Who Remembers the Giant Whale Car Wash?

[Fadingpain]

Who remembers the giant whale car wash?  Used to be kind of near 290 and Colvin Blvd. junction area.  

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

Not sure if affiliated... But they have "Whale of a Wash" in West Seneca, off of Union.  I always go there to get the bugs off vehicle when I drive in... Still there last month.

 

Funny... I don't remember the Whale, but my Brother probably does.  When I was in town last month, he swung by Delta Sonic in Cheektowaga... My daughter & I were with him... Filled up his Jaguar and got a wash.  He was telling us how he would tell his boys (while they were growing up) that "we were going through the mouth of a whale" whenever they got an automatic car wash.  I thought that was unique and wondered where he came up with that idea.  He is a few years older, must have remembered the whale car wash thing as a child?

 

I gotta ask him about this.  I was born in 1968... I may not remember it or it was before my time, or parents never went there (we were in S.Cheektowaga/West Seneca) again by the time I (Third Born) came along.

 

 

Oh... Question:

 

Do you drive down the mouth and come out its azz?  Or the other way?

 

In recognition of that, Jonah would be proud:

 

 

Better (Original?) Vid:

 

 

Edited August 11, 2018 by ExiledInIllinois

[Lurker]

We used to go to the one on Military Road in the Town of Niagara.    IIRC, it was a crappy wash but a lot of fun for us kids....

 

 

[Fadingpain]

I don't know if you went in the mouth or ass.  I don't think I ever actually went through the thing with my parents, but I used to see it all the time driving by.

 

It was called "whale of a wash" I believe.  If you google it, you will find references and photos like the one I posted.

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

15 minutes ago, Fadingpain said:

I don't know if you went in the mouth or ass.  I don't think I ever actually went through the thing with my parents, but I used to see it all the time driving by.

 

It was called "whale of a wash" I believe.  If you google it, you will find references and photos like the one I posted.

 

 

Zoom in.  Looks like cars are coming out its azz... LoL...

 

Gotta be where my Bro got the idea to tell his children that they were going through a whale (@ normal car wash, like Delta Sonic).

 

And... Gotta still be affiliated, company name.  Still exchange "Whale of a Wash" tokens for money.  They have a "Whale of a Wash" in W.Seneca.  There was one @ the Gardenville Plaza too (since torn down a few years back).  Others I think too around town.  Same company???

Edited August 11, 2018 by ExiledInIllinois

[Cynical]

8 hours ago, Fadingpain said:

Who remembers the giant whale car wash?  Used to be kind of near 290 and Colvin Blvd. junction area.  

 

 

I remember that. I also remember the small amusement park (Fun-N-Games) next to it that had a Wild Mouse roller coaster ride.

 

http://blog.buffalostories.com/tag/fun-n-games-park/

 

"Western New York children of the 1970s might remember Fun-N-Games Park just off the Youngmann in Tonawanda. Another instance of amusement rides in a Twin Fair parking lot, the park’s most memorable feature might have been the unconnected roadside attraction in front of it—the whale car wash."

 

History of the Wild Mouse Roller Coaster

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/v/a/vac3/wdm.html

Edited August 12, 2018 by Cynical

[Fadingpain]

31 minutes ago, Cynical said:

 

I remember that. I also remember the small amusement park (Fun-N-Games) next to it that had a Wild Mouse roller coaster ride.

 

http://blog.buffalostories.com/tag/fun-n-games-park/

 

"Western New York children of the 1970s might remember Fun-N-Games Park just off the Youngmann in Tonawanda. Another instance of amusement rides in a Twin Fair parking lot, the park’s most memorable feature might have been the unconnected roadside attraction in front of it—the whale car wash."

 

History of the Wild Mouse Roller Coaster

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/v/a/vac3/wdm.html

Good call! 

 

Totally forgot about Fun-N-Games!  It was right near the whale.

 

And Twin Fair!  Wow, blast from the past.

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

32 minutes ago, Cynical said:

 

I remember that. I also remember the small amusement park (Fun-N-Games) next to it that had a Wild Mouse roller coaster ride.

