Cruising Around SoCal

Thursday, February 3, 2011

After leaving Barris Kustom City, I decided to head back to Long Beach to poke around the stores a bit more. After I finished my window-shopping, I realized I had been in California for a week & hadn't seen the Pacific Ocean, yet. I hopped in the rental & headed for the beach. It was another beautiful day & there were a few people walking the beach & bike-riding. I took a few pics & decided to head up to Redondo for some lunch. I was hoping for fish tacos, but I couldn't seem to find any so I settled for a Fisherman's Platter, at one of the restaurants on the pier. The food was cheaper than I had expected & I soon found out why. It was awful! I choked down what I could & hit the road, again. I headed north on the Pacific Coast Highway heading towrds L.A. with thoughts of dinner & a Mai Tai at Trader Vic's.

Long Beach




Redondo Beach

Barris Kustom City

Thursday, February 2, 2011

I woke up Thursday morning, knowing it would be my last in beautiful Southern California. I had a midnight date with a red-eye flight back to that frozen hell I live in. I got up, packed my things & checked out of the motel. Cash was at a premium, so my day was going to have to be on a low budget. That was OK. At least I could spend the whole day in SoCal. My first stop of the day was Barris Kustom City in North Hollywood. I arrived around 11:00 AM to find the door still locked. I peered through the windows, trying to get a peek at what was inside. I didn't realize anyone was there, but George's daughter saw me & came over to unlock the door. She let me in & graciously told me to feel free to roam around & take pictures. She then went back to her work & I noticed George sitting behind the counter, eating his lunch. I had met George several times & decided I'd just look around & let him eat his lunch in peace. There was not much of the rich, Barris Kustom history on display, but I was pleased to cast my eyes on the original TV Batmobile. I poked around a bit, took a few pics & then headed out to explore a little more of my Mecca.

The beautiful Southern California sky & landscape that greeted me Thursday morning

Barris Kustom City




The Munster Coach






Batmobile #1 aka the Lincoln Futura concept car.

Bob's Broiler, Downey, California Cruise Night

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Any Rod & Kustom guy, worth his salt, knows of Harvey's/Johnies's broiler in Downey, California. The Broiler is one of the most famous drive-ins on the planet. Located in the heart of Kustomland, it was frequented by the likes of Larry Watson, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Dean Jeffries, et al. It had been used as a used car lot for several years when, in January 2007, late on a Sunday afternoon, the man leasing it and/or the owner decided to begin an illegal demolition of this icon of Rod & Kustom history. The razing was halted when a concerned citizen notified the police. From that day on, things evolved, slowly at first & then surprisingly quickly. A group of Downey citizens & a die-hard group of Rod & Kustom guys banded together & fought to save this landmark. After a long & passionate fight, Big Boy Restaurants & Jim Lauder, the owner of the Torrance Big Boy stepped up & signed a lease for the property with a vow to restore the Broiler to it's original glory. After following this story online, since the demolition, I was absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the Rod & Kustom cruise night at this amazing drive-in. This is truly a triumph for car guys & Americana fans everywhere & shows what can be accomplished with hard work & passion.