Hey, I was talkin' with an old buddy awhile back 'bout old photos... He said "seems we didn't know those times we lived would be any- thing we'd ever wanna look back on, livin' for the moment and all". Once in awhile, someone would show up at Lyons or OCIR with an Instamatic, or an old Brownie camera, but usually the only pictures were of the 'empties'. Most of the guys I knew weren't big on havin' their pictures taken, and probably for alot of good reasons! Take a picture of someones license plate, and it was ass kickin' time! Swankey Devils C.C. "Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
GEEZ!!!, I can't compete with all you young guys & late model stuff, BUT, I remember cruzing my WHIZZER motor bike all the way from Inglewood to El Monte & back just for grins!!!!---Now for all you youngsters, the only "FREEWAY" was the Pasadena 2 mile section of divided 2 lane concrete paved roadway with bushes in the center. When in Inglewood High school from 1946--1950, the "biggie" was to go up on the hill to the drive-in, where if you wanted to choose someone off, both participants would head West down Manchester Blvd. to Sepulveda, 1 mile past Sepulveda was an angled road between the bean fields, where many races were conducted into the wee hours of night, Appelton spotlights were used to warn everybody if the "fuzz" was coming, spotlights at each end worked great! Flatheads were always the dominent power factors, but once in a while, a "jimmy" would pop up & the race was always very exciting! Especially when the cars were running with no lights!---It was thought in those days that if lights were off it made the spark "hotter"---HA!----Nuff 4 now---------Don
I remember making the rounds when I was in high school in my '74 convertible Karman Ghia. We would cruise Laurel Canyon then roll down to Hollywood Bl. and then shoot over to Legg Lake and then hit Whittier. The late 80's was a crap shoot on Whittier. I would hit all these spots and head back home to Granada Hills in the San Fernando Valley that very same night, or should I say very early in the morning the next day. Good times
I cruised Whittier Bl. Whittier from 76 till 82. 1st time there was in a 1923 T-Roadster. w/a 377 Olds w/a tri power, Pontiac Rear End. It had very traditional stuff by todays standards, It was probaly not insync then. We got a ticket in front of Board Ford because some one said his single T-Taillamp was inop (it was working), He hopped out to ck. by the time his feet hit the ground full on red lights and a ticket book out. We did cruise Bob's on the North side of the street which had a canopy for its drive in service. Lots of guys hung out @ various places, some down @ Der Weinerschitzel others @ Taco Bell, Scotty's for street racers. Street Racing always took place in SF Springs/Los Nietos. Some serious cars showed up there. Rarely saw a early style car though. Many V8 Vegas/Pintos,Bugs. Lots of mini trucks as well family cars with cute chicks in skin tight Dittos. I drove a 68 GTO rag top and always looked in @Street Rods La Habra and Stick City. Always was looking for that cool Hot rod! Totally enjoyed those days, Lots of Fast Times! Steve, I too wish I had pics.
"Lets take a ride down Whittier Blvd!" Man, does that bring back some memories!!! We used to cruise Whittier in "65 and 66", I lived in Torrance and we would drive seems like forever just to cruise this remarkable place. I had a 57 4 door chevy with a "vinel top" and cragers. It would take like 2 hours to travel just a few blocks and turn around and do it again!! You had to have a good cooling system on your car. I remember lots of early iron,tri fives and vettes and t-birds. Those were the days. desert joe
I spent about every weekend night cruising Whittier in the late 70's usually in my friends flamed 71 Roadrunner called Wildfire. Painter to Colima, back and forth, back and forth. When we did stop it was usually at Scotty's or the family billiards just to the north across the intersection. I rarely took my 440 powered Duster up there because it would overheat when stuck in bumper to bumper 5 mph traffic.
