Auto Haus locations....?

[dave greiner]

5660 pacific coast hgwy ,long beach store with a certain mark k. behind the counter

1974...I bought my first set of Porsche style "Mangles" wheels and S&S header from the LB store... came back a few weeks later for some fiberglass "Buggy" seats.
Seems like Dave G was behind the counter... I miss AH.

Dave owned the Long Beach store for a while then purchased the Orange store. I worked at the Orange store for a few years (for Dave....he will have to tell you some stories as I don't want to let all of the cats out of the bag), Schwimmer lived around the corner from there and Greg B. came to work there with and after me.

Like the time I came in a little late and I couldn't find you! You were sleeping IN the glass display case on a set of CoCo mats!

[low oval]

Marc,
don't know if you remember Bob Pabst, we were talking about the La Habra store just last weekend trying to remember who ran it.  Your store is where we bought all of our parts back in the late 70's.
jim smith

[kingsburgphil]

While on the subject of Auto Haus people, is Mike Ahlstrom or Steve Hostetler still around?

[Kaferdog]

Marc...Do you remember someone at the La habra store that sold I believe a"61" ragtop grey primered Baja Bug..?

[johnl]

While on the subject of Auto Haus people, is Mike Ahlstrom or Steve Hostetler still around?

Phil,  I remember them both, especially Mike Ahlstrom as he worked for me at Auto Haus.  Last year at the Bug-In a guy walked up to me and it was none other than Mike Ahlstrom.  He works for UPS and has for years and lives in the Palm Springs area.  I haden't seen him for probably 35 years.

[team97]

5660 pacific coast hgwy ,long beach store with a certain mark k. behind the counter

1974...I bought my first set of Porsche style "Mangles" wheels and S&S header from the LB store... came back a few weeks later for some fiberglass "Buggy" seats.
Seems like Dave G was behind the counter... I miss AH.

Dave owned the Long Beach store for a while then purchased the Orange store. I worked at the Orange store for a few years (for Dave....he will have to tell you some stories as I don't want to let all of the cats out of the bag), Schwimmer lived around the corner from there and Greg B. came to work there with and after me.

Like the time I came in a little late and I couldn't find you! You were sleeping IN the glass display case on a set of CoCo mats!

Thats 1 of MANY...............did you ever know about the water balloons?

[kingsburgphil]

Thanks John. I lost touch with Mike some thirty plus years ago when he moved to Palm Springs, and went to work for UPS! Talk about
"putting down roots", he should'nt be to hard to find then. [ Attachment: You are not allowed to view attachments ] DVB Drag Day 1 @ Carlsbad 76'.

[Neil Davies]

Thanks John. I lost touch with Mike some thirty plus years ago when he moved to Palm Springs, and went to work for UPS! Talk about
"putting down roots", he should'nt be to hard to find then. [ Attachment: You are not allowed to view attachments ] DVB Drag Day 1 @ Carlsbad 76'.

Look at them shoes! That's one part of the 70's we can do without!

[speedwell]

and special turn signal on phil's car 

[kingsburgphil]

  I knew I'd be in trouble if I posted that pic    The 70's disco shoes are indefensible, so Mike will have beg the mercy of the court on that charge 

As to the turn signals, once again they have attracted attention away from the stealthy Porsche Carrera front wheels 

[rick m]

Here is another shot of my 1700cc powered 67 in front of the Orange Auto Haus store in 1977. Those were the days.

Rick Mortensen

[marc1951]

Marc,
don't know if you remember Bob Pabst, we were talking about the La Habra store just last weekend trying to remember who ran it.  Your store is where we bought all of our parts back in the late 70's.
jim smith

I know the name but ...........

Marc

[marc1951]

Marc...Do you remember someone at the La habra store that sold I believe a"61" ragtop grey primered Baja Bug..?

It might have been me. I had one that was primer and blue, I think. I've had several Bajas but, except for one I hauled up to Washington, I can't remember what happened to them.

Oh, here is a picture of the one you may be thinking of..............
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yup, that was my Baja. Did a lot of off-roading with it.


Marc

[Kaferdog]

Yeah...! thats the one I'm talking about !...My friend bought that one !!...I don't remember what he did with it !..but that is the one !....Wow....what a flashback !!

