Pahrump Big Friend Down

Video

December 12 was was a sad day in the muffler man world and I remember it well. One of 4 known Big Friends was taken down that morning after standing on top of a sign pole for about 20 years or so. He was known as the Valley Home Giant and stood at Valley Homes along highway 160 in Pahrump, NV. He had been repainted since his Texaco days but was still recognizable as one of the very rare Big Friends. Before coming to Pahrump in the early 90’s he stood on the Boulder Highway in Las Vegas at a mobil home business. Originally he most likely stood at a Texaco gas station on Las Vegas Blvd. The 2012 news story shares the details of why he was taken down, it is both sad and unfortunate. I have always hoped one of these guys would be restored back to Texaco colors and thankfully that is still a possibility for the Pahrump Big Friend. After he was taken down the locals including the TV station and newspaper became aware of his value and history from all the inquiries they received about him. This possibly prompted the Pahrump Valley Times to write an article on his disappearance and they were able to find out what happened to him after he was hauled off. Although some may not have realized his value thankfully the guys at the landfill figured there was more to this guy then a pile of junk. He was broken up a bit in the dismantling and shipping to the landfill so they took him in pieces. He was eventually donated to the local museum where he laid out back till 2016 when American Giants purchased him and hauled him to IL. It seven years to get around to restoring him but in 2023-2024 he was fully restored and set up at a museum as I always hoped for.

#33 Texarkana, TX M Man

Posted on 03/10/2013 by jbaker98

A rare Luke Lombard 14ft Bunyan hides in a landscaping shop in Texarkana. One of the better preserved promotions from the 1960s this guy has had a long life and managed to somehow keep his rare hat! From being up on a bill board outside to now standing inside with a full makeover this guy has had an interesting life.

To learn the full history of this giant and the interesting back story, check out the full article which has recently been updated and moved to our Patreon Account. Please join us there for full access!

#32 Shreveport, LA Muffler Man

Posted on 03/08/2013 by jbaker98

Actually closer to Bossier City this cowboy has been up on this pole for about 37 years. He stands high above the Topps Western World and Trailer Sales just north of I-20 to the east of Bossier City. As far as cowboys go this one is in really good shape. He also is decked out with allot of accessories which is nice to see since these days many cowboys have long lost all their extra stuff. As with most cowboys, he once stood at a Phillips 66 station and had their logo on his chest pocket. He was purchased around 1982 by the owner of Topps named Bubba Reeves. He’s been moved a few times and given a few paint jobs and even endured a direct hit from a tornado. In 2023 the giant was taken down for restoration.

To learn the full history of this giant and the interesting back story, check out the full article which has recently been updated and moved to our Patreon Account. Please join us for there for full access.

#31 Beaumont, TX M Man

Posted on 03/04/2013 by jbaker98

A classic Snerd can be found in Beaumont, TX and he was one of my early sightings back in 2011. At the time the place was still owned by Ken’s Muffler and Brakes but has since changed owners. I have yet to get back and visit again and he recently got a new paint job and no longer looks like the pictures shown here. Some may believe that all muffler men once carried a muffler and that most simply don’t have them anymore. In truth, only a few came with mufflers but the guys at Roadside America happened to see one of these first and labeled them all as Muffler Men and the name stuck.

Midas ordered a few of their guys with mufflers but the largest order of muffler holding muffler men came from muffler shop owner in Dallas named Ken. Kenneth Johnson of Cleburne was a country boy who learned to weld for the railroad. He went to Atlanta to learn the muffler business, then came back to Dallas and became the founder and owner of Ken’s Muffler Shops. He also had shops in Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Houston. Ken eventually purchased his first Muffler Man which was a standard version and still stands at I-35 and Illinois Avenue. This location was named Bud and Ken Muffler from 1965-1967; Bud was Ken’s brother-in-law. When they ended their business partnership the name was changed to Bud and Ben Muffler. Ken then expanded and purchased more Muffler Men. He wanted to be different than his Brother-in-law so he purchased Snerds on his next order with International Fiberglass. He placed the new Snerds at three of his shops in Dallas and this one in Beaumont. Ken passed in 2021 at the age of 92 and I had the honor of talking with him a few times on the phone before he passed.

