History Redondo Beach Drifters Car Club

Cool, I love all the new info posted.

 

My mom is currently in the start of a remodel on her house and we cleaned out the garage last month. I was excited to find this buried on my dad's work bench, it's the top of a car trophy.

 

Thanks for the idea, but I don't know any other club members who are left to post about those days. My wife and I were visiting my son Rick and grandson Nick about a month ago and he had made a shadow box display of the November 1954 copy of Hot Rod Magazine showing the Millwinders and Drifters coupes sitting side by side at Paradise Mesa drag strip in San Diego, with the plate you show placed below the magazine. A nice display.

Last year I gave him my Maico 360 desert Motorcycle with the big tank that I had sitting in the garage, and he took it up to his other house by the Kern River in Bakersfield. On the way up there, he stopped at a Motorcycle dealer and shop to get some other parts and when he was finished he went out to the truck and there were about 8 guys standing around the truck looking at the Maico. He had to tell them it's whole history before he left. Fun.

I stop by here occasionally to see if there are new posts and was happy to see new ones including yours... Nes

 

Hello. My Grandfather was Glen Stokey. I might have some information. You can contact me if you like. [email protected]

 

Today I scanned a bunch of photo's I received from one of the members of the Drifters, Ed Martin and I thought I would share them here as well as my site on Facebook dedicated to the Drifters. I will attached the photos in a few post. First is an updated List of members

 

50th Reunion Sept 1999

 

Various photo's from 1948 or 1949, 1954 and also the Coupe being built

 

Various Magazine coverage

 

HRM Club of the Month - 4 page article

 

The Boys meeting at Eat at Joes

 

Glen Stokey one of the members being inducted into the Hall of Fame in Oct 2003. Enjoy all the new post and a very big Thank you to member Ed Martin for taking the time to mail me copies. Love the History of these boys.

 

Tina,

Thanks so much for posting all these photos.

I found this one interesting as it looks like the Millwinders' red coupe (96) is sitting in the Drifters' garage, if that's where the picture was taken.

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Yes this is their garage but that is their car they build. That's the one I believe that was in the accident where the car was almost completely crushed. Luckily the driver was fine.

 

Cool - Thanks for sharing

 

I had to look at this photo several times before I saw the no. 96 ford in the background.

 

Hi... I'm not too sure that isn't the Millwinders garage that Emil Wurn rented in the early fifties. The garage that King Coles mentioned in an earlier post awhile back on this thread. It was shared by both clubs for awhile... Nes Synadinos

 

I'm not sure either. I was at the Drifters garage but don't remember what it looked like inside. The garage that Tina posted appears to be larger than I remember. Do you know where the Millwinders' garage was?

 

My mind is blank on that one too, although I believe it was on Catalina St, South of Emerald st about the middle of the block. Perhaps Albert Castillion would remember... Nes

 

hello,
i believe this movie clip that i took back in 1960 at lions shows a drifters 34 coupe. it came from my collection of movies that i shot from 58 to 60 and another gassers movie in 64.
jnaki

 

That is the Drifters coupe from Redondo Beach, CA.

 

Do you know if he worked at a sports car shop on Torrance Blvd?

My uncle worked here and I found this old photo from there looking east up Opal St.

 

Here is another photo I found of the two Drifter cars they took to OKC in 1958 .....

 

My father is Harold Topping. Yes they do still meet at Joe's weekly, unfortunately there are only three of them left. Barry passed a couple years ago.

 

Tina my father was also part of this car club, found this blog last night while celebrating his 90th birthday!

 

You have so many wonderful photos of 32 my father has never seen before, my father is Harold Topping. WE found this blog last night while celebrating his 90th birthday...he was thrilled!

 

Tell your dad I send Happy Birthday wishes from Lake Havasu City.

He did call me a couple of months ago and we had a nice talk.

 

Hey BN,
A Glen Stokey once drove this FED at Lions. We all knew him as the Clay Smith guy, since he had a red FED with a woodpecker on the body. he was one of the top racers at the time. We were partial to Clay Smith sponsored racers as the CS Cams shop was several blocks from our house in the Westside of Long Beach. Is this perhaps the same Glen Stokey at Lions Dragstrip in Long Beach during the 1959-60 season? I recently found a clip of the same FED at Riverside Raceway against Tommy Ivo. Could it be one in the same person?

Thanks,
Jnaki
Also, in this screen shot from clip in the pits at Lions, it looks like a small child pops up next to the racing slick on the left side, in front of a guy in a brown leather jacket. Anyone know who it might be back in 59-60?

 

Bill Topping

 

Hello,
Here is the movie clip on the red dragster of Glen Stokley.
Jnaki

 

I recently found the negative for this photo and believe it was taken on Diamond just west of PCH near King Coles. I think we were getting ready to leave for OKC and the other Drifters' car is being towed by that 57 Ford Convertible. Maybe their garage was around the corner on Broadway .....