COOL SHOPS in SO Cal?? Shop tours!!!

We're going to be down in Del Mar in April for our event. Brandon and I would like to check out shops for our Shop Tour section, in the San Diego and Orange County area.

Suggestions?

 

How much time do you have to devote? There are enough in OC alone to likely fill your bill.

 

Hot Rods & Custom Stuff always has a lot of projects going on. They are in Escondido, not far from Del mar. The boss Randy clark is a good man.

 

I should have just asked you in the first place. All day that Thursday before the show is slated for shop tours. It's been so long since I lived in OC...where should we go? I'd like to try and squeeze in four before heading back down to TJ for the night. Thanks dude!

 

You can come by my garage, but there is nothing being built in it. (just storage for a bunch of baby **** and a few parts for my chevy and valiant).

I did spend time cleaning it today!

- Hey, what show in April??

 

Sweet!

 

Not in San Diego area but the Drag-N-Shop has a few good projects going on right now. Drag-N-Shop 8205 Secura Way Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 (562) 945-9976 ask for Joe or David.

 

Not a shop, but come up to the now largest and newest old car wrecking yard in the Antelope Valley.

Its over 100 cars, mostly 50s and 60s stuff.
Most of this has been sitting, largely untouched for the last 20 years.

I am about 4 miles from LACR.

Open 8-5 Monday-Saturday

661 944 5004.

 

Is this yard open to anyone? Where is it located?

 

In Littlerock, Ca, 93543.

Open 6 days. Not a self service yard.

Call or come by.

Anyone else interested, PM me, I dont want to hijack this mans post.

 

circle city hot rods should probably be on your list for orange county, they've turned out some pretty killer rides.

http://www.circlecityhotrods.com/gallery9.html

 

Man how long ya going be there? Tons of shops...Pete and Jakes..Coddingtons....If ya get a chance go to visit Dean Jefferies place..just to listen to a couple of his old days stories is worth the whole trip..the man has done it all and he is a real down to earth guy,always willing to talk to any car guy.

Mench

 

Go for it. It'll keep it at the top.

 

So Cal in Pomona and Circle City in Orange. I've been to So Cal and never made it to Circle City, although I did run into Jimmy White at the GNRS and if Jimmy ain't one of the nicest guys in Cali, I don't know who would be. And he's got Bluebear hangin around the shop to boot.

Vance

 

I will be in Anaheim for a few days near the end of may and in sandiego for a few days in early june. I NEED to see some car culture down there..

Anyone got any suggestions..

Sorry kirk..don't mean to high jack..

tok

 

dont waste yur time at coddingtons .. way better shops like circle city and many others to meet cool real people/.. and cool shops ..

 

bttt, any more suggestions?

 

You have been to my place. You are probabley comin by before march meet.

Rodger

 

Here's an idear: Start north, somewhere like LimeWorks in Whittier, then make your way south, stopping by CCHR in Orange and possibly CW Moss right down the street (with John Reid's new parts shop next door), then further due south (possibly via 241/261 Tolls) making your way to Hot Rods & Custom Stuff in Escondido before ending up in Del Mar. You could probably fit another in before or after HRCS depending on location. There are a few shops in San Diego worth visiting, but not sure what's still open and what's not these days (Johnny Guilmet's dad's shop...Jalopy Shoppe...?).

 

Would anyone beside me be interested in seeing the original locations of the early and now famous or defunct speed businesses, shops and skunkworks all around south LA? Something of an anthropology/historic crawl looking for ghosts.

 

I'm just curious....do these "shops" mind at all if people just drop in???

I hear of lots of guys from here going over to the US and doing shop tours, but it's usually the big joints, like Moon, SoCal, etc, that are probably used to it.

Personally, I wouldn't even think of it, especially in a small business. I leave my mates well alone during working hours just because I see my being there as preventing them from making their wages.

Just seems somehow rude.

 

A lot of them figure that if yer there yer prolly a car guy to start with and know yer way around a shop.......so after meet and greets they'll kindly give ya the okay to "have a look around".

That way they can get back to bidness and you can have your tour.

Having a company who'd rather NOT meet and greet the public seems rather rude.

 

HELL YES THEY DO! if any guys from any magazine wants to drop by your shop, you hold the doors open for `em... that is if you want the doors to stay open...

 

most of them are in the hood... deep in the hood

 

Thanks Rob. That sounds like a good basis for a plan.

 

It's much more difficilt for the general public to get a backstage tour or snoop around a shop, but FREE advertising in a magazine by way of a Shop Tour is almost always welcome. Some shops do say no, however.

 

Did you say you were having a party again? I'm going to try to stop by anyway to say hey and what new projects are there.

I'll be a running a little ragged because I'm taking a motor down there to be finished up and need to deliver it. And then I have to get ready fopr our awards banquet.

 

That always makes my stomach sick. On the way back from Paso a few years back, me and a few Shifters stopped by Blairs Speed Shop in Pasadena for a late-night photo op. But other spots, like the soon-to-be defunct Weiand, Barris' old place, etc. barely resemble what they used to be, if they still even be. I think Cooks Machine off the 5 is still intact and in business, though.

 

I think that would make a KILLER story. Especially with then and now photos. I think it's something more for the Primedia boys...hint, hint. Rob? Jim?

 

See above...must'a been replying in unison!