The body of a 1935 Hupmobile covers this vehicle. on display in front of what will be the office of McClinton Painting.
On Wednesday night it looked as though a vacant store on Albany’s Pacific Boulevard had become a center for classic cars and hot rods. But the impression was wrong.
A reader had noticed the remodeling that’s been going on at the small building at 501 Pacific Blvd. S.W. She asked me what that was all about, so my Wednesday night bike ride took me there to take a photo and see what I could find out.
What I found was cars all over the place, along with car enthusiasts checking them out. The cars ranged from merely old to classic, and from works in progress to fully restored and gleaming.
The young people I asked what was going on told me they had come down from the Portland area for what amounted to a cruise-in whose main attraction was the presence of Rich Bosch of DEBOSS Garage. This is an Internet celebrity from Ontario, Canada, whose videos get 3 million views a month on YouTube.
Then I got to Travis McClinton, owner of McClinton Painting. As the name implies, the company does interior and exterior painting of commercial and residential buildings. And as it turns out, McClinton Painting has owned the property at 501 Pacific since buying it in May.
Travis, 30 years old, was born and grew up in Albany. He started the painting business six years ago. Now he has 30 employees. He told me the business has grown tremendously, to the point were it needs a bigger office.
Travis McClinton in the door of what will be his company’s new office.
The little building on Pacific — 1,440 square feet, according to the tax assessor — had once been a gas station and a convenience store. More recently it had been a second-hand retail space. And then it was vacant and for sale, finding no buyers until McClinton came along.
Now the place is getting remodeled inside and out.
McClinton Painting also owns and has fenced the vacant lot across 14th and plans to use it for storage. The company may eventually put a building there.
What’s with the cars, I wondered. Travis told me he’s held weekly cruise-ins for local car people, and when the famous Canadian garage crew was going to be coming through town, he offered the place as a venue for fans to meet. (hh)
This classic Morgan was one of the cars on display. It belongs to Travis’s Dad.
Sounds like fun. What day of the week and what times they sre holding the cruise in?
I think I heard him say Thursday nights, but I wasnt sure enough to include that. Better call him.
That’s the former site of Art Coffee’s gas station for many, many years. At times, in the early spring on sunny days, he’d sit out on a lawn chair with a shield around his face & “sun bath”. He’d do minor car repairs & sure would “pump” Ethel!! A good Albany businessman. He’d fit right in with those car guys.
Possibly they could resurrect it aka the weekly event in Shedd that passed on a couple of years ago…
OooNo Ray…ya talking about the “cruising” we put up with in the ’70’s on Clay St between Bi-Mart & Fred Meyer!!?? Would Bi-Mart put up with it now ??!! If Shedd has passed it on maybe Albany should keep up the “cruising” theme!! Now where??