[Kaferdog]

I ended up with the lights you had mounted on the front quarter panels !...they were  marchal's ...?( I'm not sure on the spelling) ..He took them off and mounted some KC's insted ...I loved those Headlights !...they were on my "66" till another friend totalled it !

[marc1951]

I would have to do some deep searching for photos of the Downey store.  I believe most of which would be the remodeling of it. It was a real dump with wooden doors falling off the hinges, broken windows, etc when we leased the building. Bob Edmonds, the Auto Haus franchise owner picked it out and I actually cried when I first saw it. When I went to the Downey city hall to get the business license, I noticed a map on the wall with that part of Firestone Blvd in red. I asked what that meant and was told it was the area deemed to be revitalized. That meant unless you were tearing a building down and rebuilding, permits were not being issued and any and all modifications were to be approved by the city council.........good going Bob.
So we had no choice but to work in the middle of night and fix the ceiling, replace the floor, broken windows and install modern glass doors. We even had the Auto Haus sign put up after hours. It worked!......I'm sure if we had done the work during the day, someone would have stopped us but when all of a sudden Auto Haus appeared, the improvement was sufficient enough that the city looked the other way.
Eventually, Rich Fersch bought the business, but not the Auto Haus franchise and renamed the store Race Haus. The city would not allow the Auto Haus sign to be removed or even covered up so with Race Haus painted on the building and the big Auto Haus sign out front, Rich enjoyed the best of two worlds. People saw the logo and thought it was Auto Haus which it was once and Rich did not have to pay franchise fees.

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This is the La Habra sign but the Downey sign was identical except for the location, of course.






Marc DRA
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the La Habra store
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inside the La Habra store
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and some dork who worked the counter

[plasticblack]

 Great Info & Pics Marc.

  I'd love to see more pics of the shop interiors if any exist? I just like seeing what was displayed and how.

    Thanks.

[Kaferdog]

Marc , I think I bought my first set of Kadrons from you in "78"

[marc1951]

 Great Info & Pics Marc.

  I'd love to see more pics of the shop interiors if any exist? I just like seeing what was displayed and how.

    Thanks.
[/quote

ok............I don't know if I have any other photos of the interior (beside the front counter) but I will look when I get a chance.
The store was once the Don Steve's Chevrolet show room so there was big sliding doors and we would sometimes have a car or dune buggy on display inside.

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[marc1951]

Marc , I think I bought my first set of Kadrons from you in "78"

sold a bunch of those...................can you still buy them?

Those Marchal Amplilux headlights you got from my old car were very trick...but they had a habit of melting the plastic connector....I assume you had no problems.

Marc

[DKK Ted]

Marc, I remember buying my first set of carbs from you at the La Habra store, 42DCNF's when I worked at Auto-Craft, man that was what, late 70's early 80's?

Ted

[Kaferdog]

Marc , I think I bought my first set of Kadrons from you in "78"

sold a bunch of those...................can you still buy them?

Those Marchal Amplilux headlights you got from my old car were very trick...but they had a habit of melting the plastic connector....I assume you had no problems.

Marc

I'm not sure if you can still get them or not ..?  I think I paid $171.00 and change for them !.......As far as the Marchal's I never had a problem on my "66" Would love to find another set someday...!!!!

[deano]

Great photos Marc. That's exactly the way I remember you and the La Habra store looking! (I'm still waiting to see your photos of that girl in the tube top and bikini bottoms....or less)

[Rennsurfer]

Agreed... outstanding Auto Haus photos, Marc. Makes me wish that we took more when we worked there. Live and learn.

[Kaferdog]

Yes , I second what Dean and Fred are saying....! That's "EXACTLY" what I was looking for when I started this thread...!

Thanks for sharing the pic's Marc......

[DKK Ted]

X3 

[Fastbrit]

Yes , I second what Dean and Fred are saying....! That's "EXACTLY" what I was looking for when I started this thread...!

Thanks for sharing the pic's Marc......

I'm looking for the pics of the girl in (or out) of the bikini…

[marc1951]

Great photos Marc. That's exactly the way I remember you and the La Habra store looking! (I'm still waiting to see your photos of that girl in the tube top and bikini bottoms....or less)

I think my first wife tore them up but she couldn't erase my memory. <grin>