History What ever happened to infamous Van Nuys Blvd cars...

I often wonder what happened to those cars that everyone knew on Van Nuys Blvd. Mike Sanchez's RPU, '55 Chevy "Ratattack", '69 Chevelle "Indian Summer", etc..........

I sold Bottle Bob's original Vette to an Allstate salesman, We all know that Bottle Bob's "Frankenvette" burn to the ground with Goucho at the wheel (LOL). I met a kid who was selling Vickermans '62 Nova with a 427, clutch turbo and straight axle. He was asking $2500 around '84. Dean's pro street '68 Chevelle with the blown Olds was for sale in Glendale for $2500 around the same time. I saw an ad in the auto trader for Ratattack around the same time too. Another $2500 deal. There were a couple home built T-buckets that cruised Van Nuys in the '70s that were 10 second cars. I saw one last year at the Moorpark show. Still looked the same.

I wonder if anyone on this board owns, or know someone who owns a famous Van Nuys car.

 

George Boskovich's '69 Mustang, "Pop's Toy" was at Van Nuys Blvd last week...Haven't seen that car in 30 years and it still looked the same...Candy red, 427 Cammer...And "Pop's Toy" in goldleaf over rear the wheel well...Only difference was it now has Weld Wheels on it whereas it used to run Crager SS..Didn't get a chance to talk to the owner....Was Curious if it was one of George's relatives...

 

Most likely it was George's son driving "Pop's Toy". A couple of years ago I was out at the house where it is garaged. He's a real cool guy.

"If it's under control your not going fast enough"
Parnelli Jones 1969 Trans Am Ford Mustang Boss 302

 

The April 1983 Hot Rod that featured George and "Pop's Toy" has been and still is an inspiration to me to make sure I am cruising in my 70s. Interesting that this link states the original car was stolen and never recovered and that the present one is a correct clone of the original and is owned by George Jr. along with, I guess, a pretty impressive Ford car collection.

http://www.legendarycollectorcars.c...heaven/pops-toy-1969-cammer-boss-429-mustang/

 

About four years ago at the Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, Groucho brought a VHS tape of the "Frankenvette" burning to the ground. I was at Bob's with my truck with the 50 inch big screen in the pickup bed showing some other racing footage, so I stopped that to show everybody the video he had of it burning up. Pretty amazing video!

"If it's under control your not going fast enough"
Parnelli Jones 1969 Trans Am Ford Mustang Boss 302

 

There were 2 "Pop's Toys" One was the Cammer car and trhe other a Boss 429...The Boss 429 was stolen and never recovered...

 

Talked to Dean today...he now has a '77 Suburban with a blown/injected 496...Says it would kick the Chevelle's ass!!! If you read the Street Racing thread started by Bottle Bob, the first story is of him racing Dean with the blown Olds in a '68 GTO...The GTO was rear ended by a Semi while turning into the Texaco station at Devonshire & Reseda...He then bought the Chevelle and transfered the engine/trans...He is amazed that people remember both of those cars..He was just 18 when he built the Goat. Not too many cars with blowers in those days...He went on to race Pro Comp and Top Alcohol dragsters...Lives in Vegas...
Last I saw the Chevelle was in the Recycler around 1981....Bill Blaze owned it then...

 

It was after that, I saw it for sale in Glendale. It still had the blown Olds but the blower belt was gone. The car had been hit and was completely in primer.

Wonder what happened to "Fantasia". "Gotcha also had a '68 Camaro with a BBF (yikes!). The "The Hellion" was totaled in a garage fire. There was a '63 Dart called "Mopar Magic" I always liked.

How about "Screwy Louies" Direct Connection red,white and blue '68 Roadrunner.

 

Last I knew of "Fantasia", Bill Thompson traded it to some kid for a '69 Camaro.. Kid couldn't drive the car for shit...traded it to someone else who, as the story goes...Sanded and primered it, tore it completely apart and was sitting on a garage floor in Arleta...That was 1982?

 

I saw "Proud Bird" about 15-18 years ago parked on a street out in the westend of the SFV. Indian Summer is still running i saw it at a car show in Sacramento in 2002. took a picture of it.

 

I seem to remember an anglia called little hellion,and Groucho's touch of class

 

i seen gotcha a few years ago he told me he sold that car before he moved from cal to wash state

 

he has a ford anglia now powered by a built ford smallblock

 

In the days I was there, the hot rods were hanging out at Biffs Coffee Shop, next to Super Shops, Phil (R.I.P.) has a black T roadster with a Hemi, Pat M. still has his Wescott bodied, Danny Dupont framed 32 Phateon with approx 150K miles on the original 289,C-4 driveline.

At that time I had a 74 shortbed fleetside Chevy, with Weld Wheels, dropped by Bruce at the Drop Shop (one of his first) candy blue paint with candy panels, and a warmed over small block good for high 13's at O.C.I.R..

