So-Cal Speed Shop
Encyclopedia
The So-Cal Speed Shop is a specialty parts shop for hot rods, specializing in cars built in the 1940s. It offers parts online, as well as a number of retail stores in the western United States and one in Canada. The headquarters is located in Pomona, California
.
Originally built in 1946, it was one of the first hot rod parts stores to open in Southern California
. Founder Alex Xydias
opened the shop on Olive Avenue in Burbank, California
on March 3, 1946, the same day he was discharged from the Army Air Force
.
The So-Cal Speed Shop is a specialty parts shop for hot rods, specializing in cars built in the 1940s. It offers parts online, as well as a number of retail stores in the western United States and one in Canada. The headquarters is located in Pomona, California
.
Originally built in 1946, it was one of the first hot rod parts stores to open in Southern California
. Founder Alex Xydias
opened the shop on Olive Avenue in Burbank, California
on March 3, 1946, the same day he was discharged from the Army Air Force
.
The So-Cal Speed Shop is a specialty parts shop for hot rods, specializing in cars built in the 1940s. It offers parts online, as well as a number of retail stores in the western United States and one in Canada. The headquarters is located in Pomona, California
.
Originally built in 1946, it was one of the first hot rod parts stores to open in Southern California
. Founder Alex Xydias
opened the shop on Olive Avenue in Burbank, California
on March 3, 1946, the same day he was discharged from the Army Air Force
.So-Cal Speedhop.com History Xydias's first idea to open the speed shop came while watching a street race
in San Fernando Valley during a furlough from the Army Air Forces.so-calspeedshop.com Alex Xydias History Retrieved November 10, 2009 Xydias' shop offered only parts; no mechanical work was done. After his year lease was up, Xydias moved to 1104 South Victory Boulevard.
Numerous cars set records, mostly on the salt flats, flying the So-Cal banner and the shop became synonymous with winners. The first streamliner powered by a Flathead Ford to go over 200 mi/h is the Edelbrock
-equipped Bachelor-Xydias
SoCal Special;Oilstick.com NHRA museum article Groak, Bill, 2004. it was featured on the cover of the January 1949 issue of Hot Rod magazine
.Supercars.net article Retrieved November 30, 2009 Bill Burke of the So-Cal Speed Shop was the first to attempt to convert a P51 Mustang belly drop tank
to a hot rod roadster. Because of its small size (168-gallon), Burke then switched to the larger 305-gallon belly tank used on a P38 Lightning.
The So-Cal gang was voted the Number One Racing Team in 1952 by Mechanix Illustrated
magazine.
Tony Thacker
was the marketing vice president for So-Cal Speed Shop. Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum
, for which Thacker is executive director, features an exhibit on So-Cal Speed Shop.
Lead guitarist for ZZ Top, Billy Gibbons
made guest appearances for the shop's "Hard Shine" series.
In May 2011 launched the 'Miler', its first line of limited edition motorcycle kits. Inspired by 1960s and 1970s flat track Triumph racing bikes, and based on their Streetmaster and Mule Motorcycles concept bike, the Miler is powered by a 865cc twin-cylinder Triumph Bonneville
. A combination of high-compression pistons, precision-engineered head porting, and exhaust tuning enhance the recreational aspect of the reliable street rider."Annual Quail Gathering" Cyril Huze
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
.
Originally built in 1946, it was one of the first hot rod parts stores to open in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. Founder Alex Xydias
Alex Xydias
Alex Xydias was an influential figure in the early days of the auto racing sport involving hot rods.Xydias served in World War II as radio operator and engineer on a B-17...
opened the shop on Olive Avenue in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
on March 3, 1946, the same day he was discharged from the Army Air Force
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
.
The So-Cal Speed Shop is a specialty parts shop for hot rods, specializing in cars built in the 1940s. It offers parts online, as well as a number of retail stores in the western United States and one in Canada. The headquarters is located in Pomona, California
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
.
Originally built in 1946, it was one of the first hot rod parts stores to open in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. Founder Alex Xydias
Alex Xydias
Alex Xydias was an influential figure in the early days of the auto racing sport involving hot rods.Xydias served in World War II as radio operator and engineer on a B-17...
opened the shop on Olive Avenue in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
on March 3, 1946, the same day he was discharged from the Army Air Force
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
.
The So-Cal Speed Shop is a specialty parts shop for hot rods, specializing in cars built in the 1940s. It offers parts online, as well as a number of retail stores in the western United States and one in Canada. The headquarters is located in Pomona, California
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
.
