Local speed shops

[IRONHEAD]

Re: Local speed shops

summit, and jegs didn't kill the speed shop..
speed shops killed themselves.
there was one in taunton,ma.. and after a kid would through down his saved money and walk out the door with a part, they'd rip on his/her car/truck.. thats a total turn off..
speed shack in norwood,, wasn't bad, but to small and way overpriced on the gear..
redline in hanover, if you were not a big spender, you didn't get much help,or get to look through the books..
this type of customer service is what killed alot of them..

[Loren]

Re: Local speed shops

I try...

;D

anyhow...

Hanging around speed shops (Western Performance in Glendale, Super Shops in Van Nuys CA) was a cultural experience. I wouldln't have even considered mail order...until I was in my late twenties and didn't have the time to go shopping so I placed a call to PAW. It wasn't the same, digging stuff out of a brown box from the UPS truck.

Then, some of my early experiences with mail order were pretty awful. Calling a business halfway across the country on the phone every other day for weeks, trying to convince them that the money I sent them for a shifter was so that they would actually send a shifter and not just deposit the check and be done with it...That would have never happened at Western.

Mail order shops have of course greatly improved.

I agree that speed shops could have some pretty sh*tty attitudes if you weren't the right guy, which is why I didn't go to some particular other ones nearby.

[milner351]

Re: Local speed shops

The closest thing to a local speed shop I had as a teen in the '80's was Supershops... there were some good guys there, and there were some real jabronies. I think the attitudes of the help had a huge impact on the business... customer service is the name of the game - and many of these guys were really really bad at it.

I wish i would have had a shop like some of you mention to help me out. I had a local parts store that was great - they didn't deal in performance stuff - but they were always willing to help and did good machine work at a reasonable cost.

[A/Fuel]

Re: Local speed shops

The consept is still alive and well, it's just in a different form.
Harleys....I have a friend that works at a dealership, and while business is down a little it's still going strong.
Tons of guys (weather permitting) cruise in everyday during the week, either to buy parts, merchandise, or to chit-chat.
During the week they have donuts and coffee, and on the weekends they roll out the grill and have a girl cook hot dogs and hand out cokes. A lot of the guys just want to go for a ride and talk Harleys, just like the old days when speed shops were around.

[82z]

Re: Local speed shops

We have a good one just north of flint Race A Way top performance. Great guys and they price match jegs and summit. Sometimes they are even better on price.I have a hard time getting there working 6 days a week so i call ahead and they bring the parts out to the cruise on the weekend.

[BOOOGHAR]

Re: Local speed shops

theres a local speed shop in the area I live Clear Lake Speed Center, use to go there all the time but jegs,summit, and the internet there really isnt that need anymore. The owners do have a vast amount of experience and even a handfull of NHRA Wallys on the counter, guess i just got lazy with the ability to do everything from the comfort of my couch

[Hot Rod Chevy]

Re: Local speed shops

theres one in Midland Texas. i wouldnt know if it be classified as a speed shop but its called MPH or Midland Performance Headquaters. The one i really miss though is Super Shops. I hung out there everyday. even skipped school to hang out there lol. there was a big dude that worked there that had a bad ass fox body stang. he was like 6ft8 and about 400lbs.

[DanStokes]

Re: Local speed shops

Some from the Detroit area - and my youth. Ramchargers' was big - I went to the big store in Redford. Founded by the Chrysler Ramchargers but I don't think I ever saw one of the original guys there. Then there was Redford Speed and Equipment, or, as we called it, Redford Speed and Weed (don't ask). One of the owners had the COOLEST '67 427 B-body pillar coupe. Also, Gratiot Auto, but I lived on the wrong side of town to get there often. Some of the guys liked Mayfair but again I was a Westsider (Milford is WAY west of Detroit) so I didn't get there much.

Probably others but they don't come to mind right now.
Dan

[Clintond]

Re: Local speed shops

We have Sibleys Custom in Columbus, MS. He has a lot in stock and he doesn't he gets quick. He also sells second hand parts. His prices are usually what Jegs and Summit charge including shipping. His used parts are very reasonably priced.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Local speed shops

The local speed shops were all but dead by the time I was of age to be buying car parts. My first purchase, Cragar S/S wheels for my first car, was made with Summit.

Redline Performance, which Mark mentioned above, was not a great place to walk into as a kid. I had a truck that wiped a cam out and I needed a cam/lifter set. I was trying to get the thing fixed by Monday (this was on a Friday) so I went into the store and asked the guy for a really mild cam for a small block Chevy. The guy starts laughing, which made me really excited to throw 100 of my hard earned 17 year old bucks at him. He went into the back threw the stuff on the counter and I paid him and left....never to go back again.


I wish there were cool hangouts like you dudes are talking about. They were all dead around here by the late 1990's.

Brian

[TC]

Re: Local speed shops

I remember back in the day hanging out at Service Center on Central Ave, SuperShops on Camelback Rd, Larry's Service Center on 27th Ave, Chuck's Speed Center off 7th Ave, and of course Loper's Performance on Indian School Rd. As of today Loper's and Chuck's Speed are the only one's left. But that's not saying others haven't taken the place of SuperShops and Service Center, there are actually quite a few Speed Shops in the Phoenix area. But then you can drive your Hot Rod year round here, which I feel helps fuel these shops.

[ch1ll]

Re: Local speed shops

Tubbed, you ever been by a place called Arizona Speed and Marine? If so, whats it like.

[ethelkilledfred]

Re: Local speed shops

PAW before they moved.

[RyanWalker]

Re: Local speed shops

Bought a dual plane intake from Blair's Speed Shop in Pasadena, CA about ten years ago. Then decided I wanted to go faster. Sold that intake. I need to go back to that shop....

[antmnte]

Re: Local speed shops

We have one here but they specialize in dirt track stuff but hes got other stuff too and can have what you need in a
day or so. He marks it up but hes got to make money as well. I like the guy too,we can go in there and break his chops
and see some other local guys in there too and shoot the breeze.