Hot Rods I'm in California

Californicate? That's really sad

 

You will be a minority in Cal. Check the registration & taxes, housing & food. Cal isn't the dream it once was. I lived in So Cal in the 50/60s moved to way No Cal in the 70/80s & then got the hell out. Oregon from 90/2018. Az now that I'm 85 & the body + the bride like the dry heat. A guy has to do what he thinks is best, just be sure to do your homework. You couldn't pay me enough to live in the eastern or south eastern part of the country. I was born in PA & grew up in Ohio.
Be thankful we still have a free country to do as you please & thank a soldier.

 

Born and raised in San Diego. Went in the USAF in 1963. Place was a lot different then. Moved back after retirement and return from a job in Europe in 1986. Bought in Diamond Bar. $146k for 1700 sq foot place. Seemed like a Kings ransom since we had only paid $23k for our previous place in OKC in 76. Stayed in Diamond Bar for 7 years then got a job change and transfer to Seattle. Been here since. It’s become expensive here as well and traffic rivals that of SOCal but we still prefer it. Never adapted to the gray/wet Winters so now that we are retired we go to AZ. In the Winter. Lots of Hot Rod shops up here as well. I’m sure some are hiring.


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Do it.

 

Great post. I completely understand. I was at a similar crossroads when I moved from Boston to LA CA.

This is exactly the opportunity you need right exactly at this moment.

Keep your house in PA, if you can. Rent it if you have too. Hire a manager. Let family members live there. Keep a lot of your stuff there. Take only what you need to CA.

Find the smallest cheapest room/ apartment nearest you can to this job. Take this job (ok, maybe they are assholes and it might just last two years. So what?) moving to CA will allow you to meet people, have experiences and see things you would never otherwise have the opportunity to do. Those things will naturally lead to other bigger and better things. Your world will expand. See where it takes you.

There are so many beautiful women in So Cal it’s like a gypsy moth caterpillar epidemic, but only with girls. Also there are so many people there from other places, you will naturally make a lot of friends and bond, this creates networks and opportunities. People help each other out. Escondido is a great places filled with hippies, professionals and military people who mesh together really well. The weather is incredible.

If after a while you want to settle there for good, you can always bring the rest of your stuff out to CA, sell your house if you want. You might meet and settle down with someone who already has a house out there, or a job making sick money, who knows? You might end up just wanting to rent a shack on the beach and surf every day. You might move to Alaska. You just don’t know.

I think I am a very similar person as you are. I dig cars, motorcycles, guitars, art. I never drank, smoked or drugged. I only got married and had kids when I was about 40, which was only 10 years ago. (Aside from my family), never in my life have I felt like I truly belonged anywhere or felt truly comfortable around most people. I moved to LA CA in the 90’s and stayed for a decade. Best thing I ever did. I met so many people and had so many different experiences that have molded and helped me to this day, that I would do it all over in a second. Because I found my way into the film business there, I was able to move back to Boston and get into the film business here.

Worrying about the cost of buying a house or how busy traffic is are problems for old, established, bored guys to bitch about. If someone actually suggests you forgo this opportunity because a house in So Cal costs over a million dollars, they haven’t read or understood one word you have said in this thread.

Do it! Rock on! Good luck!




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It is your decision and you have received many opinions and comments, all submitted with good intentions. I was born in Orange Co. north of where you are looking and like you enjoyed the rural nature of what we were blessed with. As others have posted, things changed and we moved north to the wine country and then things changed again.

We escaped to the Nashville area 4 1/2 years ago and for us it has been great. We are retired so our situation is very different than yours, we do come back to the Left Coast
a number of times each year because of family and car related activities, always here for a min of 2 months this time of year, family, Bonneville, El Mirage and etc. Have a lot of friends with who we share the same interests "CARS" so my days can be filled with playing with greasy things. Had lunch with a Lakester friend yesterday, started assembly of an engine for the El Mirage Oct. Meet, then met my Cam Grinder at the park for a Giants Game. Can't do that in PA.

