dud

purposely drove out to the broiler yesterday. i'm in the mood to shoot, and was hoping there would be some cars in downey to help me with that.

i go there rarely anymore, mostly because i have farther to go after work, and just can't bear to sit in traffic that much longer. and the last four or five times i have decided to go, disappointed by how few cars are there. it used to be so packed, even the back lot was full, even when i got there early.

well last night, got there about five-thirty. only a handful of cars there for the "show." small group of regulars, and i wandered over to the few i've met before. they joked that they didn't remember my name, where have i been, etc.

they talked about another show going on at the same time. mentioned that at the show i used to go to off alondra, they had torn down the building and were putting in an in-n-out or something.

anyway, i give up. this show is off my list, not worth the stress of the traffic. i liked the cars that were there, but too far for too few. sorry.

spent an hour with what there was and bid it goodbye for wednesday night shows.

wishing this woodie wasn't next to the t-bird, but apparently the owners are buds, so oh well.

mary poppins

been another busy week. my son graduated law school. has been sort of lost since he took his last final, with nothing to do. not a problem. now for two months of studying for the bar. then the waiting begins.

work busy again too. i have deadlines that are forcing me to work a day or two over this holiday weekend. better half, same story. oh well.

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posting these, only because the owner chatted and seemed interested in seeing pics of his car.

these cars are almost twins; same year, same paint, same details. turns out the owner of the car on the left built both of them. the only difference i'm seeing is that the car on the left has a chrome spare wheel cover and the other matches the car.

they're practically perfect in every way. just close the hood and slam down the trunk next time.

eight-track

went to the wingfest this past weekend, hoping for a lot full of impalas. got there close to nine, not too early, but before official start time, hoping for fewer people in the shots too.

ran into a fellow flickr friend, rudy, who knew me by name, and after getting his name, recognized him again. last saw him a couple of years ago at the majestics new year's show.

met another photographer, who said he had driven in from indio. he admired my rollie bag, and i marveled at all the camera gear he was carrying around, slung about his shoulders and waist.

and also victor, who i'd seen the day before at the la mirada show. he gave me a heads up on the show, and also mentioned one out at santa anita, if i needed more cars to round out my weekend.

there were only a few cars there. fine. i'll shoot them. more cars trickled in. gave them the benefit of the doubt, that people were at church or nursing hangovers. 

hoods and trunks started being popped open. <sigh> ignoring my usual dislike of shooting them that way, i just shrugged and rolled with it. 

before i left, there was a reasonable number of cars, but with lots of space for more. wished the cars that were there had moved to allow for more space between cars, since it seemed available. oh well, shoot ‘em as you find ‘em.

this car was over toward the back corner. i was looking at it, wishing the trunk was closed. few people were around it at the time, and i liked the trees, clouds, and the broiler sign framing it out.

owner was sitting there with his better half. he said i should look inside...check out the eight-track player...asked if i knew what one was. said a lot of people don't know what they are anymore, and hoped i didn't take the fact that i knew what it was in the wrong way. no worries. we're all getting older.

haven't seen one since my dad sold off his old cadillac...in the eighties...and his crap music collection came and went with the car. 

told me about how he had found it online, and also had some recorder, if i understood, that he could make his own cartridges of music.

well, it made him happy. rock on.

just another day

so its kind of trying to rain outside. just rain already.

vacation time is way better when you've got something or somewhere planned to be. i got nothin. maybe if it was spending the time in my own house, rather than my better half's. but my kid is still living there for at least one more semester.

i guess i'm looking forward to freeing all my stuff from storage. it will be like christmas. then deciding on what i don't really need anymore—been without it for four years—so how much of it is just old baggage from a past life?

meanwhile...three more days to figure out what to do with. still doing backups and copyright filing.

thought this one from bob's big boy was ok. this car parks here a lot. if he's handicapped, that would be the reason. anyway, the car sits, i move. i liked this angle this time.

wondering if more than a few cars show up at the broiler on wednesday nights anymore. might just go over tomorrow if its not raining. week before xmas, used to get the lights on the drive-in and wreaths on the cars, so...

effected

there's a chevy under there: glitter, chrome, airbrush, pinstripe, reverse doily/lace, glass etching...i dunno...a bit much? interesting, but i don't know where to look first. sorry.

long day, so i'll bite my tongue and stop now.

