the part or not. They had a warehouse that was open on the weekend that sold discounted open, returned parts or blems. Bought a offy 4 barrell manifold for a chevy straight 6 for like 25 bucks. They had a box full of hurst shifters and rods - I could piece one together for next to nothing, I still got a box full of them. Those Pro-Trac tires didnt last very long on the back of the camaro when I was 18, they were like half price there, bought several sets. Later - Scott
Yeah I remember that one too. I bought Hooker headers and a Holley spread bore 4bbl for my '67 Impala there in 1977. Also one of those piece of crap triangle shaped air filters with chrome mesh over a foam filter -- the filter burned up soon after. It was a bitch installing those headers, but it sure was fun driving around with open headers that night, and hearing my Holley sucking up air and gas until I put the hood back on. There was another smaller one in Fremont near Niles Canyon that I mainly went to to buy tires in the '80s (B.F. Goodrich Radial T/As). Their prices weren't that great, but it was nice having a local shop that you could go to when you needed some Holley parts or header gaskets or wheel lugs or small stuff like that in a hurry. Remember those Thrush Hush "Turbo Mufflers", that were like $19 a piece. They sounded pretty good, but blew to pieces at the seams a few years later. Good times
For you former SSI employees, Google Super Shops and find the new company website. There's lots of your old buddies in the "forum" section swapping lies and tall tales. Enjoy!
I remember going to the Super Shop's garage sale when I lived in San Bernadino back in the 80's. It Was a great time, but I like having Summit close by now.
I used to go to the one in tallmadge ohio with my dad in the early eighties. now it's a damn health food store. and summit racing is still 3 miles away from there. I guess Summit pulled a wal mart on the little guys in my area like super shops and midwest motorsports.
Had to take a swing at the counter guy to let him know I was serious about wanting my money back. Hope they run it a little better
I don't remember the one your talking about on Rosemead blvd., but the one in the city of san gabriel was on valley blvd. in between del mar ave. and new ave. I used to buy alot of parts there for the muscle car I had at the time. I miss those days Mike
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