Wow..... Part four,what a great story.I feel like I was there. Thank You soooooo much Michelle. Rich.
Michelley Thanks so much for postig such a great part of Jessie and his history it takes us back to a better time....
Do you know how lucky we are to have gals like Michelley unselfishly give us this information. This is the kind of stuff I use to dream about when I first starting getting and reading old magazines. I go back and re read this stuff all the time so I can remember it all. Thanks again Michelley!
Look what we just found at a yard sale (on my historic-Las Vegas childhood home street Lacy Lane)! Synchronicity ~Michelley
Great pic's of the 41 at Camp Roberts parade ground in 1951 My Dad was there in 53,seeking info on the merc here http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=784008 cool vehicles down there in that ERA here is my little one copying his grandpas pose
Quiúbole, Tavo! That is distinctively a 1950 Mercury coupe (two-door sedan). The trunk insignia medallion is '50, & the rear window is one piece (some late production '49s did have this rear window style), 49's have three pieces. Not particularly customized yet, slightly lowered, with a crushed tail pipe from bottoming out. The extra stamped metal plate is a Camp Roberts base-issued license plate for distinguishing civilian cars while stationed on-base. Your Father is a swingin' machín, & that adorable son of yours is a chip off the ol' chock! ~Michelley
Dick LeNarz,who you mentioned in the beginning,who worked at Bell Auto Parts,was my best friends dad. We all went to Bell High School also. I sure wish my friend could have talked to Jesse and heard some stories about his dad back then. Dick LeNarz also worked on the Berardini(spelling?) Roadsters. Craig Wise,CW's40TPU on here,and his brother Gary,knew Dick LeNarz and knows Fritz Voight too. I was surprised to see that he hadn't posted on this thread. That's Dick LeNarz in the middle.
Jesse Lopez – Lo! & Behold Part 5 by Michelle M. Yiatras Timechanic™ Chatting with Jesse after all the record hot and rainy summer, “How’s tricks?” He explained that he’s been relaxing with Margie in Downey. Sold off most of his thousand birds. Packing and shipping them in 14” x 14” customized wood veneer and metal screen crates, one chicken per crate. Too much to do and don’t like others doing for him. Also perfectionism is hard when you get older and don’t want to rely on others. “Crooked Face [pet fightin’ rooster] passed away a couple years ago from 15 years old age. He dropped all his feathers and they didn’t come back. He ain’t the only one going through a hard molt.” He’s selling the four acres farm and moving to Downey with sisters, Margie and Rose. “Still have friends around there, Al Andril. Still get together with Johnny Zaro, Oren Breeland, Richard Carter. George [Barris] don’t drive no more, has a live-in housekeeper. But he sounds good. Still cognizant, yet feeble, memory fading. He’s been talking to Margie about it. They want to operate [his brain tumor], it’s optional, his decision. He don’t want to get operated on. Every year we meet in Hemet. Losing memory of the shop on Compton and 77th, the start of Barris Shop. He couldn’t remember, and this was a few years ago. Oren and I had to straighten him out. ‘Remember Oren and his brother [Loren]?’ George lived with them at Oren’s place and Oren’s mom took care of them all like brothers. Had chemo and radiation on his left side behind his ear. He recognizes my voice –‘Chili!’ But he doesn’t remember the stories of the past, so I talk to him about the present, how he’s feeling and who’s running the business. George and I had a good run together. He didn’t yell at me the way he yelled at the other guys. George said, ‘I always respected you, you weren’t like the other guys. You’re the main one that did the mechanical work on the cars. Everyone always said I treated you different, it was because you were more real. You were into it all before we were.’” “I was always strung out on fast cars and speed. The others wanted pretty cars. I was putting in Dago axles on ‘em. Bill Ortega did his own work too. I was a combat soldier in the Korean War, the Forgotten War. Fifty-five thousand soldiers killed in two years, 8000 MIA still over there. I go to the shrink at the Vet’s Hospital because I’ve got War Trauma. The age is catching up with me, and I got freaked out with anxiety and depression. Eighty-four years old, and I’m deficient in B12. No other problems. Little eleven-year-old girls know more about facts-of-life than we did at twenty-one. The youngsters don’t want to work like we did. They move too fast with their computers and cell phones, and don’t know the real world.” Or they think they’re in a reality show, with microprocessors faster than S.Co.T. blowers. “Jerry [Daman] calls and checks in with Margie and Bill when he can’t get me on the phone. They got to be friends. He’s come a long was and is doing pretty good. I encouraged him that even though he’s doing a car like mine, to do it how he likes. But he wants it exact. Even Junior [Conway] told him the metal work that went into my car was so much more than what went into Junior’s mostly stock car. People didn’t get it when he did Junior’s car, I hope he gets more attention and appreciation for my car. Getting the color right then, I shot a curved motorcycle tank so the highlights would bend. ’46-47 Dodge Chrysler color, and I messed around with gold and silver metallic…” Oh, Tavo, by 1953 Jesse was long home from Korea/Japan since September ’52, working at the parts store (Huntington Park Chanslor & Lyon auto parts and paint store). And then he got his “Lo’s” Mobile gas station (in Vernon) later in ’53. He didn’t look back at Camp Roberts since that first sixteen weeks of training. “Camp Roberts was literally a rattlesnake and cow shit junction. Until they reopened it and drafted us early to clean it up. It was closed since WW2. The first few weeks we had to do clean up detail and then 16 weeks of basic training.” So when they busted loose they didn’t look back. He didn’t get a chance to meet your Pa. The H.A.M.B.’s Bad Bob PM’ed me: “I really liked Dick a lot. We talked all the time about when he was a teenager, cruising Lynwood, Tweedy Blvd in Southgate, Harvey’s in Downey, etc. He was such a cool cat. We would hand out Cragar [Wheels] pamphlets at OCIR [Orange County International Raceway], Irwindale [Speedway], Riverside [International Raceway], Ontario [Motor Speedway], when we were kids, for him. He also worked at Centerline [Wheels] for years. Everybody knew him.” Thanks, Bob! I believe that is about the only photo left of Dick Lenarz, with the Berardini Bros, and their ’29 Ford Model A roadster (#7) with their signature seaweed flames. Do you know what year (1950?) or place (Santa Ana Drags?) this was taken? Even though his brother Russell was a professional scenester photographer. (Richard “Dick” & his brother Russell Lenarz both passed in 2003). Dick and Russ were part of the Berardini Bros pit crew. I appreciate you posting it on the thread for historical purposes. Did you get it from his son, Mike? He told me he had one. Jesse sighs, “Junior’s shop is within walking distance of Margie and Bill. You gotta do what you gotta do. The time has come.”
