Art & Inspiration Saturday Art Show, Prints,various Artwork, Automotive Related

To the left of the view photo, above the harbor docks, sitting high on a cliff, is the location of the artwork done by Rob Beilby. The resort hotel overlooks the harbor and coastline, on the road that leads to the main harbor entrance.

Directly down below this view spot, "Keep Paddling" was the mode of the day as those consistent "Killer Dana" waves were so consistent that it made a lot of people give up or get tired out for the long paddle back out to the breaking waves.

The rides? On good days, all the way past the small inside Harbor Cove Pier, while waving to your friends on the pier, shouting and laughing. Great old times...


Rob Beilby

Hello,

Dana Point has a long history of being a great surfing location. From the ever popular Doheny Beach area all the way to the old Killer Dana Surf Spot right at the base of the Headlands Cliffs, below the surfboard view point. The waves at the tall cliffs are now history. The countless glassy waves where the bridge in the harbor is located, also disappeared, when the harbor was built in the 1970s. But for those that still remember the waves, the walks on the rocks and the steep single lane road down to the old pier, it was a great place to go and have fun.

Since the creation of the harbor, the Doheny Surf Spot is still there, but the other prime surfing waves have gone to wave heaven. The good thing is that there is still some history still on the cliffs. Old homes, the trail to the beach and the views of the ocean will never go away.

The city has gone to extend the history of hot rods and surfing with the pre-pandemic car shows on the beach and the old city streets closed off for the monthly car shows. But, once the pandemic is over, the city will go back to their support for the hot rod/surf culture with access to locations all around the city.

The large resort hotel on the cliff overlooking the harbor and ocean give a great place to see all of the early Dana Point history. When it is safe, the car shows and woody shows will return and it will be a great place to visit. Perhaps a “Cool Roadside Attraction,” good for all HAMB followers.

 

Hello,

Local So Cal artist, Rob Beilby made a great looking drawing. A long time ago, the coastal cities used to allow cars on the long piers. It was fun to go out to the turning point and feel like floating on the water. During storms, they were usually closed to cars. Then as the idea of driving out on the piers was left to 4 known in California, the other attractions faded away. Constant weight was wearing down the surfaces of the piers.

But, as a means to inspire visitors and people who come to city sponsored events, “Woodies on The Pier” became a popular event, all up and down the coast. This one with the 1946-48 woody looks like the San Clemente Pier with the sailboats racing in the background, as is done weekly/monthly up the coast a few miles in the Dana Point Headlands area.

Jnaki

1965 old cars on the San Clemente Pier (ringside seats)
As part of the daily surf check procedure, it was always nice to be able to sit in your old car to see the wave action below. For us, it was not a long time sitting on the pier. Down below were what we came to ride... a very good destination.

(Crystal Pier San Diego, Santa Monica Pier, Stearns Wharf Santa Barbara and The Santa Cruz Municipal Pier allow continuous driving on the piers, not just for woody car shows.)

 

Oliver Nitsch.

 

Lake Arrowhead California, 50's.

 

Hello,

With the spring season upon us and the months are flashing by, the possible return to the original concept of the Cruising Grand event in downtown Escondido is a possibility. It is still in the cautious stage of the pandemic and no one wants to be the “super spreader” event. So, caution is appropriate. The local artists in the Escondido area are behind the drive to get things in place correctly. It was a drawing card for all So Cal residents and tourists.

Jnaki

Once a Spring to Fall weekly event for all So Cal residents to participate. The final night being the famous Cacklefest by the old time drag racers from So Cal doing a “Nitro Night” to bring the whole Spring to Fall festivities to a close. Let’s hope the pandemic ceases, so as to allow the Cacklefest to continue.


“I wanted to do something for Escondido. This is why I painted the Grand Avenue Escondido arch with
a low rider car representing Cruisin’ Grand and why I called this piece “Esco Strong”, because our community is strong.”

 

Here’s one for all you guys who are still children at heart.

 

art by Greg Bryant

 

Britt Madding.

 

Bob McCoy.

 

I love Bob McCoy's art period! This has to be one of my favorites. Been there done that, back in the day of course.

 

Bill Drysdale “Stacking”
Of course, any stacking that hinders drivers ability or handling is not DMV/CHP legal.

A So Cal surfboard stacking story from 1962: CHP legal on PCH from Dana Point to Seal Beach

Hello,

In 1962, my friend worked at the Seal Beach Ole/Hobie Shop on Seal Beach Blvd, near the Naval Weapons Station Harbor. We had a job to bring some longboards back from the original Hobie Surf Shop in Dana Point. (60+ miles and 4+ hours round trip) The shaping room was in the back of the Dana Point store. We were driving from Seal Beach in a 1941 Plymouth Coupe that had an unusual camouflage, hand paint job. (including the tires/hubcaps, for undercover surf trips to the Camp Pendleton jungles and Trestles)
Old Friday Art
We took the 1941 coupe because we could get a few on top. We took our own two longboards, just in case we found some good surf at Salt Creek. But, when we arrived at the Hobie Store, the order was for 9 boards. These were 30-40 lb longboards of all sizes. It was a long drive, so we had to take all of these boards in one trip. We started stacking them side by side on the small roof. Finally when all boards were well secured, the trip home on PCH was interesting to say the least.

