Scenes from Sam's Tire Service. Sam's Tire Service was a longtime tire dealership, now a Firestone, located at 120 Puyallup Ave. in downtown Tacoma. Because the facility was so large, it could offer both sale of new and recapped tires and other automotive services. A Sam's Tire employee is shown above on August 20, 1971, in the process of recapping a tire. Sam's had offered recapping services for at least 20 years. Color photograph ordered by Sam's Tire Service.

Sam's Tire Service (Tacoma); Tires; Tire industry--Tacoma;

Sam's Tire Service. Besides selling new Firestone tires and offering automotive maintenance services, Sam's Tire Service also offered tire recapping. A Sam's Tire employee is pictured above on August 20, 1971, placing new tread on a tire. Sam's had a nearly 90,000 square foot facility at 120 Puyallup Ave. in downtown Tacoma. Color photograph ordered by Sam's Tire Service.

Sam's Tire Service (Tacoma); Tires; Tire industry--Tacoma;

Two employees of Sam's Tire Service, longtime Tacoma establishment, at work in the tire recapping section in late January, 1960. One man is stationed at the Lodi Recap Mold with another mold prominent in the foreground. The second man is examining a tire that may have come out of one of the molds; he is wearing gloves, perhaps to protect his hands against any residual heat. Sam's Tire would celebrate the grand opening of a new brake and front end service building and modernization of the entire plant on February 25, 1960. Situated on 82,500 square feet, Sam's had a modern recapping plant and was equipped to install mufflers, tail pipes and shock absorbers. (TNT 2-25-60, B-5, B-6)

Sam's Tire Service (Tacoma); Tires;

Frank Kimmerly, an employee of Sam's Tire Service, operates a Bean Visualiner on January 24, 1960, to align the front end of one of a fleet of trucks belonging to the Cammarano Brothers bottlers. The devise shows, by means of an optical light ray system, a graphic picture of the exact wheel alignment of a car or truck. Sam's Tire Service had a huge covered work area for truck tire service. Several of the largest trucks and trailers could be worked on at the same time. Sam's Tire Service had been at its 120 Puyallup Avenue address for many years. They celebated the grand opening of a new brake and front end service building and the modernization of the entire plant in early 1960. Owned by Sam Pupo and managed by his son, Frank, Sam's was well known for its tire and recapping service. (TNT 2-25-60, B-5-article, B-6-photograph)

Sam's Tire Service (Tacoma); Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma--1960-1970; Kimmerly, Frank; Trucks--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Exterior of Sam's Tire Service, showing trucks and personnel. The tire service was owned by Samuel Pupo.

Sam's Tire Service (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Sam's Tire Service--Employees;

Two unidentified employees of Sam's Tire Service are hard at work in the tire recapping department in August, 1950. The man on the left appears to be examining a retreaded tire. Sam's was owned and operated by Samuel Pupo and located at 120 Puyallup Avenue. According to an ad that ran in the News Tribune on September 10, 1950, Mr. Pupo had 31 years of experience in the tire business in Tacoma. His company had added new molds for recapping the new low pressure tires. Sam's Tire Service also offered custom recapping for truckers. (TNT 9-10-50, p. C-14)

Sam's Tire Service (Tacoma); Tires; Tire industry--Tacoma;