1410 Cota Ave. Building is still there although the neighborhood grew up a lot since then.

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Mickey Thompson literally did it all while managing Lions, as he also ran his El Monte muffler shop, was a pressman for the Los Angeles Times and was simultaneously building a speed parts enterprise - including construction of his four-engine Bonneville streamliner "Challenger"..

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The last I saw the Challenger it was sitting out back in the weeds with (of course) 4 flat tires. Soon after that, Mickey sold his name to Holley and moved to Wilmington on PCH to a nameless building.

Back to the building in Cota, I was there the day Danny Ongias brought his newly purchased Indy car (Champ car) in on a trailer to begin work on it at nights. He fixed it and took it to Willow and as far I I know, taught himself how to drive the road course. The rest is history.

My time at M/T was later on when the Gulf Reynolds Bonneville car was being constructed. I did what little fiberglass was on that car (very little as it was sponsored by an aluminum company). I briefly worked with Tom Jobe, Little John Buttera and Nye Frank. These guys [were] legends of fabrication. Well, I don't know whether Jobe is alive or not, but the others along with then drivers Pat Foster and Gary Gaeblich have passed. Mickey too. A lesser known guy around there, Jack Smith, is gone too (crash at El Mirage). Best welder I knew of the era.

With Holman, Moody $ Stroppe nearby in Signal Hill, Long Beach had a heyday in the early hot rod and off road business.

I hope you guys haven't forgotten about me...

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for derek...

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MS PAINT IS THE BEST!

It's the only way to fly.

Sweet. Now we've got a spotter plane to keep track of the fuzz.

Embraer turbo prop! Sweet!

We didn't forget abot you Chris. We are all still wondering what the porcupine moniker means?

Old Porsche joke: What's the difference between a Porsche and a porcupine? In a Porsche the prick is on the inside.

I actually ran across a water pumper 911 with "porcupine" as his license plate. We exchanged smiles at the red light. Most water pumper owners have no interest in older Porsches.

I have super 8 film of me and my brother skateboarding Deep Canyon right after it was paved the first time when I was 6 or 7? Thanks for this picture!

Im pretty good with Valley history and geography of times past. Here is one I did not know.

At Ventura and Coldwater was the Hollywood Country Club. It was the place to golf in the day along with Riviera and the Wilshire Country Club. Property for housing was in demand so real estate won in the end plus Sportsmans Lodge and Ralphs Market.

Looking south on Coldwater back in 1925. Deep in the background hills you can see the hill just above the much later race course which now has the radio tower housed.



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Interesting, Jeff. I went to HS at the southwestern tip of that golf course.

Alarick is a Harvard Man

For Derek: Thought of this thread when I saw these posters hanging on a wall in an automotive museum I visited this weekend:

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When is the next Vintage GP of Pomona?!

No idea. I didn't even know there were Vintage races back in '96 and '97. The Tustin races are no longer around, either. I think all we've got is the Coronado Festival of Speed in the fall.

Hey, how come no Targa CA for you? Sounds like bombing around scenic backroads for 3 days is right up your alley. I followed Tomas down the backside of Frazier Park (down towards Taft) and had a blast.

edit: Looks like those Pomona races were sanctioned by VARA. But looking at the VARA website/calendar, no such event lasts any longer. But they've got stuff at Buttonwillow, Willow Springs, Chuckwalla (isn't that place about an hour-and-a-half east of Palm Springs?), and Laguna Seca.

Short answer... too consumed by work, and my tires are in dire need of replacement. Car stuff has been put on the back burner temporarily. All good things though. :D

A little vintage for Derek the instigator of this program.




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Targa - good! Stay home - bad!

Berrisford or Hudnut years? I was there during the transition.

We had a couple of pretty good drivers in my class, we used the canyons for many years ;)

Both. I was the last all-boys class to graduate.