The Wrong Phone Number for Speed

By Charlie Hutson

In 1965, I was building a front motor dragster. I had purchased a frame and front axle out of Drag News and needed some front spindles. The axle was set up for Anglia spindles and I was having a hard time finding some. I decided to call Don Tuttle at California Custom Chassis to see if he had some he would sell me. I was living in Fullerton at the time and I gave him a call, so I thought.

I dialed the phone number 213 --- ----. A voice answered and mumbled something about speed so I thought I had the right number. I asked if he had any Anglia spindles and he said yes, he had some and they were $75.00. So I asked him, "What time do you close?" He told me at 5 P.M. I glanced at the clock and it was a little after 3 P.M. I told him I was driving a distance to get there and asked if he would wait for me. He said, "Wait for you? It's after 6 P.M. now!" He asked me where I was calling from and I said Fullerton. He said, "Fullerton? You have called the only speed shop in Brooklyn, New York."

I had inadvertently dialed 212 instead of the 213 area code. The phone numbers for the only speed shop in Brooklyn and Don Tuttle's shop were nearly the same -- the only difference was the 2 and the 3 in the area code!

Charlie Hutson
Dirtyoldfatman@aol.com