History The Car Clubs Of Sepulveda Blvd.

[64 Wildcat]

Originally Posted by Steve

sepulveda ends south of the end of the 405 at the 5 which is south of Sylmar. This cliff was up in the sepulveda pass between the valley and LA

Thanks for clearing that up. I lived in L.A. before both I-5 and the 405 were built (and the Hollywood Fwy ended at Ventura Blvd at the eastern end of Studio City! ), hence the query on the location.

As I said in an earlier posting, I used to use Sepulveda from West L.A. to just south of Ventura Blvd for road tests of vehicles (not much traffic and it wasn't patrolled) over four decades ago and don't remember seeing any remnants of the old car club signs back then. One can only conclude, as someone did in an earlier posting, that this part of the hill made way for the 405 when it was built.

[64 Wildcat]

Originally Posted by Special Ed

I had the same thought. Unless I'm really turned around (which seems to be a common occurrance these days)...
I actually grew up less than a mile from Sepulveda Blvd.

Ed, you know you're getting old when you remember:

• Knotts Berry Farm was really a berry farm;
• Orange County really had oranges;
• The Grapevine Grade really looked like one;
• The Red Car;
• Gilmore gas station, next door to the Pan Pacific Auditorium
• the Witch Stand, Bob's in Toluca Lake and Harvey's drive ins...

(You and I have already PMed about Earl Muntz...)

A lot of HAMBers might want to know that Sepulveda Blvd was a main street racing venue (around where it crosses Olympic and Pico, as well as in the San Fernando Valley) back in the '40s and '50s. I knew guys that raced there back then and the stories they told me when I was a kid growing up in SoCal in the 1960s were fascinating.

[vncruiser]

Sepulveda Blvd & Plummer St in the valley...1975...Yea, I know this pic has been posted before....

[Mazooma1]

For those that are unfamiliar, Sepulveda runs alongside of the 405 (San Diego Freeway) from the San Fernando Valley all the way down towards LAX. The Imperial Highway and Sepulveda Blvd. intersection was just east of where all the Shelby's and Cobras were built at the Shelby-American facility at the old American Airlines building.
The Sepulveda family were among the original families to settle the in area to become known as Los Angeles.
That's Sepulveda Blvd. on the right...

[Groucho]

Originally Posted by Mazooma1

For those that are unfamiliar, Sepulveda runs alongside of the 405 (San Diego Freeway) from the San Fernando Valley all the way down towards LAX. The Imperial Highway and Sepulveda Blvd. intersection was just east of where all the Shelby's and Cobras were built at the Shelby-American facility at the old American Airlines building.
The Sepulveda family were among the original families to settle the in area to become known as Los Angeles.
That's Sepulveda Blvd. on the right...

I'll never forget coming through that pass in '69, on my way from LAX to my Aunt's house when I moved here from New York. At age 14, SoCal was THEE place to be for a car nut.

[Mazooma1]

Originally Posted by Groucho

I'll never forget coming through that pass in '69, on my way from LAX to my Aunt's house when I moved here from New York. At age 14, SoCal was THEE place to be for a car nut.

still is

[Chili Phil]

Originally Posted by corn boy

Cool post. Could have done without the graffiti/politico rants however.
Rebels were and still are rebels.

Yes they were...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4SLXaF-lIc

[sodbuster]

Found 2 pix of Bonneville taken from the Motel 6 parking lot.

[hotroddon]

After reading, and participating in this yesterday, I called my Mom to see what she remembered about this. She's 78 and born in Glendale, the real birthplace of the speed equipment industry.
She said she remembers that a picture came out in a magazine that was included in the newspaper (probably the LA Times) in early 57 (called "This Week"). The hill was bulldozed in late 57 for the freeway building and that the reason it was tolerated and maybe even a little encouraged at the time is they knew it would be short lived.

Just one "old lady's" recollection

[chop32]

Looks like the Toucans, Hawthorne was covered over (possibly by a rival club) just to show up again later repainted in a different location!

