Things I miss

Kevlarr · #1 (**permalink**) 10-04-2009, 04:59 PM

A post Norman made in another thread about buying bearings got me to thinking.

There used to be a store over on Logan Street (I still call it that even though it was renamed Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard 20 years ago and yes the signs are 6' long) called Detroit Ball Bearing. That place was awesome, you walk in there with just the inner and outer race from a burned up, totally thrashed bearing, the counter guy wouldn't even ask what it was from he'd just grab his micrometer, take a few measurements, thumb through a parts book and in under 20 minutes you'd walk out with a brand new bearing for a quarter of the price that the "factory" bearing would cost. The open race bearing with ball bearings the size of tennis balls they had on the counter as an ashtray was pretty cool too.

Was too young to take advantage of the machine shop my dad used on occasion but places like this aren't around any more either.
My oldest brother and his buddy bought a pair of Cushman scooters back in the early 60's at a garage sale for $10 and these things were basket cases in the truest sense. They were able to get one up and running but the 2nd engine had a crank bearing failure and the end of the crank was badly chewed up. My dad was able to get a replacement bearing (from DBB) and he took the crank over to the machine shop across the street from the Chevy dealership where he worked as a mechanic. From the story it was just two older gents and they spent most of their day sitting in chairs out on the sidewalk drinking coffee and smoking cigars. Dad dropped off the crank on his lunch hour and they had it welded and machined down to fit the bearing by mid afternoon. One of the guys actually walked the part across the street and delivered it to my dad, the charge? A whole $2 and a handshake!

deacon · #2 (**permalink**) 10-04-2009, 06:09 PM

The camera store where I bought my first real camera, then bought my first professional quality camera. The owner himself sold me the pro grade camera used. The only other employee was an old jazz musician who also knew photography. I bought hundreds of dollars of cameras over the years there and always got a huge discount for being a working professional photographer.

The old man died and his kid took it over. It lasted about two years then went the way of most small independent operations. I miss that place even now that I don't shoot pictures any more.

**2door** · #3 (**permalink**) 10-04-2009, 07:43 PM

I can remember the Texaco station on the corner two blocks from my house. The guy there would fix a bicycle flat for 10 cents and while you waited for him to set fire to your inner tube you could go out front and sneak a YooHoo from the Coke machine, for free. The skinny YooHoo bottles would slip out through the gate if you wiggled it just right. Ahhh, those days, and those kind of vending machines are gone now...along with the dime flat repair.
Tom

**Bikeguy Joe** · #4 (**permalink**) 10-04-2009, 07:48 PM

There is a guy Bob, up the road from me who still pumps gas for all his customers. Everybody sits around and B.S.'s with him. We hang out and talk and it's like a barbershop, except it's a throwback 1950's gas station. No gimmicks, just real life there.

**2door** · #5 (**permalink**) 10-04-2009, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bikeguy Joe

There is a guy Bob, up the road from me who still pumps gas for all his customers. Everybody sits around and B.S.'s with him. We hang out and talk and it's like a barbershop, except it's a throwback 1950's gas station. No gimmicks, just real life there.

I'm moving next door to you next week.
Tom

fasteddy · #6 (**permalink**) 10-04-2009, 08:56 PM

Joe, 50 years ago I worked in a gas station like that and there were regulars who came in on Friday and got a $ 6.00 fill up and made it last until the next Friday fill up. Just family guys.
Pay was an unbelievable $1.75 hr. That was adult money to me.

Really ticked off a girl I used to date and every time it was a blinding rain storm she would come in and get $2.00 worth of gas just to get me out in the rain and good and wet. The boss knew the story and would rub it in every chance he got. I think the old boy lived for rain as much as she did.

Oil change was $3.50 oil and filter included. We had a photographer who had a 1956 Buick that I hated to see. He would get out his owners manuel and make sure I greased every one of the 26 grease fittings on the car. He stood right behind me and watched.

When you pumped the gas you checked the oil and belts and asked if they wanted thier tire pressure checked. After all they were paying 25 cents a gallon for gas and the station selling for 24 cents a gallon would have thier business on the next fill up if you didn't look after them.

I've always felt very priviledged to have lived in that era. We who did, saw the last of life as was meant to be.

The real bonus was I got to meet Col. Saunders when he visited the KFC next door. Every time
we would say hello and the bucket of chicken would be over as soon as the Col. left. Not every one can say the Col. bought thier lunch.

Steve.

