Harvey's Broiler Razed Illegally!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lets not forget about seeing the Blasters there before the official opening. Still dropping by to check on things.

 

Well, shit ! Man, that is one of the places we surely wanted to experience. I'll be happy to call the City of Downey and voice our righteous opposition to the destruction of this historical sight. I originally came online tonight to voice our concern about all the rain you guys are getting as we speak. Of course, the concern extends to all that precious tin that you and Bruce have. As for the Broiler, I really hope the person responsible gets such a huge fine that it hairlips him !

 

Wow. 10 years ago!!

I will have to wear my "save Harvey's broiler" T-Shirt tomorrow!!!

 

Gary,
I'm still rolling on the ground lol re: him getting the hair lip!!!!!!
Slap on the hand is all he got. Ain't no big deal. It only cost to the tune of 3.2 mil to bring it back and upgrade everything to 2009 building/safety and ADA standards not to mention having to dig up from one side of the street to the other & rip up a new concrete sidewalk and driveway in order to have fire sprinklers in the restaurant. Mind you,we paid for it, but the City owns it as it's under city owned sidewalk and streets.

This all happened 10 yrs ago, the fight to save it was handled till its opening in Oct,09. I was to close this thread the day it opened, but I'm glad that it's still open.
The restaurant is a self sustaining business. I started the cruise night that still continues on Weds. I pass it on the way to and from the foundry as I have for years, I don't stop in as my job there is completed.

It's JKBBD's entity and they run it their way.
I wished it a long life 3yrs ago. They had an observance of the demolition on Sunday.

I did not attend, but did post this reminder of an American Tragedy all the way around that HAMBers rectified and make it a continuing destination.
Visit it next time you and Joyce are in town. You'll be amazed at how cool it really is.

 

So I’m watching the 2019 Rose Parade and noticed the Downey Ca. Entry for the parade. Its based on “Our Broiler”!!!!
Rods & Customs abound which is pretty telling and special as The City of Downey pitched In nearly a Mil $ in order to get it back to all of us that are part of the HAMB community, which a special thanx to Ryan allowed this icon to be viewed by many others.
In October it will be 10 years since it reopened as a coffee shop, drive in & drive thru.
Thank you Downey for making our save of an illegal demolition turned back into a regenerated historic icon a part of your theme for 2019.

 

He's wearing ear muffs because of the open pipes on the center bolt motor sbc.

 

that's a Studebaker engine man

 

I saw that on the parade this morning and instantly thought of you Kevin!!!!

I stop by there and support the restaurant every time I’m in the area.

Thank you Kevin


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Thank you Jim, you’re the best!!!!
I saw John at the Horseless Carriage Motor Excursion, had no idea that we lost Tom a little while back?????

Hope to see you soon.
Thx,
Kevin.

 

Yeah we’re loosing a lot of the “old guard”
Peachie Jules too,
We ain’t getting any younger either.

Hope to see you at the GNRS....


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Not wide enough.......Ha!

 

Kevin, I missed this when it went around and just took the last day or so to breeze through it.

My hats off to you, Adriene and all the others who stepped up to stop the destruction and to the rebuild of this landmark. While I reside on the east coast and have never been there personally I admire the passion behind the work all of you put into keeping this in its current location.

We never really appreciate institutions like these, vestiges of our past or maybe or parents past, that we grew up around and with until they close up and are torn down. We have a local hot dog joint or two that have been around since the ‘40’s and ‘50’s, One that my parents went to as teens and I did also, it’s still there today.

I have added this to our next trip around the US as a stop to check it out, I love this stuff.

Thanks for the great story with a very sad start and it’s good to hear the business is able to stand on its own.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

I stop by for a big boy , and chase it with a brownie/ice cream, hot fudge , every time I visit Juniors, and while Watson was ill I brought him to a couple of shows . But for traffic I would be there every week.

 

I remember Larry’s last visit, didn’t the Trident’s have a reunion cruise then????? I’m really glad that Larry and many other pioneer customizers were able to enjoy it once again.

That made the nearly two years of constantly working on this save worth it.
Just for a little while we were transported back to 1958 and many kool kustoms made their way back to Downey along with a few hot rods.

