Why so? Hot Rodding began here. Drag racing began here. Land Speed Records began here, on the Dry Lakes. California has the best GDP of any state in the nation, the 5th highest in the world. And in SoCal, the best weather in the USA...
I’m with George Klass, Bleach, it will be a cold day in hell before I’ll LEAVE Cali aka Mex-Taxifornia. I was born here and I’ll stay.
Born So. Califiornia native in the '40s. Enjoyed what California had to offer in the '50s, '60s and '70s, then it got wierd. Gone and never looked back.
Seeing that this is 12-7-2020 Pearl Harbor day, I just had to say, I love seeing the photos taken through the war years, Man, what those people went through on the home front while all that shit was going on in Europe. What were they thinking, how many of their brothers, sons, husbands were fighting for freedom...
I moved to Cali in 1955. Started out in Northern Ca. Bay Area. Went to high school in Oakland, graduated in 1958. Learned to drive there. Saw many many Bay Area hot rods and customs during my stay there. Moved to SoCal in 1959 and lived in Hollywood area close to Tiny Naylors, then to San Gabriel Valley and finally to Huntington Beach area. Again, many many hot rods and custom cars. My bio shows my contribution to the sport. My point is I lived in Ca during the heyday of hot rods, customs and the 50's new car era. It is part of my blood. Thousand of car shows and swap meets. Thousands and thousands of miles of chasing parts and thousands of conversations with the Hot Rod culture royalty of which only a few survive. I love Ca and always will. There will always be the memories of great days gone by. HOWEVER, life in Ca has changed. Sure there are a few old timers still prowling the streets in there hot rods, a few car clubs going on reliability and poker runs, still a few swap meets BUT it's not the same. Sure I know nothing stays the same and change is inevitable but it's more than that. The total Ca culture has changed. I won't put it into words here but it's not even close to what life was in the 40's, 50's 60's and 70's. I now live just outside of the LAS VEGAS area. This place could use some more hot rod shops, speed equipment shops and other hang outs for displaced Californians. I love the memories of my 65 years in Ca but I can't live there any more. Move away and go back after a while and you will see what I mean.
Man, I want his ‘55 Delray (well, Avis’ or whoever). Love that interior, although there’s no beating the “Bow tie” pattern dash trim on the Bel Airs. From other pictures, we know it’s a six, which is east to fix or just live with. Wonder what color it was. I do like the gal on the right, who’s clowning with the photographer while waiting her turn for an autograph.
Ookaaaay..3 I've seen production line shots before but not this one with the smartly dressed lady. Chevys. Grandpa and his Ford V8. (not mine) Thames Trader on rt. Mart.
Lincoln Zephyr and a hopped up Ford. Neat little Ford tourer. Sydney, 1950. Tuff. Old auto shop. Mart.
My parents came to Los Angeles in 1929. My job transferred me to TX in 1973. I felt like I had been dropped on another planet but eventually adjusted, over the next 20 years we lived and worked in a lot of other states. We returned permanently in '94. We missed a lot of the insanity that began in '74. By '94, the smog was essentially gone and things were nice again. We like it here even though a lot of things are gone and real estate prices are insane.
35 Auburn BLM Mackey Special. Army Ambulance. A stationary station wagon at a station. Ford? German? Mart.
The Jalopy Journal
