Gil's Mufflers
Northridge, CA
Photo courtesy Jim Rowe

Here's the old sign for Gil's Mufflers, which has been in business since 1955. Gil's is located on Roscoe Blvd just east of Reseda in Northridge.

in 1958, old man Gil put a set of glass packs on my '57 Ford Fairlane for $50 and torched the front springs for $2 each. In 1998, Gil's Son was still running the place and put a set of glass packs on my '62 Ranchero ... for $350. Many thanks to Jim Rowe for info. 11-08

UPDATE: A January 1956 racing program includes an advertisement for Gil’s Muffler Shop on Roscoe Boulevard, putting the business right in the middle of the Valley’s early hot-rodding days. The reported closure, demolition, and sign removal have not been confirmed, so this one can’t be counted among the lost treasures just yet. 10-26

Werk Bros Garage (Closed)
Pasadena, CA
Photo courtesy John King

Cadillac and LaSalle lettering gives Werk Bros Garage in Pasadena a welcome straight out of an earlier automotive era. Check out the old sign, where “Repair Specialists” lets motorists know what brought customers through the garage doors. LaSalle stopped building cars in 1940, but its name stuck around here considerably longer. 09-10

Designed by architect Trent Thomas and built in 1926, the garage recalls the days when this part of Green Street had plenty of company in the automotive business. Before today’s cars filled the streets, mechanics here were keeping an earlier generation of engines running.

UPDATE: The garage is reported to have been closed for years, although an exact closing date hasn’t been established. The building remains standing, with its automotive lettering preserving the old identity. The projecting sign is a later reproduction of an earlier design, keeping a little of the Werk Bros. roadside welcome around after the repair work ended. 10-26

Bells & Vaughn
Pasadena, CA
Photo courtesy Rod Holcomb

There’s more to look over than repaired cars at Bells & Vaughn in Pasadena. Check out the projecting neon sign, which gives the shop a roadside attraction of its own. A little old commercial lettering can make even a trip to the collision center worth a second look.

The business has served the area since 1946, while the sign appears to date to around 1955. Cars have changed quite a bit since then, but this marquee recalls the days of chrome bumpers, whitewalls, and neighborhood garages with signs that did more than simply list the business name. 11-10

UPDATE: Bells & Vaughn continues to operate as a collision repair shop, and its vintage neon sign is listed by Pasadena as an individual historic resource. Fortunately, this familiar piece of the automotive roadside has some recognition behind it. Here’s one old sign that earned a place in the city’s history. 10-26