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Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Rocco & Cheater’s Speed Shop Closing, brings Rotsun, large crowd

Rocco & Cheater’s Speed Shop is closing after almost 80 years in Birmingham, Alabama. This vintage photo from the 1950s shows trucks lining street outside the shop from the 1920s thru 1950s.


Rocco & Cheater’s Speed Shop is closing forever! Watch Junkyard Life walk thru Rocco & Cheater’s stash of vintage parts in Birmingham, Alabama. After almost 80 years strong, the Sanfilippo family is selling the building and liquidating the vintage speed parts inventory. We spoke to Jean Sanfilippo, widow of Mimi Sanfilippo, about the end of an era. Her husband, Mimi, was one of the brothers who founded the legendary Speed Shop in Birmingham, Alabama. Mimi passed away in 2018 and the remaining inventory has been sitting for almost 20 years. The business started as a Rocco & Cheater’s garage in 1946 and grew into the current location and larger shop in 1962. Whether it was round tracks or drag racing — gear heads knew this building had the parts to go fast.



Why did they close?
Eventually, the internet and cheap foreign parts took precedent over know how and local family loyalty. Around 2007, the Speed Shop closed daily operations. For many years the parts gathered dust. When old gear heads would inquire about the locked building full of parts, the Sanfilippo’s would open up the doors and sell a few parts. David Newbern, of MotorTrend/YouTube fame, heard the recent news that the family was selling everything and showed up for a tour and a video. Newbern spread the word to Mike Finnegan and David Freiburger formerly of Hot Rod Magazine, MotorTrend TV, and now YouTube celebrity. They decided to drive the 1971 Datsun 240Z, aka the Rotsun, to Alabama from California to tour the shop, meet fans and sign autographs. A camera crew filmed their exploits and posted a video to each of their channels.  

Mike Finnegan drove the Rotsun up to the front door of Rocco & Cheater’s Speed Shop with David Freiburger riding shotgun. A large crowd awaited the duo’s arrival in Birmingham, Alabama
Mike Finnegan drove the Rotsun up to the front door of Rocco & Cheater’s Speed Shop with David Freiburger riding shotgun. A large crowd awaited the duo’s arrival in Birmingham, Alabama


Fans and Customers everywhere
We showed up at Rocco & Cheater's to look inside the historic speed shop on Sunday, April 27, 2025.  We were blown away at how much was left to buy. Tons of wheels, carbs, pistons, filters, distributors, tachometers, and aftermarket do-dads. David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan arrived about an hour-and-a-half later than expected but the crowd continued to grow in expectation. They roared when the YouTube stars crawled out of the Rotsun.

Many fans drove their old hot rod to get their car’s trunk or dash signed by Freiburger & Finnegan or bought something from Rocco & Cheater’s to commemorate the closing of a part of Birmingham’s automotive history.

Were you there?
What did you think of the video? Were you at Rocco & Cheater’s with the Rotsun or in the glory days? Tell us what you think in a comment!

Jody Potter
– Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust


Mike Finnegan drove the Rotsun up to the front door of Rocco & Cheater’s Speed Shop with David Freiburger riding shotgun. A large crowd awaited the duo’s arrival in Birmingham, Alabama

Vintage Rocco & Cheater’s monster hot rod t-shirt



Mike Finnegan and  David Freiburger sign autographs for fans at Rocco & Cheater’s Speed Shop in Birmingham, Alabama on April 27, 2025.
Mike Finnegan and  David Freiburger sign autographs for fans at Rocco & Cheater’s Speed Shop in Birmingham, Alabama on April 27, 2025.






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