Author Topic: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972  (Read 1863 times)

deathsled

  • SAAC Member
  • Hero Member
  • *
    • View Profile
Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« 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.
"Low she sits on five spoke wheels
Small block eight so live she feels
There she's parked beside the curb
Engine revving to disturb
She's the princess from his past
Red paint gold stripes damned she's fast"

Corey Bowcutt

  • SAAC Member
  • Hero Member
  • *
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2022, 04:16:38 PM »
Those are some really cool pictures.  Thanks for sharing!

Corey

FL SAAC

  • SAAC Member
  • Hero Member
  • *
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #2 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
Living RENT FREE in your minds...

Home of the Hertz Musketeers 

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs.  It's jolted by every pebble on the road

I have all UNGOLD cars

I am certainly not a Shelby Expert

Life is short B happy

67 GT350

  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #3 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.
RARE  Signature Delete

papa scoops

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #4 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.

Don Johnston

  • SAAC Member
  • Hero Member
  • *
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2022, 05:00:15 PM »
That is us and we are now the elders. 8)

FL SAAC

  • SAAC Member
  • Hero Member
  • *
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #6 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
Living RENT FREE in your minds...

Home of the Hertz Musketeers 

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs.  It's jolted by every pebble on the road

I have all UNGOLD cars

I am certainly not a Shelby Expert

Life is short B happy

98SVT - was 06GT

  • SAAC Member
  • Hero Member
  • *
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #7 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
Previous owner 6S843 - GT350H & 68 GT500 Convert #135.
Mine: GT1 Mustang Track Toy, 1998 SVT Cobra, Wife's: 2004 Tbird
Member since 1975 - priceless

FL SAAC

  • SAAC Member
  • Hero Member
  • *
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #8 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 !
Living RENT FREE in your minds...

Home of the Hertz Musketeers 

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs.  It's jolted by every pebble on the road

I have all UNGOLD cars

I am certainly not a Shelby Expert

Life is short B happy

Side-Oilers

  • SAAC Member
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • SAAC member since 1981.
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #9 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.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2022, 01:06:58 AM by Side-Oilers »
Current:
2006 FGT. Tungsten. Whipple, HRE 20s, Ohlin coil-overs, 3.90 gears. 210.7 mph.

Kirkham Cobra. 482-inch aluminum side-oiler. Tremec 5-spd.

Formerly:
1968 GT500KR #2575 (1982-2022)
1970 Ranchero GT 429
1969 LTD Country Squire 429
1963 T-Bird Sport Roadster
1957 T-Bird E-model 3-spd stick

6s2055

  • Full Member
  • ***
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #10 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!

deathsled

  • SAAC Member
  • Hero Member
  • *
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #11 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.
"Low she sits on five spoke wheels
Small block eight so live she feels
There she's parked beside the curb
Engine revving to disturb
She's the princess from his past
Red paint gold stripes damned she's fast"

JohnSlack

  • Full Member
  • ***
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #12 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

98SVT - was 06GT

  • SAAC Member
  • Hero Member
  • *
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #13 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.
Previous owner 6S843 - GT350H & 68 GT500 Convert #135.
Mine: GT1 Mustang Track Toy, 1998 SVT Cobra, Wife's: 2004 Tbird
Member since 1975 - priceless

427heaven

  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • View Profile
Re: Van Nuys Boulevard 1972
« Reply #14 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!