I moved to the LA area in 78, we moved just off Whittier Blvb. Rented a house on Painter Ave. I was waiting delivery on a new 69 Hemi Roadrunner. It showed up about two weeks after we moved in. I painted the orange colored screens on the hood scoops satin black and took off the Hemi and installed 383 on the scoops. I ran Whittier Blvd. Friday and Saturday nights. I don't know if i fooled many, But I sure had fun blowing the doors off most everything that would punch off with me. Had some races over in the Santa Fe Springs area buy some oil wells. The 440's were the most fun, I would beat them by 2-3 car lengths. They all wanted to look under my hood, But I would just laugh and get in my car and leave.--TV
Damn those were the days. I remember cruising from Garfield High all the way to Whitter Blvd and the 605. Good times. That was the mini truck and VW bug era in the mid 80s. That's when the laa-dees sported the big Aqua Net hair dos, lol.
I cruised Whittier 76-77 in my black 57 Chevy with Hawaiian plates. Totaled it on Azusa and came back in 78 with a black 69 Vette. Always a ton of great cars. A lot of light to light racing and always, always plenty girls. If we scored, sometimes we'd head down to Newport Beach or cruise Balboa and get a slice at Perry's Pizza. As I remember, I'd go all the way west on Whittier and turn around just before going under the tracks. From then on it was cholo city. Man, it was great back then. When the cops started the barricade bullsh*t, you just knew the times were changing.
My dad has some crazy stories about cruiz'n Whittier Blvd. Him and his buddies used to cruise in East L.A. of off Atlantic Blvd & Whittier Blvd. in the late 60's - early 70's. He would tell me about seeing guys with hydraulics on their cars for the very first time. My father-in-law also has some wild stories about cruiz'n Whittier Blvd from East L.A. to Whittier back in the day (the stopping point for them was Bob's Big Boy on Whittier Blvd just before Ocean View in Whittier. No longer there). I remember my dad taking me when I was a kid (late 70's - early 80's I'm guessing). I also remember them closing the Blvd at a certain time in the evening to try and stop the cruiz'n. -Jeremy
I cruised Whittier from about 1974-82. I was a partner in "The Mini Truck Store" which was right on the Boulevard. We would hang out in the store and drink beer and the cops were bummed cuz they couldn't bust us. We had a mid engined, Chopped, tube frame, Datsun truck right in the window. Big Daddy Ed Roth lettered it one day laying on the floor right there in the store. Remember the Whittier Gang - they had the baddest street Sleepers around, including Boyd Gable's Nova that made Hot Rod, cover I think. That Big Block Chevette was Greg Petersen's out of Santa Ana and was Hilborn injected - it was his daily driver! We used to race R/C cars down the middle of the blvd between the cars just to freak people out - until "Glazed Donut" had his get away and it got run over by a Mustang! How about the Whittier Blvd Nite on Tustin Ave. Some friends and I set that one up and the Orange PD got so paranoid they set up a mobile command post to handle the insanity! They ended up shutting down Tustin to run us Hooligans out of town (LOL) We sat in Micky D's and watched it all and just laughed.
Nabisco was definitely the VW racers hang out. I managed one of the Auto Haus stores and was at a DKP (Der Kliener Panzers) race behind Nabisco in my 302 powered Ford Courier Mini truck. Word came down that the cops were on there way so I took off and ducked into the Texaco station. The cops flew into the gas station (which was closed) and asked what I was doing? I said I had overheated and was putting water in it. They looked at that V8 and said what about the races? I said I dunno I was just trying to get home and all these damn VW's came out of no where and wanted to race. They took off in search of the VW's and left me alone - Good thing as 2 minutes earlier I was on a hard pass back there behind Nabisco!
I remember the Mini-truck store and the Auto Haus. Isn't there a Tommy Burgers there now? I raced many cars on the Blvd. Never got beat! Close a few times...Raced a 69 Camaro one night on Lambert and he crashed into oncoming traffic! That was the last time I took my VW there. I read about it in the paper. I guess he broke an axle and it turned his car left. I don't remember if anyone got hurt or not. I saw Augie at the LARS,that drove a red Austin Healy,that was done like a Cobra. SBC was in it,I think...He has a silver,Nova Gasser now.
