Lynn Rosevear and the Auto Haus Stores

[dyno don]

 john...bruce was a nice guy/i remember how tough that was for everyone that knew him.   hi there steve walker...long time no see...that blue oval was one piece of pure beauty...you are an "absolute artisan" to say the least/and shubee always did nice work to compliment things as well.....that was one of THE NICEST vw cars i have ever had the priv to own and it hauled ass..!! a "PURE" memory for me..!! fred..."kudo's to you and the others"it was always the coolest thing to drive by any auto haus store and see the vast array of well done up vw's /> ya guys the "Steak and Stein"..."crazy joe" kosky reintroduced me to "the stein"one merry evening after years of being away...(and for you others out there) not to be confused with ANY other clearmans restaurant as this one has existed for years with "the same everything" still in place and many of the staff are second /third generation or knew of someone at least that worked there...THE BEST place for meat cravings period..!! thanks for filling in the blanks for me....    and to still have the group of dedicated vw followers still in the fold from the auto haus experience...wow..!!

[johnl]

Don,

You got me to thinking about Steak n' Stein and I'm drooling!!!  Here is there web site and look at the menu prices.  http://www.clearmansrestaurants.com/steakandstein.html  Years ago I think the ground beef dinner was about $7.95 and it is still one of my favorites.  This was John Clearman's first place and it opened in 1946 and remains to this day.  The salad, cheesebread and 16oz. baked potatos are the best I've ever had.  I'm not a big meat eater anymore, but it is the ONLY place I'll order a steak period.

We do go to Northwoods ocassionally (we're there last Sunday) and it is good, but not the same.  With all of that said I may have to go there this weekend.  OMG, I can already hear my intestines rumbling!!!!  A few months ago Ron Fleming, the Edmistons, Haydon's, Jim Holmes, Christie and myself met Doug (The Mass) Gordon at the Northwoods on Rosemead and had a great meal and visit.  It was the first time some of the guys had seen Doug in 20 years.

There should be an effort to get a bunch of the old guys and gals together and do a meal there in the near future.

John (please pass me another helping of salad and cheesebread) Lazenby

[Dave Rosique]

Don,

You got me to thinking about Steak n' Stein and I'm drooling!!!  Here is there web site and look at the menu prices.  http://www.clearmansrestaurants.com/steakandstein.html  Years ago I think the ground beef dinner was about $7.95 and it is still one of my favorites.  This was John Clearman's first place and it opened in 1946 and remains to this day.  The salad, cheesebread and 16oz. baked potatos are the best I've ever had.  I'm not a big meat eater anymore, but it is the ONLY place I'll order a steak period.

We do go to Northwoods ocassionally (we're there last Sunday) and it is good, but not the same.  With all of that said I may have to go there this weekend.  OMG, I can already hear my intestines rumbling!!!!  A few months ago Ron Fleming, the Edmistons, Haydon's, Jim Holmes, Christie and myself met Doug (The Mass) Gordon at the Northwoods on Rosemead and had a great meal and visit.  It was the first time some of the guys had seen Doug in 20 years.

There should be an effort to get a bunch of the old guys and gals together and do a meal there in the near future.

John (please pass me another helping of salad and cheesebread) Lazenby

John,

You must be reading my mind! I was just going to do a web search on Clearmans!!

All this talk about food makes me hungry!

I wonder... do they sell beer?? I'll have to ask Sarge

Great posts on Auto Haus guys... For me it was Auto Haus for VW stuff and BAP-GEON for Lucas & Marchal lights back in the early days.
Later I was a regular at Claude's Buggies & SCS (street cars) & Johnny's Speed & Chrome (off road stuff)

~DR.

[johnl]

They have a very complete bar, so I'm sure that you can get about anything you want.  I may have to make a trip there this weekend if I last that long.  Oh, I forgot their onion rings that come with the meals.  I use to wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat thinking about them!!! 

John

[Dave Rosique]

Good times!!

~DR.

[SCOTTP]

The Rosevears were aggressive and the business grew rapidly.  It was like being at Disneyland everyday seeing new products arrive and being able to be the first guy around to have the latest performance item.  I can vividly remember selling Bosch 010 distributors for $14.95, S & S Headers for $29.95 and many other items retail.  Just goes to show you how times and prices have changed.

Back in 1971-72 I had my first bug, a 62 ragtop. It was slow , and I wanted it to go faster. I had a friend in high school, Brian Vaughn who was in Der Gutenine( spelling?) VW club. I asked him what I could to make my car go faster, and he told me about a place called Auto Haus in Buena Park, that sold aftermarket parts for VW's. On my first visit, I saw two very nice bugs. One was gold and one was green. A lot of you know who's they were. I was 17 and knew nothing about "Hot rodding" a VW. I had a lot of question for the guys behind the counter. My first purchases were a Holley Bug spray and manifold, bosch 010 dist, and a S&S header for my 1385 Big bore 40 hp that my Dad just had rebuilt. Boy was he pissed when I took it apart! Over the next several years, I made many visits.

