Goodies Speed Shop

[TonyHuntimer]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for information, stories/experiences and your personal photos that may include Goodies Speed Shop.

Here's a link to some Goodies Speed Shop history that I've assembled so far.
http://www.racehome.com/goodies.htm

Here's a little info on the store...Back in about 1965 a guy named Richard Guess opened a speed shop named Goodies Speed Shop. That shop did so well that more shops eventually opened in Salinas, San Carlos and Walnut Creek. The business was sold in 1971 to a business partner who liquidated the assets and closed the doors before the year was up.

During the years Goodies Speed Shop was in business it turned into a household name and a powerful force. They sponsored at least a dozen dragsters, altereds and funnycars. The most recognizable driver with Goodies Speed Shop on the quarter panels was Jungle Jim Liberman.

A shop named Speed Merchant opened later in 1971 in the same building Goodies Speed Shop had occupied. Speed Merchant held its own until 2007. It did pretty well for itself considering some serious lack in support from business owners and absence of advertising over the years, as well as the closure of drag strips that helped support the revenue at the shop such as Salinas and Vacaville as well as the track most recognizeable to gear heads...Fremont Dragstrip (later known as Baylands Raceway).

As of March 2007 Goodies Speed Shop is now in business in the original location and its destined to be a more powerful force than it ever was.

If you have any information or personal pictures I'd like you to post them here or drop me an E-mail. Thanks for your help.

Tony Huntimer
Goodies Speed Shop

[David Pozzi]

Tony,
The original store in Salinas was a little hole in the wall, I bought my first Muncie trans there after I blew up the Saginaw that came in my Camaro. Vans were all the rage back then, with shag carpeting and wild paint jobs with mag wheels. Goodies had an orange GM van with Cragar wheels. How cool I thought it was to have a speed shop, and drive a cool van with shag carpet and four track stereo! FM radio was booming and then came 4 track tape, then 8 track.

The local stereo shops were selling tape decks and you could bring in your record collection and have tapes dubbed for your car. FM radio was mostly Concert Orchestra music but rock and roll was coming on strong. I listened to KSJO in San Jose which had static half the time. Just prior to the tape and FM radio surge in the mid to late 60's, the best combo was an AM radio with an echo device (reverb unit) that simulated stereo. It used coil springs in a tube, and when you hit a large bump, the springs would hit each other and make a terrible noise on your radio. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VINTAGE-12-VOLT-AM-FM-RADIO-REVERB-STEREO-SYSTEM_W0QQitemZ140119678257QQihZ004QQcategoryZ807 41QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

They moved to a larger location around 1967, and changed ownership and name to "Danny's Speed Specialties" The owner was Danny Yop, a carpenter who tried the speed business for about 6 or 8 years then closed.

I can put you in touch with Danny who may have better history of what went on in Salinas.
We had a drag strip at the airport but in the 70's they closed it down and built a fence down the side of it and used it for an access road to the control tower.

Goodies had quite a presence at the Fremont drag strip, lots of signs all over the place and old videos of races there show them.

I wonder if the Top Fuel racer Dennis Baca was sponsored by Goodies at any time? They had some carpet place that was the main sponsor if I remember right.
David

[David Pozzi]

Don't tell me I'm the only one who remembers Goodies!!!

[Kenova]

I wish I had some memories guys, but I've been stuck up here in The Great White North all my life.
Ken

[Damn True]

Goodies was before my time as a "car guy" but I seem to recall having some "Hot-Wheels" cars with the logo on it.

[TonyHuntimer]

Hey guys,

Does anyone have any info on this car from Salinas?

http://www.racehome.com/images/goodies/57-salinas-sm.jpg

Thanks,
Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

[blackbeast]

might want to try yenko.net lots of older enthusiasts on there...

[MrQuick]

Great news bringing the name back.

My mentor growing up raced with Jungle Jim back in the day and I always heard stories. He ran an altered 41' Willy's and remembered seeing pictures of it, along with the Goodies logo on the back side.

I'd love to build a tribute bracket car out of my 67' II or my 66 Valiant. Hummm...427 & 4 speed in stock.

Try here too: http://www.roadsters.com/ndr/

[David Pozzi]

Tony, I'll ask my friends about that car. and about the original owners of Goodies in Salinas.
Does the name Overwiser sound familliar? I think he either ran Goodies in Salinas, or was the stereo shop owner back then.
David

[woodysmithmetalarts]

cool

[TonyHuntimer]

Hey David,

The name doesn't sound familiar. The guys I know of associated with Salinas are Dave Motta, Jim Miraglia and Steve Hughes. I'm sure there were others I can't recal at this point and a few that I don't know.

Any help would be great. :)

Tony Huntimer




Tony, I'll ask my friends about that car. and about the original owners of Goodies in Salinas.
Does the name Overwiser sound familliar? I think he either ran Goodies in Salinas, or was the stereo shop owner back then.
David

[TonyHuntimer]

Hey Vince,

I'd love to see a pic of the Willy's with the Goodies logo. :) A tribute car would be great. If I had the funds I'd build an altered wheel-base car with a straight axle.

The Valiant could be a Hairy Canary tribute car. :)

Tony~



Great news bringing the name back.

My mentor growing up raced with Jungle Jim back in the day and I always heard stories. He ran an altered 41' Willy's and remembered seeing pictures of it, along with the Goodies logo on the back side.

I'd love to build a tribute bracket car out of my 67' II or my 66 Valiant. Hummm...427 & 4 speed in stock.

Try here too: http://www.roadsters.com/ndr/

[David Pozzi]

Steve Hughes race here a lot. I went to school with his brother! :)

I asked my cousin Richard Pozzi who used to race at Salinas Drags.
He gave me some names to talk to:

Ralph Willis Automotive
23 Sherwood Dr
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 424-7363 Ralph raced a lot and was around back then, still races.

Larry Johnson worked at Goodies, drove someone's corvette race car.

Rob Sterling, son of Sterling Automotive, a brake service shop in Salinas. I don't think he works at the shop these days, but builds vintage dragsters.

Steve Hughes, you allready talked to

Phil Nunez. Had drag car, worked at Lacy's auto parts. Business no longer operating.

Robb Rothstein owned Goodies last.
David

[TonyHuntimer]

Steve Hughes race here a lot. I went to school with his brother! :)

Steve Hughes, you allready talked to



Hey David,

Thanks for the cool info. I have not been in contact with Steve. I've only talked with Jim Miraglia. Any info on Steve would be great. :)

Tony~

[David Pozzi]

Steve has "Midway Engine Rebuilders"
Midway Engine Rebuilders
481 E Market St
Salinas, CA 93905
(831) 424-6370