Exactly, how can you be north of the 605 when the 605 runs north-south. No wonder those navigation systems sell so well. Panhead!!!!!!
I want to cruise Whittier Blvd. sometime this summer, 2009. Painter to Colima. Hot rods, muscle cars, Vdubs, Mom's Rambler station wagon, etc. No organizers, no sponsors, no nothin! Just show up and drive, as in "the day." Anyone intersted?
I cruised Whittier earlier than some of you. Mid to late 60's for me. Our hang-out was Bobs Big Boy. Before Colima was cut through- it was Painter to Beach for us. Spent nearly every Friday & Sat night cruising & looking for a race or we'd park on a side street w/ a large group & shoot the shit. Cops never really bothered us much- but in I think 68 or 69- there was a big fight over near Painter I believe (they called it a riot back then & I think someone was shot? Sucks to get old- can't recall now) and the cops really started cracking down after that. Anyone else remember the "riot"? I spent an hour trying to find some history w/ no luck. My car for cruising back then was a 64 Chevelle built gasser style (or is that A/FX ) w/ an Econoline straight front axle, BBC w/ tunnel ram & a pair of 660 center squirters, M22 trans, Olds rear. Car had Ansen Sprints up front w/ VW tires, chrome reverse in rear w/ M&H Racemasters. Car was maroon & very quick. Maybe some of the old timers remember it. I spent alot of my teen years on that blvd & I can't remember much of it now. Seems so long ago.
We were over from Australia for the drags at Ontario in '75 and we stumbled across Whittier on the nite that the film, Boulevard Nights opened in a cinema, I think it was filmed partly on Whittier. Man, what an eye opener for us guys to see the rods, muscle cars and low riders cruising. The sidewalks had people with lawn chairs just sitting watching the parade. It was awesome. I think the cops had some problems with some gangs or something down further, we started to go have a look, but we were warned not to head down that way just because we were white. I think we were more green than white. I s'pose I wouldn't even recognise any of that area now. I just thought about that and I think it might have been 1979 not '75. "Alziemers kickin' in."
Ha! Cruisin Whittier was the big thing...I was there! I agree its what put Whittier on the map. Go by every now on then passing through...the memories! also ran through Van Nuys Blvd...E Street in San Berdo....
So what would you all say was the hayday of cruising Whittier? How early did it start (year)? Was it equal on both the white and brown sides of Whittier in terms of peak cruising years? When Thee Midnighters released "Whittier Blvd" in 1965 were they talking about cruising ELA or were they talking about going over to with the hotrods? Many questions.. little mind
Wow. When you guys talk about cruising in VWs and Mini trucks, I feel really OLD! Goozie, I am SURE Thee Midnighters were refering to ELA. When I hear that song, my mind's eye sees the old Golden Gate theater on Atlantic and Whittier Blvds. Other hot spots were: Van Nuys Blvd, D Street in Wilmington, Tweedy Blvd in So Gate, E Street in Berdoo, Mission Blvd in Pomona. Ahh, to remember the days of cheap gas and so many options as to where to hang out in So Cal...
Wife used to sneak her friend's Grand-dads 70's Impala out to cruise Whittier... It was a clean car and they always got tons of compliments... Well they decided to clean it one day and her friend used Borax... Suede Impala anyone... We also have a collection of old 45's from Whittier Blvd Records...
Ahhhh, the memories...... yep, there were a bunch of us up there on a regular Fri. and Sat. night. the hang out was the burger place bout half way down, ( don't remember the name,) Stick City was cross the street. Fun place to see, cars always changing. Last stop of the night was K-mart parking lot on Beach blvd. Allways a race to be found there. cops would sit just cross the street, when someone left, they were all over them. Shoemaker was another drag strip, I do remember Boyds white nova, looked all stock, till you saw the spacers under stock valve covers. He raced lots of bikes back then. That car was a rocket back then. I remember moving the baracades so you could turn left and then they got chained down in the middle of the street so you couldn't. Roach
The Jalopy Journal
