Cruising returns to Van Nuys Blvd

cool story

 

Just north of it was a hotdog stand my mother rented. She taught me to cook there before school, after school and weekends. We lived in a house right behind it that had been a chicken ranch... GM then Fisher Body went on strike in 1962 for two or three monts and put us out of business. We moved around the corner on Blythe st. Just about all the apartments were new then.

 

Hey VNCRUISER,

Very good, I don't know how I have forgotten that name, seems like you'd remember that one forever, especially across the street from the Chevy plant.

They made one hell of a sandwich too, but, best come in between lunch breaks at GM.

I've got a great shot of the plant too, let me see if I can find it.

 

Hot Rod Bob & VNCruiser,

Here's an article I was developing for Rod & Kulture Magazine, it wasn't used because it was neither a hot rod or a custom. However, back then, new cars were considered kool, and a set of chrome wheels and a little tricking out
was all that was needed. Mike Wallen took the photos, and it's his ride as well. Mike Wallen & his father had a lot of pixs in my Cruisin' book, and will have a number in my next too.

In-any-event, I hope you dig the pink photo of his Delivery in front of GM.
It's pink because it was shot on movie film, and turned pink over time.
Yes, I monkeyed with the jet, it was just too tempting.

Anyway, I've got to bail for now, I've got a cover to paint for Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine about hell, so I better get to it.

Tomorrow....

 

That is cool!

 

Lots of yaking! How come there aren't pic's? I'm sure cars DO show up at this thing ,right? Don't any of you guys have cameras????

 

What's wrong with your camera? Ever take pictures at night of something moving while also driving? How's about you take the pixs while we're
cruisin'

 

Your on buddy! I'll come and take pic's of Cruisin....NOT pic's of standing in some parking lot blabbing!!!! When is the next cruise night?

 

July 8th.....

 

Who's blabbing now? I got it...."Blab Bob". HMMMM, got a nice ring to it

 

Great, I'd love to see some action shots. But, you were right of course, some of these guys you couldn't get out of their chairs with a crow bar. Mise well have left their cars at home and come in their lawn chairs. Ha!

I think part of the problem is conditioning. Today when we speak of cruise night we're talking about some restaurant who's sponsoring what they call a cruise night, so it's actually a location rather than actual cruising, unless you want to count the drive there.

 

hmmmm,,,,,,,,,, hey blab bob i did not see your merc any where on the blvd ....he he he,, sorry no pics i was to busy cruizen...........

 

Rydell should throw us out at 9PM, just giving us the lot long enough to build up a cruising force. Also, a guy at Bob's tells me he will have a camera on the roof of his car next cruise with a remote, allowing him a full 360 degree scan/pan capability

 

Hey Groucho,

Very Kool, perhaps you can put him in contact with me when or if you have a chance. Some action shots would help the article if he was interested to help.

Here's a shot on VN Blvd. back at the beginning. I though you'd get a kick out of how quick things got going.

 

I'm sure the guy will help. He's got a white 69 Mach I and always hangs a big American flag from it in case I don't get to introduce you. So, Dec 16 1911 was the 1st official "cruise"?

 

thats the guy that has the truck with the big screen in the back that plays movies at bobs in the summer

 

His name is KIRBY.

 

The guys from www.livecarshows.com will be out there filming and interviewing! Put those toupees on, you old timers that lost your locks! LOL!

 

Boy you got that right, be there or be square...

If you listen to all the stories told by guys young and old, you would think they were talking about different boulevards. Each of us have different memories, which is as it should be, but, all these stories are linked by one inescapable fact, they are about Van Nuys Boulevard, and each of us has not forgotten it. It's a powerful memory.

It's a piece of social history. There is no monument to represent it, just our vivid memories. It's time this story is told, but, there is one rather big problem. It's locked up in our memories, perhaps sharing these stories will bring more history into the mix, and inspire some others to do the same, and look through their keepsakes, and photo scrapbooks and share theirs.

Without a doubt, cruising Van Nuys has touched a great many people. I have two paintings in my collection concerning Van Nuys, they were among the first I published as prints nearly 20 years ago. What came to be a surprise is where all my orders came from. They came from all around the world. People who had either once lived here, experienced it on vacation, or simply read about it. ( Many european magazines have for years done a much better job reporting on us than we ever thought of) This fact alone suggest that this was one truly monumental memory shared by a great many.

The one thing I've never been able to get around, is that they tore down the Van Nuys Bob's. If ever there was a historic location that embodied the true spirit of Van Nuys, it was the Van Nuys Bob's Big Boy Drive-in.

The city of Van Nuys should be ashamed of themselves. Van Nuys will be celebrating their centennial soon, to bad the city fathers were asleep at the wheel, all the great buildings that made Van Nuys memorable have been torn down for such important uses as parking lots and more pre-digested cheese box apartments. Such absolute crap.

It was the last Bob's Drive-in designed by famed drive-in architect Wayne McAllister, who had also designed the Tolua Lake Bob's, all the major circular drive-ins like the Roberts that was once on Olive over in Burbank, Herbert's, Carpenter's, and perhaps the worlds biggest display of blue neon the Van De Kamps twin restaurant, and drive-in.

I better get out of here before this becomes a book too.

 

So, in a year and a half we can celebrate 100 years of cruising.....

 

Yeah, it looks like it, if you will note from this photo, there are people standing around in the parking lot and on the side walk with there cars on the street.
They're probably waiting until 8pm kinda like the other night. I guess they didn't have lawn chairs then.

 

The same fate had threatened Bob's in Burbank/Taluca Lake. Hotrodders band together and that will not happen. There is a plaque at the front door and it is now a historc or landmark of such that cannot be torn down. It is also one of the if not the most profitable Bob's in the country now.

 

i heard they're building new bob's around here in the valley?

i haven't seen it.. or done the research to see if its true or not..

just wondering if anyone else heard this news?

 

That would be on Corbin between Nordoff & Parthinia.

 

really? hmm i havent been down in that area in a while. is it complete yet? i should check it out one of these days...

they should've built it down van nuys blvd... instead of that "living spaces" story by the tracks... that woulda been a good spot

 

Sun Valley is getting one at the 5 and the Sun Valley Blvd on ramp. It was a Damion's resturant. At least that is what I have heard

 

Exactly! Half mile from my house. The sign's been up for months...."Big Boy" coming soon. I drive by it every day

 

Its not truely set in stone yet, but Doc Franknstien will probably be cruising down in my truck with me, cause his gears are just way to high in his wagon he found out. He hasn't been on the hamb lately so when i told him at Moldy's he FLIPPED OUT!!! When he worked with Winfield that was his stomping grounds also.

 

I met "Doc" a few yrs ago. He builds some very cool, and innovative stuff. PLEASE tell him I said hello!!!!!

 

Will do Groucho. Looking foward to meeting you "while i'm cruising"!