Cruising returns to Van Nuys Blvd

I concur, Bash. Groucho's Vega has the right "look".

 

Had a great time tonight.. here's the link to my photos from tonight if anyone is interested

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99004&id=608388887&l=ae39d0eb64

 

What's the scoop (story)? You should know better than to ask me for a story....Well, here goes. MONTHS ago I see this thing @ Pomona swap meet. I'm thinking, that's the coolest V-8 Vega I've seen. I never cared for them. SIX weeks later, I see it again @ Pomona, and it's for sale. Now, I'm talking to the guy....blablabla, and he wants $20K for it. I'm thinkin, big $$$ for me. SIX more weeks, and I see it again @ Pomona. Now, I'm a little(?) drunk on whiskey as he's telling me about this "wazoo" small block that's in it. I tell him to keep that freakin "wazoo" small block and I'll give you $8K for the car. He counter offers, to my surprise, at $10K, so I bought it. I pirated a 406 out of my Elcamino so i can have some fun while I build a "real" SBC for it

 

Once again...A great time!!!

 

The chicken SUCKED! Last night may be the LAST time I ever eat at KFC. Dry garbage

 

You couldn't pay me to eat that crap! lol

 

Neat story. I don't think I ever got that worked up about them either until I saw this one. Sounds great too. I'd like to get a shot or two of you and the Vega sometime. You posted some shots before, do you remember what number page or thread that was?

How did you think this cruise stacked up. Do you think there were more people this time? I noticed that folks seem to be collecting in different places along the boulevard, however, people seem to be only cruisin' a very short part of VN Blvd.

The boulevard really needs better lighting, those dam yellow sodium lights do nothing for me, that is where their are lights.

Never-the-less, I had a great time, and there were moments when I felt it
was back when.

 

By-the-way, those are some fine lookin' Mercs you have. I like those shots at the Valley Drive-in. Where is that drive-in anyways?

 

The Four n' Twenty restaurant and the BBQ place have the best food on the Blvd. Actually, I didn't plan on eating at KFC. I cruised by Rydell and I saw all of the cars there (early), so I went to the first (read: close) place to eat. I wanted to get to the lot where the action was!!!

 

Too much fun......... I took a bunch of pics,, I'm gonna wait to see what gets posted before I flood this place with duplicates...

 

I just heard the word "Bakersfield" pretty loud out of all that I guess. I remember seeing your car though. There weren't too many Pontiacs.

Anyway it was tons of fun. Here are some pictures. For the most part I forgot I had my camera, I was too excited. Haha.
















^Yeah...I had to take a picture with the hotdog. That thing is rad.

 

And STILL no fuckin' toilet.

 

BITCHIN' cruise, for those of us that actually cruised. But I think that we need to close the lot at 8pm which will force people to cruise to another spot. And we should not have any vendors for food so people are forced to get out there and buy something on the Blvd. None of this Marvs Hot Dog Stand, or the catering truck which I think your just asking for salminilla poisoning from anyways. " Yeah I'll have a Rat Shit Taco please with extra Hepatitis Sauce on the side? " Get out and go buy something to eat on the Blvd. And while your at it buy some gas too.

 

hey GROUCHO, the salinas boys(deadend magazine) did make it down.

as for the blvd i think there was less cruising this time around. maybe we don't need the rydell lot. close it for one cruise night see what happens.

the next flier should say NO PARKING IN FRONT OF RALPHS. the manager was out in the parking lot having people move because there was no parking for his customers

 

The Vega's HAMB inappropriate, but appropriate to cruisin the BLvd back then. So, the pics would only be on this thread. You can come by and take more if you like. The cruise was really good. LOTS of pockets of cars spread out along the route. I saw a reasonanble amount of cars past Victory to the North, and a few all the way to Jack in the Box. (R. Seghi and a crew occupied the Jack's lot for a while. About an hour later, I led about a dozen cars there for shakes). You can't spread the route too far, or the cars start to thin out. If it grows, that'll fix itself I believe. I think the Blvd HAS better lighting. I remember in the 70's, these awesome Tri-lights. They were used for what seemed a pretty short time. The energy crunch caused the city to turn off the outer 2 bulbs on each Tri-light. I think if you look up, the tri-lights are still there with only 1 of it's 3 bulbs lit. Not sure, but I think I recall seeing them.
And yes, I too, hate those orangy, energy saving bulbs. Bob's uses em too.

