I carried that address as my permananent address for all the years I was in the military, and strangely enough, my address here in Cleveland happens to be--108.
My father owned and worked in his autoshop after hours and on his off days when he wasn't working at Humble Oil & Refining Co (now Exxon Baytown). He had some help in the shop--- my sisters, my twin brother and myself. (I never said it was very good help, just help.) One of my brothers-in-law also worked there for a time. Same wages us kids got I suspect-zip.(Welcome to the family Bub!) But, we all learned a lot, including how to treat people-ethics and it has held with us ever since. Never cheat anyone. Be honest. My father was never without a yard full of customers. When us kids got home from school, there was a list of things to do on customer's cars, and then we had homework. My brother & I did the minor stuff, and my older sister did such things as valve and seat grinding on the Sioux valve grinding machine. Eventually, she run off and got married so brother & I did it all when Dad was at Humble. (Dam her!!) Ran accross some of his old invoices, thought I would share. Some showed labor-some didn't. Couldn't figure how he was charging the labor till it dawned on me he didn't charge any if one of the kids did the work. Free labor--so he passed that on to customer. Hope you can read them--they are about 50 years old.


it says:
51 Ford
(parts)
1 set points-1.60
1 condenser-.90
1 rt rear grease seal-1.50
1 set gen brushes-.60
(the labor)
Check comp-100+ (check compression each cyl =100 psi or more)
set timing adj carb
install gen brush and rear grease seal
clean and refill air cleaner
labor=6.50
Total bill=$11.10

Another



51 chevy
1 set points-1.50
1 condenser-.80
Install points
clean & adjust plugs
check compression-#2 low
set timing
labor=3.00
Total=$5.30

Got one here that has an itemized valve job on a 6 cyl '49 Dodge truck
labor was $7.50
Total was $33.75

He had more work than he could do for as long as he had the place open. We had the building demolished in Feb, but 1st went thru it and cleaned out a few things, but left an awful lot. Mostly memories. Good ones. When we left that day with what we wanted to take, I spray painted on the front of the building:
York's Garage
1954-2008

I wept all the way out main street as we drove out of my old home town.
I miss him so much.

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 03-16-2008).]

Now,I understand how YOU are too,Don.That last line had me in tears too.Wish I could have cried at MY Dad's passing.He made sure I would make up for it later...
Nick

Good vibes your way Don.

Note that, 5 digits, could cover every telephone in the country.

PHONE: 3-1634

Our number at that time was 1-496J. Funny thing to recall after 50 years.

[This message has been edited by Wolfhound (edited 03-16-2008).]

I found a bottle of Carbon tetra-cloride, in my parents garage. Well it was more a catch-all than it was a garage.
The glass bottle had a label from 'Harrimans Pharmacy' on the 'South side of the Square' Phone # 29, Newton, Iowa.

The local meuseum said that Newton went up to 3 digit Phone #'s sometime in the 1920's.
In the 50's, when I first learned my name, address, and phone # , we were Pyramid 2, 5329.
Oddly enough, I have that Phone # today. I still get the ocasional call for my Dad who died in 1994?

------------------
Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto.
Turning white on top, like owner.
Leaks a little, like owner.
Doesn't smoke....... OK, we're trying to quit.

Good memories, Don. Thank you for sharing them....they brought up a few of my own. My dad did most of the work on his own vehicles....he really couldn't afford to pay anyone to do it. I remember spending hours standing next to him, being his gopher...bring him a wrench, pump the brake pedal, bump the starter, etc. I learned a lot from him. At the end, he and I were more like buddies than father and son...we'd go to swap meets together, help each other out working on cars, etc. He died 25 years ago next month. Sometimes, it seems like a lifetime ago....and sometimes, it seems like yesterday. Like you, I miss him terribly. Ironic thing is that this year, when he's been gone 25 years....I turn the same age he was when he died.

Thank you for bringing up good memories...both your own, and mine, too.

quote Originally posted by maryjane: clean and refill air cleaner

Miss those days.

[This message has been edited by Boondawg (edited 03-16-2008).]

Thank you for sharing some memories, Don.
Some of the best memories I have of my father were times we shared working on cars.

in a sense he comes back to life every time you remember.

[This message has been edited by lurker (edited 03-16-2008).]

quote Originally posted by maryjane: Some showed labor-some didn't. Couldn't figure how he was charging the labor till it dawned on me he didn't charge any if one of the kids did the work. Free labor--so he passed that on to customer. Hope you can read them--they are about 50 years old.

As others have already said, thanks for sharing. I will have to tell you that yor run down memory lane was very touching. For some reason, the quote above really stood out when I read it, and it brought on a huge smile. That right there is good ole, home tought ethics!

The good memories will always keep you Dad alive in your heart.

For those of us that have lost their parents, remembering the good times is precious. Not all were good times, doesn't matter who we're talking about, we all experienced things we'd rather not remember but, those things tend to fade and we remember those things that warm the cockels of our hearts. I thank you for sharing your memories, for they give me cause to stop and reflect on my own. Thank you.

For those that still have their parents, cherish the time you have with them, for most of us, they gave all they had so that we could be more when they were gone.

Ron

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 03-16-2008).]

Wow what a touching story. Sorry for your losses. Neither can be replaced. The garage while just a building, was a tangilible anchor for all those memories, and therefore had great importance.