The bug guys were there also VW Tim from these pages had a pearl blue and flamed 57 oval, on chromes and later a yellow Super Beetle (one of the first of that model lowered), Jeff M. had Blvd Bug, pearl white 66 with polished Center Lines and a tilt front end.

Steve Stanford had his Pro Touring Coupe Buick Regal a real sport custom before that term caught on.

Groucho had (well too many to remember) but the one I remember is his real 68 Z/28

Several Magazine street machines, that last of the van craze and mini trucks galore lowered, raised, all for show and many in the mags

Lets see what else I can remember !!!

 

I talked to him for a while. He's the son. I went to school with his cousin Scotty, and we talked about that. Also, the Boskovich's owned a LOT of property and farmed scallions (green onions). In the 70's, we used to ride our ATC's and Oddysies(sp) on their property with Scott's permission. The Borgia's, who also owned lots of property, also farmed scallions. One of the Borgias works for the son to this day, and others live across from my mom. We talked about a lot of that stuff last month. Small world

 

Yeah, as Rick said, the Hellion (Hillman) burned at Marvin's shop. And, my Touch of Class Anglia is slowly being brought back to life by a guy in San Fernando. I traded the "roller" in around '84 for a bantam roadster (that ran) to Duke. And while I do respect the hundreds of wheels up launches he did, he sure disrespected it cosmetically as bad as anyone could possibly imagine, just short of pissing on the poor thing on a daily basis. He left it outside uncovered, lettered it's show paint by hand with fucking nail polish....then finally, after fucking it up as bad as he could, he put a $100 paint job on it.....with more nail polish.

 

btt

 

Groucho, Any pictures of the Anglia?

 

If I remember right his blonde grandaughter use to drive it? Sean

 

What about the "Stinger Steve" brown '63 Vette ragtop that used to street drive and terroize OCIR brakcet 1?? Can't remember his last name....How about the '66 Satellite "Blue Fox" with big wedge power?? Used to see those in 69-70 along with Rod Mundy's green and white striped Dart w/ wedge power...

 

Hey Groucho, you know what happened to Mike Sanchez's roadster p/u? Monk's two Skylarks? Ratattack '55?

 

No idea on the 1st 3. And on Ratattack, I don't remember that one

 

Ratattack was a white '55 chevy with a tilt steel front end and radius wheelwells. I met the original owner when I first came out to Van Nuys Blvd. Eventually, it ended up in the House of Corvettes lot where it was bought by another guy. He was the BF of the manager at Jack N' Box. He added an automatic to the tunnel rammed bbc. Howard of "Indian Summer" fame bought the car. It ran 11:17 at Irwindale, uncorked on slicks. I believe the bbc was an L88. It was always twisting axles in the '57 Olds rearend when it was on slicks. I saw it for sale in the auto trader back in the mid '80's but it had a sbc then. "Gotcha" striped the car and lettered "Ratattack" on the side and "RatsAss" on the rear.

 

Does anyone remember an early Camaro with lettering on the 1/4's? "Mouse powered by Rat" or "Rat powered by Mouse? I think it had a amateur looking blue/white panel paint job and steel wheels

 

I stole this from Gotcha's FB page...RATTATTACK

 

Goms' old 37 Chevy, that now runs 10's peaked on ebay a couple days ago at $10.500, not meeting the reserve

 

Oh man those are some names I haven't heard in years. Screwy Louie. Monk. Goms.
How about these names. Bobby Banner, Jim Kutcher (Just Falcon Around), Arden (Yellow Roadster FE Ford 406 ya right), Fosters Corvette, Mike Handy. I could go on for hours.
My dad owned an auto parts store on VNB and I cruised it from 1963 to 1980. Even met my wife at the street races in Simi Valley. Thirty four years later we are happier than ever. My wife reacted the same way when I read the names off the computer. Here's a pic of my current ride:

 

I will never forget the night that I never got the call from Screwy Louie. New Years eve and he was racing someone (don't remember who) and he was supposed to call me to drive the car. He never called and the next morning I got a call to tell me that Louie was in the hospital. I'll never forget that visit to USC medical center. I remember thinking that it was a wonder that anyone ever made it out of that place alive. Louie was mess and the car was bad. When I checked out the car I noticed that the roll bar was made with muffler tubing. It almost cost Louie his life. It cost Fat Ron some months on crutches as he got caught between a fence and his goat. If I remember correctly it broke both his legs. Louie had more money than brains.
Dan

 

You guy's must have remembered my 67 Vette! It was candy apple red and had a very stout L-88 in it. I ran it twice at the drags, once when it was stock and once with the L-88 with some borrowed 9" wrinkle walls. It ran 10:32-132 mph. at Lions and I carried the timing slip in my wallet for many years. I made all my Gas money street racing on Riverside Dr. and NEVER lost. The biggest problem with the car was it looked bad fast and most guy's did not want to risk $100 against it.
Dan Ruth
Here are some pictures just before I sold in on a consignment lot on Reseda Blvd. with it's new Flames. I would Love to get it Back, anyone know where it is ? California License # 672 CBR