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View Full Version : Home and Auto Western Auto Comes Back to Life!

gblowfish
07-01-2018, 11:44 AM
Iconic cool sign on top of the old Western Auto Building near Crown Center will come back to life on July 13th. The building itself is condos now. The building is semi-circular, and sits next to the Amtrak line coming into Union Station. The sign lit up the KC skyline for years. Now it'll be back to its original glory. I love stuff like this. Looking forward to seeing it powered back up!
Bowser
07-01-2018, 11:45 AM
Nice
stevieray
07-01-2018, 11:58 AM
Downtown is on fire.
Simply Red
07-01-2018, 12:19 PM
Downtown is on fire.

oh no! where?
stevieray
07-01-2018, 12:38 PM
oh no! where?

everywhere...lofts in vintage spaces, luxury apts, etc...and more being built.

It's a hot spot for sure.
OrtonsPiercedTaint
07-01-2018, 12:43 PM
Whoa
This predates Jon Gruden :eek:
Simply Red
07-01-2018, 12:44 PM
everywhere...lofts in vintage spaces, luxury apts, etc...and more being built.

It's a hot spot for sure.

Gotcha I was hoping that's what you'd meant - I hear even Lee's Summit is practically unrecognizable after all these years - I lived in LS for 2 yrs or so - maybe 3 in the late eighties.
gblowfish
07-01-2018, 12:50 PM
Not sure why they picked Friday the 13th to light the sign. I would have done it on the 14th...
Bowser
07-01-2018, 01:11 PM
Is Keitzman still part owner of that building?
splatbass
07-02-2018, 12:16 AM
Cool, I remember that sign when I was a kid.
Eleazar
07-02-2018, 05:24 AM
It seems a little weird to be nostalgic for an advertisement, esp one promoting a company that hasn't existed for a long time.
HemiEd
07-02-2018, 05:54 AM
It seems a little weird to be nostalgic for an advertisement, esp one promoting a company that hasn't existed for a long time.Fond memories of Western Auto. It was my Dad's go to store.

My first bike was a "Western Flyer" and the mower he bought me to go into business at 9 was a "Wizard." Lots of Wizard stuff around the house.
loochy
07-02-2018, 07:35 AM
oh no! where?

Chicago, 1871
Posted via Mobile Device
SuperBowl4
07-02-2018, 07:54 AM
Did TRUMP have anything to do with this? First jobs. Now signs! Like Charlie Sheen says - WINNING!
SuperBowl4
07-02-2018, 07:55 AM
Not sure why they picked Friday the 13th to light the sign. I would have done it on the 14th...July 4th would have been ideal
ROYC75
07-02-2018, 01:30 PM
I recall as a kid my ran his daily pick up and delivery to the small towns south of KC. He would PU supplies for the local Western Auto stores in Louisburg, Paola,& Osawatomie.

The days of taking orders of 10 - 15 PU's, then watching him drive around town, East Bottoms,West Bottoms,NKC,parts of Midtown, then come back to a local shared dock on the west side of the Kaw to PU orders other trucking companies dropped off that we didn't PU. We would leave town daily around 2 to start making deliveries on our way home to Louisburg.
stevieray
07-02-2018, 08:52 PM
Fond memories of Western Auto. It was my Dad's go to store.

My first bike was a "Western Flyer" and the mower he bought me to go into business at 9 was a "Wizard." Lots of Wizard stuff around the house.

That was a sweet bike!

STP stickers!
stevieray
07-02-2018, 08:55 PM
...
Baby Lee
07-02-2018, 08:59 PM
I recall as a kid my ran his daily pick up and delivery to the small towns south of KC. He would PU supplies for the local Western Auto stores in Louisburg, Paola,& Osawatomie.

The days of taking orders of 10 - 15 PU's, then watching him drive around town, East Bottoms,West Bottoms,NKC,parts of Midtown, then come back to a local shared dock on the west side of the Kaw to PU orders other trucking companies dropped off that we didn't PU. We would leave town daily around 2 to start making deliveries on our way home to Louisburg.

My first car inspection was at the Western Auto on Main in Belton.
The car I got inspected was the 69 Nova me and my dad completely rebuilt.
The Western Flyer wagon I got as a kid was where my 283 with a TH350 sat from when we pulled it from another car when I was 12 or so until we put it on the engine stand to rebuild when I was 15. Since then it has held a 400 w/o a transmission off the ground that my dad has 'been meaning' to rebuild forever. Needless to say, the old wagon sags a bit these days. The engine stand holds his LT1 that came in HIS 69 Nova SS he bought new, completely restored like a museum piece [the engine, not the entire car, . . . yet].
SuperBowl4
07-03-2018, 07:31 AM
Rooms at the WESTIN at Crown Center are going at $170 July 13th for the Western Auto light it back up night :clap:
Valiant
07-03-2018, 11:13 AM
Who ended up paying for it?

Last I heard owners were taking money from Tennant's for it but then said the city should fix it. That ownership group got a steal on that building so hopefully the city is not paying on it's upkeep.
displacedinMN
07-03-2018, 12:38 PM
Watch Back to the Future and see how many of those companies ARE NOT in business anymore. Western Auto is one. Even the 2015 BTTF.

They refurbed the Grain Belt sign here. But there is still Grain Belt Beer.

https://cbsminnesota.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/grain-belt-sign-relit.jpg?w=768&h=432
Kiimo
07-03-2018, 05:01 PM
If I still lived in KC I'd definitely be moving downtown.

You can keep your Top Golf Suburbs, I've had enough of that for one lifetime.




edit:

Did TRUMP have anything to do with this? First jobs. Now signs! Like Charlie Sheen says - WINNING!

https://media.giphy.com/media/9G3wg7lH5DpxC/giphy.gif
lcarus
07-03-2018, 06:16 PM
My next door neighbor was a big wig with Western Auto back in the day. That sign definitely rocks. Always the first thing to catch my eye going up I-35
seclark
07-03-2018, 08:13 PM
Fond memories of Western Auto. It was my Dad's go to store.

My first bike was a "Western Flyer" and the mower he bought me to go into business at 9 was a "Wizard." Lots of Wizard stuff around the house.

we got the buzz bike w/the banana seat. then "find" wrecked parts and hack-saw off the forks and make choppers. a little imagination...
sec
SuperBowl4
07-03-2018, 08:14 PM
If I still lived in KC I'd definitely be moving downtown.

You can keep your Top Golf Suburbs, I've had enough of that for one lifetime.




edit:



https://media.giphy.com/media/9G3wg7lH5DpxC/giphy.gifEnjoy your 100+ degree weather this weekend
Bugeater
07-03-2018, 09:10 PM
Watch Back to the Future and see how many of those companies ARE NOT in business anymore. Western Auto is one. Even the 2015 BTTF.

They refurbed the Grain Belt sign here. But there is still Grain Belt Beer.

https://cbsminnesota.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/grain-belt-sign-relit.jpg?w=768&h=432
I don't know why because the stuff is awful. I bought a 6 pack once and couldn't even finish one of them.