reamer Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Bowens Garage, Eastford, CT Has been around since the beginning of time (Henry was there) Sells maybe 2 cars/trucks a month. Yet is on the hot list for Top-of-the-line Mustangs. and has a different color Cobra on the floor just about every month. Original wood floor 3-bay garage, yet one the few east-coast Mustang modifier packages known as Juggernaut. Has all the service books and Micro Fiche along with current computer software and network. original sign.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1986F150Six Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Hmmm... very neat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rembrant Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Bowens Garage, Eastford, CT Hey Reamer, Do you live close to this place? I stay in Sturbridge MA on work trips once in a while, just a few miles north of there (I think). I actually don't know how old any of the Ford dealers are near me. The one in the small town I grew up in has been there for a long long time, I know that much. It's a small dealer, unexciting as any to look at;). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reamer Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 Bowens Garage, Eastford, CT Hey Reamer, Do you live close to this place? I stay in Sturbridge MA on work trips once in a while, just a few miles north of there (I think). I actually don't know how old any of the Ford dealers are near me. The one in the small town I grew up in has been there for a long long time, I know that much. It's a small dealer, unexciting as any to look at;). HI Rembrant I live about 17 miles from Sturbridge. Bring yourself and the truck by sometime! (if you can) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rembrant Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 HI Rembrant I live about 17 miles from Sturbridge. Bring yourself and the truck by sometime! (if you can) That's a 700 mile trip for me one way, so if I can get the old f150 to the point where I'd be confident to take it that far, I surely would;). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85lebaront2 Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 HI Rembrant I live about 17 miles from Sturbridge. Bring yourself and the truck by sometime! (if you can) That's a 700 mile trip for me one way, so if I can get the old f150 to the point where I'd be confident to take it that far, I surely would;). Damn, I couldn't tell you for sure, it was Doughty motors then something else and now Kool Ford Showroom holds 2 vehicles and service dept. has only 4 bays. I will have to ask next time I am up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetesPonies Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 Damn, I couldn't tell you for sure, it was Doughty motors then something else and now Kool Ford Showroom holds 2 vehicles and service dept. has only 4 bays. I will have to ask next time I am up there. When I was a kid, my best friend's dad owned the local Ford dealership. His father had started it in the early 1900s. He knew Henry Ford. When I got out of college, maybe a year or two later, the Ford dealership was sold. There was a huge vintage inventory upstairs in the old building. The friend's father offered it to me. He only wanted $1500 for everything. At that time, $1500 might as well been $150,000. It made me sick to let it go, something I still think about. There was a huge neon Ford sign as well. Lots of old sheet metal, parts in boxes that you could have spent a week solid opening up and figuring what they were :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reamer Posted January 11, 2018 Author Share Posted January 11, 2018 When I was a kid, my best friend's dad owned the local Ford dealership. His father had started it in the early 1900s. He knew Henry Ford. When I got out of college, maybe a year or two later, the Ford dealership was sold. There was a huge vintage inventory upstairs in the old building. The friend's father offered it to me. He only wanted $1500 for everything. At that time, $1500 might as well been $150,000. It made me sick to let it go, something I still think about. There was a huge neon Ford sign as well. Lots of old sheet metal, parts in boxes that you could have spent a week solid opening up and figuring what they were :( Over the years, I've gotten to know Steve Bowen pretty well. Very quiet guy, I knew his dad too, Spencer. I have said "Steve I need two new locking hubs for my '86 F-150. Any idea where I can get them?" he walks into the parts section and hands them to me..."$40.00 he says. "Next time make it a challenge for me" he says...... Soooo I came back one time and said "Steve" I need the Ranger package stripes for my '76 Bronco".... I thought I had him, but nope, comes out of the attic with them. hands them to me with a big smile..... O.K. the game is on,....... "Steve. I got you this time,... I need a new front axle for my '48 F-5......... His reply?...... "A Ford two wheel drive or a Marmon-Harrington 4x4 front" (you got to be sh**ing me!) Nope he had them. Alright time to double down, ""Steve, I heard Ford made grill guards for the '48 F-5 that wrapped around the headlights......."50bucks, in the basement" ......Damn, he's good! Now before all you out there think your gonna get something out of him, it took me @ 10 years for me to get him to open-up. I've seen him tell others plain-out NO! (one of them was you Chuck if your out there) (He calls his stash his "retirement fund") I believe he has quite a few car-show quality 60's and 70's Mustangs, cause he beings them to the car shows with me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 Over the years, I've gotten to know Steve Bowen pretty well. Very quiet guy, I knew his dad too, Spencer. I have said "Steve I need two new locking hubs for my '86 F-150. Any idea where I can get them?" he walks into the parts section and hands them to me..."$40.00 he says. "Next time make it a challenge for me" he says...... Soooo I came back one time and said "Steve" I need the Ranger package stripes for my '76 Bronco".... I thought I had him, but nope, comes out of the attic with them. hands them to me with a big smile..... O.K. the game is on,....... "Steve. I got you this time,... I need a new front axle for my '48 F-5......... His reply?...... "A Ford two wheel drive or a Marmon-Harrington 4x4 front" (you got to be sh**ing me!) Nope he had them. Alright time to double down, ""Steve, I heard Ford made grill guards for the '48 F-5 that wrapped around the headlights......."50bucks, in the basement" ......Damn, he's good! Now before all you out there think your gonna get something out of him, it took me @ 10 years for me to get him to open-up. I've seen him tell others plain-out NO! (one of them was you Chuck if your out there) (He calls his stash his "retirement fund") I believe he has quite a few car-show quality 60's and 70's Mustangs, cause he beings them to the car shows with me.... Cool stuff! I enjoy reading this, but have nothing to contribute as my dealership is fairly new. But Chris or Numberdummy/Bill could tell us of dealerships they found on their trip to Oklahoma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctubutis Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 Cool stuff! I enjoy reading this, but have nothing to contribute as my dealership is fairly new. My local dealership is also fairly new, used to be Courtesy Ford in the 70s and is now an Auto Nation thing. But Chris or Numberdummy/Bill could tell us of dealerships they found on their trip to Oklahoma. Hmmm...... according to Bill, we stopped at 23 dealerships - way too many to remember. But I have some pictures from a place in Texas we stopped at: And there's this place near OKC as I remember - I think Gary said he's seen it but never noticed the glass: And then this place, I guess it's called Harlan Ford (now relocated in a new building a few blocks away): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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