But like the others have stated Calif. is different, the people may be different than you are used to and it may cost more to live here. You may want to consider, if you move, to keep your place in PA, rent it out and rent something near your new job, then you would have a fallback plan if things don't work. You might even find someone on the HAMB that needs a room mate!

Hope your plans pan out, I am rooting for you!

 

California is 163,696 square miles, roughly the size of 1/3rd of the East Coast, and has almost 40,000,000 people. From glaciers to deserts, we have everything but frozen tundra.

Not too many folks who live in small, or sparsely populated states have a clear understanding of what California is. Ask 100 people who don't currently live here and you will get 200 wrong answers. This is not "one state". California is what you make it. That is up to you.

There are few limits here. Nobody of any importance cares what you look like, what your last name and heritage is, or where you came from. You can make more than a decent living just as easily while covered with tattoos, and with numerous piercings, as without.

In the more temperate areas, you can drive your never-to-be safety inspected hot rod, open-wheeled, year-round, likely never getting anything but a thumbs-up from a cop.

I can see how some folks who are retired and living on fixed incomes would say that the California dream is dead, but that says more about their situation than it does California.

I am here, not retired, living in the most expensive city in the US, and am doing more than fine. If this New England redneck can pull this stunt off, you can certainly pull off San Diego.

 

Plus side....in and out burger

Minus side ... 10 cents a bag when you buy groceries

Born and raised in cali, loved every minute I lived there
Hated leaving when they closed military bases in the early 90’s and I lost my employment
Loved the san diego area when I was TDY there

Spent a few years trying to get back “home” in late 90’s

But in the last 10 years Ive noticed a drastic change in the state when visiting my Family in Norther cali.

I can honestly say I would never consider moving back

But we do enjoy our visits

I do believe thing will get worst in cali, especially in your profession with rules and regulations becoming more restrictive for hot rod shops.


If you flew out there on your dime for the interview you probably got a pretty good feeling about the place.

Best of luck to you what every you decide




.

 

My last words on this are, if there's ANY chance that you will kick yourself for not taking this leap of faith, you must consider that. You're looking at an expensive part of California. But, it's just you, so that makes it easier. It's also one of the nicest places in the whole world. I'm 72 years old now. Some chances that I should have taken, avenues I might used, they stick with me. And, the times that I pulled my socks and took the chance still make me smile. Do it. Stabilize your assets, so you keep a fall back and launch into an adventure. You only see snow again, if you want to. That'd motivate me. We barely salt our food here, much less the roads.

 

SO- Stuck in my little bag of a life here........ Same as the OP, but gotta few years north of age. CA? The bashers are gonna hate regaurdless...... Certain places cost certain prices to live=economy-period.
Without all the BS being thrown around here- If you can do it, do it! That's if the numbers crunch. Climate is a big thing for me. I can relocate anywhere, but I don't do the cold well......
So- in all this, You only live ONE TIME, and as you get older, things will come into play=Would"ve , Should've, ........ At least try it on for size, weigh options, crunch numbers........
Some of us, even the non posters are stuck, because it isn't feasible to relocate, or we're set down in a spot.
If you have the time and means, explore. Some never get a chance to fulfill dreams....... I wish you success!

 

Like mentioned before, keep your house in Pa, rent it, use a good property manager. Likely you could glean $500 month off that, put that toward a house/ apartment to rent. See what happens. Will give you time to make proper choices. From a former “ prune picker,”now an Okie.

Bones

 

Follow your dreams, dude.
Good 'ol PA will still be here.
You go once around the ride, grab the ring.

 

Now that I read your situation...Single, no kids, 37, no baggage; I need to adjust my thinking. Pack your trash and head West! You got nothing to lose. Enjoy the adventure.