Here it is nearly 10 years later and we ended up with a cool 47 Flathead powered Caddy and a 51 chopped Merc project and that would be the place to take them when the Merc is drivable, after all it is “Kustomland”!!!!!!!

 

I remember the trident reunion with Larry , not sure that was the last time.

 

Hey CK,

Rolling into the New Year and that Rose Parade float from Downey was very cool. It was a hot rod in the biggest, worldwide display of the year. But, as pretty as the parade is/was, something is looming in the near future. Part of So Cal's hot rod/cruising history is in danger as well as the people living in the area.

2017 https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2017/09/15/whittier-narrows-dam-unsafe/

2018 https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2...-1m-residents-from-pico-rivera-to-long-beach/

We have been reading about the flood plain in So Cal. With a major river (LA River) running down the middle of LA County. (including Long Beach) It is time to get ready for something happening. In the OC, there have been some mishaps with the flow of the Santa Ana River and tributaries cutting through the dense population, creating flood of historic proportions. But, in this day and age of consistent rainfalls, flooding is bound to happen. It did and will happen again.

When we were little, the LA River, during some crazy rainfall period was flowing so fast that the water level was within two feet of the top of the concrete berm near our house. So, the city made a major “evacuate” announcement. We were so excited that the river was so close to the top and making the Long Beach Harbor/beaches look like Mud City. What did we know then, being little kids with some anxious moments.

In reading about the Whittier Narrows Dam, a few blocks from the actual weakening dam lies the old Harvey’s Broiler (Bobs Big Boy Drive-In , about 7 miles downwind in the flood plain)

Jnaki

With the week-long rainfall in So Cal just ending, it caused a ton of flooding. A new one is approaching within a couple of weeks. (give or take the weather pattern movements) Here is something else we need to be concerned about affecting the hot rod cruising scene.

The possibility of flooding aside, the advantage of living in the old, flood plain was that centuries of top soil flow created a very fertile land. It was useful for many growing plants, dairy, farming, and an industry bloomed, until the population moved to the area. Now, the people are threatened in the same down river, flood plain.

Happy New Year, as the trials and tribulations of the new years come and go...

 

THE SKY IS FALLING..........

.

 

Well it’s been 10yrs Today that we opened “Bob’s Big Boy Broiler” by saving what was left of the aforementioned in previous posts “Harvey’s Broiler” later known as “Johnie’s Broiler”.
It took a lot to get this built, many hours of time away from “Cyclone Racing Equipment” but I still took time to fill orders and machining castings.
Met many new friends and lost others during and after, but my focus was to make an impossible dream come true.
The Broiler survives and other Bob’s Big Boys have come and gone. There have been 5 that have survived in So-Cal. Happy 10th Anniversary to something that I care very deeply about, “Cyclone Racing Equipment” is what I continue to focus on and maintain its period in time as part of its originator Mendel “Cook” Ledington had intended.
I wish “my Broiler” the best in the next 10 and even though my job was completed the day it opened its doors, I’ll always have Ryan and all of My H.A.M.B. Brothers/Sisters to share this build with as I truly believe that it wouldn’t have happened if this thread and the multiple magazine coverage didn’t happen as well as literally pounding the pavement and finding a benefactor who is able to keep many of the employees hired at the time continually working at a time many were being laid off from career jobs.
This place was built period correct both times and is for cruisers to come and enjoy.
Thx for making it yours too.
Sincerest thanks,
CK.

 

Hey guys,,,,does anyone have anymore pics.
The photobucket stuff from years ago is awful,,,I can’t see a thing.
It would be great to see some pics and some inside ones especially.

It is a long way from Tennessee,,,,I can’t see that far. LOL

I think it is fantastic what you guys were able to do.
I know it took a lot of work,,,,,getting in touch with the right people and meetings.
Also,,,,,it took dedication and a lot of money to accomplish this.
There are always people that are willing to give,,,,but don’t necessarily want any attention!
Thank you to whoever put it all up,,,,everyone involved!

