Vintage neon signs

[Zombie_61]

And ol' Earl... if you leave the windows down when you drop off your car, he'll do the interior for free!

And free white-wall tires! Or red or green or blue ...

You aren't far from wrong. The problem with the Earl Scheib shops was that they had to push as many cars as they could through the place every day in order to turn a profit, and one of the shortcuts they chose was the prep work. Removing chrome, sanding, masking, etc., had to be done in 20 minutes. Period. Back in the 70s they used little clocks very much like those wind-up kitchen timers--wind it up, set it for 20 minutes, and start the prep work. When the timer went off they stopped the prep work and rolled the car(s) to a staging area adjacent to the paint booths whether the prep work had been completed or not. Anything not removed or masked got painted. They didn't care. "Whaddaya' expect for a hunnerd bucks?"

 

[BobHufford]

On "The Square" in Nevada, Missouri.

 

[BobHufford]

Back when the whole street had neon (Walnut Street, Springfield, Missouri)

There is still a small homage to a couple of them.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

More Noir.

Street scenes were a lot less bland back then, compared with today.

Rob

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Back when the whole street had neon (Walnut Street, Springfield, Missouri)

There is still a small homage to a couple of them.

View attachment 326267

Have you got a pic of the old bus station / later pool hall owned by Eddie Williamson? That was on Walnut, I think.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Glenwood, CO.

 

[BobHufford]

Have you got a pic of the old bus station / later pool hall owned by Eddie Williamson? That was on Walnut, I think.

Sorry Jack -- I don't. The only bus stations I can think of were the Greyhound on St. Louis Street (demolished decades ago) and the Continental Trailways on St. Louis (now part of the Discovery Center -- about where the Buick dealership was in the pic below).

The Greyhound Station moved east on St. Louis Street next to the Thompson dealership.

I'll keep my eyes open if one pops up. To tide you over here is a pic of J. W. Stokes Billiard Hall at 436 E Commercial Street in 1910.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Sorry Jack -- I don't. The only bus stations I can think of were the Greyhound on St. Louis Street (demolished decades ago) and the Continental Trailways on St. Louis (now part of the Discovery Center -- about where the Buick dealership was in the pic below).

The Greyhound Station moved east on St. Louis Street next to the Thompson dealership.

I'll keep my eyes open if one pops up. To tide you over here is a pic of J. W. Stokes Billiard Hall at 436 E Commercial Street in 1910.

The Greyhound terminal sounds familiar so maybe I just have the wrong street. It wasn't too far off campus, & urban renewal took the bldg quite a few yrs ago now. Eddie was a pipefitter. His wife who was Swedish I think, ran the pool hall when he was away on a big construction job. Eddie remained a good friend of mine until he passed away about 5 yrs ago.

Was the location on Commercial where Stokes was later a saddle shop next door to Tom Hays Vending & Amusement CO? Right on the corner, north side of street.

PS: would also like to see any pics of Wild Bill's Saloon on N. Glenstone, especially interior pics. There was a mezzanine all the way around which had pool tables above the bar & dance floor. Had some good times there too.

 

[BobHufford]

Was the location on Commercial where Stokes was later a saddle shop next door to Tom Hays Vending & Amusement CO? Right on the corner, north side of street.

You're thinking of 300 or 400 West Commercial. Stokes would have been on the south side of the street almost to where Rathbone Ace Hardware is (124 years and counting in that location).

 

[BobHufford]

Rockaway Beach, Missouri.

 

[Zombie_61]

Rockaway Beach, Missouri.

View attachment 328937

Beach? Where, on the other side of the parking lot?

 

[Frunobulax]

Beach? Where, on the other side of the parking lot?

The front desk clerk is named Sandy.

 

[BobHufford]

Beach? Where, on the other side of the parking lot?

The parking lot is the beach. Well ... it is a Missouri beach (it sounds better than Rockaway Gravel Bar).

 

[Zombie_61]

The parking lot is the beach. Well ... it is a Missouri beach (it sounds better than Rockaway Gravel Bar).

View attachment 329030

Yeah, sorry 'bout 'dat. When we native southern Californians hear or read the word "beach" something like this comes to mind:

 

[dh66]

Looks like it's been awhile since this one last lit up but it's definitely still working. More pics in the vintage roadside thread.

 

[BobHufford]

Calgary.

 

[tonyb]

You aren't far from wrong. The problem with the Earl Scheib shops was that they had to push as many cars as they could through the place every day in order to turn a profit, and one of the shortcuts they chose was the prep work. Removing chrome, sanding, masking, etc., had to be done in 20 minutes. Period. Back in the 70s they used little clocks very much like those wind-up kitchen timers--wind it up, set it for 20 minutes, and start the prep work. When the timer went off they stopped the prep work and rolled the car(s) to a staging area adjacent to the paint booths whether the prep work had been completed or not. Anything not removed or masked got painted. They didn't care. "Whaddaya' expect for a hunnerd bucks?"

That was also a time when a serviceable car could be had for a couple hundred (or less, even, depending on how far back in Earl Scheib history we go) and a pretty nice might set you back 500. I bought cars in the early ’70s for less than the price of an Earl Scheib paint job. I never sent any of my own business Earl’s way, but I knew taxicab operators who did. And the car painting I and my friends did back then were mostly on a par with Earl’s work. Quick-and-dirty, we called ’em. I’ve heard body men call ’em “20-foot paint jobs,” meaning they look pretty good from 20 feet.

 

[tonyb]

Which one of you wags gonna take the first swing at this fat pitch?

 

[dh66]

Which one of you wags gonna take the first swing at this fat pitch?

View attachment 336010

LOL

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Home Plate.

Heatmaster.

Rob