 

http://blog.buffalostories.com/tag/fun-n-games-park/

 

"Western New York children of the 1970s might remember Fun-N-Games Park just off the Youngmann in Tonawanda. Another instance of amusement rides in a Twin Fair parking lot, the park’s most memorable feature might have been the unconnected roadside attraction in front of it—the whale car wash."

 

History of the Wild Mouse Roller Coaster

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/v/a/vac3/wdm.html

Crystal Beach also had a "Wild Mouse."  Next to Comet... My Mother's favorite ride.  You'd come off ride black & blue.  

 

That's a similar ride that crashed @ Daytona Beach amamusement park this year I think??

[Nervous Guy]

14 hours ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Funny... I don't remember the Whale, but my Brother probably does.  When I was in town last month, he swung by Delta Sonic in Cheektowaga... My daughter & I were with him... Filled up his Jaguar and got a wash. 

LOL I worked at that Delta Sonic during HS, near the corner of Walden and Union...man the winters were BRUTAL!!!

[Bob Lamb]

The Colvin Drive In for a late night double feature and "frolicking" in the car with your date.  What was that 2nd movie? And the batting cages

[plenzmd1]

On 8/11/2018 at 11:01 PM, Cynical said:

 

I remember that. I also remember the small amusement park (Fun-N-Games) next to it that had a Wild Mouse roller coaster ride.

 

http://blog.buffalostories.com/tag/fun-n-games-park/

 

"Western New York children of the 1970s might remember Fun-N-Games Park just off the Youngmann in Tonawanda. Another instance of amusement rides in a Twin Fair parking lot, the park’s most memorable feature might have been the unconnected roadside attraction in front of it—the whale car wash."

 

History of the Wild Mouse Roller Coaster

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/v/a/vac3/wdm.html

Great links! remember that whale driving om the Youngman and dude was it ever a treat when the old man would pull over and take us to fun n games! Maybe did it twice?

 

as a Falls kid, Pages Whistle Pig was our siren call as wee ones. But that one was verboten... never once got to ride there no matter how much we whined. Old man just refuses to take us there. 

[Lurker]

8 hours ago, plenzmd1 said:

Pages Whistle Pig was our siren call as wee ones. But that one was verboten... never once got to ride there no matter how much we whined. Old man just refuses to take us there. 

 

Best place ever!   The helicopter ride and the train were my favorites.   When I got older, the white hots were something special as well...

[T&C]

On 8/11/2018 at 11:01 PM, Cynical said:

 

I remember that. I also remember the small amusement park (Fun-N-Games) next to it that had a Wild Mouse roller coaster ride.

 

http://blog.buffalostories.com/tag/fun-n-games-park/

 

"Western New York children of the 1970s might remember Fun-N-Games Park just off the Youngmann in Tonawanda. Another instance of amusement rides in a Twin Fair parking lot, the park’s most memorable feature might have been the unconnected roadside attraction in front of it—the whale car wash."

 

History of the Wild Mouse Roller Coaster

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/v/a/vac3/wdm.html

I don't remember Fun&Games, guess we never went there... as a kid my rides fix was Glen Park, and once bigger it was Crystal Beach... Fantasy Island once in a while, they had a Wild Mouse too.

[Fadingpain]

2 minutes ago, T&C said:

I don't remember Fun&Games, guess we never went there... as a kid my rides fix was Glen Park, and once bigger it was Crystal Beach... Fantasy Island once in a while, they had a Wild Mouse too.

My memory of fun and games is that it had a giant curvy slide that was very wide, with many "channels" so many kids could go down, in theory, side by side at the same time.  I think you went down in like sleeping bag type things.

 

It was high as I recall, or at least it impressed me as being high as a little kid.

 

Am I inventing this memory or did that slide exist?

 

 

Definitely remember the sign in this photo.

 

 

 

 

 

[T&C]

15 minutes ago, Fadingpain said:

My memory of fun and games is that it had a giant curvy slide that was very wide, with many "channels" so many kids could go down, in theory, side by side at the same time.  I think you went down in like sleeping bag type things.

 

It was high as I recall, or at least it impressed me as being high as a little kid.

 

Am I inventing this memory or did that slide exist?

 

 

Definitely remember the sign in this photo.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh I'm sure it did exist, I don't remember it like you. As far as I can remember riding the slides Anywhere it was always big burlap bags we sat on.