People who really really really LOVE CARS, MAN...next on Ricki...

50s Car Clubs article header.

In the California areas of Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire, only pre-1965 vehicles are allowed in most car clubs. Some clubs are more strict than others about whom and what cars they allow in. Some of the most prominent clubs are The Lonely Kings, West Coast Scrap Metal, The Blacktop Bombers, The Nasty Jacks, The Shifters and the all-hearse club, The Phantom Coaches. They make a major presence at car shows and events that often rival the old school clubs. While there is no real competition between the clubs themselves, some might say there is a line drawn between the older generation and the new one. "So many of the shows you go to there's these old guys who have great cars," says Stephanie Baltirra," and they've been around forever and have all this knowledge. But it seemed if you were a young person and went up to one of these old guys and asked them how they did something, they don't want to talk to you. They just hang out on their lawn chairs, sip their beer and stick to themselves." Baltirra and her husband, Gabriel, cited that as one of their biggest inspirations for starting the annual Blessing of the Cars show which features young car customizers and artists. Their show has become a "must attend" event among young car clubs.

The difference in the two schools of car clubs is mostly in the attitude. While the older generation may see their classic cars as completed showpieces to pull out twice a year for big events, the younger generation use their works in progress as not only extensions of their personalities, but also their main transportation. For many young car club members, every day begins with a prayer that their baby will start up. "Alot of the guys in other car clubs are older guys, they've bought the house and have the cash. We're all younger and we try to base our club on the fact that we are everyday drivers, we drive and work on

our cars everyday and we don't always have the bankroll. So we keep it loose looking more towards the car's potential and the right attitude," said J.D. Massey of the Blacktop Bombers.

Events are a major venue on the car club scene not only for exchanging information and making new friends, but also a for showing off all the hard work put into one's prize ride. Many car clubs have their own events such as summertime barbecues, parties and cruises. A mainstay is every Friday night at the car hop at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, where one of the last remaining original 50's diners becomes like a scene from American Graffiti. The Friday night tradition there was started by one of California's oldest and largest car clubs, The Road Kings. It has been a scene for three decades with classic cars parked in the back lot as car club members hold meetings over burgers and people stroll by admiring the cars that look like a shiny pieces of candy.

"Cars are kind of a love/hate," said Stephanie Baltierra, "you're into it or you're not. So many people are accustomed to the idea that a car is just this sort of plain thing made out of fiber glass that gets you from one place to another." Classis car restoration and customizing may not be for everyone, but, the hobby creates an atmosphere of creativity and fun. Most heads turn when a pack of 18 customized vintage cars roll down the street looking like a slice of life from another time. "There's really a whole breed of people that are starting all over again who are really in love with the automobile," reflects Baltierra. "It's like the last folk art that we have."