Here is the sign out front of Al Greens. This Joint had a drive-in movie, along with the chow The first flick I saw there was "The Screaming Skull" My sister and I had made the trek from the west side in her 31 Ford sedan. She was 16 and I was 10, so it was a big adventure to make the trip al the way to Al Greens. here is a link to the Al Greens Story http://www.algreensdrivein.com/index.htm
We had dinner together last night and was talking about this post. We have to get him out of the lurker mode and into posting his experiences. TOM????
Tom and I was talking about this post at the shop yesterday while working on the Galaxie. We all used to hang out at the Park Eat at High School Road and West washington Street in the mid to late sixties. A lot of fast cars there for sure. It had something none of the rest of the drive-ins had. It had a pool with a cabana and everything. Some nice eye candy in bikinis running around on the weekends. Tom had some pretty nasty big block Fords back then. I know he is a lurker here because we talk about some of the posts he sees here. Be cool to get him on board to share some of his experience and cool stories from back in the day. C'mon Tom you know you wanna!!!!
It was always a good Saturday night when a car with numbers painted on the window showed up to run. does this Anglia look familar? Do you remember when this old white beast would sneak up to the Pole for some fun on the 65 cut off?
Hey you "Ben Davis" guys,can you help us out--I can't find a picture of the Park Eat anywhere. Maybe you have one to post up for us. I spent some time at the Park Eat in Bill Smiths 56 ford, and Billy Millers 56 Olds. The guys at Park Eat liked to fight as much as they did race. I had meet most of them "in the parking lot" after the dances at Melody Skate Land in earlier days. Some of the best friendships that I made in years to come were with cats from Ben Davis and Speedway. For you lurkers not familiar with Indy, The three High Schools on the west side that hung out at these drive-in joints were, George Washington High School, Ben Davis High School & Speedway High School. There was a lot of cross pollination that went on at the drive-ins, and cross border friendships were established.---and some time border wars, depended on what was going on that Saturday night. I remember one Saturday night some Speedway guys were looking for some help with some Ben Davis Guys they called. "the Love brothers". I snickered and thought man that sounds about as scary as a rumble with Tiny Tim. I learned a lesson that night--DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S NAME.
Damit Don you know the girls didnt wear bikinis when you were a kid! They was much later like in the late 60's. When i got my first p***port from Tennessee i lived in the trailer park across from Walts Sunoco ( Toms Dad). Tom had a bad *** Comet Cyclone race car that set in front of the station . Come on Tom , tell us some stories and we can post em for you.
Gary wasnt that the ford powered snoopy car that ran the emerson bros chevy angila at raceway every week end.?? Ford vs chevy. Best i can remember Tom Burk owned the snoopy car. The world stopped when you lined up two angilas one with a ford and the other with a chevy ..
Nice Caddy The Steak n Shake was more of a "Mom & Dad" drive in, but I chowed down on many a french fry at the one Lafayette Road. There was a gas station next to the steak and shake that sold bulk oil, and I was a regular customer. My ole 235 daily driver used more oil than gas. I think it might have been a 2 stroke stovebolt Did I imagine they used roller skates at the steak n shake ?
Cool post. I grew up out west but have lived here for 15 years now. Speedwagen - read your blog, I was a huge VW fan when I was younger. Had about 25 - mainly ghias, but some bugs, notchbacks, buses. Maybe we'll meet someday.
I tell yah what Bubba, I'm just glad I can remember my way home. The names, places and things of yesterday are startin' to get fuzzy--so I just make stuff up. THE OLDER I GET THE FASTER I WAS
Cool thread guys! I do remember the Tee-Pee at the fairgrounds....one of the first places my dad took me on the way to IMS where he was a test engineer for Delco and the Speedway! Ebert
Well Tom, the LURKER patrol is after you, I guess it's time to POST UP. The boys down at HAMB are gettin real interested in your lurkin around. You will feel better once you come clean.
Garry,I don't remember the waitresses being on roller skates at the Steak and Shake. Culbertson did tell me that the they wouldn't let the girls work past 6p.m.at the one at Washington and Holt afraid someone would grab them!
Tom Burk, Bob and Ray Johnson owned the Snoopy and Snoopy II Anglias. And If I'm not mistaken Ray did the driving, and believe me it took the WHOLE track to get it down to the lights.
Linda and I were the last people to rent to Whiteland Barn. We held our 5th wedding anniversary there with a packed house and 1 week later it was GONE. Damn, I miss those good, fun, innocent, nieve, times.
Being kinda a south side transplant with relitives owning the Gulf station, i guess i alway rooted for the Emerson Bros Pogo Green Anglia ( and the fact it was a chevy). Their crew chief and engine guy was Pee Wee Whitaker ( he was at the Motor-rama car show last year with a display of pictures) He did the hilborn set up on the Pogo car. Would love to see some pics of that line up for sure... Holy **** **** can you remember that far back????