Michigan Mike · #7 (**permalink**) 10-04-2009, 09:35 PM

Remember when the milk man would leave milk, bread, eggs, etc. in the milk box. How many trips to the store and gallons of gas would that save today?

.

Creative Engineering · #8 (**permalink**) 10-04-2009, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fasteddy

I've always felt very priviledged to have lived in that era. We who did, saw the last of life as was meant to be.

Steve.

I'm 48, and I know a lot of you guys are 15-20 years older...but the then and now...yes us "kids" see it too!

When I was growing up, (Sparks, NV), I remember the grand opening of a Western auto store. I was 15. They brought in a Top Fuel dragster to draw a crowd. We rode our bikes down to see it. I'll never forget it! They fired it up on Alcohol...warmed it up...then went to Nitro! It went from roaring loud, to sounding like cannons were going off! It was awesome! The unbelievable sound, the smell of nitro, the rumble in your gut let you know it was powerful. Get too close to an engine running on Nitro and your eyes will water. Of course we did, and the crew just laughed at us.

Fast forward 2007:

Roger and I go to a paid event...meaning we were getting paid to show up with the rail. It was to be an exhibition run, as our 4-cylinder car is loud, and flames shoot from the pipes.

So here we are the night of the event, and the promoter has us positioned dead center of what can only be described as a carnival mid-way. There are boom boom stereo competitions right next to us, in addition to the LED competition, and a whole collection of non-racing silliness.

The promoter ran over and insisted that we fire the car! I told him we can't do that!!! It's too close quarters! He insisted: so we did.

We were warming up on alcohol...everything else on the mid-way stopped...a crowd gathered. I explained to everyone that once we went to nitro the fumes would be rough. I kept them back as best I could before we went to nitro.

As soon as we went to Nitro and Roger whacked the throttle, everyone started running. This 16 year old kid stuck around...he was going to show his home boys he wasn't scared.

His little eyes started to burn, and he went running off.

The next thing you know the cops show up with a firetruck, two rescue squads, and three ambulances...I honestly thought life flight was going to land any moment. The promoter was freaking out...YOU DIDN'T TELL ME IT WAS GOING TO BE LIKE THAT! Yes I did...you wouldn't listen!

I managed to get a cop with common sense off to the side, and I explained to him the burning in the gangster tots eyes had probably already subsided...he went to the rescue squad, and sure enough the kid was ready to rule his posse again.

The promoter was so freaked out he wouldn't let us run the car down the strip.

The Kid came by later and apoligized for being a wuss. I just looked at him and said do I look like Superman...couldn't you figure out that if I was standing right next to it you probably didn't need medical attention. A 2 second blank stare and he walked off.

Edit: I forgot to mention "what I miss"...Common sense.

Jim

**2door** · #9 (**permalink**) 10-04-2009, 10:32 PM

Jim,
Do you remember when they used to run nitro benzine? We used to love the Kiwi shoe polish smell...

Tom

Elmo · #10 (**permalink**) 10-04-2009, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevlarr

A post Norman made in another thread about buying bearings got me to thinking.

There used to be a store over on Logan Street (I still call it that even though it was renamed Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard 20 years ago and yes the signs are 6' long) called Detroit Ball Bearing. That place was awesome, you walk in there with just the inner and outer race from a burned up, totally thrashed bearing, the counter guy wouldn't even ask what it was from he'd just grab his micrometer, take a few measurements, thumb through a parts book and in under 20 minutes you'd walk out with a brand new bearing for a quarter of the price that the "factory" bearing would cost. The open race bearing with ball bearings the size of tennis balls they had on the counter as an ashtray was pretty cool too.

Was too young to take advantage of the machine shop my dad used on occasion but places like this aren't around any more either.
My oldest brother and his buddy bought a pair of Cushman scooters back in the early 60's at a garage sale for $10 and these things were basket cases in the truest sense. They were able to get one up and running but the 2nd engine had a crank bearing failure and the end of the crank was badly chewed up. My dad was able to get a replacement bearing (from DBB) and he took the crank over to the machine shop across the street from the Chevy dealership where he worked as a mechanic. From the story it was just two older gents and they spent most of their day sitting in chairs out on the sidewalk drinking coffee and smoking cigars. Dad dropped off the crank on his lunch hour and they had it welded and machined down to fit the bearing by mid afternoon. One of the guys actually walked the part across the street and delivered it to my dad, the charge? A whole $2 and a handshake!

There was a place like that in Jackson, MS called Mississippi Bearing. Gone now.
Elmo