Thanks for clearing that up. I lived in L.A. before both I-5 and the 405 were built (and the Hollywood Fwy ended at Ventura Blvd at the eastern end of Studio City! ), hence the query on the location. As I said in an earlier posting, I used to use Sepulveda from West L.A. to just south of Ventura Blvd for road tests of vehicles (not much traffic and it wasn't patrolled) over four decades ago and don't remember seeing any remnants of the old car club signs back then. One can only conclude, as someone did in an earlier posting, that this part of the hill made way for the 405 when it was built.
Ed, you know you're getting old when you remember: Knotts Berry Farm was really a berry farm; Orange County really had oranges; The Grapevine Grade really looked like one; The Red Car; Gilmore gas station, next door to the Pan Pacific Auditorium the Witch Stand, Bob's in Toluca Lake and Harvey's drive ins... (You and I have already PMed about Earl Muntz...) A lot of HAMBers might want to know that Sepulveda Blvd was a main street racing venue (around where it crosses Olympic and Pico, as well as in the San Fernando Valley) back in the '40s and '50s. I knew guys that raced there back then and the stories they told me when I was a kid growing up in SoCal in the 1960s were fascinating.
For those that are unfamiliar, Sepulveda runs alongside of the 405 (San Diego Freeway) from the San Fernando Valley all the way down towards LAX. The Imperial Highway and Sepulveda Blvd. intersection was just east of where all the Shelby's and Cobras were built at the Shelby-American facility at the old American Airlines building. The Sepulveda family were among the original families to settle the in area to become known as Los Angeles. That's Sepulveda Blvd. on the right...
I'll never forget coming through that pass in '69, on my way from LAX to my Aunt's house when I moved here from New York. At age 14, SoCal was THEE place to be for a car nut.
After reading, and participating in this yesterday, I called my Mom to see what she remembered about this. She's 78 and born in Glendale, the real birthplace of the speed equipment industry. She said she remembers that a picture came out in a magazine that was included in the newspaper (probably the LA Times) in early 57 (called "This Week"). The hill was bulldozed in late 57 for the freeway building and that the reason it was tolerated and maybe even a little encouraged at the time is they knew it would be short lived. Just one "old lady's" recollection
Looks like the Toucans, Hawthorne was covered over (possibly by a rival club) just to show up again later repainted in a different location!
Thanks for including your mum's recollections. Glendale was certainly a hotbed of speed equipment suppliers back in the day. I used to regularly visit Glendale Speed Center when I was a kid, and most of the stuff going into my Nailhead (pistons, bearings, etc.) was purchased there 29 years ago, just before I moved to NZ. (Everything's still like new, having been properly stored all these years...)
And don't forget that everything from Barney Navarro to Diest, Weiand to Edelbrock, Isky and more all had ties to Glendale at one time or another
hey buddy who you calling a creep? hahahahahaha! they are called assholes today! or thats what they call us sometimes? hahahahahaha
Rebels conform to the same rebellious attitudes and style trends. Put another way: You're unique, just like everybody else.
So is the "knowbodys" guy recently "created" by Ryan to coincide with the uh err photoshop on the wall? I see it says member since 2001, but with only 7 posts? hmm... cool pics and story though. I pulled out Rodders Journal #17 for a little refresh..
I passed this place many times and never found the plaque I was looking for. does any one have any information on a small club in the San Fernando Valley called the Throttle Merchants who raced a 34 ford vic at Saugus from time to time.
Great pics! You wrote a law agaisnt graffiti and lumped it all into the same basket?! Why didnt you educate yourself on the subject first? Its the same as Hot rods and rat rods.........the non educated dont know the difference. They think the same as you, 'drive those heaps of shit down my street, not my town'. Soon we will be all driving electric cars and all wearing grey clothes if people keep making laws against things they dont understand. Dickheads writing shit on your garage wall and shop fronts are only a SMALL part of the 'graffiti culture' but get the most looks.........same as rat rods. Just my 2c.
One of my contributors sent me this map of the SFV dated July, 1949. On the grid (Box G3) he marked the location of "Plaque Rock" .....
The person that sent the map also sent a link to this Google Maps view of where Plaque Rock was ..... Not sure if that's the 405 above the hill.
Incredible stuff. Grew up in that area but in the early 70's when the 405 was "the way" and Sepulveda was a short cut. Great history
I hesitate to say I know anything from my past "for sure," but I'm over 99% positive I have identified the location of Plaque Rock on Sepulveda Blvd. in the map above correctly. Here's a photograph I took at Plaque Rock in 1958.
Awesome pic. I love how the Falcon members brought up a club plaque to pose with in front of their cliff billboard. Do you have any other photos to share?
The Jalopy Journal
