SAAC Forum

Off Topic Area => The Lounge => Topic started by: deathsled on November 09, 2022, 03:31:25 PM

Title: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: deathsled on November 09, 2022, 03:31:25 PM
Someone posted a video of stills.  Looks like it comes in the form of a book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyl-smxvVgg

Now if you had a blonde or a brunette sit on the roof of the car they would cave it in.  Times change.
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: Corey Bowcutt on November 09, 2022, 04:16:38 PM
Those are some really cool pictures.  Thanks for sharing!

Corey
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: FL SAAC on November 09, 2022, 04:25:32 PM
Someone posted a video of stills.  Looks like it comes in the form of a book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyl-smxvVgg

Now if you had a blonde or a brunette sit on the roof of the car they would cave it in.  Times change.

Thats a great video. JC shared with me somewhere on the internet something similar with over 1,000 photos of Cali when it was kool.

I'll contact him to see if he can provide me the link
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: 67 GT350 on November 09, 2022, 04:30:22 PM
Days gone by, wonderfull to look at them! I stayed up until 4 am one morning watching stuff like that on youtube.
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: papa scoops on November 09, 2022, 04:43:19 PM
i also saw a longer version that showed the 67 shelby and 67 gt twice, and also a 70 shelby.
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: Don Johnston on November 09, 2022, 05:00:15 PM
That is us and we are now the elders. 8)
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: FL SAAC on November 09, 2022, 05:19:21 PM
FYI

Rick McCloskey Takes Us Back to Cruisin’ Van Nuys Boulevard | Fueled News
https://fuelcurve.com/cruisin-van-nuys-boulevard/

Also look into 1320Videos.com
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: 98SVT - was 06GT on November 09, 2022, 05:55:25 PM
Whittier Blvd was our favorite. Whittier Blvd in East LA was the low riders and gang bangers. Whittier Blvd in Whittier was the hot rods and muscle cars.

Any Big Boy or In-N-Out was a prime cruising spot. Even today you'll find the parking lots packed.
At the Whittier Bob's people would wait in the line for a car hop spot just to do a burnout through the parking lot.
In-N-Out near our house gets 50-75 cars on Friday nights. There was an unofficial Trunk or Treat on Oct 29 that drew well over 200 cars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob%27s_Big_Boy

Trunk or Treat filled this parking lot - https://www.google.com/maps/@34.1046365,-117.8733893,304a,35y,90h/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&authuser=0
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: FL SAAC on November 09, 2022, 06:12:36 PM
Whittier Blvd was our favorite. Whittier Blvd in East LA was the low riders and gang bangers. Whittier Blvd in Whittier was the hot rods and muscle cars.

Any Big Boy or In-N-Out was a prime cruising spot. Even today you'll find the parking lots packed.
At the Whittier Bob's people would wait in the line for a car hop spot just to do a burnout through the parking lot.
In-N-Out near our house gets 50-75 cars on Friday nights. There was an unofficial Trunk or Treat on Oct 29 that drew well over 200 cars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob%27s_Big_Boy

Trunk or Treat filled this parking lot - https://www.google.com/maps/@34.1046365,-117.8733893,304a,35y,90h/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&authuser=0

"classmates voted Wian most unlikely to succeed."

I like ut, that's a great motivator !
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: Side-Oilers on November 10, 2022, 12:59:28 AM
Richard, these pix, and more like them, were discussed on another thread(s) a couple of years ago.
Lots of great comments and memories.

Seeing it again, and with lots and lots first-hand memories of the place (a handful of years later than these photos) brings a tear to my eye because of what Van Nuys and all of CA has become.

You really can't go home again.  I miss it terribly.
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: 6s2055 on November 10, 2022, 02:13:06 AM
In San Francisco cruising favorites were El Camino drive from Daly City on down and for serious racing, the Great High Way way before traffic lights.Remember a guy actually bringing a dragster to that to show off! Great memories of a different time!
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: deathsled on November 10, 2022, 07:09:05 PM
Richard, these pix, and more like them, were discussed on another thread(s) a couple of years ago.
Lots of great comments and memories.

