Archer Ford Rochester New York

[Henry Floored]

Hey guys I've posted a pic of the Ford dealership where I got my start a while ago, but I thought you might like to see a few more. These pics were sent to me as a Christmas present from the grandson of the founder of Archer Ford, Steven Archer. Wow what a surprise! My father was parts manager here and I started working for him as a very young teenager. The dealership looked very much the same in the 1970's as it does here in the pictures from the `30's through the `50's. Hope you enjoy them.

[Vic Piano]

Very cool Mike, I love the parts department photo. Happy New Year! Vic

[flat-v8]

Awesome pics thanks!

[cushman man]

Thanks for a touch of class this morning. Love the pictures.

[ken ct]

Great pics thanks Mike. ken ct.

[Henry Floored]

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Thanks guys. The coolest feature of the dealership deco, in my opinion,was the neon archer pulling back his bow, releasing his arrow it would travel down the building till it hit the "bullseye" which was the Genuine Ford Parts sign. That would light up brightly showing that the archer hit his mark. It was quite impressive and unforgetable. One of the neatest neon displays I have seen. Oh the memories....

[TagMan]

I very well remember the Archer's arrow winging its way to the parts sign! As a kid I was fascinated by it and begged my father to drive slowly by it every time we went that way, so I could watch it as long as possible.

Thanks for the memories.........

[TStiles]

A great look back. The photos rekindle positive memories for me. Many thanks for sharing.

[40cpe]

Neat pictures. It must have been a thriving business, being open 24 hours.

Is the building gone now?

[Barry-ct]

As an ex-Ford Parts manager, I'm partial to the Parts dept photo and the line of Ford trucks photo. I worked at Berlin auto sales in Berlin, Ct. and we had a long curved parts counter in that art deco style. They ruined it by closing it all in except one small opening. But anyway, thanks for the great pics!

[Joe AZ]

Great Photos........would have loved to see all of that neon lit up at night..........
Joe

[flathead34]

Where was Archer Ford in Rochester?? We spent 32 years living in Greece, NY. Thanks, Mike

[chuck stevens]

Great pic's Mike, that was back when living in NY was real nice. I guess everything has to change, Happy New Year, Chuck S.

[svm99]

Thank you for posting, the lineup of a F-Series pickup and trucks is great. Love the "Lubritorium", I've never heard that term used before.
Have a happy New Year! Paul J.

[Henry Floored]

Originally Posted by flathead34

Where was Archer Ford in Rochester?? We spent 32 years living in Greece, NY. Thanks, Mike

Archer Ford and then later known as Fred Walker Ford was located on Monroe Ave directly accross from Monroe High School in the city. BTW I'll be in Greece NY in about two weeks. Brrrr!!

[Fibber Mcgee]

I guess the same thing happened to buildings that happened to cars. The style is gone , that building is a work of art just like our cars. If the 30s were art deco I guess todays style would be considered " functional" . Its sad you have to look to the past to find beauty.

[Steves46]

Great photos Mike and I love the neon signs. Happy New Year to you and your family. Steve

[Carl]

...thanks for sharing those pics. That was a very fancy place. Any one of those signs would be worth a fortune. Is the place still there?...no, don't tell me.

[Henry Floored]

Thanks and Happy New Year to all. Unfortunately Carl the place is all gone to make way for parking for a hospital that was located behind it. There is as big a hole in my heart as there is in this property. Meant alot to me and was a place that I shared many fond memories, bonding and learning experiences with my dad.

[flatford8]

Awesome pics !!! I can look at old photos like that all day. The last photo or one very similar is sold on eBay......Mark

[Dick C]

I used to get my gas there $.33 a gallon.

[raceron1120]

Wow, great pictures from years gone by. As another former Ford Parts Manager, I also especially enjoy that view of the parts counter. Unfortunately for me, I was born a bit too late to work at any dealerships in the 40s or 50s but some of the buildings I was in dated back to that period. However, none of them were even close in looks or design to the one in your pictures. Sadly and like yours, all of the older buildings I worked in are gone now too - signs of 'progress' I guess.

