Take a bunch of the coolest hot rodders in So-Cal, invite them to the picturesque Palos Verde peninsula, and what do they do? That's right --talk about cars. Then eventually, they drive slowly around the perimeter of the said peninsula, wooing crowds while trying not to get lost.
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| We were wowed by the Keith Tucker collection. |
The First Annual Palos Verdes Hot Rod Cruise, directed by the incomparable Lynn Bird, was fun for the participants as well at the general public. Who seemed to enjoy waving at us from the sidewalks and from within other cars.
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| Lynn's 'Surf Kart' would be driven by his sons. |
Many of the planned stops along the way included scenic views of the blue Pacific and nearby industrial harbor. At each point, crowds gathered around our cars to snap pictures and look at them inquisitively.
The day started early with everybody meeting at the Tucker Car Collection in San Pedro. Keith Tucker owns & maintains a large collection of vintage cars and automotive ephemera collected mainly by his late father. It is also where Keith grew up and where his mother Patricia still lives. The large quarter-acre lot had several large garages, and plenty of space to work on cars. There were so many great vehicles there and vintage gas station signs, I could have spent the entire day just looking around!
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| Scott Miller's Cadillac powered coupe. |
It wasn't long and we were off to the first stop; Palos Verdes Drive overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
After the few miles of driving with all the cars in a line, the short 30 minute cool-down stop was just enough time for photos ops, chit-chat, & snacks.
Another stop included the Point Vicente Lighthouse (parking lot) for more discussion and car talk.
Lynn was also debuting his latest hot rod, this roadster pick-up on the right. Here Dave Steele & Vic Cohen are inspection the details. It was also a shake-down run for Lynn's new new engine. Luckily, the only part to fail was the distributor rotor which broke in half on his way home. A frustrating, but easy fix.
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| Jon Fisher's Valley Custom coupe. |
Next was the Korean Bell Of Friendship, which located on a majestic hilltop. We walked away from the cars and gathered around the shade of the bell's pagoda only to talk about cars again and upcoming events.
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| What a great looking group of hot rods. That's my car (with the freshly dropped headlight bar) right in the middle. |
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| Our group keeping cool at the Korean Bell, Palos Verdes. |
Oh sure, there were other subjects we talked about. But all I remember was enjoyable debates & opinions of the automotive type. It is great to have something in common with interesting people.
The cruise ended with the buffet lunch at Acapulco Mexican Restaurant on the harbor. It was good finish after a long drive in an open car.
