Visiting So Cal, places must visit for Hot Rodders

[wayne petty]

I thought that i would share some of the hidden jewels in so cal.


this is in Burbank.. on Burbank blvd just west of Hollywood way..

Luky's Hardware..  formerly Joe Factor sales..  http://lukyshardware.com/

somebody posted a 2 part video...   plan on at least an hour to speed thru the store.. and they will probably ship your purchase for you .. i have not ask them but i saw them packing boxes for shipment last time i was in there.. it will really take 2 hours for a dedicated Hotrodder to go thru.. be sure to snap a cell phone picture of the item you might want and its box number if marked..

this is part 1..

part 2.

a few blocks west is another store called VF Sales.. they also have a eccentric automotive fastener collection .. this is where i found the 12 point nuts for Enjenjo.. i was there a few days ago and saw the boxes of various sizes..
http://www.vfsalesnoho.com/  the google maps site has some 360 views..   the store front is currently hidden by a major storm drain project..   its a block east of cahuenga..

both of these stores are just a few miles north of universal studios..  or a few miles south of the burbank airport but what rodder flies when there are so many miles of so cal traffic to enjoy..


a few miles west in van nuys is all electronics..  i do a lot of electrical so i am always needing something from this store..

http://www.allelectronics.com/  its mostly surplus items..  a few new items..  

for those with a few more hours... Apex electronics... where the shelves are stacked 12 feet high with 5 inch tall boxes on shelves.. each box with different items in it.. http://www.apexelectronic.com/   its hours and hours of slow shifting sideways down the isles as you need to look at one item hanging on a wire out of every box..   venture into the wire area... be completely strangled by the amazing amount of different colors and types..  again all surplus..  its up in sun valley a few blocks off the I5 at lankershim blvd..  there is a whole second maybe a third building i have never ventured into .. someday..

and for a short 5 to 10 minute stop get out and look at the front store display..   http://www.nortonsalesinc.com/rocketry.html  

you can see some of the displays..   a surplus store for rocket scientists dreams..   they made the movie apollo 13 easier as somewhere deep in the nobody allowed there is a apollo command module rented to the studio for the movie.

this is almost a WHOLE DAY..  plan it on a thursday.. so you could hit the Bobs drive thru ..  http://www.bobs.net/events/classic-car-show  seems that every friday night between 4 and 10 pm is a car lovers dream..  might be more stuff on the first saturday of every month..  


i just thought i would share some of the local goodies available on trips to so cal.. other than the obvious and amazing few automotive and related musuems..

http://www.nethercuttcollection.org/ out in symar about 8 or 10 miles from burbank..

http://www.nhramuseum.org/   out in pomona ca..

down in el segundo just south of LAX airport  is the http://www.automobiledrivingmuseum.org/

just south of downtown is the https://californiasciencecenter.org/exhibits/air-space/space-shuttle-endeavour

there is more than just the shuttle there in different buildings..  various other museums.. and a twin seat YF12A trainer variant of the SR71 on stands out beside the parking lot..

since we all have layed in puddles of engine oil previously.. well some of us have.. http://www.tarpits.org/la-brea-tar-pits there are also several other museums in that complex with the petersen being across the street..

displays rotate often.. http://petersen.org/visit/

hopefully some of you will visit.. before the big quake knocks it all down.  when will it happen??? last BIG one was in 1857. all the ones you hear about only last seconds.. the 71 lasted a whole minute.  the big one.. 3 to 5 minutes with up to 10 feet per second ground motions at max. more where wave fronts cross.   ground motions as in rolling shock waves visible in the ground as everything west  from bakersfield to palm springs moves north west about 30 feet.   what about this wave front crossing causing additional size...  look back at all the westerns and sci fi shows and movies where you see the ground tilted up sideways.. Vasquez rocks is where it is.. the shock waves crossed and tossed the ground up so hard and fast that it broke and fell in slabs at angles.

you are more likely to be killed in a car crash than killed during a quake..  1971 lost 70 something.. 94 lost a similar number..

since i live almost below the dam that was shown breaking in the movie Earthquake.. i am almost prepared..  and yes.. there are actually things that were done in the 1930s to stop that dam from failing. http://imgur.com/a/JciOF

lastly.. if you have a SO who is into clothing...  take them south east of downtown los angeles just a few blocks.. start at 11th street and maple...  google street view it...  becareful where you park.. there are paid parking lots with security.. as its only blocks from skid row..  and pick pockets.. purse snatchers.. broken into cars is a big thing as are parking tickets..  more meter maids to the square meter than almost anyplace other than hollywood..  where usually 2 orbit each block constantly.

i don't know how long this short URL will last   https://goo.gl/maps/TcozVCYf8NF2  it does not look like much till you drive or scroll a few minutes in any direction..  its amazing.. days of work checking out every store...  Mayoral means wholesale only to people with a resale license ...   but that is only about 10%..

[enjenjo]

I was in Joe Factors the day he closed. Luky's looks more organised.

[jaybee]

I've been to the NHRA and Petersen. both fantastic places, I highly recommend either.