Hot Rods 1955 LA Used Car lot - all customs & hot rods

Recently borrowed a few photos from a friend of more than 40 years. He grew up in the LA area ... there's some good stuff in this batch, and as we dig, more to follow !
The "flamed" '40 coupe was his first driver at 15 ...

 

AWESOME! I love that chopped coupe in the first pic! Any front shots of it?

Also got to love the single-seat race car on the lot!

 

I couldn't resist a little Photoshop magic.

 

"When I die...I may not go to heaven..."
But this ol' car lot'll do...Please, Father...

 

AWESOME! I love that chopped coupe in the first pic! Any front shots ?
Sancho, I've seen some of the other photos years ago - one has a lineup of 7 or 8 '40 coupes & ragtops, all customized .... will post when found !

 

Like the 52 Ford wheelcovers on the convertible

 

I wonder the background stories ? , punk got in trouble with jonny law and parents sold his hotrod? Knocked up the girlfriend .. Shotgun wedding had to trade the channeled coupe for a " senseable 4 door sedan?

 

Amazing, really! What constituted a used car lot then would be a car show today.

 

25 bucks down and drive it off the lot. times sure have changed.

 

I have a photo, unfortunately only in my mind, of a used car lot on Boston Post Road, Bronx, NY, with a line up of 54-62 Corvettes, many with Fuel Injection. These photos jogged that out of my childhood memories. Good stuff, thanks for posting.

Sent from my SM-T377V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I have a signed print of a painting that Kent Bash did of that lot.

 

Hello,
There was a late 60's-70's lot that was similar in La Habra (So Cal) called, Stick City. It had similar cars that were not priced out of this world back then. But, today, there are shops and dealers that sell "vintage" cars and they seemed to be priced so high that most customers just go in for a car show. Maybe a lower price for those nice "vintage" cars would increase sales and keep the flame burning for some. Just my $.04 worth...
Jnaki

 

A fellow Ford Club member of mine loves to tell this story about "custom city car lot."
This lady married a "car crazy guy" and as they were leaving the church with a bunch of friends driving behind, he drove by Custom City Car Lot, and there was a '48 Merc Convert he had not seen. Well, he pulled over "just for a min" with the wedding followers waiting, As she tells the story, he came running back to the car, all excited, and reported the sign on the windshield: dual carbs, dual exhaust, bored and stroked, and full race. !!! She said it wasn't a big deal to her, She Hadn't even BEEN BORED and STROKED yet..
So, she relates, begins a life competing with early Fords. And she stated its been A GREAT and WONDERFUL LIFE.

All of us at the Ford Dinner gathering JUST Roared ...

 

Born too late. Browsing that car lot would have been amazing.

Gary

 

That lot looks like one I remember on Whittier Blvd.

 

Never saw this one before...I don't get out much...

@302GMC did you ever get through this bunch of pics you were gifted with witnessing...thanks to you and your friend for sharing them...class...if you did we'd love to see them...

I was looking at a Hamber's Threads the other day and he was looking for his Ole Deluxe Flamed Coupe shown below...who knows maybe that was it repainted and reflamed with a similar theme...





Bttt...

​

 

Stick City on Whittier Blvd, just West of Beach had some nice cars for sure... and Rabbit always made money.

 

Great stuff, thanks for sharing! I'd take pretty much everything on that lot, including the big arrow sign that says "Custom City".

 

25 dollars down on a nice sprint car. They had it all.

 

I think Ryan wrote about her the other day...

 

Paging @Rikster, @Moriarity, @Sancho and @OG lil E already had a peek...

...Anyone seen the Chopped 40 up top...wonder if it had tailights...can't see any...Driprails shaved, chop is heavy and finish looks well done...

Fingers crossed @302GMC has more stashed on the harddrive...

 

He was in pretty rough shape when I posted those. We lost him a couple years back, and naturally, all his belongings were plundered by the relatives. But I've got the memories, and an unfinished portrait of the '52 fastback I was driving in '70.

 

Sorry for the loss of your friend 302...pretty incredible shots really...Thanks for the update, life's like that...

Your Artwork is nearly ready for the Friday Art Show...

 

So, are these the same car? Looks like the same plate. What is the white rectangle on the hood?

 

In the 60's, he attended Art Center in LA, and studied under Strother McMinn. He quit before getting a degree.

 

Did he do that for you? You colorize imagery don't you?...sorry @302GMC I mistook you for 39chevyBob...he colorizes imagery

 

I remember lots like that, even in the 70's there were lots with Hotrods, Customs, and Sports cars all over the SF Bay Area. East 14th Street had more than one, Bill Parkers 4 speeds, (I have his license plate frame) An all corvette lot a few miles down. Mr. Corvette was another one on East 14th Street. El Camino Real across the bay had a few. Walnut Creek CA. had a small one, and none of these lots were indoors. Everything sat out. Most lots would hand you the keys for an unsupervised test drive. Those days are gone....

 

Sorry Stogy, no help here. I've never seen that '40 before but it is AWESOME! I don't see any taillights either. I'd like to see more of this car as well. How about it, anyone have anything?
Hey Jim (@stanlow69), where you at? E

 

There was a car lot like that in Cudahy, on Atlantic, when i was a kid. We would go check out what was new all the time. Lots of Hotrods and T Buckets. Coolest had to be a rootbeer brown 56 Chevy Gasser with a tunnel ram , tilt front end, straight axle, 4speed, and a big block. $2500!!! My dad wouldn't go for it. I was only 12, so he wouldn't get it for me. They didn't have any fence or garage, so we could just step over the chain and walk around. They worked on the cars outside and just put a tarp over the front. Their sign said $100 down, drive it home today. I remember a pearl white 53ish Studebaker PU with hydros. First car I ever saw with lifts. It would raise when you started it up, and lower when you turned it off. I mentioned it here before. Original owner always was at Harveys Broiler and the Clock all the time. It was chopped, no bumpers, shaved handles, gold interior. I would love to copy it, but with bags. Hmm....I need a Pickup! haha

 

Maybe all of the above...?