Whatever happened to the local speedshops ?

[Charged440]

We still have the A Team in Tinley Park, Rob knows his stuff and has never steered me wrong. Can usually get what you need next day at competitive prices.

 

[Skytrooper]

I get a lot of hardware at the local Ace Hardware store !

 

[ckessel]

My father-in-law Lou Terra and his partner, Bruce Shaw, opened Shaw's speed shop. My father-in-law did all the machine shop work, Bruce ran the store. My father-in-law has built (or had a hand in building) nine NHRA record holding cars. For example, if you look at any cars Kenny Montgomery drove, or "Project Six Pack", both had work done on them by my father-in-law. You can see Shaw's logo on them.
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There is more to it than the price of the part.
My father-in-law is still in business, although starting to ramp down. He still gets people who bought parts from Summit, Jegs, etc. and then come in wanting free expertise on how to install them or make them work. He simply says to go back to where you bought the part for help.
What speed shops provided was not only the parts, but the expertise to install them and make them work well.

At the speed shop I had the privilage of working at in the early 80's in San Luis Obispo, The Parts House, we would tell customers the same thing if they bought stuff elsewhere but wanted us to solve their issue. Thats what purchasing at the place you are asking questions will give you. Tough cookies if you bought it 2+ hours away to save a couple of bucks. One guy had a cam problem, the fuel pump eccentric was found like the rest of the lobes and he wanted us to warranty it for him. Told him no, should have thought about that when he made his decision to buy elswhere[ the store he bought from would not help him] but we would be happy to sell him an electric fuel pump. Sold him a pump. My boss, the owner of the store, started it in the early 70's buying direct from many companies and was on first name basis with them and many others. Working there was fun but it was always a challenge with my paycheck deciding between food/rent etc and parts for my car. He closed the store up in the 90's as the mail order stuff was taking its toll. He still stocks and sells stuff out of his home shop. Doing quite well as he can still get parts due to his being astute and knowing who has what.

 

[64BEL]

One of my buddys still has a full fiberglass frontend with 6 pak scoop on his '70 Cuda that he got from the Ramchargers back in the late '70s/early '80s.

 

[Mike67]

"Personally, I miss PAW (remember their HUGE catalog?). From what I read at the time, they just couldn't adapt to online sales."

Yep and I liked their offerings over many others out there. Before I moved to NV, I was living in CA. Having served at Travis AFB and living in the area, I and my Brother...69a100...would hit the Auto Hobby Shop for a lot of work on our daily drivers and MOPARS. Lifts, tools, pretty good advice, and the best of all a great Sand Blaster. Trouble is, that a lot of wanna be wrench turners would gum up the Blaster with all the oil and gunk without first cleaning them before San Blasting. They finally shut it down. As for Speed Shops, there were a few. One I used was California Street Machines. They did a lot of machine work for us both and after I let them build my 2nd BB, they totally FOOKED it up. Never did make it right either. They finally went out of business and it was no wonder. Now, I don't have a need to shop for parts or building one as I am retired now and really only enjoying my ride as best I can...And on a side note, ACE Hardware is the best for those small clips, bolts, and parts one might need...cr8crshr/Bill

I loved the PAW catalogs, I memorized each page dreaming of what I wish I could have, just like I did with the toy section in old Sears Roebuck catalogs when I was a kid!

 

[Beeorange]

In my area (Metrowest Ma.) we had 5 shops, Performance City in Natick, Forte’s Parts Connection in Waltham (still in business more of a car builder now), Milford Speed in Milford and Specialty Automotive/Vans Limited in Marlboro ( they are still in business) and the before mentioned New England Speed.

 

[mopar 3 B]

What no one bought speed parts from Ma Mopar. Direct Connection and later Mopar Performance.
Strange the fact that Chrysler themselves kill the Mopar performance parts network. Remember the logo or no go and they had no problem going after anyone that tried.

 

[Photon440]

We still have Mopac in our area. Been getting stuff from them for decades.
https://www.mopacautosupply.com/

 

[HawkRod]

Strange the fact that Chrysler themselves kill the Mopar performance parts network. Remember the logo or no go and they had no problem going after anyone that tried.

