Another Muffler Man stands along the Mother Road when the fiberglass giant named Earl was installed at O’Brien Tire & Auto Care in Granite City, Illinois.
The business announced the arrival of the Muffer Man in late June:
The O’Brien Tire shop at 3924 Nameoki Road (aka Route 66) has been operating for nearly 120 years.
Just a few weeks ago, O’Brien received $10,000 for building repair and roof work from the Route 66 Legacy Grant Program from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Three years ago, O’Brien Tire earned a $1,000 grant from the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway to paint a Route 66 mural on the shop’s exterior.
It also spent about $35,000 returning the shop to a Route 66 theme, with midcentury furniture, turquoise-colored bathroom tile, new flooring, a neon sign and the “largest tire on Route 66” outside of its building. The tire is eight feet tall and weighs 12,000 pounds.
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