 

Me again, once again I would thank all of those who answered. It takes more than you think to share personal stories and life experiances to people who have never met. And I know this is a hot rod site and truly a great community to be a part of ,to talk cars rods,racing and the like. I just felt that a post here would do a great deal of good for this,let's face it" country mouse" to to get a better feel for actually being here,hot rods are at the center of my whole mess to begin with,let's not forget about the thing the hemi I have. On a lighter note I may have found a tiny house in a neighborhood with a garage to rent,so long as the guy gets back to me before Tuesday.

 

OK, so after reading your situation, I say go for it! CA is not for everyone (me included) but you only live once and this could be an opportunity for better things. Rent that cheap house and try to save as much as you can. Concentrate on the things you like and go to all the hot rod stuff going on there. You have an advantage in that it is all new to you and you never saw how it used to be. You can always leave if it doesn't suit you or you get sick of it.

Also despite its flaws, CA is one of the most beautiful places on earth. So much to see and do. Make sure to check out northern CA too with the Sierra's, redwoods, Lake Tahoe, Monterey, SF Bay area (SF is beautiful too but has some pretty major problems right now), and the coast highway north of SF.

 

You anywhere near Southcentral PA ? I'd love to see th wheelstander in person before it heads West.

 

If your still in town Monday theres a car show and swap meet at Qualcom stadium. Be a bunch of hot rodders there . PM me I'll show you the shop were I work on the weekends, lots of cool projects there. Best of luck in whatever you decide Lumpy.

 

California sucks. it will only be sucking more and more as time goes by. great geography, great weather, but the people and government suck. the people suck less the further you get away from them.

 

Some of that everywhere

 

I've lived here my whole life, in SoCal. It's definitely not what it used to be but what is? It's all what you make of it. I say do it, but be smart about it, have a backup plan. Wear sunscreen......Not all people suck but the politics do, you'll find that out soon enough....

 

Well Ed calif. may be 5th largest economy but its still broke and you taxes are going way up

 

The state has a budget surplus, so it is in no way whatsoever broke.

It takes a 2/3rds majority of voters to raise taxes in California, and that does not come easily, so I'd have to say that you are flat-out wrong on both counts. Please curb the nonsense.

I live here, you don't, unless we recently annexed Washington.

 

Cripes, where am I?

 

Please ,gentlemen if you can refrain from dragging this pleasant thread off topic. It's not helping or constructive.

 

Hey H,

As other So Cal locals have said, looking around, enjoying what is offered, working at your job, then deciding what to do seems like the result you have decided is best for you. No need to sever ties with PA, unless you need it for So Cal living.

Having lived in So Cal all of my life, it would be hard to move elsewhere. It is a good thing that our granddaughter is close by, so we still have a reason to stay put. We have moved quite a number of times in this whole area. It was a hard road, but now, it is the final home. We love most of So Cal and in the San Diego region, there are places that we would enjoy living.

But, it is not for anyone to recommend a location, house or property as something may arise and then bad feelings pop up forever. The information is general with the weather and traffic as noted. Look at it two ways, don’t be in a hurry to buy a house. (Despite the wife, two kids, white picket fence scenario that is what the neighbors have, it isn’t always necessary to buy a house or condo.)

Take your time and rent until you have capital for your own choices. The other is: renting absolves you from having to do fix it or upkeep repairs that comes later on in life. More time to enjoy what So Cal has to offer.

If you are not set on a property with acreage or a huge workshop garage, there are plenty of smaller homes and condos available. But, you will have to justify/satisfy your own choices. There are some areas in inland San Diego that would be nice, but the weather is much different than living on the coast. The daily commute is important until you figure out the traffic time schedules.

Escondido has a ton of history and has a fun downtown area. But, knowing people from that area, the top thing is that it is hot in the summer. If we visit at anytime, it will be in the cooler months. There are homes in the 200k to 300k range. They are small homes and condos. You will have to search for your tastes and budget.

Jnaki
Venturing into the big towns and San Diego proper will be a fun adventure after knowing the traffic patterns. It took us many years to figure out when to drive to San Diego and its surrounding cities/towns. The whole San Diego region is a different area with lots of history and activities. But it boils down to your decision.