 

very cool night it was great the blvd packed with cars of all types.

 

Groucho what do you think about that Nova and the Camaro running ????

 

HMMMM. He lives in Palmdale, and was curious how his car would run in the Valley. He invited me to watch him make a test pass on Glenoaks last night. As we zig-zagged our way there from the Blvd, I was thinking of racing him. Two lousy blocks from Glenoaks we passsed a Cop. We went and hung @ Glenoaks for a few minutes. He decided a solo pass would be a lot less problem if the Cop was hiding somewhere. Anyway, he went through 1st and 2nd gear. It runs pretty good. I don't know how good, but good. I think it'd be a decent race. But, you're both friends. If he were to ask me, I'd prolly tell him to ask for some space. And I think you could spare some.
He is reluctant to squeeze before he freshens it up though

 

I'd agree with mr. 55 chevy up there, I won't support the roach coach beacuse it's not a local business. I'd say there were more cars and way more people than the last time, we'll see how the cooler months effect the numbers. We're on to a good thing here, having a lot of fun. My friend Tick and me rolled around in his nova wagon and then we took a few passes in my econoline pickup, that was fun. I did see a few idiots doing burnouts from a light, I'd say that was a very small minority, overall good time. FYI, there's a can in the rydell office you can use...

 

really big turn out.
and fox news was there, covering the cruising, even got my cuda on the 10 o-clock and the 11 o-clock news

 

Closing the lot at 8:00 is a dumb idea. People that want to "cruise" will cruise

Not everyone wants to drive up and down the Blvd all night as YOU do. People that don't and want to just hang and talk and look at cars will do just that. And the Rydell lot gives them that choice to do so. So far this is a very well organized event. Why mess with it?

You CANNOT "force" people to do things. If they have no where to sit and BS they will eather leave or not show up. Then you'll have 10 cars cruising insted of 50-100.

This thing is growing by the dozens each month. More people were cruising last night then last month

So If it ain't broke don't fix it!!

Will be interesting to see what happens now that the Local News has covered it. I hope it's a positve thing

 

I think Rydell should be shut down around 8PM. From what I saw, it still gives the "armchair rodder" a good 2-3 hrs to grow roots into the chair. Any later, and people go straight home from there instead of cruising because they already got their "fill". Plus, daytime cruising might help locate "pockets" to hang at before the darker season rolls around. Also, the Ralph's mangement's already expressed that we may have over-stepped some bounderies. And anyone that sets up a chair gets a kick in the dick

 

2 things
1-we're trying to bring it "back" how it was, and sitting around mostly isn't how it was
2-we can't possibly think in our wildest imaginations, that the Rydell lot will be available to us forever.
That being said, if we don't anticipate the demise of the lot NOW, this thing might just vaporize if we lose the lot without planning ahead

 

I enjoyed the flipping.
Hey Robert, does your neck hurt today?
Better enjoy it while you can, because one day it will be gone and your head will get sunburned! LOL!

Rikki

 

I agree with the part that not everyone wants to cruise. But, if THOSE people set up several "pockets" instead of Rydell, the cruisers can jump from pocket to pocket, and hang with a different group for a few minutes, possibly letting their car cool, and then go to the next. I did that last night and it was fun. Kinda like bar-hopping. New faces and surroundings at different intervals. THAT'S why the Blvd "worked" back then. It was NOT just another stagnant pool. Leave it the way it is? I think that will eventually get "old", and will be all to similar to hundreds of other shows. Now that we're starting to draw enough people to do it like it "was", we should. That's my 2 cents. I was THERE back then were you? Just asking.

 

Hi Bash,
Thanks for the comments on the Mercs. That drive in is Lompoc. Someone suggested it here on the HAMB for a photo op, during "Cruising Santa Maria." It was surreal driving the Merc down the blvd., last night. Been a LONG time since the last time I cruised Van Nuys.

 

What you're saying makes sence.I was thinking now and not ahead in time.. And YES I was THERE back then on the Blvd, behind the bank and all ova the place!! If i remember rt you had a semi afro back then J/k

 

Cool!

 

Caught a glimpse of the Vega on the Fox News video.....