Hello 383duece; You are welcome, and thank you for chiming in! Hell I was "lurking" for four years before I decided to post what my Brothers and I have!! So "lurking " is good......right?? Anyway hope you enjoy!
firingorder1....ran across a few more things regarding the "curfew law" that I thought you and others would enjoy. Especially since you have had first hand experience for this!!! HA! As you can see, I don't think my Mom threw much out! Now what I find interesting is the fact that not only did my Grandmother [my Dad's Mom] have to appear in court for the curfew violation, the first for parent's to be ordered to accompany their teen-aged son's to court, but also that it made the front page of the Pasadena paper!! Obviously street racing was becoming a problem!! In the paper clipping my Grandmother is on the left. Fern McNatt. I'll also post a copy of the letter suspending my Dad's licence for a year! I'm also going to post a picture of a curfew pass. Now I don't know what this was for, so I'm hoping someone [firingorder] out there does? Maybe driving to and from work? I thing this will just be a "window" in time, and how things were evolving. As always, I hope all enjoy, and hope to get back to the album this weekend.
Thanks for the glimpse into another era. Your dad was lucky to have the support of his parents. I noticed in an earlier post that they traveled with him and his friends to a dry lakes meet.
I never wound up in court because of curfew violations. Just get hauled to juvie hall and my parents called. When my Dad got there he'd start chewing on me and maybe the cops felt sorry for me and never cited me. I never made the front page. A lot of it depended on the cops mood. If he was in a good mood he'd tell you to go straight home and follow you. Other times it was in the back of the car and off to juvie. I knew a guy whose father died and he dropped out of school to support the family. He got a job but it was night shift. He applied for and got a curfew waiver. But just to work and home, That was the only waiver I ever knew of. The closest I came to losing my license was a series of visits to traffic court for speeding, racing or other bouts of stupidity. One day standing before the judge waiting to get the usual $25 fine he leaned over his bench and said if I appeared before him anytime in the next six months my license would be gone for a year. That put the fear of God into me. Back then death was preferable to losing your license! You have some amazing (I'd call it priceless) memories. I'm still in shock that its not a sticky. So far this thread is what I'd call the perfect, period correct, how it really was thread ever posted on here. Thank you again for taking me back to a very happy period in my life.
I can only applaud what woodie mike said about Don and Karl. There was an add in a magazine, years ago saying : F1 rule #1: Apropriet attire most always bee worn. Then four years, with a small stencil beside them. 1910: a tie 1930: a leather helmet 1950: a white helmet with leather sides (we call them egg white or eggs) 1970: an old full face helmet. So he is maybe on a different set off rules. Love this threat
Thanks for the comment Karl! I'll post that article again. Again, this article is a "window in time", and how things were. I find it very interesting that this article would make the paper! Obviously a smaller world back then. As always..glad to hear your comments.
firingorder1, I knew you would have some great info to add to this post!! Thank you! You really gave it some more real time insight. Awesome! I don't remember my Dad talking about the curfew pass, but i'm pretty sure it is work related. I was hoping you, 296ardon, or Don would know the names on the pass. I looks to me to be "something" theater, and "something drive-in? But then I could be all wet too! So glad to hear that this post is taking you back to a "happy period" in you life. Always love to hear your comments, thanks!! Again, it's the comment's that keep this post going. Keep the ball rolling!!
Hello volvobrynk; Want to thank you for the comment. I love the quote you have provided. You might be on to something here!! I guess Karl Orr was definitely walking to a different drummer!! Or in this case, a different set of rules. Love the reference of the helmet....egg white or eggs!!
The Tower theater was in Pasadena at 114 E. Colorado Blvd. That was 1 1/2 blocks east of Fair Oaks Ave., the center of the old part of Pasadena (now called "Old Town Pasadena"). The theater was on the south side of Colorado Blvd (The Rose Parade went down Colorado Blvd). Perhaps the most interesting item is that the Santa Fe (AT&SF) railroad tracks crossed Colorado Blvd there and the trains went right down by the side of the building. The movie theater shook when the trains came through. Pasadena had about 6 or 7 theaters then. The Tower was on the lower scale for movie releases and cost. The old AT&SF right of way is used by the new MetroLink transit system but the street cars are now submerged to go under Colorado Blvd. Note: The Tower was a poor place to see a movie. I find the Curfew pass interesting. I have not seen one like this. The L.A. County sheriffs patrolled Altadena which was just north of Pasadena. They did not patrol in Pasadena. Apparently your Dad was picked up in Altadena. Your Dad was apparently my age and doing similar things as I was with hot rods except that he had roadsters and I had a sedan. I do not recall Durands drive-in. I do remember Larry & Carl's, the Rite-Spot, Carpenters, the Green Lake, a couple out on east Colorado whose names escape me now and one across the street from P.J.C. (college). If you were into hot rodding in Pasadena back then you knew of a Pasadena officer named Bartlett. He had a "thing" against hot rodders and would be happy to find a reason to write a ticket. He was well known among all of us. Good memories Don
Thanks for posting. This is such an interesting thread and I've really enjoyed reading about all the things I missed by growing up in a rual east coast state. You guys had it made!
Well Don...you just connected some more dot's here! I think you are absolutely right with the Tower Theater, and the Durands Drive-in. As always, your insight and information are fantastic! Thank you!! I also ran across a ticket my Dad had gotten on 9/7/47 by an Officer Beecher. I will post the ticket. I know it's not the Bartlett that you mentioned, but maybe it's his "evil twin"!!?? Again I think it shows how they were cracking down on the curfew law. If you notice, it was at 11:25 pm. I am also going to post a few other things that I think go along with the time period just before the "hot rod"craze. It's war time and things are really bad for a lot of people. Gas was rationed, you had to have mileage ration, and if you had to have tires, you had to apply for that also! There is a purchase endorsement for two tires that my Grandmother purchased for $10.00 EA. A mileage ration application, a war ration book, and mileage ration book. Don; if you look close my Grandfather had a 41 Hudson! And thank you all who have made comments.
