Who was Cruisin' Vegas in the 50's & 60's?

Anyone out there who used to cruise Las Vegas in the late 50's and early 60's? We used to run from Sills drive in down Charleston to the Blue Onion drive in, then up Fremont to the turn around at the RR station and back again. We also made an occasional trip up and down the strip. Not too many rods/customs, mostly stock cars with a few mods. Always looking for word on parties or other "events"

Jerome

 

I think that would have been Frank, Dean and Sammy...Joey Bishop was in the trunk.......

 

jguff,,..do you have any pics of this. I would love to see this as I live here in Vegas. OR anybody else that would have pics. That would be great.

 

From the photos I have seen of Vegas in the 50's there wasn't much there to cruise.

I was there in 1969 twice and didn't see any interesting cars except a couple that the pawn shop was holding.

 

No, I don't have any pics. We were just a bunch of high school kids and interested in the social life, not documenting any of it.

The area has all changed now. Sills was at the corner of 5th (now Las Vegas Blvd) and Charleston and the Blue Onion was near the intersection of Fremont and Charleston. The Union Plaza hotel is built on the grounds of the old RR staion at the beginning of Fremont St. Of course Fremont is now a pedestrian mall in the old downtown area. The strip basically ended at the Tropicana Hotel. Back then the town had a population of about 60,000.

Jerome

 

Clarence @ Vegas Auto Electric mentioned a couple years ago that there were a few shops in his complex in the early 60's maybe (not sure of the year) that were hangouts for local drag racers and hot rodders. But that was back when the complex was new.

This is the industrial complex on Valley View, a block north of Flamingo behind the Gold Coast

 

This is some great info. I work with a guy that had a gasser in the early 60s and tells me stories of crusing water street in Henderson. I have to get some pics from him and post them.

There is a pic of a kustom shoebox in one of the Barris technique books showing it crusing Fremont in the early fifties. I will try to post that later.

 

I had the crap scared out of me by a kid who was airing up a bicycle tire in a gas station in Henderson in Janurary 1969. It isn't playing fair to make a big BANG when a guy who has only been back from Viet Nam for 26 days is driving by at ten in the morning.

 

This car was a Las Vegas car. Don't know anything about the owner, other than he was in the Gamblers club.

 

my mom and dad met at the blue onion she was a car hop

 

There was quite a bit of Hot rod activity in LV back then. I know lots of it doesn't fit the currant definition of "traditional", even though it all happened back then, but it was fun just the same. Lots of cruising Fremont, making the loop back down Charleston from the train depot to the back side of the Blue Onion, then back up Fremont. I burned up a lot of miles in my '60 El Camino in '68/'69 making that route... Mostly drunk on my ass along with most everyone else. Car was so low in the front a pack smokes (the standard gauge for establishing proper ride height) wouldn't pass under the front crossmember.
I lived in LV for 46 years. Born there as were my three brothers and My Dad (1919). His folks, including uncles/aunts moved there sometime around WWI. My older brother, Bob, was a typical 50's hot rodder. (still builds cars somewhere in Arizona). I have lots of memories of Hot roddinng there through the 50's and 60's. I caught the "bug" from him when I was still in elementary school. He used to pinstripe, flame and scallop cars in the front yard of the house we grew in on 17th street between Fremont and Charleston. Bob made his living for some 35 years as a striper.

The Clearance you mention... Is he the same guy that owned "The Chevy Shop" on Westwood???? Built kits for V8/Vega conversions and did some pretty serious racing. My brother Bob had his pinstriping shop a few doors down from him.... Industrial complex place with about 30 units. Right behind Bob's place was another good friend, Cecil Lutrell.... Hardcore biker. His place was (I think he's still in business) called Cecil's Custom Cycle. Strickly hogs.
Bob was a founding member of Southern Nevada Street Rod Association, started in '68 or '69. Lots of club activity and hot rods at his shop as well as at Clearances place and several other shops in the complex.

One guy, Bob Haygood, my brothers age, late 60's, built his first car in the drive way of the house he grew up in around the area of 9th and Marlin (I think) He still has the car, a '33 roadster Highboy. 392 Hemi/Torqueflite and a early 50's Olds rear end. Built in '61 and was his only transportation for quite awhile. droveit in primer with Vw seat for years and went through several Hemis that I know of. He drove the SHIT out of this car all the time. I remember he got bust street racing down Fremont and was clocked at around 120. they got him stopped right about at the Blue Onion and amazingly did not arrest him, but that happened that way in the 60's...
Bob hhad a '29 RPU. full fendered with a 303 Olds, '39 box and, I assume, a banjo rear end. Built in the early 50's and pretty well wore out by the time Bob bought when he got out of the service in '63.