More tales from Saturday night at the Pole A Saturday night at the pole would find traffic lined up along east bound 16th street for blocks at times. Waiting a chance to to make the sharp right hand turn onto the uphill grade that was the entry to the Indianapolis mecca for Hot Cars and good times. The uphill grade on the entry would play havoc on your knee when the line of cars was moving slowly. Try to imagine trying to maneuver a straight axle with way to much caster around a sharp right turn going uphill with a 2,000 lb clutch and a cam that hates to idle. The parked cars were backed in so they could all watch the "review" of the hot cars and cool chicks. The last thing you wanted to do was puke your engine maneuvering up the entry.--Showmanship was a part of the experience. If you were lucky you could nab a parking spot on the circular drive. this then was your next test as a chauffeur. The art of backing in with one smooth arc, and getting full dramatic effect from your loping cam was the acid test. If you stalled your mill--your score would drop quickly. Once you had got your ride backed in,then the fun of bringing up the rpm's up enough to clean out your loaded up mill ,was next in your parking ritual. the fumes would fill the adajacent cars with enough fuel stink to bring out the hazerdous material team. If you parked on the west side of the Pole, you were located in a spot right behind the back doors of Longs Bakery. (current photo) On a summer evening they would open the back door of the bakery,to cool things down--but the smell of fresh baked donuts would be to much to bear. So you would fire up and drive around the corner to nab the best donuts found on planet earth. People in Indy still drive for miles to get their "Longs Fix" Then back in line you go, another shot at Saturday night at the Pole. What adventures might be found that evening, ---Maybe a date, maybe a race, maybe a dispute to settle eek It seemed at the time like there would always be another Saturday night. But now they just live in memories.--and good ones they are.
Man you guys make me jealous, I was born way to late. I am a life long Indy resident and wish I could have experienced anything like this! Keep the stories coming. Bob Shutt
Hey Bob, Since your a Speedway Guy you might remember that there was a Frisches Big Boy located at what now is the Hardee's next to Union Jack. file photo The nearby I-74 towards Brownsburg was the site of a lot of "running from a punch" drag racing. Most of these kids didn't have "gears" for a good hole shot race. The trick to pulling a hole shot on a run from the punch, was a techinque called the "west side count" --named by dirty dog, Mike Fink. As the two cars would roll side by side at the agreed speed--the guy riding shot gun would yell 1-2-3, out the window. And on three---the race was on. The dirty trick was just before the Strater would yelll 3--he would smack the seat to signal you to punch it. (the dirty truth is now told) After one of these escapades our car ****ed a push rod, and we were on the side of the road puked out. All the spectators had scurried back to Frisches. So Hunch and I pulled ram intake of the 426 wedge, and went to work on a quick repair.---The along come a State Trooper. He politely asked what the problem was. Oh! officer our motor broke, and we are fixing it so we can get home. (we had tools and parts all over the side of the road) He said you boys have 30 minutes to get this heap of the road or I'm towing it in---man you talk about a between rounds quick fix. He had an old push rod in the trunk and it was in and the lid got put back on in no time. Back to the Garage for another tear down to find the lost push rod!
Here are a few photos for you older guys. Here were a couple of cool places in Indy back in the day: the Westlake theater, on west 10th street, the Chicken Shack, on 1868 Lafayette Road, and the Quick Check supermarket, at 6450 west 10th Street. These photos have been viewed by very few people, but I wanted to share them with you guys.
The West Lake Theater---how could I forget. I totaled a 61 Chevy on the exit ramp, I was hangin a gear on the way out. (300hp 327 with a speed and 4:11's)and my left front hit a speaker pole. The concrete base rolled up under the frame and put me on my side against the wall. It broke the frame and totaled the body. The Sheriff that was being the "rent a cop" that night came over and was dying laughing. He said that's the dumbest trick I have ever seen--I had to agree. But to add insult to injury, the wrecker driver that was dispatched, did the same thing. I never made the ranks of the Westlake 1/4 midget club you showed pics of. I got one ride in Lou Moneymakers 1/4 midget, and I stuck it in a pole. Bud told me to get my **** out of the car Is the Freddie Marlowe in the pics the kid from along Michigan street.
yes that is Fred and Fred jr. with the Quik-Chek car that is my grandfather and uncle heres a few more pics. Banich Standard Service 5262 w.10th street , Ralph's mufflers ,Porters mufflers , Lyon's Gulf Service they also raced at riverside indoors wood floor
If that's the Freddie Marlow that I knew, he drove an orange 55 Chevy Hobby Stocker on Friday nights at IRP. I gave him and Dave their first 265 that they ran in it, I also painted the big Mickey Mouse with Fangs on the Dog House. The kids in the stands loved it when they would flip up the dog house in the pits so they could see Mickey. Good Times Good Friends and Good racin'
Speedwagon Had to laugh at your description of the "west side count" My cousin and I used to do that same thing to guys that came up to Monticello/Indiana Beach to do a little runnin. We didn't have a name for the count, but sure won lots of races with that. I taught my son that trick so when he read about the west side count he had a good laugh too. Thanks Ol Blue
Tom Sanders was my neighbor at the Harrison Trailer Court on Rockville Rd when I was about 8 years old (I was trailer trash at a young age). He used to take me go cart racing with him in Colfax, Indiana about 1962-1963. Then I worked with him at Allison's in the early seventies. I think he got hit by a stock car at IRP in the late 60's??? Didn't kill him but did stove him up pretty good.
The Jalopy Journal