 

family affair

i've seen this wagon at a couple of shows now. i liked where it was parked here at the broiler, in a sea of chevys. was hard to get a clean shot of it, as there seemed to constantly be people ogling it. just had to wait patiently, and shoot quick to get it. 

need a ladder to get the glitter/airbrushed roof i suppose. i do like the pinstripe curlies on it.

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better half's birthday today. he doesn't want cake; pretty sure he wants pie... >:)

buick

this one is interesting. guessing a '38 buick. the color combo really caught my eye. not sure the modern rims are really working, but they do match the color scheme.

saw it at the viejitos ela show at the broiler in august. such a good show. way too hot. wish there were more shows about this time of year, before the real possibility of rain, but sunny, cool and puffy clouds. way more tolerable.

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got my car serviced yesterday, and it was sprinkling rain here and there, so skipped a show that may or may not have happened because of the weather. that, and once i got back home, didn't want to go back out, which is typical.

feeling like taking pictures today, but looking at the calendar, not much going on except small local shows. pretty much what i like best...fewer people in my way.

thinking of stopping by a monthly show in la habra, to see if it's bombs or hot rods. if hot rods or muscle cars, will probably just continue on by and get some shopping done. otherwise, there's always lakewood on a sunday afternoon — never know what will show up, but there's a costco there too.

anyone know if there's a show at the broiler this friday? i've heard about it, but haven't been.

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a real hell of a month coming up health-wise. really hating getting stuck with needles. not looking forward to these tests, but want answers more, so i'll just practice bursts of profanities at work to prepare.

fishin’

here's one from the summer, from the viejitos ela show, which i got way too busy to play with more shots. i'd spent the morning in chevy heaven in the back lot of the broiler. had gotten hot, so i was taking a break in the shade of the overhang.

the owner of this car pulled in with this fleetline on a trailer. too precious to drive, i guess, and i don't really blame him. well, he backed it down the ramp, and it just sat there for a bit. so, of course, i went over and had it all to myself. at least until someone told him to move it and the trailer out of the way. and people were mostly ignoring it for the time being.

pretty simple lines. just that fishin’ pole for decoration.

i'll take one, please.

line ’em up

starting off with a big double bird to the 5 freeway...took two-and-a-half hours to get home today. no good reason for the backup. started at the 133 and went to about ball road, then just started moving again. so wtf? was already tired, and that didn't help things.

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one from the east la viejitos show at the broiler in august. don't know how i got this view, without anyone standing arbitrarily in the shot. patience pays off sometimes. why i didn't also shoot the dodge behind it, i can't remember. not even the hood ornament. must have been off to take a break.

by this time in the morning, it was getting pretty hot, and the sun was blazing down. had taken a few breaks, hiding in the covered area by the restaurant, bumming some ice water from a waitress.

i liked the pale mint green of this car. and the fox tail. i've had a few i picked up in canada back in the late nineties. packed away in storage for now. wonder if they're shedding down to the leather yet. had a beautiful white one with a black tip, but it was way too big to use for my keys; had to use a racoon tail for that, until it fell apart. i digress...

liked the restrained use of pinstriping in a darker shade of green and white. just some random swirls.not too much. i think i shot some close ups, but i'll have to look for them when i'm not so tired.  i think some also spelled out "poco loco."

speaking of...off to zeebers now...

time to chat

found my way to the viejitos ela show this morning. really didn't want to get out of bed, but expected it to be hot later. and i was awake anyway.

at eight in the morning the lot was already pretty full of bombs. just what the doctor ordered. hurrying, but not hurrying, racing the sun that always wins.

had to take a couple of breaks back under the roof of the drive-in overhang. nice breeze there. waitress even gave me a cup of water. thanks so much.

i was about ready to head home when i was over by this car. liked the hood ornament. the hood was up, so generally would have skipped out on the car. then the owner came over and started talking about other car shows i should check out. big shows in vegas. i happen to be going there week after next on business, but no big shows going on while i'm out there. oh well. i'll see if i can get to the local club shows.

he closed the hood for me, and i shot a few while we continued talking.

really the only one who talked to me, aside from another guy taking pictures with his cell phone, or the guy who said he liked my felix chevrolet shirt. so, i'll post this one first.

san pedro early tomorrow. i gotta get some sleep...and another hard drive.