Who cruised Van Nuys Bl in the 70's?

I'm going WAY back on the Austin Coil thing. We hung out with Abe, an old guy that had an early '60's altered wheelbase Moped, I mean Mopar (Misolanious parts arranged recklessly, Mostly Old Parts And Rust, Move Over Pinto Approaching Rapidly), and Mickey Cohan was our boss. Chicago is where I recieved the handle "GOT'CHA", from skinney George at the projects. We would meet "The White Boys" at 42nd and pulaski, pay the cops $10 or $15 bucks and crack gears while the cops blocked the street behind us! The bro's were the bomb to race. They were seldom full of BS like the white guys. And when they lost they paid. White guys wanna whine, that's my experience and I call it the way I lived it. And no I never whined, why? Because I never lost!! Just the facts Dano. What ever happened to the fat, mouthy guy that had the blue fake GTO with a "rat" in it that couldnt get out of it's own way no matter how much $$$ you pitched at it? It was at the same time we were meeting at the closed White Front or Zody's by Baher Chevrolet. I had just put the Ford engine in my Camaro Pro Stocker, "Mad American". His handle I think was Fat Boy. Hung out with Monk. Anybody know what happened to "Black Beard", "Nervous Glen", Marvin Miller, Mauvin, Sunny, Jim Coucher, Monk? My daughter, the light of my life, lives in MA. now. Don't know Jimmy.

 

Drove my straight axle 1950 chev (327/4sp) up and down the 'vard' (Wednesday night) from 69-71 (my sentence at NHHS - go huskies). Hung out with a jan-u-wine Street Racer named Gary who had a bitchin '40 ford. Was working (actually just a gofer) for a guy named Eric Hauser on his Can-Am Lola at the time. Went out to The Pond on Sunday's right before it closed. Man, what a flood of memories.

 

cupids!!!

 

Wished I would have been there to see that! I was gone from Van Nuys BEE from early '68 till early '71. Runnin the expressways of Chicago, doin US 30 (Gary, Ind.), Rockford, Oswego and Union Grove.

 

RIght!! How stupid were you to believe that for even a moment!! Yeah like ther were no other streets running next to Van Nuys Blvd. Come'on, get real!!

 

Maybe you can't" Go Home" Casey, but if you really loved the children that you spawned while living, or even remembering, those times at or about "home", AND had the BALLZ to stand up for those rights of yours and your childrens AND wanted those children and grandchildren, etc., etc. to remember that you gave them the RIGHT TO TRAVEL by the constitution of the United States by and thru all that have defended this wonderful country for over two centuries, you would stand next to those youth and say "Just wait, you'll see, the best time of your young life is yet to come. Soon you will experience your own right of passage thru your own Boulevard ( read that THEIR NEW home) thru your OWN RIGHT TO TRAVEL and ya know what kid? I'll wave to ya as I pass by in my ol' rod."
And guess what Casey, if you didn't serve your country, well I, GOT'CHA, did, as did my father, and WE give, and gave, you that right.
We DID have "No cruising" signs in the State of Washington, DID have.
So casey, wherever you are, let some dust gather on where you plant your ass every wed. or fri. night and go out and give our kids some more memories. What do you say?
Anybody out there want help with establishing the re-birth of ANY cruise? I'll be more than glad to help and I'm betting there are quite a few that would stand next to you.

 

The vette gasser was more than likely "Mr. Pickett", with a blown chrysler in it. Ran at San Fernando Raceway. It was british racing green. Bob Picket pioleted the funny car, "Pete's LIL Demon" then got a mustang funny car and I got the nod to letter it, my first funny car.

 

AND Rick, lets not forget to mention that Bob Brant was the winner (8 years in a row) of CAR CRAFT MAGAZINES crew chief of the year. And Rick, who was he crew chief for?? That's right, Don Puerdome. I think I miss-spelled Purrrdomes name but so what. And did you remember that nothing on that car matched!! But it ran like hell! GOT'CHA!