Mike LeNarz made me that copy. I got contacted of Berardini's daughter,when she joined the HAMB to ask me about Mike. She wanted me to bring him by to talk to her dad. He's passed away since then. Craig Wise,CW'S40TPU on the HAMB,grew up in Bell and Maywood,and was friends with Dick LeNarz and his older brother Gary,who worked for Mooneyham Blowers,was friends with Rikter,who owned Bell Auto Parts. Craig told me he knows Jesse also. There's more stories out there...
As a kid in Northern Idaho being exposed to this stuff... changed my life. To be involved in it now, like this, major mind blow.
Thanks for the Update<O</O <O</O Jessies description of Camp Roberts is classic<O</O <O</O I visited the Camp recently and paid a visit to the museum on the base. The volunteers running the museum were well aware of Jesse Lopez.<O</O<O</O I snapped a pic at the front gate<O</O
Michelley, Wow, good to hear from you again and thanks for such an in-depth update. Up to your usual high journalism standards! Chuck PS Hope the coupe is proceeding well.
NOT TO HIJACK THIS THREAD----BUT---MICHELLEY ASKED ME TO POST MY PM TO HER. like JESSE LOPEZ i have a deep appreciation for roosters it was my pleasure to babysit my friends white silkie, 'puppie'. [here is a link to ...............http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silkie......... FWIW they have, feathers like goose down, a beautiful fluffy topknot, 'leggings' or lotsa feathers around their legs, dark blue or black comb, black skin, and i'm told black meat and bones! this one had a great personality, loved to be held/ cuddled. 'puppie' loved to be with humans. he was given free reign of the elevated deck and above-ground pool area, til he tried to evade a predator by jumping in the pool, unfortunately he drowned. a sad event for all who knew and enjoyed 'puppie'. i would bring watermelon, and cantalope, 'puppie' would devour them, step-back and wait for the ants. it was amusing to watch 'puppie' have his second meal, of ants. he also loved dry-roasted peanuts. his owner, a member of the AMCA--Antique Motorcycle Club of America, has ridden to daytona bike week for the past 13 years,this year was the first he did not take the long-distance-award, lost by 25 miles! many times in snow and slush on one of his 5 on-the-road vintage indians, first days ride to west virginia, second into georgia, third to his daytona/ the catalina beach club condo /AMCA's daytona week headquarters. interesting to note... this feller can start his indians with one bare hand! if you've been around an AMCA national meet, 'puppie's 50-some year old owner would proudly ask if anyone wanted to see his 'cock' and out would come a picture of 'puppie'! starting in march and continuing thru october, at least one weekend a month i would babysit 'puppie' while his owner was off on a long-distance ride/ tour on a vintage indian, this week he is off on a 600 mile tour to far-eastern pennsylvannia, on a H.A.M.B. friendly 47 chief! michelley tells us J.L. has 1,000 roosters/chickens, no mention of anyone helping him, an amazing accomplishment for one man! i have long admired his craftsmanship, and accomplishments. the insight into his recent efforts is heart-warming. thank you michelley! thanx red
Red~ This is a scream Please post a picture of "puppie"! Jesse will see this on Margie's computer. Warmest Regards, ~M
Wasn't there a thread, the other day, in which we were tryin' to figure out what would make a good movie? Very good Michelle. Proud. Eric
Also included in the PM from oneredryderone; reflections of what becomes of our parents, our grandparents, and ourselves... i have taken so much pleasure from watching a flock of chickens out feeding. allow 6, 8 or 10 chickens to move from the pen or coop, and they will kinda fan out, carefully pecking here there, advancing to new ground, as they seek out food. they peck out insects, work the plant-life for succulents and small gravel. they advance slowly, softly clucking to one another. if you have had a stressful day, want to unwind, pull up a chair and observe these elegant creatures as their natural instincts come into play. i gather jesse is able to immerse himself in his roosters and leave behind the unpleasant events he experienced so many ago during the korean conflict. great for him to have been able to find a way to escape to a more enjoyable place. reading thru this thread, and between the lines, an effort is being made to encourage J.L. as my mother said 'flowers around my casket do me no good, allow me respect and love while i am still able to enjoy your efforts' thanx red I appreciate the "puppie" pix! ~M
From Jimmy Dixon’s (Las Vegas drag race veteran and destiladero de agave) personal drags collection, his late 1950’s snapshots a guy from Fritz Voigt’s shop working on a ’29 Model A roadster with a “weirdo monster” grill painting (perhaps by Dean Jeffries). Gettin’ ready to roll, with the tach on the cowl, and what appears to be a blown flathead with a big chassis set back.
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