I found my parents gas ration cards a while back, you have a wonderful collection. Keep it safe for future generations to see what our parents experence. Great thread.
And the tires he bought were used. The OPA (Office of Price Administration) used 3 classifications for tires - grade 1 were new, grade 2 were like-new (less than 1,000 miles), and grade 3 were used and/or retreaded. I believe only certain individuals deemed important to the war effort were authorized to purchase grade 1 & 2 (grade 2 classification was eliminated in early 1943). Hard times!
The pictures are fantastic, but the minutae of the paperwork and all the back story is fascinating. It's like getting a history lesson, only this history lesson is interesting. Mart.
Hello glrbird; Thanks for the comment, and I hope you keep your parents treasures safe for more generations to see. The past holds many treasures for all to see. It just has to be put out there for future generations.
Hello Gary; Thanks for the info, as you are spot on! The only tires available for the "common" person were used. You are right that this was very, very hard times for all. I think it just puts more emphasis on what these guy's were working with in the early day's of "hot rodding". It goes back to they had to practically make the things they needed. Just like my Dad saying they used drive shafts, and torque tubes to make the headers. How's the saying go....necessity is the mother of invention!! I know these last few post have deviated from the pictures, but I also hope it serves to show the whole picture of how things were evolving. Hope all have enjoyed, and thank you for your comment. Thank you Gary.
OK kids....time to get back to the album! Hope all survived the Holidays!!! Happy New Year to all! Again the page is missing some pictures, so what ya see is what ya get. On the bottom right hand corner picture, the caption says...just after first run, meet called because of dust. The date on the back of the picture is 8/10/47. Now for those of you that have not been to El Mirage, the wind is usually always blowing. And I know that's something flyn schlosser can definitely relate to since he lives within 10 mile of the lake bed!! Right flyn?!! And in this case it must have been blowing really bad. As always, hope you enjoy, and thank you for all the views and comments.
Got picked up for curfew violation by the Temple City Sherriff's on New Years Eve at the Powerine Station on Colorado Blvd right near Bob's...was putting water in my radiator of my 30 roadster when they swooped in like they were raiding a drug bust, handcuffed us, threw us in the back seat, pointed their shotgun at us and said "this is what you get for being such dipshits!" For being out after curfew! They called my father who came and picked me up...he was pissed! Don Montgomery was right, the Pasadena cops did not enforce curfew but the sheriffs did outside the city....
Amazing! This is the latest date I've ever seen Lyons wheel covers used; the overwhelming majority seem to have been used before the war.
LOL!!! The cops around here never got that excited over curfew. If they were in a bad mood it was "Get in the back of the car." No cuffs or guns. But you knew where you were going. And you knew what would happen when your Dad got there. I swear the cops would stand back and laugh while you got chewed out. Punishment enough.
G'day, sorry I haven't replied lately but that photo of your dads modified, reminded me of pics posted to Jalopy Journal main page by Ron Kellogg when he wrote a few articles. 1947 and from Ray Morisette collection, 1948.
I just went true the whole threat again, seem I missed a few. Still THE dry lake era threat to see! So awesome? A big thanks too wodiemike, rockerhead, firringorder1 and JimmyB. You guys sure deserves some kind of standing applaud from all the guys sitting and typing!! Kudos! For a guy that wasn't around, watching those pics gives me some kind of buz in my body, and puts dry lake beds on my bucket list! The curfew part is a little scary, are you guys saying that if anyone stay out late, they got busted by the cops? Or just the kids with an addictions to old cars? How long was this carried out? Longer then the fender law? And to what end. And 3x on the book, this should be a joined venture between don Montgomery, wodiemike and the Jalopy journal. Their most be a base for this book, especially on this page.
This is two of my favorite dry leak era rods: The first one is a famous car, ak millers 32 roadster running straight eight. But this one: Who know more about this. Looks to me like a 1929-32 Chevy roadster, but I could be wrong.
Volvobrynk. The curfew law was something to keep under 18s from running around the streets late at night. Where I lived it wasn't rigidly applied but a hot rod or a motorcycle would be almost guaranteed to be stopped and questioned. I don't remember being overly concerned about it. It was a sort of challenge. How long did it last? No idea. When you turned 18 it no longer applied so you simply forgot about it. As I've said before this thread should be at minimum a sticky but a book would do it justice. P.S. This thread has become the reason I visit the HAMB.
Hello Kevin; I was going back through the thread, and realized I had somehow missed your post. It was a pleasure and honor to bring my Dad's album to the Pasadena Roadster Club meeting! To me it was as if that was where is should be. I really enjoyed sharing with you and all the members there that night. I just think it is so great that you, Richard, and all the others have been able to preserve this piece of history, all the while keeping with the period correctness of the cars!! No easy feat in today's times. I applaud, and thank all the members of the Pasadena Roadster Club!!
firingorder, I think my Dad thought of it as a challenge also. There weren't as many police back then, so they just kept moving! For some reason, this makes me think of a saying I had seen somewhere. "Sometimes your a bug....and sometimes your a windshield"! I think I just found one of those "rabbit holes"!
Great to hear from you Jimmy! Thought we had lost ya somewhere along the way. As always, you come up with some great pictures, and comments. This is the first color picture of the car I have seen. I mean; it has to be the same car right!!? I know it's not the same number, but the same wheels, tires, pump, handle are all the same. I don't think there could be two that looked that similar right? Thanks again Jimmy, and all who have commented!!
The Jalopy Journal
