Bill Thomas stuff - Page 3

sYc · #21 03-10-2007, 03:16 AM

Looks like Fullerton on this racer.

**Stefano** · #22 03-10-2007, 04:13 AM

Ronnie Kaplan the Crew Chief for Nickey's road race operations which started in 57/58 had told me that Bill's shop was initially in Fullerton prior to Anaheim.

Kaplan,Thomas and Yunick all knew each other and were key players, as GMs back door engineering dept. These guys had direct access to GM facilites and parts.

Ronnie would personally inspect mass produced parts on the assembly line and hand pick the ones he was going to use on his cars.

Any dealer who worked with Hi-Performance Cars and parts in the area would have known of Bill Thomas. Especially if it had to do with Drag Racing.

mbxlesney · #23 03-10-2007, 04:33 AM

Hi Bruce.......I dug up an old Post card for Cone Bros and found the they were on 215 N Los Angeles St. which I believe later on changed the name to Anaheim Blvd. I may have the 2 addresses mixed up. I was thinking they may have moved to Euclid from some info I got from a Anaheim resident years ago but they could have been mistakin also. My memory does not work as good as it used to. I wish I would have written down some of my research findings. Cool ad Tom I have that original Hurst ad from the day. Here is a pic of Mr Cone (Bill Thomas affiliation) who also was a President of Orange County Int. Raceway.

mbxlesney · #24 03-10-2007, 04:39 AM

Bruce..... Here is a pic of a Cone Bros License plate frame from Anaheim.

**Rainer** · #25 03-10-2007, 07:24 AM

Kim - Thanks for the info and resurrecting this post. Interesting that you have info showing Cone Bros at that address. Any idea what year that would have been? I have a 70 Chevelle built June of 1970, and the dealer it was shipped to according to the build sheet was Vern Trider. The Vern Trider address on the sheet is the same as what you listed for Cone Bros - 215 N. Anaheim Blvd.

A while back on Team Chevelle I asked for any info on Vern Trider. One member in Garden Grove thought that the current Anaheim Chevy, located on 215 S. Euclid St., was previously Woody Chevy and then Vern Trider prior to that. However, when I contacted someone at Anaheim Chevy, they said that the dealership used to be called Southland Chevy.

We need some long-time So Cal locals to help us sort this out

**Xplantdad** · #26 03-10-2007, 08:03 AM

[ QUOTE ]
A while back on Team Chevelle I asked for any info on Vern Trider. One member in Garden Grove thought that the current Anaheim Chevy, located on 215 S. Euclid St., was previously Woody Chevy and then Vern Trider prior to that. However, when I contacted someone at Anaheim Chevy, they said that the dealership used to be called Southland Chevy.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
We need some long-time So Cal locals to help us sort this out

[/ QUOTE ]

Let's see if I can help you out...
It was all of those above at the 215 S. Euclid location

I think Cone Bros was on Anaheim Blvd...near old downtown Anaheim...there was a sucession of dealerships that used that address...Cone Bros, Hardin Olds before they moved elsewhere. That location was a few used car lots while I was in high school...and the eventually became BB&H Auto parts (they had a full service engine shop) That's where I had my Novas big block hot tanked, bored, etc....

I lived in Anaheim from 1973-2002...and a few times before that. I lived about 1 1/2 miles from Vern Trider/Southland/Woody/Anaheim Chevrolet. There's a great mexican food restaurant about a block away called MexiCasa....

I worked at Hardin Olds on Anaheim Blvd...after they moved to their more recent location.

My best friends mom still lives in her house less than two blocks from the 215 S. Euclid location...

**Xplantdad** · #27 03-10-2007, 08:23 AM

Here's the location...actually the red roofed building inside near the top of the white marked square is an Arby's...so that's technically not part of the dealership...LOL

Neither is the field to the left of the Arby's...

**Rainer** · #28 03-10-2007, 08:24 AM

One long-time So Cal local to the rescue - thanks Bruce!

Here's a license plate frame that will adorn my Trider-sold car once its restored

**Xplantdad** · #29 03-10-2007, 08:25 AM

Oh, and by the way

Cone Chevrolet Fullerton's slogan was:

[ QUOTE ]
Your car has a home when you buy from Cone.

[/ QUOTE ]

**Xplantdad** · #30 03-10-2007, 08:27 AM

Rainer...Cool...I remember those by the hundreds...those and Eddie Hopper Garden Grove...Cone Chevrolet in Fullerton, Etc!

Next time I go out to visit...I'll see what I can find...

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