 

No my child, you are the idiot, not GASSERGARAGE. He told it like it was youngster, don't try to make it interacial. The NON SPEAKING ENGLISH illegal aliens are the ones that LOVED to fight each other, play with guns and disrespect each other on MY AMERICAN SOIL. Delany street was their "TURF". Screw then frickin punks, but no they helped screw all of us, i.e. "See ya, Van Nuys Blvd.". If I had'nt been so busy runnin my cars up and down the blvd. or street racing instead of just running my mouth, like some people, then I would have personally put an end to their abuse of MY public streets. If you happen to be of Spanish /Mexican desent, or a low rider (yeah I'm a racer that also had low rider's, Valley Undertakers,SFV, Vato. And my Impala was "Suavesetto", essay, La rosas-Pacomia), that doesn't make you a bad person at all, but don't go trying to defend the assholes that started the begining of the end of Van Nuys. Matter of a fact, it was the illegal's that destroyed Whittier Blvd also. Just the facts Dano, just the facts. GOT'CHA! And hey, Walt Prey, I can pinstripe circles around you! So could Moss and Bob Bond. That being said I will give you your due, you were one of the best. WERE.

 

And there you have it!

 

Hey #89, bumpybigblok, Yep! At one time my Pinstriping shop was right between Korky's and the theater, on Roscoe. I did a lot of work with Korky. Striped all those Greenwood packaged vett's. Also striped CAR CRAFT MAGAZINE'S, BIG BANANA Vette, owned by Editor, Steve Green, what a night mare!!

 

Does anybody know if pontiacjoe is Joe DeLuca? Does anyone know how I can get hold of Greg Shaw? How about Paul Currie? Jim Sedan?

 

Somebody tell me how to post pictures on this thing, and I will.

 

Thanks for the comeback. I worked with Korky and his crew, The Greek, Frenchie, Dave, and Larry. I was the tall skinny kid, Jimmy. I ran around the neighborhood in a custom painted hot little Bug that Korky did for PHR magazine. I ran it on the Blvd. a few times. It kept up with a healthy 327 Chevy purdy good. I split in the fall of 72. I remember some Dude coming by the shop and striping, maybe was You

 

I used to go by all the bad ass shops. Iwas the striper for Barris, Jefferies, Larry Sisk, Korky's, Paintmasters (William Bryant) and most of the new car dealerships. What are you doing now? And where? Any pic's of your old ride? You see mine posted. Jus goes to show you us ol' boyz still know how to get it up! My regular e-mail is gotchassspeed@yahoo.com, join in, it's all good people and lots of old street racers (and even some GOOD law enforcement boyz)

 

Got'cha, I'm in Iowa still building cars in my backard shop. Here's a pic of the bug I ran around the Valley in for a bit. You can check out some of my stuff At The Hub Garage Web site. My garage name is Rat Nest. Stop by for a visit. There's a lot of big name builders and artists and just regular guys. Later

 

Dam boy, if that picture is'nt frickin "Peace out" I don't know what is! Right the hell on. I'm new to computers so is the Hub Garage part of H.A.M.B.? I can make your car run in the 8's but I can't work a computer??? Whats wrong with that picture? Peace.

 

Got'cha, The Hub Garage is a different message board thats fairly new but growing like a MF. It's a little different than the H.A.M.B. Not just traditional rods and not so Hokey Ass. You can't say fuck over there and don't show any ass. You can post tons of pics and videos that stay on you,re own garage page. Chris Jacobs of Overhaulin Foose TV started this thing and it has really taken off with over 10,000 mbrs in a little over a year. Just Google The Hub Garage and join up. The name of my garage page is Rat Nest and my avatar is an artist rendering of Ed. Screen name is RuffTin. Come by, it's Way Cool.

 

does anybody remember ,tony noto,salt&pepper,anthony galati.sal rose,the guy with the blown dodge van worked at tire shop on the blvd greg?

 

Crossup:

If you haven't already, you could read the "Street Race Stories" thread. A lot of the old Valley racers are mentioned in there.

I saw Tony Noto about 10 years ago, we E-mail occasionally. I mentioned Salt & Pepper toward the end of that thread.

