[Bjorn S]

. I10 was 4 lanes (2 per side) up to 610, at which point one had to drop down onto Old Katy Hwy into downtown, through the city streets, and out the Eastern side up onto Canal for the rest of the trip. I could leave our home in Bunker Hill Village at 7AM and be at work at 730, no problem.

.

that was still the case in early 68 when I arrived....
my dads used car mgr ,Roger Binnicker, had a jet propelled go kart in the show room , he had tried to set speed records with it on Katy Frwy (I10) one evening when they shut it down for him , but he got air borne over one overpass and they stopped the try.

 

[Bjorn S]

Don , told my sister about your post....here her reply:

Boy, did I have him fooled! Tell him I haven't changed a bit, lol.

Margaret Wilson
ShadowGlen Labradors, reg.
Shadowglen Labradors

 

[DPeterson3]

Bjorn...

Had me fooled? Perhaps her strategy of smiling winsomely and saying little had the magical effect of making her seem both mysterious and seductively sophisticated.

Southwest Motors was on Chimney Rock when I worked there, which (if memory serves) was 73 - 74. Joe, Ned, and Hank Locario, plus a Triumph mechanic named Glen who appeared to have had polio and worked on crutches while dragging around two rubber bands for legs. Looked exactly like Berl Ives. There was also a Triumph mechanic motorcycle-crazy person named (memory again) Mike Taylor. Jean-Louis was a diminutive bat-$hit nuts Frenchman who seemed to live down inside the engine bay of a DS21 most of the time. The worst of the bunch was Frank Morris, one of the partners, who was perpetually in a foul humor. Fortunately, the Locarios more than balanced him out.

I note you had two Triumphs. At one point we had to overhaul over 15% of the engines in NEWLY ARRIVED Triumphs. A few actually went "bang" just backing them off of the trailer, including both a TR6 and a Stag. Often we would find an odd number of connecting rod bolts once we got them opened up. It always broke my heart to tell the cute young girls who were trying to commute to their first job after college in a Spitfire bought for them by their daddies that the transmission parts were on back order for the 9th month (or more).

Alas, the good ol' days never were. But I miss some aspects of them anyway.

 

[AlfaVeloce]

My 79 spider came new from Southwest Motors. I can't recall the name of the original owner. I'll go check and see if it is on the title.

I was wondering Don, in your time at Southwest Motors if you ever did any business with Bill Sours in Bryan?

 

[DPeterson3]

The name Bill Sours is vaguely familiar, but I can't tell you why. After I left SWM I ended up at BAP/Geon for over 14 years (after some more time playing guitar in musical theatre). Might have traded with him when I was based on Houston. No real recollection of him, though.

 

[AlfaVeloce]

You probably did. We got parts from Southwest and also from Bob Fernald in Austin. I dealt more with Bob, still do from time to time. The store Bill and I started in Bryan was a BAP-Geon I'm pretty sure. We carried a lot of Beck Arnley and IAPCO stuff. My partnership with Bill went a little sour, no pun intended, and I lost track of him. I sold out to him and in turn he later sold the business to someone else and later on still it closed. Last I heard he was getting married and going to work for his father in law. That was in the mid-80's. Been a while.

 

[Bjorn S]

Bjorn...

Had me fooled? Perhaps her strategy of smiling winsomely and saying little had the magical effect of making her seem both mysterious and seductively sophisticated.

Southwest Motors was on Chimney Rock when I worked there, which (if memory serves) was 73 - 74. Joe, Ned, and Hank Locario, plus a Triumph mechanic named Glen who appeared to have had polio and worked on crutches while dragging around two rubber bands for legs. Looked exactly like Berl Ives. There was also a Triumph mechanic motorcycle-crazy person named (memory again) Mike Taylor. Jean-Louis was a diminutive bat-$hit nuts Frenchman who seemed to live down inside the engine bay of a DS21 most of the time. The worst of the bunch was Frank Morris, one of the partners, who was perpetually in a foul humor. Fortunately, the Locarios more than balanced him out.

I note you had two Triumphs. At one point we had to overhaul over 15% of the engines in NEWLY ARRIVED Triumphs. A few actually went "bang" just backing them off of the trailer, including both a TR6 and a Stag. Often we would find an odd number of connecting rod bolts once we got them opened up. It always broke my heart to tell the cute young girls who were trying to commute to their first job after college in a Spitfire bought for them by their daddies that the transmission parts were on back order for the 9th month (or more).

Alas, the good ol' days never were. But I miss some aspects of them anyway.

Chimney Rock...ok... now I can 'see" it..

