Art & Inspiration Looking for places of interest in California for car guys.

I've always wanted to see the dry lake beds where hot rodding started so I'm planning a trip to LA sometime in the summer of 2018. I'll be driving down from Vancouver BC and I'm looking for car-themed places to go either in the LA area or up the coast. So far Ive got:

1. El Mirage dry lake bed between Lancaster and Victorville (I'm not sure if Muroc and Rosamond are still open to the public or if it's an air force base now - any advice appreciated)
   
2. SO-CAL Speed Shop, Pomona
3. NHRA Motorsports Museum, Pomona
4. Nethercutt Museum
5. Petersen Automotive Museum
6. The Mooneyes store

I appreciate any ideas/comments

 

Check out the SoCalCarCulture website for car shows that are happening during your visit.

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http://www.americangraffitifestival.com/
Not advertised is all this week of the festival there are evening car shows at various locations around town. Monday- Thursday the 4th-7th before the big blowout on the weekend.

 

DONUT DERELICTS CAR SHOW in Huntington Beach at the corner of Adams and Magnolia every Saturday morning from 5:30am to 8:30am. Over 200 vintage cars and trucks. This is the best FREE car show on the West coast. No rules, no regulations. Just come and enjoy. It is worth your time to get up early for this show.

 

Often wanted to go, have not.
Call first.
Chime in @Dean Lowe

http://www.automuseums.info/united-states/justice-brothers-racing-museum

 

Never been. 5:30 AM across 60 miles of LA Freeways. Nope! When I was working, weekends were for sleeping in. Now that I'm retired, everyday is for sleeping in.

 

Jack Mendenhall Museum in Buellton, CA. Straight north up 101 to exit 140A and about 1 block west. Jack had a repair shop and fabricated circle track cars, dry lakes cars and was instrumental in building a four wheel drive Olds 442 for James Garner, the movie star, to race at the Baja 1000. I raced against Jack from '69-'72 at Santa Maria Speedway. One hell of a competitor but my Ford still managed to come in ahead of him fairly regularly. His family runs the museum. Large collection of automotive signage, gas pumps, cars, both street and competition. Try it, and then go to Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant for lunch or dinner.

 

Yum, pea soup!
Ate at Pea Soup Andersens some years back on I-5, don't recall where it was though.

 

Buelleton, CA. By Solvang.

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you have a good list there! if you like drag racing and the history, the museum is a must, elmirage is a great exp to see lots of history also, i enjoyed the peterson, we went to waldens speed shop this year when we were out, bob was really nice to us and some incredible work done there buy him and the guys. good luck on your trip!

 

You have to stop at Galpin Auto on I5 in LA. He has a fantastic collection of show cars. These are just a few;

 

Santa Nella.

 

Hey Dean,

You don't need to drive 60 miles of LA freeways to get to the Donut Derelicts show every Saturday morning. Drive the I-5 north to the Beach Cities off ramp in Dana Point and go up the coast through Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and within minutes, you are at the Magnolia St corner. This route is still one of the best So Cal coastal rides around. The other being the Santa Monica to Oxnard Highway 1 route.

At 5:30 am, it will be a 80 mph on the freeway north, 60+ on the empty Coast Highway North. At this early time, you won't even get caught in the "San Clemente Slow Down." Your only competition will be the early surfers checking out the waves and as you get closer to Magnolia St. turn off, more hot rods.

Junji
The drive up and down Coast Highway 1 from Seal Beach to San Clemente is the last ocean view cruise route that has been deemed one of California's best. We usually drive this route to and from Long Beach instead of that nasty 405.

The 73 Toll Road is worth every penny in comfort, time, convenience, and less traffic. Sometimes, if we are on the 73 toll road, we get off at the Newport Coast exit and go towards the ocean. It pops out right at the Crystal Cove State Beach and Colony. The fabulous, scenic cruise southward starts at this intersection. There are great breakfast/brunch places all along this coastal drive and you can always take a GREAT NAP after your cruise!

This is the freeway route from Oceanside via I-5 north to 73 west to (short) 405 north to Highway 39 (Beach Blvd) exit west to Adams in Huntington Beach. Approximately: 55 miles

Up the coast to Magnolia St in Huntington Beach…Approximately 51 miles

 

Junji, you missed the point. It's 5:30 AM !! 48 years I was up at 4:30, and opening up the shop before 6, 5/6 days a week. Retirement = no more of that shit!!!

 

Dean is right. It takes time and effort to get used to sleeping in. We have a couple of those Cars & Coffee deals in my neck of the woods. But, those guys are pulling out to go back home, at 8:30. Always seem to miss it...

 

Yep, he missed it by a mile.