When I was at the PRI show in December I spoke to a vender who was reproducing some cool old factory valve covers, sometimes with a twist (like making them taller for performance valvetrains). Of course, he had lots of GM stuff. I asked about Mopar stuff and he said that Chrysler makes it very difficult and expensive to license and legally make stuff, whereas GM is very willing to allow such practices at reasonable rates. So Chrysler themselves are limiting aftermarket support for our stuff. That's a bummer...

 

[Ron_M]

I gave up on speed shops 25 years ago. Drive 1/2 hour to wait 1/2 hour in line to look up parts that they had to order. Drive home (1/2 hour). Wait a week. Drive 1/2 hour to wait 1/2 hour in line to pay and receive parts. Drive home (1/2 hour).

Discovered 1-800 SUMMIT Racing in the mid 90s. Not perfect at first (had to wait on hold) but eventually everything was online. Spend 20 minutes selecting and then pay. Order received 3-4 days later. I later discovered Mancini and other Mopar specific places and was delighted.

The only benefit I see for speed shops today is if they consign parts. And there's not much Mopar specific (intakes, cams, pistons, etc)

Case in point: Two years ago I went with a friend to a long-time speed shop up this way and when we got there, the counterman was on the phone and we waited a 1/2 hour before we talked with him! There was a lot of parts on the walls for consignment (intakes, valve covers), but very little Mopar stuff.

 

[Budnicks]

Mail Order stole them from us.

& the point & click WWW

 

[Slap Stick]

Nope. It was the customers who stopped going to them.

 

[wahya]

all I got was a tee shirt.

 

[440 PHIXX]

I gave up on speed shops 25 years ago. Drive 1/2 hour to wait 1/2 hour in line to look up parts that they had to order. Drive home (1/2 hour). Wait a week. Drive 1/2 hour to wait 1/2 hour in line to pay and receive parts. Drive home (1/2 hour).

Discovered 1-800 SUMMIT Racing in the mid 90s. Not perfect at first (had to wait on hold) but eventually everything was online. Spend 20 minutes selecting and then pay. Order received 3-4 days later. I later discovered Mancini and other Mopar specific places and was delighted.

The only benefit I see for speed shops today is if they consign parts. And there's not much Mopar specific (intakes, cams, pistons, etc)

Case in point: Two years ago I went with a friend to a long-time speed shop up this way and when we got there, the counterman was on the phone and we waited a 1/2 hour before we talked with him! There was a lot of parts on the walls for consignment (intakes, valve covers), but very little Mopar stuff.

You forgot. Go back because the parts are incorrect... and do it all over again.

 

[Slap Stick]

View attachment 1223772
all I got was a tee shirt.

The original mail order speed shop.

 

[Ron_M]

After the 2nd or 3rd time, I learned real fast to find another way and I did. If you are in the click, they are worthwhile or if they have vintage stock. In the 90s there were shops that still had some neat stuff.

 

[TTSaleen]

I work at a shop in Raleigh, NC.
They've been in business for 20 years and originally had a very good, steady stream of business.
But in the last 5 years, online ordering and less folks willing to mod their new car (due to warranty and in the last year EPA concerns) has drastically changed the landscape.
It's a mustang specific shop, but I run the parts counter on Saturdays (Been there over 15 years).
www.fastlanemotorsports.us
Ryan

 

[440 PHIXX]

I think like Malls... they had their time.

 

[oldbee]

I’m old enough to remember THE first small Summit store when it opened( pre-internet!). Otie’s Automotive ( he ran altereds,gassers) was the premier machine shop in Akron. Even got to go pick up a 440 for a buddy that Arlen Vanke had put together for him. While there, got to watch his painter touching up the race car and doing a couple motorcycle tanks.

 

[joe smith]

Seems the kids don't want big carbs and aluminum intakes for their Hyundays and Toyotas these days

I think it goes much deeper than that....
They are much more interested in buying that new $1K phone of the month and shining their "participation trophies"...... Most "think" they want to save the world with windmills and solar power...