Seeing it again, and with lots and lots first-hand memories of the place (a handful of years later than these photos) brings a tear to my eye because of what Van Nuys and all of CA has become.

You really can't go home again.  I miss it terribly.
Though you can never go back, Van, you can take solace in the fact that you had the opportunity to live it.  Imagine our poor sap ancestors who lived in Medieval Europe.  They never had such opportunities.  I am certain they would trade their time for that time any time.
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: JohnSlack on November 11, 2022, 05:07:09 PM
FYI

Rick McCloskey Takes Us Back to Cruisin’ Van Nuys Boulevard | Fueled News
https://fuelcurve.com/cruisin-van-nuys-boulevard/

Also look into 1320Videos.com

One of my friends that cruised with me was the son of the lieutenant in the LAPD that was in charge of The Valley Traffic Division he supervised the street racing task force and the special force that oversaw Van Nuts Blvd.

He would on occasion tell Mark that we should leave the cars at home and go see a movie. On those nights there was usually a big bust either regarding street racing activities or cruising on Van Nuys Blvd. So seeing a movie kept us from getting busted and kept him from being embarrassed with his son getting into trouble.in the final days of the Blvd being a legitimate cruise scene he would tell us that the businesses were complaining more and more about the mess from the cruisers. There were starting to confrontations between low riders from the San Fernando city area and the hot rodders from the North, West, Central and yes even the South Valley guys from South of the Blvd. (Ventura Blvd ) there were rarely any guys from South of the Blvd that figured out how to build a quick car other than spend their Mommy and Daddy's money to make up for the general lack of talent. However the South Valley guys always had the best looking girls with them.

Let me digress, with all of the social and business issues going on the pressure became high to permanently shut down the Blvd. One warm summer Wednesday night in July of 1979 we had planned on cruising the Blvd and hanging out in the Bank of America parking lot on the North end of the Blvd. Mark's Father told us don't get caught on the South end of the Blvd. after 7:30. Not because of arrests, just because it would be a huge hassle to get back North.

At 7:20 barriers were established that made all of the cross streets the only way off the Blvd. Police cars were parked across the Blvd. All North/South traffic was diverted to the East West streets. By 7:30 the traffic was horrible. I sat in the B of A parking lot ready to head North as there was no side street available. Eventually a black and white showed up and escorted those of us that were landlocked in the Northbound direction to where we could turn West on Roscoe Blvd and get to the 405 Freeway and head home. That was it, it was done, it would never return for a couple of years every Wednesday or Saturday night the barricades were up until we understood. No meant no. By then the hot rodders were cruising on Reseda Blvd. And the low riders were cruising San Fernando Rd.


John
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: 98SVT - was 06GT on November 12, 2022, 02:59:17 PM
There were starting to confrontations between low riders from the San Fernando city area and the hot rodders from the North, West, Central and yes even the South Valley guys from South of the Blvd.

That's another reason Whittier Blvd was a good spot. The low riders cruised about 8 miles west of the hot rodders. Same street different cities.
The Low Riders still cruise in East LA and the cops still shut them down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3cZyx5o_38  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkor2vjYXxE

I doubt cruising will return to Whittier on any large scale because that whole area has been rebuilt and all the old haunts have been replaced by offices and stores. Now you get a cars & coffee at the Elks Lodge http://www.socalcarculture.com/Images/CruiseNight_Saturday_WhittierC&C.pdf  or Ruby's Diner (50s theme chain eatery) that hosts random cruise nights in the summer months but they are east of the traditional cruise area.
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: 427heaven on November 13, 2022, 11:28:51 AM
I grew up on that BLVD and a few others in the mid to late 70s... Truly some fun times, crazy times, growing up times. Our spot was in Super shops parking lot or Arbys lot. Close by was SERVICE CENTER race and parts store, once the owner of SERVICE CENTER- DAVE, asked me to run out onto Sepulveda Blvd to block traffic he was going to test out his Top Fuel dragster and make a hit. Imagine a T/F Dragster doing a hit on city streets during the day ;D Only in the 70s in LA. I asked him what if the Cops showed up? He said NO problem the cop on that patrol was a good friend of his, and a great customer as well. Look at all the HAPPY smiles on the people back then, There was a lot of fun to go around in LA!
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: honker on November 13, 2022, 11:56:58 AM
427heavens's mention of a top fueler on the street, (reply #14) made me think of this image I have in my files.