One little tid-bit from back in the day, Tony Noto came over to my place in Sylmar and I loaned him a Motor-Eater (one of my 'on-the-ragged-edge' nitrous units), for his small block Nova, but he his engine was already so highstressed that while he was impressed - it spit out his head gaskets. He was going to race the engine without any water. I told him I would advise against that since at the end of the pass he'd be left with a useless mass of molten cast iron & aluminum.

I loaned a Motor Eater to Anthony Gollotii, (big block Chevelle), I seem to remember that he used up three or four bottles of juice just doing testicle passes and giving his friends rides.

Sal Rose? Who's that?

I remember a blown Van that sometime went out to the races. I could be wrong, but I thought it was a Chevy.

So what's your name & who did you hang with, or what did you run in the day?

 

Did Anthony Gollotti have that bbc Chevelle that was scrapped by order of a judge for too many street races?

 

i am not old enough to have cruised Van Nuys Blvd but my parents told me about it, i was born and raised in burbank/glendale area and i do miss going to bobs t.l. that is the best way for me to spend some of my friday night. my hat is off to the burbank road kings, awesome group of guys and they have some very nice rides.

 

Rick:

Weeeell, we've got three different spellings for Gollotti, but I like yours the best.

Yes, I do believe that WAS the car that got up close and personal with the car crusher. I wonder if was able to swap his good motor out beforehand. Groucho should know, they were buds.

From what I remember (which is little - since I seem to have a swiss cheese memory and Gollotti has fallen into one of the holes), anyway I remember him being a young kid and pretty much a wild man - as regards driving. I mean if his car got a little sideways the last thing he'd think of doing was getting out of it - he'd just drive full throttle through it till it either straightened out or he did a 180.

 

Hey Bob, are you guys talking about the Mopar Van I mentioned a while ago that came next to me on Sepulveda Blvd. the night I came down from Washington (the "would's", as you'd call'um), as I was on my way out to spank a lil red Nova's tushie, and it whipped those front wheels straight-up???? I sure would like to know who that hippy was. It was cooler than hell!!!

 

Yeah, the Chevelle had a fiberglass front end. When it went to the crusher, he pulled the motor before hand. After that, I was at LACR with my '62 Nova. He was there with another red nova. It had a bbc running 11's. He was asking about my carb set-up because he was running real lean. Last I heard, he had a pro-street camaro that he crashed in Northridge.

 

all except the last one

 

Irony- That crash was while being part of some College project about street racing. He did a Nitrous pass with no helmet or seat belts, hit a parked vehicle, and was nearly beat to death by his own roll cage. A nut behind the wheel as Bob stated. We were all invited to say our goodbys, as they were convinced he was gonna die from his injuries. Bob, do you remember when Galotti got your Bantam roadster on 1 wheel @ LACR? I bought that from Howie Moon. Someone may recognize his name as a tuner of a popular Alcohol Funny Car for many years

 

Groucho:

I remember the Bantam roadster as not being all that fast, but was a real handful to keep straight.

The first time you and I tested it (trailered out to San Fernando Rd.) I did some burnouts and did a pass. I came back, got out of that thing, and went and laid down in Bud's El-Camino. Waaay too much EXCITEMENT for Bob.

 

Ha, ha, I remember that thing sitting in the shop behind the House of Corvettes. You had the big block in it with zoomies. Wasnt the rear axle solidly mounted? Do you remember the go cart with the Honda CBX motor?

 

Shit, I forgot about testing @ Roxford that day. That thing sounded wicked under the freeway. I remember none of us could control it enough to get in a full pass, but it had a pretty stout motor in it. So, I remember never finding out it's potential. We had so much trouble in that car that Rod Dunn offered to drive it, and showed up with his fire suit under his arm at LACR. A Top Fuel driver from the 60's who had the Hollywood Squares car, and the Real Don Steele car and later went to work for Larry Dixon Sr. Anyway, he chickened out and Galotti volunteered. We thought, this outta be fun. Then he got it on 1 wheel, and idled it the rest of the way. I remember when it was my turn, I'd come out of the hole easier than the rest of you guys and then stand on it. Well, the MPH siphoned fuel out of the Dominator and filled my helmet. I too idled it to the finish.
I pulled the Rat and sold the car to Al Moraldi