(Phrases and Images by Joe Grippo) The subsequent few stops on our East Coasters Tour of Southern California Scorching Rod Retailers took us to some legendary places. First up on this present day was Blairs Velocity Store in Pasadena. In case you are not conscious of Blair’s, first off it’s supposedly the oldest working pace store on the planet, being at its Foothill Blvd location since 1957. Don Blair is the namesake and ran the store from the start to 1975 when Phil Lukens bought the enterprise. Phil has shepherded the Velocity Store via the tumultuous years of the 1970’s gasoline crunch, a number of recessions within the 80’s and 90’s, and tendencies as assorted as Vans, Avenue Rodding, Drag Racing and different ups and downs proper as much as the present day. In a time when the native pace retailers are closing, the truth that Blair’s remains to be very lively is a testomony to Phil’s dedication, high quality of his service and constructing of his buyer engines.
Strolling into Blair’s is like stepping again into time. Don’t count on a spotless, sanitary white glove atmosphere, it is a hardcore pace store with oil-stained flooring, with containers and elements in all places. Numerous engine builds are lined up and ready to be paid for and picked up. We spied a FE Ford able to rumble on the run stand, just a few 351 Cleveland’s and naturally just a few huge and small block Chevys. The partitions are lined with chrome do-dads and critical race tools. Trying deeper we see numerous cool hand lettered sings, and classic awards and photographs from years of Drag Strip actions. Heading to the again rooms we discover the well-used machine store, totally geared up with mills, lathes and different heavy equipment wanted to crank out excessive efficiency engines. Try the stock of cylinder heads, cranks and blocks ready to roar once more. After exhibiting up unannounced, Phil gave us free reign to wander across the total store and shoot some photographs. It was a terrific expertise chatting with Phil concerning the outdated days and listening to just a few warfare tales of all of the previous names and personalities which have handed via Blair’s over time. We purchased just a few t-shirts, thanked Phil for the hospitality and headed out. This expertise acquired me wistfully fascinated with my native store, Okay&G Velocity Associates that closed just a few years in the past. These remaining pace emporiums want our help, so, when potential, purchase native when you possibly can, lengthy dwell Blair’s Velocity Store!
Our subsequent vacation spot was one other Southern California staple of sizzling rodding, Mooneyes Tools in Santa Fe Springs. The Moon identify and brand is ubiquitous in land pace, drag racing, and all aspects of the automotive pastime. From gas blocks, tanks, and wheel discs to customized equipment for bikes, VWs, and vans Moon Tools has what it’s essential to add the crowning glory to your trip. I personally have a silver Moon metalflake steering wheel on my race automobile! The Santa Fe Springs location is an element retail retailer, half transport warehouse and half fab store, and half museum. The shop is nice with a lot cool stuff in each sq. nook. Try the Ed Roth scale mannequin diorama that includes all Massive Daddy’s creations, an incredible quantity of element work is in there. Exiting via the present store results in one other room that takes you again in time. Try the large show case and cabinets filled with classic pace elements and insanely cool artifacts from the historical past of Mooneyes. And upon turning round, there sits Dean Moon’s private ’34 sizzling rod with wire wheels, bobbed fenders, and glowing yellow paint. Adjoining to the roadster is an ideal recreation of the outdated Mooneyes Dragmaster rail job, full with a beautiful Potvin blown little Chevy mill. The dragster was rolled out into the intense sunshine and was merely gorgeous. The again space of the Moon complicated is the transport and receiving part, nothing too thrilling, until you realize the story of Carroll Shelby coming to Moon in 1962 with the concept of constructing his personal sports activities automobile. I used to be standing proper the place it occurred. The lore goes one thing like Shelby, ever the promoter, was telling all of the magazines he had a number of Cobras able to street check, when he had just one! So proper there in within the Moon store that single Cobra was painted quite a few occasions for the automobile magazine scribes to drive and report on, giving the phantasm of a fleet of automobiles able to be bought. Wild stuff!
Throughout the parking zone is the fab store. Moon tanks and wheel discs are spun, welded and hand completed proper there on web site. As soon as once more, the laid-back Moon employees gave us carte blanche and we puzzled round making an attempt to not hassle the dudes really working. We checked out the machines, tooling, welders and all the opposite stuff utilized to provide these iconic pace elements. Hanging from the rafters was one other full Dragmaster chassis, and a bitchin’ ‘glass Anglia gasser entrance finish held on again wall. A couple of Bonneville and El Mirage operating Streamliners with Moon livery had been being maintained in home, as nicely. A lot neat eye sweet was in all places.
To paraphrase Ice Dice, “…At the moment was day”.
Us BangShifter’s have to help these locations, as they’re really hallowed floor for us sizzling rodders, we ended the journey by grabbing just a few extra t-shirts. I went with the traditional black and white Mooneyes tee in double fats!
Be part of the Blair’s Velocity Store Fb group to verify the historical past:
https://www.fb.com/teams/1460627117571926
And purchase one thing cool from Mooneye Tools:
https://www.mooneyesusa.com/
