Amazing Night: Meeting Real Hot Rod Legends...

Few nights in your life go down in the books as unbelieveable, surreal, just plain amazing. Sure, building a hot rod, or going to a really cool show, or doing crazy things all create memories, but once or twice in your life you have a GREAT one...
I flew down to LA yesterday for the Hot Wheels Hall of Fame Ceremony at the Peterson Automotive Museum.
http://www.hotwheels.com/two/hof/hofexhibit.aspx
Now this is an invitation only event that I was SO blessed to get to go to; Only because of really cool bosses at my work, did I get to make this 'research' trip with a few fellow employees. To give you the scale of it, there was red carpet, search lights and Ferrari Enzos and Lamborgini Diabos buzzing the parking garage. Mattel did a first class job on this thing. There were grand stands out front with Hot Wheels fans who paid something like $250 to be there! I'm telling you, it was like a dream sequence from a Hollywood movie.
Inside the museum: Doane Spencers 32, Dick McGee's 32, Grabowski's Kooky T, Niekamps 29, Roth's Outlaw- - All in the Bruce Meyer's section
There was an impressive Shelby collection too.
Anyway, who's there?
Jay Leno was hosting (he was hi-larious)
George Barris (Seen George many times- kool guy)
Chris Titus (official HAMB buddy)
Steve Stanford (Car artist)
John Force
The list goes on and on...

What I was exicited about were the inductees:
Elliot Handler (Founder of Mattel and the Hot Wheels)
Richard Petty (wearing no sunglasses or hat- Weird)
and best of all Wally Parks!!!
I've wanted to meet him for a while. The man is 90 years old and still so full of life. I walked up to his table before dinner, introduced myself, and told him how much I admired him and his work in the early days of SCTA, NHRA and Hot Rodding in general- We're talking for a bit, and who's sitting two seats down? Alex Xydias, founder of So Cal Speed shop!
Two original belly tank racers and Bonneville legends at one table! I was so honored to meet these guys, I probably looked like a 13 year old girl at a NSYNC concert; But I didn't care, it was awesome.
I had them both sign my "Story of the Dry Lakes Era" book, and we took a picture together.. Oh, yeah, Chip Foose walked up right then so I had him jump in there; He's a really nice guy as well.

So like all this isn't enough? I walk up to Bruce Meyer and we start wrapping about his amazing historic hot rod collection. Next thing I know he invites us to his home garage in Beverly Hills to look at some more of his cars... Oh yes, he's that genuinely cool. Thats a whole nother story with pictures, but just imagine a small collection of the best exotic cars, antique motorcycles, and historic automobilia in some guys garage-- That's Bruce Meyers stuff.... The BEST.

What a once-in-a-lifetime night!
Thanks for letting me share. Hope I'm not rambling on....

 

Tell us more uncle Jive, tell us more......you lucky so and so!

 

I probably would have wet myself. That sounds way clutch!

 

I saw that on the news I wish I could have gone....It was cool they showed
Jay Leno Pull up in that crazy ass car and then fora split second they
showed the front of the Ala cart pull in....NICE!!!

I going to check it out soon...

you Lucky Bastard

Evel

 

So what cool Hot Wheels did you bring back.... I know there must have been some limited edition shit that a few years back would have sold my wife to have....

Sounds like a cool night...

 

It's great you've not only had a chance to see all of these Legends in one place..., but you got to speak with them as well..., "Lucky Dog"!

Another place where you can see some of these guys is at the Doughnut Derilects held every Sat. a.m. in Huntington Beach (Adams & Magnolia)!

Maybe not all at once but I've met them on several occasions...! Wally Parks is the youngest "Old Guy" I've ever met...,(amazing)!


Mark

 

Man...you do look like a 13 year old girl! You get all the breaks buddy ....I can't wait to see some pics!

 

It was fun...
Goodie bag included a 1/18th scale Deora (with the event date printed),
Nice program, Mother's Wax Hot Wheel, CD's, Old car NADA value guide,
blah, blah... Nice stuff.

I'll throw up some more pics soon.

 

Is the Ala Kart restoration done?

 

A lifetime of memories in one day. I would be so flabbergasted I would not know what to say either. You know all of us are continuing their tradition. How great it would be to see the beginnings.. in the flesh.

 

thats it! i'm movin' to californy i a. damn you guys have it good. dose' anyone know how to get there?

 

Where's YOUR shirt and tie son?

Sounds like a great night. That smile on your dial says it all really.

 

Cool that you got to meet Wally Parks. It is always neat when you meet legends and you feel like a kid.

More pix please........

Chris Nelson
Kansas

 

[ QUOTE ]
Where's YOUR shirt and tie son?

Sounds like a great night. That smile on your dial says it all really.

[/ QUOTE ]

BITCH! Why didn't you wear your HAMB shirt. THEY would have wanted to have their photos taken with YOU!! (just kidding. What an awesome opportunity. Thanks for sharing it.....)

 

A friend of mine met Bruce Meyer last year. Same thing he invited him over to see his garage. And actually gave him a ride there in a Dusenburg he was driving that day.
I might have not belived such a far fetched story untill he produced a whole photo album full of proof.

I had my chance to meet most of the hotrodding ledgens during the 50'th Detroit Autorama. IT is wierd how these poeple are bigger than life, but are regular guys like us too.

Redlines Kick Ass

 

You dawgg!!!

That is sooo cool Jerry!
I mean, if there was one dude on this earth that deserves a night like that... it's Jay Ward... glad you had the chance to do it... and share it with us!

Sam.

 

[ QUOTE ]
Is the Ala Kart restoration done?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ala Kart was there, and the resto looked pretty good.

Skate Fink- I had "Viva La HAMB" airbrushed on the back of my dress shirt with a mural of a minitruck decked in gold studs. It was hit!

Thanks for the kind words Sam! So many really, cool people in the Hot Rod world- Really the best folks ever. Heck, you know that- Your one of em'!

 

Here's a few more pics:
Sorry they are blurry, but my friend was trying not to overdo it with his flash...

 

<font color="purple"> Quit making me jealeous and go back to the 'toons. </font>

 

A nite of a lifetime, thats for sure. The photo of the 4 of you is priceless. Needs to get blown up and framed. Thanks for sharing. Love to see more photos too.

 

Jive-Bomber, thats really cool. I'm Kev's dad, the one that was riding with him in the primered roadster at rattle can, you were trailing us on your moto, My 32 PU was on the mend. I am so happy you got to go and meet all those heros, times like that are rare and special.--TV

 

O.k... a couple more pics, and I'm done:
Jay Leno, doing what he does best.

 

The original Deora!

 

The new Deora II:
(Leno rolled up in this one)

 

that's cool,
looks like the show is going to be up for a while then.

I guess there's perks for real hot wheel addicts.

tp

 

Deora made of sugar:

 

Ray Brown's 32:

 

Final shot... Part of Bruce Meyer's garage:

 

Another way to look at it is that they got to meet you. I met you at the Creamery in Hanford and thought it was an honor. I met Bruce Meyer a couple of years ago at the L.A. Roadster show. We just spoke for a little bit and he's inviting me and the wife to a Beverly Hills car show with Jay Leno. He's offering me special parking behing his families jewlery store. The guys alright.

 

The Ala Kart that was at the Hot Wheels event was the Howdy Ledbetter clone. I imagine the original is about done at Brizio's, but I haven't seen it anywhere yet.

The Hot Wheels exhibit at the Pete is scheduled to run through 2006, with periodic rotation of the stuff that's on display.