Not exactly a full on fueler, but pretty kool ! looking at the cars in the back ground, I would say '60s ?

Mike
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: 98SVT - was 06GT on November 13, 2022, 01:01:37 PM
427heavens's mention of a top fueler on the street, (reply #14) made me think of this image I have in my files.

Not exactly a full on fueler, but pretty kool ! looking at the cars in the back ground, I would say '60s ?

Mike

That's just a typical SoCal street T - note the license plate.

This happened a block south where I lived (the guy in the article lived 3 blocks west) - https://www.hotrodhotline.com/gone-racin-jim-clark-bio#.Y3ElO3bMJPY

A few years before in the year 1963 and just three blocks from my home in West Covina, another racer I knew named Taylor Speers fired up the Brander & Speers dragster on the city street, lost control, and crashed into the fence along the service road to the San Bernardino Freeway killing himself. By then nearly every street in So. Ca. in the 1960’s had a garage based race car project of some kind going on, and the cars were going faster and faster. I realized now racing had its dangerous side. My friend Joe Oliphant wound up marrying Taylor Speers widow Jonny, since all neighborhoods knew each other and we were definitely young.

In the small world department I spent the $$ to have Jim Clark's Engine Dynamics tune the 440 I had put in my Road Runner. It wasn't any quicker or faster than my tune so I considered it wasted money.
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: honker on November 13, 2022, 08:30:52 PM
98SVT, thanks for your reply and the link, interesting read !

Your connection to it makes it more so !

I had never seen anything like that SoCal street T in my post. Here in Ontario, Canada back in the day you wouldn't last five

minutes on the street with no fenders, even bobbed fenders were an issue !

Mike
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: Side-Oilers on November 13, 2022, 09:17:57 PM
427heavens's mention of a top fueler on the street, (reply #14) made me think of this image I have in my files.

Not exactly a full on fueler, but pretty kool ! looking at the cars in the back ground, I would say '60s ?

Mike

Great photo. Dick Nixon behind the wheel?
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: Side-Oilers on November 13, 2022, 09:21:47 PM
427heavens's mention of a top fueler on the street, (reply #14) made me think of this image I have in my files.

Not exactly a full on fueler, but pretty kool ! looking at the cars in the back ground, I would say '60s ?

Mike

That's just a typical SoCal street T - note the license plate.

This happened a block south where I lived (the guy in the article lived 3 blocks west) - https://www.hotrodhotline.com/gone-racin-jim-clark-bio#.Y3ElO3bMJPY

A few years before in the year 1963 and just three blocks from my home in West Covina, another racer I knew named Taylor Speers fired up the Brander & Speers dragster on the city street, lost control, and crashed into the fence along the service road to the San Bernardino Freeway killing himself. By then nearly every street in So. Ca. in the 1960’s had a garage based race car project of some kind going on, and the cars were going faster and faster. I realized now racing had its dangerous side. My friend Joe Oliphant wound up marrying Taylor Speers widow Jonny, since all neighborhoods knew each other and we were definitely young.

In the small world department I spent the $$ to have Jim Clark's Engine Dynamics tune the 440 I had put in my Road Runner. It wasn't any quicker or faster than my tune so I considered it wasted money.

Brett and 427heaven: Don't forget Bob Jennings Dyno Shop in the Valley, just west of Sepulveda.  I spent a lot of time there doing my magazine tech stories and testing the results on the rollers. Never knew who'd drop by. Ol' Bob knew everyone.

Our hangout on Van Nuys also was the Super Shops (had to get there early for a parking spot.) McDonalds and Jack in the Box were two other hangouts when Super Shops was full, but with not as good of parking lots to be seen in, or to watch the street action from.
Title: Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
Post by: TA Coupe on November 14, 2022, 07:08:11 AM
Talking about Top Fuel Dragsters, there was an article in one of the magazines about someone registering one for the street in Texas back in the 70's. If I remember correctly he didn't have to do that much. I probably still have the magazine but I'm not going to look through 4 or 5 thousand of them to look for it.

         Roy