Yes...it's a great thread...sadly those murals are now a distant memory. I'm glad I was able to get in and photograph some of Walts personal stuff before it was all loaded up. I'll post some pics later
Here's some pics I grabbed from Walts other building while it was getting cleaned out. I did some Dumpster diving and pulled out a few things. The room where the trophys and stuff were in looked like a ski lodge ala 1965...kind of a cool looking spot. Besides the Olds there was an old 54 Ford convertible custom that was very rough, a nice 67 Riv, a old custom Van complete with boat portholes for windows, and some cool old speed boats.
Have to add to this thread In the 80s i was living in Livonia. Acquired a 50 Merc and needed a rebuild on the engine. I found Walts auto. On the wall were a set of headers for the car, which i bought. He also had an Isky can and lifters ! New ! Got them too. The block needed 3 sleeves due to cast iron rot and had it done as well. Never had an issue with that motor. Used new offy aluminum heads intake and a holley carb. Was a real find.
I grew up in the Melvindale, Allen Park, Lincoln Park area. Was a teen in he 60’s and can’t tell how many times while just driving around we would stop and look into the window to see Walt’s Puffer. I agree most of the drag racing history is centered on Woodward but there was also a lot going on in the downriver area
My father, Pat Moore, painted the walls to Walt's Auto Supply. He lettered Walt's Puffer III and painted an iron cross on it's hood & gold leafed it, a 1948 Fiat Topolino. He lived in Dearborn as a kid and started pinstriping dashboards when he was 15 years old in 1955. That's where he met Walt Knoch Jr. My father painted dragboats, dragsters, funny cars, altereds, motorcycles, pleasure boats etc. Some Michigan people may remember a 1972 Corvette Stingray that he painted on the wall of Corvette Body on Ford Rd. near Inkster Rd. in Garden City, Michigan. He also painted the Top Fuel dragster that Jack Ostrander busted into 2 pieces and dragboats that Jack drove. He painted cars driven by A.J. Foyt, Jackie Stewart, Peter Revson, Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme and others in the 1960's when I was very young. He pinstriped cars for all of the luxury car dealers in the Detroit metro area like Arnold Jerome Cadillac & Dreisbach & Sons Cadillac. He painted race cars for Dan Parker from Westland, Michigan and the Krebaum Bros. My profile pic is of one of Dan's cars.
The Jalopy Journal
