Just another Chain store outlet ?….This one WAS differant…Run by old Mr.Pearsall, and son Ken. Stocked what most Strauss Stores Didn’t. Edelbrock Manifolds, Mag Wheels, Holley Carbs, Blue Dot tail-lights ,Cal Custom Accessories . Also Sponsored the first “Lil Old Whinemaker” ! .Bob LeRagina spent many a lunch hour from the Chevy dealership, at the place. I worked there before I had a license ! after school .Accross the street was the famous “GoodieShop”: soda fountain. Had A painting on the window I did of Bobby’s Anglia…later the T-Bucket. Frequented by Richie Shott,Tom Valentine and a bunch more.
The Strauss Store was the first speed shop I ever went to when I was about 15 years old.
I needed to purchase motor mounts and some other stuff for a 1951 Chevrolet that I was trying to put a 283 engine in at the time. Back then none of us had any tools that were worth much and none of us really knew what the hell we were doing anyway.
We left Stamford and headed out through Greenwich and then it seemed like all back roads to get to the place but in 1962 or 63 we really did not have much choice for speed parts.
Most don’t know that “Budge’ Clark ,who worked there,was Bobby LaRegina’s partner with the T-bucket “Whinemaker” altered ,that won B/A class at the ’68 Springnationals.
I had mentioned to Dino that I went to the Strauss store when Pete and the old man ran it I was still in high school and I had a 40 chev 4 dr. with a 322″ Buick nailhead in it……It had a Mallory dual point conversion kit, an old Rodchester 4 barrel, dual exhaust with cutouts and an Ansen posi-shift 3 speed shifter……It was all from the Strauss store……Don Kauer
don-kauer.
dino