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There's the Auto Driving Museum in El Segundo. It's cool because they actually drive the cars!

Every Friday evening in the summer, there's a car show at Rubys in Redondo Beach, you might see some of the guys from Hot Rod magazine.. and other local celebs.. like me!

 

If you are driving down on I5 consider stopping in Sacramento and going through the California Auto Museum (formerly the Towe Museum). It is very close to the freeway and there are lots of places for lunch on Broadway.

 

Hey Dean,

Retirement is different for all of us. Some are early risers and some are not. I have been getting up at 4:00 a.m. since high school to go surfing at locations all over So Cal. (Yes, that goes against all forms of reason during retirement...) That early morning rise has gotten my old body used to it and today, I still don’t have to use an alarm clock, I just get up between 3:50 and 4:05 am every morning.

It is eerie at that early time in the morning, so I stay busy around the house. But, I have to admit, after a full morning of relaxing, working in the garage or yard, shopping, lunch with my wife, it is time for a great NAP. That gets us going for the evening. HA!

I don’t mind the early morning for drives, either. Once at 4:45 am I left for San Diego to meet an electronic installer for some work at 8:30am. I hate getting stuck in traffic, so I took off at 4:45 and got to San Diego in 45 minutes…little to no traffic at all. That did surprise me, but after a breakfast, a nap in my car was necessary until the appointment.

Junji

But, I did beat the rush hour traffic and got to my destination on time. I am a nap kind of guy after an early a.m. start at home. It doesn’t help that my dog also gets up early, but takes naps while I mess around in the office.

But for late risers, there are some events that start at
9:00 a.m. and are over around 11:00 a.m. That sounds like a normal time for everyone. The attendance is up because of the location and time.

 

T-BIRD Diner in Escondido and there is a pretty cool
Car museum in San Diego
I’m told.

 

[QUOTE="Nathan_1929, post: 12310766, member: 280726"

Every Friday evening in the summer, there's a car show at Rubys in Redondo Beach, you might see some of the guys from Hot Rod magazine.. [/QUOTE]

Yes, the HRM guys may show up in some of that cool rat shit from Roadkill.

 

there's the beginning of Route 66 in So-Cal, I also recommend Reiff's Gas Station in Woodland if you happen to be further north

 

As you come down 101 (much more scenic than I5) get off at hwy 46 in Past Robles head beast a few miles and go to the Woodland auto museum at the airport. A small but great collection of midget, sprint, champ, and Indy roadsters on display. If you would like to see Muroc, take Rosamond Blvd east of state hwy 14. You will cross Rosamond dry lake bed as you head onto Edwards AFB. As you come to the main gate prepare to stop and get permission to go to the Edwards museum. As you arrive at the museum, look down the hill to the east and you can see the present day base with Muroc dry lake in all its glory right in the middle of everything. That is about as close to the lake bed as you can get without actually working there. 8 you like airplanes, Edwards is Mecca. I had the privilege of working flight test for Douglas, Lockheed, and Rockwell there. I was in awe almost every day for years.

 

OK OK, message delivered loud and clear. For full disclosure the 5:30am start for Donut Derelicts is really for the Full-On-Fanatic car dude who likes to see vintage cars roll in from out of the morning fog, haze and darkness. It is dark, your cold, and you are seeing about 30 cars at 5:30am and your pissed for sacrificing your morning, Then, the cars keep coming and coming and there is no letup. There are many visitors from overseas who make DD a stop on their trip to the states. By about 7:00am the lot is full with over 200 vintage cars and trucks. For the Full-On-Fanatic car dude the show ends at about 8:30am but some of them go out for breakfast a few miles up the road. It's not a bad deal, and its FREE every Saturday.

 

A little off topic but check to see if the National Park Service still has a life time admission pass available. Some parks you will want to visit and some are just the shortest route to where you are going.

Charlie Stephens

 

They do but... I believe it is now $80, bought mine for $10 a couple years ago.
At $20 to get in a NP it's still a bargain at $80. It's also good at BLM gates and a few other places.

Was in Twin Falls ID last summer and drove into the little park to see the Shoshone Falls up close and personal and they accepted it there even.

 

Good suggestion by deucemac. The Woodland collection shares space with the Estrella War Birds museum so the whole experience could take three to four hours at least. The car collection includes more than race cars. There are several hot rods and custom cars along with a Ford GT, an Allard, and a number of other interesting cars. All told, a really good experience. And, as long as you are on Hwy 101 consider stopping in Oxnard and touring the (warning, a non-HAMB acceptable recommendation follows) Mullin Museum. This is an astonishing collection of baroque design era French cars. Last I heard this museum was rated in the top 5 auto museums in the US. Good luck on your trip.