Originally built in 1946, it was one of the first hot rod parts stores to open in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. Founder Alex Xydias
Alex Xydias
Alex Xydias was an influential figure in the early days of the auto racing sport involving hot rods.Xydias served in World War II as radio operator and engineer on a B-17...
opened the shop on Olive Avenue in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
on March 3, 1946, the same day he was discharged from the Army Air Force
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
.So-Cal Speedhop.com History Xydias's first idea to open the speed shop came while watching a street race
Street racing
Street racing is a form of unsanctioned and illegal motor racing which takes place on public roads. Street racing can either be spontaneous or well-planned and coordinated. Well coordinated races are planned in advance and often have people communicating via 2-way radio/citizens' band radio and...
in San Fernando Valley during a furlough from the Army Air Forces.so-calspeedshop.com Alex Xydias History Retrieved November 10, 2009 Xydias' shop offered only parts; no mechanical work was done. After his year lease was up, Xydias moved to 1104 South Victory Boulevard.
Numerous cars set records, mostly on the salt flats, flying the So-Cal banner and the shop became synonymous with winners. The first streamliner powered by a Flathead Ford to go over 200 mi/h is the Edelbrock
Edelbrock
Edelbrock, LLC is a specialty performance automotive and motorcycle aftermarket parts manufacturer based in Torrance, California. The company has five locations, including four in Torrance: its headquarters, a distribution center and museum, the Russell division , and the exhaust plant...
-equipped Bachelor-Xydias
Alex Xydias
Alex Xydias was an influential figure in the early days of the auto racing sport involving hot rods.Xydias served in World War II as radio operator and engineer on a B-17...
SoCal Special;Oilstick.com NHRA museum article Groak, Bill, 2004. it was featured on the cover of the January 1949 issue of Hot Rod magazine
Hot Rod Magazine
Hot Rod is an American monthly magazine devoted to hot rodding, —modifying automobiles for performance and appearance.-History:Hot Rod is the oldest magazine devoted to hot rodding having been published since 1948. Robert E. Petersen founded the magazine and his Petersen Publishing Company...
.Supercars.net article Retrieved November 30, 2009 Bill Burke of the So-Cal Speed Shop was the first to attempt to convert a P51 Mustang belly drop tank
Drop tank
In aeronautics, a drop tank is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks externally carried by aircraft. A drop tank is expendable and often jettisonable...
to a hot rod roadster. Because of its small size (168-gallon), Burke then switched to the larger 305-gallon belly tank used on a P38 Lightning.
The So-Cal gang was voted the Number One Racing Team in 1952 by Mechanix Illustrated
Mechanix Illustrated
Mechanix Illustrated was an American magazine founded in the first half of the 20th century to compete against the older Popular Science and Popular Mechanics...
magazine.
Tony Thacker
Tony Thacker
Tony Thacker is the Executive Director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Before joining the Museum, Thacker was the marketing vice president for So-Cal Speed Shop. He also worked for seven years at the Specialty Equipment Market Association and was the first editor of Performance...
was the marketing vice president for So-Cal Speed Shop. Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum
Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum
The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, is located at Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Bldg. 3A, in Pomona, California 91768, USA. It houses a collection of memorabilia, automobiles and motorcycles related to the sport of hot rodding. ...
, for which Thacker is executive director, features an exhibit on So-Cal Speed Shop.
Lead guitarist for ZZ Top, Billy Gibbons
Billy Gibbons
William Frederick "Billy" Gibbons is an American musician, actor and car customizer, best known as the guitarist of the Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top. He is also the lead singer and composer for many of the band's songs. Gibbons is known for playing his Gretsch Billy Bo guitar and his famous 1959...
made guest appearances for the shop's "Hard Shine" series.
In May 2011 launched the 'Miler', its first line of limited edition motorcycle kits. Inspired by 1960s and 1970s flat track Triumph racing bikes, and based on their Streetmaster and Mule Motorcycles concept bike, the Miler is powered by a 865cc twin-cylinder Triumph Bonneville
Triumph Bonneville
The Bonneville is a range of British motorcycles, made in three different production runs from 1959 to 1983, and 1985 to 1988, by the now-defunct Triumph Engineering in Meriden; and since 2001, by Triumph Motorcycles in Hinckley. It is named after the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, where Triumph and...
. A combination of high-compression pistons, precision-engineered head porting, and exhaust tuning enhance the recreational aspect of the reliable street rider."Annual Quail Gathering" Cyril Huze