I have quite few pics of SNSRA "Sun Sin, and Tin" rod runs in the mid 70's... Couple nice pics of Larrry Braga Brown '29 roadster, One shot of John Buttara in the sunday parade down Fremont street in his White '29 roadster, a couple of pics of Haygoods '33 in it's final form in the mid 70's. He still has a blown 392 on an engine stand that he built for it about 30 years ago. the car is sitting in garage and hasn't seen any black top in many years......
If anyones interested I'll scan some of these pics and post 'em up.

The '37 coupe on the cover of Hot Rod was owned by Glen Johnson and is featured in Hop Up annual volume 5. Bob talked about him a few times but I'm not sure if or how well he knew him. He was probably about 5 or 6 years older than Bob.... Interesting story in Hop Up.

Rich

 

I have heard that this car is still sitting in a garage in Vegas, but it's a coupe with the roof cut off.

I think that's a different Clarence. He owns Vegas Auto Electric, and it used to be Allstate Auto/Marine Electric. But that asshole Buffalo Jim stole the name when he had to shut down his business in the 70's for a few months because of family problems.

Thanks for the great info!

 

I lived in Vegas a couple of times as a teenager. We moved a lot. The first time we moved there was 1961, I was 14. At that time you could be 14 and drive a scooter or motorcycle under so many HP. There was no way we could afford a scotter or MC but I wanted a Cushman (still do) so bad I couldn't see straight.

We moved away after a short time but moved back in 1963. In 63 I turned 16 and got my license. My first license was a Nevada license, it was embossed plastic like a credit card (no picture). I bought my first car there. It was a 53 Pontiac Chieftain straight 8 automatic. I don't think there was anything much in that car that wasn't chrome or stainless.

I loved that car but it blew a timing chain. My dad and older brother tried to fix it but didn't know what they were doing so I scrapped it and bought a 56 Studebaker President.

The Stude had a 289 with a side draft 2 bbl, 3spd w/overdrive (and a hill holder clutch). That was one strong running car. It would chew up most stock tri-five Chevy's any day of the week.

The cruise on Freemont street during the summer was gridlock teenagers from 5th street to the union station and back. I have some really good memories of my brief times in Vegas. Not really hotrod memories just dumbass teenager shit that I'll never forget. But the cars and the cruising is where it all started.

Also, I don't know about now, but Vegas was trully a 24hr town then. A couple of the autoparts stores were open 24 hrs a day.

And most of all...I never will forget what's her name.

Thanks for starting the thread.

 

It is still in his garage... His son will end up it along all the other crap Bob has accumulated over the last 50-60 years!! It is built from several different bodies, parts of which were from a coupe, all scrounged out in the desert. Remember, in '60/'61 this stuff was laying all over the place. The cowl, doors and upper rear body panel are roadster pieces along with the windshield post and frame. Bob was (most likey still is) an excellent welder, made his living at it out at the test site for years welding casings for underground nukes, among other things. As I said earlier, he built the car in the carport and used as daily trans for years. He did everything on this car with hand tools, torches, an arc welder, etc. I think, but am not positive, that he even sewed his own upholstery. did his own body and paint. It does not look like a coupe with the roof cut off and I never heard of anyone recognizing it as a coupe. The quality of his workmanship was as nice as any you'd ever see....anywhere. Even now. He built some fast hemis, too... back when they were cheap!
Here are a few pics of his car. the first two are at the river run in Parker Arizona. It always looked like the grille shell sat up higher than the cowl, but it didn't. I recall him hearing about the visuals from time to time but... it never changed. I always felt he shoulda dropped it down just a bit even though it wouldv'e made it lower than the cowl. I thought the wheel and tire combo detracted from the car, too, but... It was the 70's the primered roadster quarter/rear whell in front of his car is my channeled '29.


this one is taken at Tule Springs park. Mel Clark's '40 Buick in the background. Can't remember the guy's name who owned the '36 pickup with the 40 rear fenders.

 

Great thread! I wish there was more interest in hot rods and history in general in Vegas. Seems like most people here who think they are into cars are just concerned about how big their chrome wheels are, and how many TV's they have in their cars. Thanks for posting memories and history!

 

I remember when the Vegas car craze was to take a Volkswagen bug, put a fiberglass tub on it and call it a dune buggy...They were a dime a dozen.

 

This some great stories. I hope there are some crusing pics some where of back then. Whitewalltires/Rich Thanks for the stories. That is crazy the picture you have of the hot rod and Im assuming car show at Tule Springs. I have been trying to get a show there for years.
Also I know the Clarence you are talking about that owns the Chevy shop. I have talked to him quite a few tims and did some printing for him. He is still into drag racing. What a small world.
Do you guys have anymore pics?

 

also The Brudwich. I completely forgot about that car that was in Hot Rod. I wonder what happened to it. Maybe the owver still has it.
That house that is in the background looks awful alike my neighborhood that I live in now. I will have to find a copy of the mag and do some searching. You just never know.