I want to thank you John... and Ed Craig for being so tolerant, and answering so many questions. Since that time I have had 26 VW's, attended many Bug In's, Raced in many of them. Was in a small short lived VW club, Der Volkswahl, built tons of motors, several trannies, painted numerous cars, met tons of people, and it all started with that first trip to Auto Haus.

John, it was great talking to you at the book signing party. I'll never forget seeing "The Buttercup" and the Green split for the first time.

Scott P

[dyno don]

holy cow...scott p.  brian vaughn and i have been friends for about as many years as a result from being DGVA in the early 70' and were room mates at one time in the same house that i later owned for eternity in garden grove....and he was one crazy(crazier than me)  mutha ...not to hijack this thread but ....back in 1973 we were rather intoxed one evening and he wanted to drive my 67 vw so i obliged...into the first few moments behind the wheel a honda full of young (wanted to be men) came out of nowhere and ran us off the road(harbor blvd) so needless to say brian looked over at me with that devious smile of his and asked .."ok to catch'em" and of course my reply was.." HELL YES"..!! so we laced our way through traffic as he slammed gears and weaved in and out of the lanes  and finally caught up to them about 3 miles up the road..bad mistake for them from the beginning... as we got out of my exhausted beetle and beat the living shit out of every quarter panel and door on "moms car"...something we laughed about for several years to come...LOL

[SCOTTP]

holy cow...scott p.  brian vaughn and i have been friends for about as many years as a result from being DGVA in the early 70' and were room mates at one time in the same house that i later owned for eternity in garden grove....and he was one crazy(crazier than me)  mutha ...not to hijack this thread but ....back in 1973 we were rather intoxed one evening and he wanted to drive my 67 vw so i obliged...into the first few moments behind the wheel a honda full of young (wanted to be men) came out of nowhere and ran us off the road(harbor blvd) so needless to say brian looked over at me with that devious smile of his and asked .."ok to catch'em" and of course my reply was.." HELL YES"..!! so we laced our way through traffic as he slammed gears and weaved in and out of the lanes  and finally caught up to them about 3 miles up the road..bad mistake for them from the beginning... as we got out of my exhausted beetle and beat the living shit out of every quarter panel and door on "moms car"...something we laughed about for several years to come...LOL

Don, I haven't seen Brian since High School. You're right! He was crazy.. and I was kinda scared of him. He was 1 or 2 years older than me. He is to blame for my VW obsession. I grew up in GG wich I believe was smack dab in the middle of Hot VW Mecca. At least it was for me!
Say Hi to Brian if you still have contact with him.... I don't know if he will remember me.

[dyno don]

scott...have WE ever met before...??   whats your last name..??  i cant imagine i wouldnt know you...or at least recognize your mug...lol

[SCOTTP]

scott...have WE ever met before...??   whats your last name..??  i cant imagine i wouldnt know you...or at least recognize your mug...lol

Pescuma. Yes we have met but just casually. Years ago...1979-82  I hung around with a few younger guys that were into bugs. Mark Voegtley, Dave his brother, Larry VanWilgen, Gregg Modelmog. I'm sure you know all of them. We used to go to a Chuckie Cheese. It was the Der Volkswahl group. You were at a few gatherings. I think Clyde and Doug Berg even came to a few get togethers. You've probably seen my face at Nick's and a few other events in the past year or two. The newest DKP member Dustin and I are good friends. He was actually in the club back then, but I didn't know him. The strange thing is that we all went to the same High School! The next event I see you at I'll re-introduce myself. Take care... no local event would be the same without you there!
Scott

[edcraig]

Wish my job now was as fun as my days at Auto-Haus.  My job and my hobby and entertainment were all the same.

[johnl]

I want to thank you John... and Ed Craig for being so tolerant, and answering so many questions. Since that time I have had 26 VW's, attended many Bug In's, Raced in many of them. Was in a small short lived VW club, Der Volkswahl, built tons of motors, several trannies, painted numerous cars, met tons of people, and it all started with that first trip to Auto Haus.

John, it was great talking to you at the book signing party. I'll never forget seeing "The Buttercup" and the Green split for the first time.

Scott P

Scott,

There is really nothing to thank us for.  We did it because we loved it and as Ed Craig recently posted I wish my job today was fun like those days.

I enjoyed talking with you at the book signing party also.  It is events involving our history that keep me feeling young at least while I'm around all of you young guys!!!   

John

[edcraig]

How many of you guys want to see John build another VW?!

[SCOTTP]

How many of you guys want to see John build another VW?!

I vote yes

[WCB Hitler's Hot Rod]

X2 but make it a 3 liter 

[speedwell]

me another butternut on american racing 

[johnl]

How many of you guys want to see John build another VW?!

Hey Ed, thanks for putting fuel on the fire.  Currently in the process of trying to trim down the current Chrysler collection which would make some room and generate some cash for a future different car or project (VW??)  The problem is with the economy the way it is no one is buyng much of anything.  I do have a vision of what I'd like to build, but at this time don't want to say much about it.