While all of Ken’s Snerds were shipped from International Fiberglass with yellow shirts and blue pants, this guy came off the truck in a red shirt instead. This was the last Snerd Ken purchased and it has been standing here in Beaumont it’s entire life. The giant has weathered a few storms over the years including hurricane Rita and hurricane Ike even knocked him half way over busting his shoe. After that he got repainted and set back upright, although his foot is still damaged from the tip.

The snerd still has the International Fiberglass logo on his right leg. Ken’s no longer owns the building or the giant and sold in 2016 to the current owner, Tyler Wharton who rents the shop out to “Leo’s Automotive” Leo’s recently repainted the giant to better represent their brand.

For more full articles like this check out our Patreon Account. Please join us for there for full access to many articles that used to live on this page as well as brand new content.

#30 St Louis, MO M Man

Posted on 02/28/2013 by jbaker98

My #30 sighting landed me in the St Louis area where I discovered a mangled cowboy laying in the weeds behind Croft Trailer in Valley Park. The giant originally stood in Belleville, IL throughout the 60s and stood at a number of different businesses till he moved over to MO in 1998. I was able to purchase him in 2016 and he is currently in restoration and will be set up at the American Giants Museum in 2024. To learn the full history of this giant and the interesting back story, check out the full article which has recently been updated and moved to our Patreon Account. Please join us for there for full access.

Picture Credit: Debra Jane Seltzer

#29 Atlanta, GA M Man

Posted on 02/26/2013 by jbaker98

The Bunyan just North of the airport in Atlanta, GA has been there for a very long time and interestingly his history is very vague. I do know that he is one of the better preserved giants out there and still is in amazing condition given his age. He was one of my early sightings back in 2012 and as close as he is to a major airport, you would think he would get more visitors.

#28 Powder Springs, GA M Man

Posted on 02/25/2013 by jbaker98

A International Fiberglass American Indian Brave version stands at McEachern high school in Powder Springs, GA and he has been here for at least 51 years. I’ve heard a few versions of his history and there are some conflicts between Buckhead and Marietta Georgia as his previous location but we do know that he stood at a Pontiac dealership at one of these towns from the late 60’s to the early 70’s before being purchased by the McEachern class of 1973. When they graduated they gave him to the school as a class gift and he as been standing on a tall pole behind the bleachers ever since.

#27 Birmingham, AL M Man

Posted on 02/24/2013 by jbaker98

Stan the tire man has been a fixture in the Birmingham Alabama area for a long time and I haven’t got an exact fix on the year he showed up but I am guessing sometime in the 60’s. At some point in his distant past, he stood at the corner of 3rd Avenue South and 24th Street at an auto repair shop called Lynn Strickland Tire back in the 70’s. In the 90s he was moved along I-65 and stood on the roof of a building, and some complained that it was almost impossible to get a good shot of him while whizzing by at 70+ miles and hour.

American Giants Promo #2

Video

Back in February of 2013 I released the second promo video on my youtube channel for the upcoming first season of American Giants. In the promo I show a bit more about what some of the first season will cover across the state of Illinois. Much of that early footage was shot just as the idea to make episodes was starting to come to me. This is all over 10 years ago now and a great look back at my early days in Muffler Men!

#26 Mortons Gap, KY Bunyan

Posted on 02/22/2013 by jbaker98

This 14 foot tall Paul Bunyan statue stands in a donkey pasture overlooking Pennyrile Parkway in rural Kentucky. These smaller statues are rarer than the 20 foot tall models. This particular giant has since been fully restored and has a fascinating back story. His restoration marks the start of our restorations back in 2015 and we have been doing them ever since for almost 10 years now.