Thanks for posting those images, I will share them with another former parts manager. Great memories!

[Henry Floored]

Originally Posted by Dick C

I used to get my gas there $.33 a gallon.

Hey Dick, by chance did you know my father, "Howie" Thompson? He worked there for both Mr. Archer and then later Fred Walker. He was there about 25 years, the first few as a parts counterman then he became parts manager. He was pretty well known and frankly beloved by his coworkers and customers. He was a hard worker and a happy person and just an in general great guy. I remember lots of things, like going to work real early with my dad in the winter to make sure the driveways were clear of snow. If not we'd fire up the plow and get to it. So many formative and educational memories, in fact my own Ford dealership career lasted about 25 years and I was able to raise my family pretty well using skills and knowledge I learned right here at this place. Very good experiences.

[Mary]

My father was Fred Walker and he bought the dealership in 1965 when I was 10. I have many memories of that place. When I was a teen I worked in the front office. Fred died in 2001after a series of strokes. I remember Mr. Thompson and Marv Maimone.

[50fordcoupeman]

Great photos!! Especially like the 51 Fords in the showroom.

[J Witt]

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Sure enjoyed the photos, Mike.

Did the Mobilgas station morph into the Archer station with that pagoda style tile roof?

Some of the background detail is fun to look at. All those thirties and forties cars mixed in with the late models!

John

[FortyNiner]

Originally Posted by Mary

My father was Fred Walker and he bought the dealership in 1965 when I was 10. I have many memories of that place. When I was a teen I worked in the front office. Fred died in 2001after a series of strokes. I remember Mr. Thompson and Marv Maimone.

Thanks for joining the discussion. It is interesting how frequently these forums allow connections to the past to be renewed. Should you have any pics of the dealership, we would happily drool over them as well.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by J Witt

Sure enjoyed the photos, Mike.

Did the Mobilgas station morph into the Archer station with that pagoda style tile roof? John

The station began with the pagoda-style roof as a Mobil brand as can be seen in the picture with '35 Fords in the showroom. If you look at the pic below, you'll see the lower, white Mobilgas "Pegasus" sign on the four gasoline pumps. The modern Mobil station shows much later Fords and Buick. DD



White Mobilgas Pegasas sign on left pump.

[J Witt]

I have a couple of HO scale fifties gas stations left from a previous model railroad. I always thought the stations were interesting. Thanks fpr the added details.

John

[Henry Floored]

Originally Posted by Mary

My father was Fred Walker and he bought the dealership in 1965 when I was 10. I have many memories of that place. When I was a teen I worked in the front office. Fred died in 2001after a series of strokes. I remember Mr. Thompson and Marv Maimone.

Hi Mary! I remember you! I used to mow your mom and dad's lawn. I can't believe you found this here.

You might remember my mom Bruna. She was Italian and was very good friends with your mom.

Also remember your brother Steve.

Wow so many memories from those days.

[Henry Floored]

Originally Posted by Mary

My father was Fred Walker and he bought the dealership in 1965 when I was 10. I have many memories of that place. When I was a teen I worked in the front office. Fred died in 2001after a series of strokes. I remember Mr. Thompson and Marv Maimone.

Mary it would be wonderful if you had some pics or stories to share. Your parents had a great place and it was a treasure to the Rochester area and the folks that worked there and did business there.

My father held your father in high esteem and as a result we heard many good stories and examples of his leadership. He was a good man to his employees Mary. We owe a debt of gratitude for all the good years.

[tubman]

Great pictures! What I find most interesting is that in the shot of the showroom, NONE of the cars have whitewall tires, not even that snazzy convertible in the foreground.

[1937pickup]

Loved the pictures, I find it interesting that Archer Ford had 24 hour service back in the day, talk about service. Once again showing everything new is old.