Originally Posted by 1929rats

When I first saw that shot in TRJ, I started at it for about 30 minutes. Probally one of my favorite pics of all time - no joke. Especially with the 40 pu in the foreground. If you look at that photo, you can see how a rival club crossed out the "quarter kings". If memory serves me right, that was mentioned in the article as well. For me, it brings me back to my college days when I pledged a fraternity. I remember painting over another frats "letters" with ours on the side of a cliff in North Adams, MA. The letters were about 15 feet high and there was a "science" to painting the letters that was passed down from pledge class to pledge class (year after year). I bet if this cliff could have talked, It would have had a ton of stories.

Love the pictures I havent seen...

[Anderhart Speed]

wow, that is awesome. So cool to see that, and some pretty decent pictures too. Thanks Ryan

[64 Wildcat]

Originally Posted by hotroddon

After reading, and participating in this yesterday, I called my Mom to see what she remembered about this. She's 78 and born in Glendale, the real birthplace of the speed equipment industry.
She said she remembers that a picture came out in a magazine that was included in the newspaper (probably the LA Times) in early 57 (called "This Week"). The hill was bulldozed in late 57 for the freeway building and that the reason it was tolerated and maybe even a little encouraged at the time is they knew it would be short lived.

Just one "old lady's" recollection

Thanks for including your mum's recollections. Glendale was certainly a hotbed of speed equipment suppliers back in the day. I used to regularly visit Glendale Speed Center when I was a kid, and most of the stuff going into my Nailhead (pistons, bearings, etc.) was purchased there 29 years ago, just before I moved to NZ. (Everything's still like new, having been properly stored all these years...)

[hotroddon]

Originally Posted by 64 Wildcat

Thanks for including your mum's recollections. Glendale was certainly a hotbed of speed equipment suppliers back in the day. I used to regularly visit Glendale Speed Center when I was a kid, and most of the stuff going into my Nailhead (pistons, bearings, etc.) was purchased there 29 years ago, just before I moved to NZ. (Everything's still like new, having been properly stored all these years...)

And don't forget that everything from Barney Navarro to Diest, Weiand to Edelbrock, Isky and more all had ties to Glendale at one time or another

[64 Wildcat]

Originally Posted by hotroddon

And don't forget that everything from Barney Navarro to Diest, Weiand to Edelbrock, Isky and more all had ties to Glendale at one time or another

Very true...

[big creep]

hey buddy who you calling a creep? hahahahahaha! they are called assholes today! or thats what they call us sometimes? hahahahahaha

Originally Posted by Mazooma1

What? In the 50's there wasn't a huge graffiti problem like there is today.
Today, thanks to all the creeps with nothing better to do but damage private property, there are laws against this stuff, and rightfully so.
It has nothing to do with "freedom". It's a different world today and graffiti causes millions of dollars worth of clean-up.
Big difference.
From the looks of this hillside, the club's were doing a little bragging and showing some unity and pride. I doubt back then it was looked at as any big deal.

Do not associate "freedom" with ruining someones property. You don't have that "freedom". It's not your right to spray paint anyone's property, whether its a garage door or a rock.

That was the 50's, and it's a cool example of the emerging car culture.

It's a much different world today. "Freedom" has nothing to do with it.
The good natured fun that these car clubs used to enjoy has been ruined by criminals and vandals.

[Cut55]

Originally Posted by Mazooma1

You've watch too many of those stupid hot rod movies. The car club guys were not "rebels", they were clean-cut kids...hardly "rebels'. Most of them looked like Ricky Nelson.

Rebels conform to the same rebellious attitudes and style trends.

Put another way: You're unique, just like everybody else.

[Krash]

So is the "knowbodys" guy recently "created" by Ryan to coincide with the uh err photoshop on the wall? I see it says member since 2001, but with only 7 posts? hmm... cool pics and story though. I pulled out Rodders Journal #17 for a little refresh..

[Richard Bergstrom]

I passed this place many times and never found the plaque I was looking for.
does any one have any information on a small club in the San Fernando Valley called the Throttle Merchants who raced a 34 ford vic at Saugus from time to time.

[XSIVPWR]

How about the Stockers In Van Nuys?

[Bullet Nose]

Originally Posted by XSIVPWR

How about the Stockers In Van Nuys?

Thirteen other clubs from there are on the Van Nuys page.