At every stop light in every coastal town, we got a ton of questions about why there were 11 boards on top and two surfers in the car. Of course, being funny surfers, our stories were varied to fit the need. (pro surfers…no such thing back then, owned a surf board factory, rich parents, starting a museum, etc.) The girls were totally impressed with what the car looked like and our cool stories. We stopped for lunch in Corona Del Mar at a drive in and the barrage of questions just kept coming…

Even though that trip was very memorable, the next time, there was an order for 11 boards of all kinds and of course, our own two longboards. This time, the Hobie Shop Guys wanted us to take several more. But, where would we put them? We pulled out the seat back and the longboards fit inside of the trunk, all the way to the back of our seats.

This time 5 boards flat and two sideways. Of course, we had to tie down the trunk and put on a red flag.

On our last trip down the coast, we took his other family car, a four door 1954 Ford “Country Sedan” Station Wagon. Now, that roofline held the next load of surfboards quite well and we brought back 10 longboards on top with ease. They stacked well and the roofline gave them lots of support for the tie down ropes. We even put in 4 extra longboards in the rear wagon opening with red flags.

The four doors were handy for the rope lock down points. The wagon looked a little odd with only two surfers inside and 14 boards, but it did not match the camouflaged 1941 Plymouth Coupe for looking odd/strange driving down the street. (but, totally hidden in the Camp Pendleton, Trestles jungle… )

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/greg-noll-surf-cars.1257016/page-2#post-14399095

Jnaki

Little did we know, but what we did with the multiple boards on top of both vehicles was the start of a crazy “surfboard stacking contest” that was popular along the coastal towns. But, our two old cars (Plymouth Coupe and Ford Wagon) were absolutely street legal with all of the boards sitting on top, in the opened trunk, and in through the rear window of the station wagon, later on in the summer. YRMV

 

https://photos.shutterfly.com/album/1705098868064512/full/1727760162914713
My 2022 Hot Rod Power Tour Tshirt

 

Artist: Sergio Robleto

Hello,

Our family history involves East Los Angeles, too. Friends and family lived in an enclave called Boyle Heights. Its rich history involves all nationalities from the early Los Angeles days. The area gets its popularity every time anyone sees a movie or TV show that portrays the Los Angeles famed, 4th Street Bridge or even the other bridges over the concrete L.A. River.

In the most recent times, artist Sergio Robleto drew a cool artwork displaying old cars from a historical point of view. (First Street Pool & Billiard, 1906 E 1st St.) The owners commissioned the artist to create some history with color and cool artwork on the side of the building.

Jnaki

The LA art scene has exploded over the years and includes all neighborhoods with lot of history and color. Now, a lot of So Cal cities’ cultural committees and city departments have ok’d more cultural art. The easiest way for artwork displays are the computer driven, usually Silver color, large, street corner control boxes to add color to neighborhoods and cultural objects. Other times, it is a business that creates a space for exploration.

They are great, just don’t run into them due to the high cost of repair and replacement.

 

Ralph Steele artist.#16,Don Freeland,#2,Jimmy Byran,#51, Eddie Sachs.

 

Plymouth Convertible Gilbert “Magu” Lujan UCI Clair Trevor School of The Arts

Hello,

Artwork is always a thing to acknowledge and envy at the same time. The skill it takes and the ability to put ideas down on paper is a wonderment. So, Gilbert “Magu” Lujan, a well known So Cal artist had some of his art acknowledged in a local display for all to see.

His artwork ranges from small paintings and custom creations for friends and events. This Plymouth Convertible is a cool version of a So Cal hot rod/custom car that could be cruising around the streets of So Cal.

Jnaki

Lifelike, with a little bit of fantasy… however cool and current.

 

Early Thrill Seekers...

 

Saturday Evening Post 1940, artist unknown.

 

1938 Chevy SEDAN Gilbert “Magu” Luján (1940- 2011) part of the Gilbert Lujan Collection at the Clair Trevor School of The Arts at UCI in So Cal

Hello,

As we were growing up, we did see a lot of cool old lowered cars. At the time, we did not think anything other than it was a lowrider. But over the years, getting into hot rods/drag racing and building stuff, we came to see and understand the coolness of Chevy sedans. One of my brother’s friends had a black 37 Chevy sedans as his first high school car. It was stock and the interior had the grey fuzzy stuff. It looked cool and our dad’s old Dobbs fedora hats did well at Halloween time, when gangsters were the dress up costume.

Then one day I had the opportunity to take a set of photos of a very nicely finished 39 Chevy sedan. Green paint, highlights with different shades and yellow pinstriping to high light the body. In the front, the pinstriped yellow flames just made this Chevy sedan a cool custom. But, as I offered it to the magazines as a feature story, It never happened.

2020 digital edition scanned from a 50 year old Ektachrome color slide


This 1939 Chevy sedan had all of the current acceptable build techniques for inclusion into any hot rod or custom car magazines. A nice green color, great looking wheels, slightly sitting in a Cal Rake stance, contrasting pinstriping all over the ridges, door panels and trunk areas, as well as some pinstriping flames over the front fenders and grille. It just did not have what the editors wanted at the time.

Jnaki

Our favorite Mexican Restaurant when our son was little, was a family owned place near our house. The owner was always seen driving his black, shiny, 1938 Chevy Sedan to run errands or pick up some necessities for the restaurant. It was a staple of the community and everyone knew who owned the black 38 Chevy Sedan when seen in a parking lot somewhere in the community.

But, at the sight of the artwork of a yellow 38 Chevy sedan by Gilbert “Magu” Lujan brought back all of those old memories of that cold morning. It was difficult looking at the snow on the local mountains and freezing while shooting photos/taking notes.