[Henry Floored]

Hey gang this Ford dealership was not the largest in Rochester but second to none in service.

I can't overstate what a good group of people went into making this place what it was.

This was for example a time when you could approach the parts counter and the employee could walk you through the ins and outs of anything on your vehicle.

These were true "Ford people". It was back during a time when a fella or lady took a lot of pride in the products they represented.

None of this here today gone down the street tomorrow stuff.

[Joe777]

Wow! Great pics and great story to go along with them. Thank you for sharing them. Sometimes I really wish we could turn back the clock.

[5851a]

That does look like a great place to work. Neon is fantastic. It would be good for everyone to take a trip back in time.

[Henry Floored]

Good morning gang. Happy New Year!

Since this thread came back around yesterday it got me to thinking about my time in the parts dept.

For the folks unfamiliar with the Ford parts numbering system I'd like to point out that there is a secret code to it which is a road map to identifying what a part might be.

As we might notice there are three parts to a Ford part number. The prefix, the base number, and the suffix.

We always start with the base number like 1007 which is a wheel, or 3111 which is a king pin set, or 6303 which is a crankshaft.

Now with those in mind let's do a few others like 1130 which is a wheel cover. A 3600 is a steering wheel and lastly a 6019 which is a timing gear cover.

Notice anything? That's right, those are groups categorized by the 1000's group assigned to each system.

Put another way the 1000 group is wheels and hubs, the 2000 group is the braking system. The 3000 group is all steering. The 4000 group which is the rear axle or differential group. This goes on up through the whole vehicle.

Now as things progress up and you get into "body shell structure" Ford did another really cool thing.

In the body shell they were in the five digits like 27840 which happens to represent a passenger side 1/4 panel. A 27841 would be a driver's side 1/4 panel.

The cool part is Ford placed a "body style" number before the number to identify what style it was intended for. For example a passenger side 1/4 panel for a 4 door car would be "54"27840 or a driver's side for a coupe would read 6527841 and so on.

So as you can see there is "code" in the Ford parts numbering system. One point I would like drive home is the casting number in say a trans case or the stamping number on a door latch IS NOT the "parts number". Confused?

Well I assure you that Ford was not trying to confuse anyone. Let me explain. The numbers that appear directly on the parts themselves, not the packaging, are collectively called "engineering numbers".

These are the actual blueprint numbers assigned to the particular part by the engineering department during the design phase. These engineering numbers directly correlate with the "parts number" assigned to that exact after it passes through engineering and is released for public consumption.

These engineering numbers are the ones we Flathead enthusiasts will encounter while working on our cars or scouring the swap meets or junkyards.

DON'T SWEAT IT! Think of it as the engineering number on the actual part as the language for we restorers to use while the part number on the box or wrapper is the language that the parts division speaks in.

To use an analogy it would be like a person from Boston speaking to a person from Alabama. They would understand each other but the wording is slightly different to suit a purpose.

A Ford parts person will take a number like (making this up) D1AE- 6010-AA and identity that and sell you a D1AZ-6010-A. See how close they are? Notice the engineering prefix ends in "E" and the part number prefix ends in "Z"? That Z simply means a fully engineered part released for sale to the general public.

By the way that number D1AZ-6010-A that I made up would be a bare cylinder block.

The "D1" part would mean it was conceived in 1971. The "A" represents the "big car" line like LTD or Galaxy. The "Z" means released to the public part.

Finally that "A" all the way at the end, well that means first design. If that particular part were revised it would probably indicate that with a "B" or even "C" for a third revision.

So anyhoo, I hope this sheds some light on what many people think is confusing and over complicated. In my humble opinion Ford had one of the best parts systems in the business.

This information may help you when you try to decipher casting or stamping numbers on our old Fords.

