From shirtless national record runs, fistfights with NHRA officials and some questionable German paint schemes, the Knoch family’s Walt’s Auto Supply has been riling up the drag racing community for over half a century. And now it’s for sale.

Walter Knoch, Sr. first opened the two bay garage facing Van Born Road on New Year’s Day, 1939. After World War II, the parts store was open for business, supplying the growing number of Detroit area rodders with their speed part fix.

“My mother worked the parts store,” Wally Knoch, Jr. remembers. “I would too, because I was too lazy to study law at the time.”

One day in 1956, Wally came home from school to find his 1937 Ford had gone missing. Confused, his mother reported that it was at the parts store.

“While I was at school, he had hoisted the body was above the frame, dropped a Hemi in it and welded welded in a roll bar!” Wally said. “My dad built the race cars, I just drove them.”

In addition to housing the legendaryWalt’s Puffers race team, plenty of big names have made their way through the doors of the shop.

“Garlits would come here during the Nationals,” Wally said. “One time my dad came up to him and said ‘That’s not how you put together a motor!’”

Garlits wasn’t the only legend subject to the Knoch’s humor.

“When I was allowed back into the NHRA [with the roadster painted on the shop’s outside wall], I had a German Eagle painted on it,” Wally said. “In one claw was Borsch’s roadster, and in the other was a blonde. With that and the iron cross on the fuel tank, nobody would bother us in the pits.”

The fading pair of larger-than-life Walt’s Puffer altereds painted on the North wall point directly back to the building’s racing history, but it’s important not to overlook its speed shop roots.

“It was the biggest parts store around,” Wally said. “We had times where people were lined up out the door.”

Walt’s Auto Supply closed its doors about five years ago due to stocking issues.

Mirroring much of the Detroit area, what lies ahead is uncertain. But one thing is for sure—an immense amount of Midwestern hot rodding history has taken place within the confines of those walls. And for the right price, you could write the next chapter in the Walt’s Auto Supply story.

-Joey Ukrop 

Jack Chrisman’s ’29 Model A Tudor: Von Dutch-striped, both Flathead and Hemi powered, and A/Fuel Coupe and Sedan class champion in 1954. This little A was listed in Hot Rod magazine’s “Top 100 Hot Rods That Changed the World”.

Mystery ’32 Tudor: This one was posted by ‘Cut55′, and I wish I knew more about who owned it. It’s obviously a later 50s build, fenders with chrome welting, white wheel wells, and a nicely louvered hood. This car just works really well for me overall.

Bob Stewart’s ’32 Ford Victoria: Car Craft cover car for April 1959, listed as one of the best Street Sedans. The ruby red full-fendered Deuce Vicky featured a clean and healthy chop by Bean Bandit Joaquin Arnett.

Chet Herbert ’32 Sedan: Butane-burning, 270 GMC-powered, and featured 25 coats of black lacquer paint. This fender-less highboy 4 door sedan with handicap controls was a cool and very unusual site in the early 50s hot rodding world.

First Place:

1. A $1000 gift certificate from Baileigh Industrial. And if you are smart, you will spend it on the brand spanking new (not even out yet) English Wheel that Shane nearly lost his sanity on. It’s going to be a game changer… Seriously. In fact, from what I understand this new wheel is going to change the metal shaping industry entirely. (more details below)

What’s that? You don’t know how to use an english wheel? No sweat – just get your ass to Baileigh in May for their world famous and free metal shaping class. You’ll be glad ya did.

2. A $250 gift certificate from EMS Auto. You need sheet metal – they got sheet metal… some of the best in the business.

Second Place:

1. A $250 gift certificate from EMS Auto.

2. A free set of drive shaft headers for a small block chevy from our good pals at Gear Drive.

3. A $100 gift certificate from the world famous SoCal Speed Shop Sacramento.

Third Place:

1. A $250 gift certificate from EMS Auto.

2. A hand made clock made from the legendary and dearly beloved “Da Tinman.”

Fourth Place:

1. A $250 gift certificate from EMS Auto.

2. A free t-shirt from Kelly’s Hot Rod Parts.

……

Don’t delay fellas… Get your vote on RIGHT HERE!

From the photos, however, I’ve been fascinated by three things:

1. Look at how Mr. Delarm managed the upholstery up and around the rear deck. The way the mini tonneau seamlessly intersects the seat back is so damned graceful. Brilliant.

2. The windshield. This could have gone so wrong… But the fact that he used the windshield sanctions and got the angle of attack right makes him a hero in my mind. This is, after all, a “sportscar.”

3. The dash. I love the dash. Perfect for such a car.

Usually, off-brand hot rods just look weird to me. It’s not that I’m some sort of Ford elitist, it’s just that I’m not used to the lines of many of these early bodies and that unfamiliarity often breeds some weird sort of contempt. That was never the case with this little Dodge though and think it’s because of the car’s compact wheel base and low stance. Of course, the attention hogging 341-inch DeSoto doesn’t hurt either…

The car was owned by Frank Wusz and the April, 1961 issue of Hot Rod Magazine says it was a family build. Oddly and although the car is shot on the strip, no mention is made of it’s performance. You gotta think it hauled ass though, right?

Editor’s note: The cover shot shows this car was painted a bright red. I damn the 1990′s for ruining that color for so many… It really does suit the look of speed and I believe red is completely underused today.

(Did I ever tell you about the time he dropped a small rock down into the belly of my motorcycles exhaust system?)

I have a thing for both roadster pickups and W-motors… Always have. Chevrolet’s weird motor from the past just looks so complicated, modern, and mechanical to me. It’s always been my favorite (in appearance) GM motor.  And when you stuff one into a little roadster pickup with a viscous rake and swept lake pipes and…

Loose the rear-fenders, chill out with the upholstery, and then call it done. That’s what I would do.

Twelve-second quarter miles to boot!