 

I graduated from Las Vegas High School in 1961. We had a car club called the Hustlers and used to stage dances at the old National Guard Armory. We built a Fuel Coupe which could also run as a dragster with the body off. It ran a blown 392 Hemi. Ran over 180 in the early 60's. Bruce Bartlett of the current Hustlers club has restored the car and shows it as a Cacklecar. The Hustlers put on a car show in Boulder City every fall. Back then it was still pretty much a small town with only four high schools (LVHS, Rancho, Western and Gorman) so everyone seemed to know everyone else.

Jerome

 

WOW Jerome. That is a really great story. Thanks for the info. Anymore stoires or pics you would like to share. I have met Mr. Bartlett once an dhave attended there car show out in Boulder a couple of times.

 

You went to LVHS with my brother.... Bob Wright. I'm pretty sure he graduated either in '60 or '61.
I'm 6 years younger than Bob but we were pretty close then... He took me with him everywhere, including car shows at the Armory. Ed roth was there once, I remember, it was a really big deal for me. I was pretty hot shit then, an 10 or 11 year old kid hangin' around with real Hot Rodders. Life was sweet. Those days were like a drug to me. I'm still hooked.
I remember The Hustlers CC. There was another club in Henderson-the Charioteers, plus there were a couple others... You guys must have raced at the Henderson drags at Lake Mead and Boulder Hi-way (or there abouts).

Rich

 

Rich, You might know the guy at my work. He had a 55 chevy gasser and his name was Bill Wilson.

 

That Hustler's car even looks bad ass in that picture.

 

Wasn't there an A&W stand in Henderson?

 

My oldest brother and his car club from Jordan High in Long Beach, "the Hermits" some 'Dingo's" and the 'Jester's' would high tail it out there to see Louis Prima and Keely Smith with The Wild Ones, they'd get hammered and then head home, i only wish i had pictures

 

I remember Bob Wright although I didn't know him personally. He was a year ahead of me at LVHS. Yes we did run at Henderson. A lot of well known Southern California cars would come up to Henderson to race. Some of the cars we saw run were Tony Waters roadster, Gary Cagle, Cyr and Hopper, Chrisman and Cannon, Jazzy Nelson with his altered coupe, Reath Automotive and many others. The dragstrip is gone and there are buildings all over where it was. Any times in the 8 second range and 190 or so were really hot.

Jerome

 

Hey Jerome.

Bob retired and moved to Arizona. Last time i spoke with him he had a'46 sedan that was about done.

About the only real clear memory I have of Henderson drags was Art Arfons allison powered dragster. I remember a few local guys. Do you remember radio KENO, the local AM station? They supported the drags and campaigned a gas rail for a awhile.... called the Keno Gambler, if I remember correctly. I think it was the dragster that Findley Olds originally ran.
There was a custom painter/striper that worked in LV for a wile who painted this car as well as many others, including a 40/41 Willys gasser named "Witches Brew". I thought that car was the cats ass... His name was Pancho... so named because his beer-gut.
His shop was "Pancho's Weird World of Color". I worked there during the summer of the year he painted both those cars. He was about the best striper I've ever seen. He fell down an elevator shaft and lost his striping arm in the early 70's and taught himself how to stripe left handed. Although he wasn't nearly as good, I was still impressed.
Another custom painter was Red Blake. He painted several race cars of the period also, including owned by the late Angelo Falzone, plus lots of local muscle cars and hot rods.

LV was a neat place to live in the old days. I was a kid then and didn't even have a car yet, but I was livin' the life... There was lots Hot Rod stuff going on there.

Rich

 

Rich,

Cecil's is still in business over on Charleston just up from Decatur. He is a great guy and full of knowledge.

Post up some pictures. I would love o see them!

 

Cruzin Fremont (The Gud) was all I lived for 63-66 I graduated from Rancho in 1966. We would work on our Hot Rods all week so we could be a little cooler or faster for the Fri and Sat Night. It was a great time to remember. I was fortunate to be able to go on the "last" cruze down Fremont before it was closed to vehicles. There was never a dull moment from the train station to the BO. Do I have some stories.

 

Ahhh yes, cruising Fremont Street.

The late 60's was my era of crusing, did a lot of laps from the Blue Onion and around thru the park in front of the railroad station where the Union Plaza is now.

I grew up in Henderson, Class of 70 Basic High School.

Used to go to the Thunderbird Raceway dragstrip in Henderson with my older brother. I was there when Art Afrons lite off the Green Monster and blew a big patch of the banked staging lanes.

You can still see the remnants of the track behind the Hyundai dealership on Boulder Hwy.

Then that strip closed and they opened Stardust Raceway waaaaayyyyyy out Tropicana in Las Vegas, I think thats about midtown Las Vegas nowadays. They had drags and Can Am races out there, saw the first Chapparals race out there.

Dam, the town was way smaller then.

The Clarence of the Chevy Shop is Clarence Thomas, longtime LV racer.