LOL, her humor is similar to mine...weird..lol
the two Triumphs were great ,resold in Houston the TR6 in laporte...Gt6 in Sugarland...the GT6 was a "hybrid"...lol...a 68 GT6 with a 75 Spitfire body behind the windshield/firewall...previous owner did that ,but could not figure out why the car looked like a ballet dancer...rear wheels tilting in so much....it was b/c GT6 body was heavier , had 8 blades in the rear suspension (transverse) I rebuilt that rear system 7 times until I got it right...trial and error...first time took me 3 hrs to get springs out ,rebuild , put back...last time 20 minutes...ended up with the right mix of 5 of the blades...car ran great but really was a GT6 "convertible"

 

[ShadeTree]

Wow! I was raised in Houston but I must have been so far out of the loop. First, because it was near the end of all these great stories (born in 62), and second, because we were definitely from the wrong side of the tracks. Our cars were usually whatever my dad could find at the local used car lot. He would always buy a white car (I imagine because of the heat) and to this day, I can't make myself own a white car.

I found this website that might bring back a few memories.

 

[Bjorn S]

Wow! I was raised in Houston but I must have been so far out of the loop. First, because it was near the end of all these great stories (born in 62), and second, because we were definitely from the wrong side of the tracks. Our cars were usually whatever my dad could find at the local used car lot. He would always buy a white car (I imagine because of the heat) and to this day, I can't make myself own a white car.

I found this website that might bring back a few memories.

WOW yourself !...That website is my buddy Rolfs...He just moved to Panama in August after having visited there with me! I recognize ALL those pictures....
the black and white Volvo Sugga (Tp21) at the bottom of the pictures was my sons , his "going to HS car"
anyway...Rolf worked awhile for my father and for me...he also is my oldest daughters Godfather...but , about white cars...yes...whenever I buy a 'driver" they are almost always white...stay cooler , but most important ,don't show dirt much! current white car , Volvo C30...
also, I see on your profile you are a draftsman...where? Im an Architect

 

[ShadeTree]

I see on your profile you are a draftsman...where? Im an Architect

I'm freelance. I did pipe drafting (it IS Houston after all) for 20 years on the board before moving to architectural on the computer. The practical side of me prefers the computer but the artist side prefers the board.

 

[Bjorn S]

I used to be nick named "rocket arm", and still only draw by hand , being a 'fossil' , having done this 45 yrs plus...time to retire...I still will draw faster than guys on computer , but they DO 'erase' faster! :lol:

 

[josephvman]

It's good to see a little action from the Houston guys! Any interest in a little informal get together one evening?

 

[ShadeTree]

It's good to see a little action from the Houston guys! Any interest in a little informal get together one evening?

I'm game. Though, with Houston being so widespread, it would depend on time and location. Ideas?

 

[josephvman]

Central makes sense! How about along the central corridor anywhere between midtown and west Houston, maybe along Westheimer or 59.

I'm game. Though, with Houston being so widespread, it would depend on time and location. Ideas?

 

[Bjorn S]

depends where you guys are...I think Jospeh is fairly close to me...Im` on west side...Gessner/Memorial.
and friday evenings a few guys get together at Enclave/Eldridge , usually just 5-20 cars..6.30 on....I go there sometimes...
but right now , my car is at the mechanics, took it in 2 hrs ago, for a few things..not sure when I get it back, but he promised it to me before next friday morning as my group is going on its yearly Corpus cruise Friday afternoon, back sunday...so unless I get it back early next week, I have no Alfa here in town until the 5th of May.

Im game otherwise...find a good location , hopefully close to some good beer! and we`ll just do it!

my email, for better communication is
[email protected]

 

[Bjorn S]

Central makes sense! How about along the central corridor anywhere between midtown and west Houston, maybe along Westheimer or 59.

3rd wed every month you have "frog night" at Richmond arms pub on Richmond/Fountainview , if that would suit? but why wait for third wed.?

 

[ShadeTree]

It's official - dinner at Clay's at 6:30 pm on Monday, May 12. Any Houston area Alfisti are invited.

 

[josephvman]

Sorry guys, I can't make it I'm leaving for Italy (Sicily actually) this Sunday for vacation. I'll be back in a couple of weeks, and maybe I can make the next get together.

Maybe when I get back we can get together at Dolce Vita on Westheimer in Montrose. I think it's an appropriate place for the Alfisti to gather! I was there a couple of Sundays ago after the Dynamo game, and the valet parked the Spider next to the door. When we left he told us that lots of people we standing in front of it and having their pictures taken!

It's official - dinner at Clay's at 6:30 pm on Monday, May 12. Any Houston area Alfisti are invited.

 

[Bjorn S]

ok, too bad (for us, great for you , Sicily!).....got to look up Dolce Vita....but you let the valet park it? Ususlly when we in our Firbird group go out , the valet just gives us good spots ,lets us park ourselves....but once I took my daughter to dinner at a nice place , let him park the Firebird....as we walked out of the front door after dinner I could hear the car start in the back...he knew exactly who owned that car, was grinning when he pulled up too....
have a great trip!
I`ve got to get back to Italy soon too...was in Milan 2 summers ago