Tommy

 

Thank you Tommy,
Just Google Bob’s Big Boy Broiler, go to images and pix will come up.
CK. This is what I used in part of the save by hosting ”Ghost Cruises” of all of the old haunts that people used to cruise.

 

11 yrs ago Harvey’s hit a new life as a Bob’s Drive-In.
I Cruised in this chopped 30 Chopped Closed Cab when it was Johnie’s in 1989 And this in 90-93 And this in 92-Present as I still have it. . The one in the background across the street was re-born as part of our Broiler 60’s era themed build over 12 yrs ago.....it too has spent plenty of time there. And this is how ya do the Broiler today. Drive-In Service ,Phone -In, Walk-In & Take Out along with Drive-Thru available. What more can one ask fur option wise? Ok ya can eat under the canopy as a Dine In as well. Happy B-Day Bob’s Big Boy Broiler. I’m glad that we really took a great deal of time, money & resources to bring the world a New Harvey’s - Johnie’s & Bob’s Big Boy Broiler!!!

 

Me and some friends vacationed in CA in mid 90’s and went to Johnies cruise night, one of my strongest memories of the entire vacation, the closest I’ll ever get to being in American Graffiti. Glad it got rebuilt and is still around, maybe I’ll get back there one day.

 

@Cyclone Kevin I enjoyed following the story from the lows of it being torn down to the highs of it being rebuilt to as new.

Thanks for all you have done. We didn’t make it there on our trip around the US back in 2005 but maybe the next time we will and thanks to everyone’s efforts It will be there to enjoy.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Not sure if this has been posted… but this new Funko POP is pretty awesome!!

 

Drive ins may become a new normal

 

I’ve been waiting for this time to come back around . !!!

 

Now is our time, drive in movies, car hops....cruising with our girl....let’s turn this around

 

Anything is better than stay in place. HRP

 

I was hoping this was going to happen, but they have a small popup at the fairgrounds near me and it's freaking packed. I went up to Downey a few weeks ago and the old drive in (now a swapmeet) off the 5 frwy was SUPER packed.

 

Hello,

Nice post on the old Harvey’s Broiler reconstruction and continued life. It is a historic place. But, like all good things that were around in full swing back in 1959-65, for us it was a memory that will last as a fun place. In those teenage cruising days and nights, Harvey’s was the place to go for most So Cal residents. It was a 11+ mile drive for us to get there, so it was not out of our cruising range. Spending time there was like rolling into a bunch of old hot rods by a bunch of strangers with nice sounding cars. It was like a western movie when the stranger "dressed in black" rolled into town. Everyone gave the stranger a weird look and went on with their business. We were not every week, locals and were treated as such.

Only some hot rod guys came over to discuss our cars and drag racing in general. That was cool. But the overall feeling was that we had treaded on someone else’s area and it certainly was not the greeting we normally got at our own home court, Grissinger’s Drive-In Restaurant or Ken’s Burgers around the next big corner in Bixby Knolls.

Locally in Bixby Knolls, George’s 50s Diner is still in business, despite the pandemic. The feeling of the old late 50s early 60s Grissinger’s Drive In Restaurant still lingers, if you sit long enough.
Then
Now

Jnaki

Now, that I think about it, it was hot dogs and Cokes for lunch and chili dogs for dinner at Lion’s Dragstrip from 1957 to 1960. During this teenage time period, it was grilled burgers/Cokes/ and gravy/French fries almost every Friday and Saturday late night. It is a wonder we are still alive… Who makes gravy and French fries? The new Harvey’s (Bob’s Big boy/Johnie's) had no such thing, as the other drive ins don’t have them either. But, creative foodies can order potatoes and gravy and dip the French fries into the goop.

There is some hot rod diner in Tennessee that actually has gravy and French fries listed on the menu !!! It is a long way to go for that concoction.

At least all of those diners and drive-in restaurants are still around to try and give the new generation some resemblance of what it was like in the late 50s and early 60s. This pandemic with less restrictions should give the old drive in restaurants some relief, even with the social distancing between the cars in the lot. But, remember, there is still the covid-19 out there striking at will. Be careful.

For the present, despite the history, there is nothing better than a great home cooked meal !!!