The general weather in So Cal would be considered “mild” most of the year. The coastal areas do not require A/C, while inland is another story. Also, in the inland valleys and open spaces, it can get freezing during the winter months. The farther inland you go from the coast, there are acreage properties…but adding in the commute, local traffic and weather will be a factor.

Here is one fact that can be attributed to So Cal: There are at least 250 to 300+ days of sunshine and more if you live in the inland areas. We had some longtime neighbors go back to be near family in upper Pennsylvania. They now live on 12 acres with a larger house than what they lived in So Cal. Different area, different climate, for sure, plus, a necessary all wheel drive for their long, uphill, winding driveway.

Welcome to the home of the “shorts, t-shirt, and sandals” for daily garb location… if you make the move.


09-28-2018 Week 26 - Nitro Night
Home to one of the biggest So Cal Cacklefests with all of the top race cars around, in attendance.

Besides, within a hour drive, you are within reach of many other hot rod events all year around.

 

Just wondering ,did you look into all of the shops around Lake Norman ,N.C. to make a life change or are you stuck on California?.

 

California currently has a nine billion dollar surplus. Please stop posting nonsense on here. This isn't facebook.

Jnaki posted a link to Cruisin' Grand. You won't find anything like Nitro Night (a free event, by the way) in Lake Norman. The world's largest gathering of woodies is the weekend prior to that (Wavecrest in Encinitas, with literally hundreds of woodies), another free event. In early October is the California Hot Rod Reunion at the world famous Famoso dragstrip, less than three hours away. Interested in dry lakes speed trials? The Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) El Mirage meet is a little bit over an hour away. There's more hot rod stuff going here than any other place on the planet, virtually 365 days out of the year. If you are into hot rods as you mentioned ... well, you get the picture.
Scroll through here if you have doubts ... http://www.socalcarculture.com/events.html

 

You guys are killing me... maybe the 5th largest economy , but it ain’t being shared with the common folk here !!

I’ve lived in Minnesota for 20 years, Chicago for 2 , NorCal Sonoma country for 4, Modesto area for 1 , San Bernardino area for 1 ,and north county San Diego for 10 right in the area this guy is looking at matter of fact ...years spent in the same shop ....

there is a lot to this equation that most of the “ just do it “ posters don’t quite understand ...

Basics are Rent has about doubled here in the last 2 years , houses have doubled in the last 7 , wages have been stale for the last 10

I did the very thing this guy is planning 10 years ago , it brought me lots of undue stress and heartache not that his experience will be the same as mine , but this place is like a iceberg in shark infested area , hard to trust a lot of people out here lot of shisters that smile at you as they reach around and stick a knife in your back

I like a lot about CA but it’s love/hate for sure... I decided last year I had no more fight in me and I was tired and broke

You should experience the place you think you want to be, ....but go in with temporary mindset, maybe things will shake out better for you than I ....the more mobile you are the better though...you won’t feel trapped or that you have to deal with the shops bullshit then you can leave and save your sanity... some shops out here can be a meat grinder and soul crusher..... shops here that hire usally have miles in between them this isn’t an area you can commute 40 miles in a timely fashion

Lastly I might add have you looked at places north of LA , you like Valley Center you may like Bakersfield , it gets made fun of a lot in CA , but being a country boy myself I kinda like it (heard people say it’s a slice of Texas in the middle ofCA) ....there are shops there and some industry also , close proximity to the bay area and LA famoso drag-strip , Elmirage, eaglefield, Pomona, etc middle of nowhere but close to everything

Curious what the “just do it people “on here do for a living? , and have you tried to survive in so-cal on hotrod shop salary/wages and no benefits? Far as I can see.. so-cal this day and age is a rich mans game... the rest of us are just spectators picking up crumbs

 

Buy a duplex or small apartment building and live in one rent the rest to recoup costs. Just ad a zero to your numbers and find a loan.

 

“I like to pay taxes. With them, I buy civilization.”

― Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.