[1942deluxe]

The Ford dealer in my home town(Albion PA.) was Harris & Segeant which was in business from 1907-1990. A.W. Sergeant started a dealership in Rochester New York in 1908. I have an ashtray with a picture of it I would say from 1953. It was Called Sergeant Motor Corporation. The building was located at 727 East main Street. From Google maps that building is still standing? Any idea when they went out or change hands? From what I remember the Sergeant family used to come down to Albion once a year to review the operation. The one year they sent a letter back with the following advice: "Sell more cars, parts, and Service. Make more money when you do". Well if it was that easy...Does anybody remember what Dave Nagle's Ford dealership was like that sponsored Maynard Troyer's Ford race cars? Love the pictures!

[Brendan]

that Looked bloke a kool place to work! if they ever get a Time Machine, i would go back to 1946 and go there and get a job. i bet a mechanic could make a good living back then. also i would grab a 1946 woman!

[Henry Floored]

Originally Posted by 1942deluxe

The Ford dealer in my home town(Albion PA.) was Harris & Segeant which was in business from 1907-1990. A.W. Sergeant started a dealership in Rochester New York in 1908. I have an ashtray with a picture of it I would say from 1953. It was Called Sergeant Motor Corporation. The building was located at 727 East main Street. From Google maps that building is still standing? Any idea when they went out or change hands? From what I remember the Sergeant family used to come down to Albion once a year to review the operation. The one year they sent a letter back with the following advice: "Sell more cars, parts, and Service. Make more money when you do". Well if it was that easy...Does anybody remember what Dave Nagle's Ford dealership was like that sponsored Maynard Troyer's Ford race cars? Love the pictures!

Hi there! Thanks for the input. Now I'm curious, going to check out Seargeant Motors. I lived in that vicinity. Thank you for that. I'm gonna look at Google Maps and check it out when I go back home soon.

I do remember Nagle Ford. Not vividly though. Maynard Troyer had his racing operation right there at the dealership. I did a couple parts inventories there with my dad. I was a youngster.

That was only a couple years after Troyer set the record for number of flips (18 I think) at Daytona which still stands I believe. They were still talking about it when I was there.

Lol lots of memories

[twostickmutt]

henry his flip is on U-tube. i just watched it. WOW !!!!!!

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Great photos'. Looks like those 2 car salesman have got that poor woman in the twin spinner convertible cornered.....she won't be getting away without buying.

GB

Ps: Those with a personal connection to the place, I'm not being a smart bugger (tongue in cheek)...with what you've said about the place the lady was probably going to get a "good deal". Thanks for posting your memories, this is another example of how the internet is "shrinking the world".

[Henry Floored]

Originally Posted by Mary

My father was Fred Walker and he bought the dealership in 1965 when I was 10. I have many memories of that place. When I was a teen I worked in the front office. Fred died in 2001after a series of strokes. I remember Mr. Thompson and Marv Maimone.

Bumping this thread back up. Hoping Mary checks back in. If so you have a private message Mary.

[A bones]

Originally Posted by Henry Floored

Good morning gang. Happy New Year!

Since this thread came back around yesterday it got me to thinking about my time in the parts dept.

For the folks unfamiliar with the Ford parts numbering system I'd like to point out that there is a secret code to it which is a road map to identifying what a part might be.

Must READ POST FROM 01/01/17- Tom

So anyhoo, I hope this sheds some light on what many people think is confusing and over complicated. In my humble opinion Ford had one of the best parts systems in the business.

This information may help you when you try to decipher casting or stamping numbers on our old Fords.

I must say Thank You. A lot of time was spent learning that information, and a lot of time must have been spent to share it with us. Also Thanks for kicking the thread up so we would could catch it.

[Henry Floored]

Originally Posted by A bones

I must say Thank You. A lot of time was spent learning that information, and a lot of time must have been spent to share it with us. Also Thanks for kicking the thread up so we would could catch it.

Thanks A bones. It was a pleasure sharing it with this great bunch of people. I appreciate you saying so!