Speaking of building a new car, how about you??  I know you like your Porsche's but nothing like a fast VW as you well know.  Graham just phoned me and suggested that you stop buying all of that "blond hair dye" and put those funds towards a VW or possibly one of his plad shirts for a car cover!!  Sorry guys, this is an inside joke.

John

[dyno don]

eeewwww.....OUCH..!! LOL... ed..nice poster board your daughter put together..i  remember when you told me about her first vw !!       john perhaps you can enlighten me as to whatever happened to...>>les smith(sales)/al locke(w/h mgr)/walter johnson(sales)..??

[johnl]

eeewwww.....OUCH..!! LOL... ed..nice poster board your daughter put together..i  remember when you told me about her first vw !!       john perhaps you can enlighten me as to whatever happened to...>>les smith(sales)/al locke(w/h mgr)/walter johnson(sales)..??

Don,

I think you might mean Les White.  If so he is retired and lives in SoCal and we just received our annual Christmans Card from he and his wife Dianne.  Les (being British) has been into Jags and Lola's for years.

I remember Al Locke, but have no idea what ever happend to him.

If memeory serves me Walter Johnson was killed in a dune buggy accident in the late '70's or early 80's.  I would hope I'm wrong, but that is what I remember.  Perhaps someone else can disprove this info.

John

[johnl]

me another butternut on american racing 

Find me another set of the wheels that are afforadable and it would be a great inspiration to move forward with the project !!! 

John

[danny gabbard]

How about a nice set of original 5 spoke empi's

[johnl]

How about a nice set of original 5 spoke empi's

Sorry, not quite the same.

John

[dyno don]

thanks john...ugly if thats what happened to walter johnson..i always liked him/fyi...walter gadzynski tragically ended his life years ago shortly after i bought my garden grove house.     > the brit/was always a jolly prim and proper gent....          i know repops are sort of a sin with purists but i can tell you that the repops that came off of the original american wheels that i sold some years back look absolute bitchin to say the least/i endorse them fully...but perhaps you be the judge ? they might look good with your air bags/glass fenders/wink mirror/and those zoom tubes...LOL

[edcraig]

I had many Mammoth and Glamis trips back in the 70's and 80's with Walt Johnson, and he was pretty much alive!  I have not talked to him in a long while now, but to the best of my knowledge, he's still alive and kicking.

I did bump into another Auto-haus alum at the last VW Classic.  Mark Sutter. Mark was also in DVB.

I do have plans to get another VW, but it will be a year or two away still.

John...what do I always tell you.  Gray hair is better than NO hair!

[dougmische]

...I had the reputation with our employees and being somewhat hard nosed and demanding, but I’ve had several state years later that they now appreciate my rules and regulations as it helped them in there future business ventures.  It is good to hear that you were appreciated even maybe not the most popular guy at the time...

You weren't so hard nosed and demanding.  You just had this annoying idea that we were supposed to work and actually sell product instead of working on our own cars, playing "Pikul" or staring at Gayle thru binoculars across the street at Big-O tire.  Whew, what a girl!

Great post John!  Some great memories of working there.  Wish I hadn't had such a chip [OK, the whole tree] on my shoulder back then so I could have appreciated you more.

Never met such an anal guy, but to this day, his stuff is VERY clean.  You taught me a lot about anal, buddy.

Thanks.

Doug Mische

[Fastbrit]

  You taught me a lot about anal, buddy.

Thanks.

Doug Mische

Would you care to rephrase that? 

[dougmische]

  You taught me a lot about anal, buddy.

Thanks.

Doug Mische

Would you care to rephrase that? 

Uh, yeah...  I'm glad I can't see inside your head, bud.  These little glimpses really concern me.

UGGH!  What a visual.  However, now that the Brit has blessed us with that, I'm not sure John could have satisfied me.  ;-)

[Cornpanzer]

...I had the reputation with our employees and being somewhat hard nosed and demanding, but I’ve had several state years later that they now appreciate my rules and regulations as it helped them in there future business ventures.  It is good to hear that you were appreciated even maybe not the most popular guy at the time...

You taught me a lot about anal, buddy.

Thanks.

Doug Mische

Wow, that post needs to be printed, blown up on white posterboard and displayed at the next DKP meeting!   

In all seriousness, I havent met John yet, but if he helped shape Doug into "Crazy Pan Guy" he should be knighted...or punched...not really sure which.   

Great thread guys, thanks for sharing

[dougmische]

...I had the reputation with our employees and being somewhat hard nosed and demanding, but I’ve had several state years later that they now appreciate my rules and regulations as it helped them in there future business ventures.  It is good to hear that you were appreciated even maybe not the most popular guy at the time...

You taught me a lot about anal, buddy.

Thanks.

Doug Mische

Wow, that post needs to be printed, blown up on white posterboard and displayed at the next DKP meeting!   

Uh, no...

[speedwell]

me another butternut on american racing 

Find me another set of the wheels that are afforadable and it would be a great inspiration to move forward with the project !!! 

John

what is that for you afforadable Otherwise there is very beautiful reproduction from jge  http://www.javaglobalenterprises.com/torker.htm like the one i will put on my car