Van Nuys Blvd 1972

[crossboss]

Boys,
This was posted on my other car site:
https://youtu.be/mfLFCrKhiHo

Were any of you guys there? 1972 was before my time. However, I was there for the last gasp era of 1980-1985.

[jwbavalon]

Wow, that brings back memories not of Van Nuys but of my neighborhood's cruise night.  A much different time.

[69Z28-RS]

I was cruising Biloxi beach and surrounding area during the summer of 1972 in my 1970 Challenger RT/SE (plum purple) and serving out my last days awaiting discharge from the USAF at Keesler AFB...

[GMAD_Van Nuys]

I tagged along with my friend who owned a 1968 Z28 a couple of times in the early 1970s out to Van Nuys Blvd.  I never thought that I would start working at the plant in 1978.  I took these photos of the plant when we were down to one shift and times were tough.



As my condo in Arleta was also located on Van Nuys Blvd., I guess I probably "cruised" Van Nuys more than most, but didn't get past the plant that was at 8000 Van Nuys Blvd.

[camaroboy68ss]

Neat video and way before my time, lol. My mom was only 4 years old in 72 and they lived in Oregon, but Portland had a similar cruising scene at that time.

[crossboss]

I posted this (and John's reply) on the other car site about Van Nuys Blvd:

"Towards the end of Van Nuys Blvd crusing, we were the last of the last to go there. Myself, George 'Pop's Toy' Bosco, John Slack, and others. We would 'hang out' @ Super Shops, then drive down to Bob's Big Boy and grab a meal and and call it a night. Around 1984, Kevin's Burgers on Reseda Bl. was gaining popularity with the car guys, and by 1985 that was 'THE' place to hang out in the 'Valley. When Kevin's moved to DeSoto, it was still popular. Our local race track (LOL), aka 'Mason International' (Mason Street) was just down the road from Kevin's. Yep fun times!"

"One of my friends that I went to high school with had a Dad who was the officer in charge of the Valley traffic task force. My friend would tell me when it wasn't a good night for street street racing because of the task force. On one summer Wednesday night Mark called and said his Dad said cruising would be great, but be ready to head home at 10:00. We had parked my Chevelle on the North end of the "strip" at the BofA parking lot and jumped into a buddies car to make a lap of the circuit at 9:00. One of those great night's when it took forever to get from end to end. It was around 9:50 that I started to notice Black and Whites at every corner of the boulevard. At around.9:55 they started erecting barricades across Van Nuys Boulevard and directing the cars from the boulevard onto the East/West cross streets telling us to leave the area. I had my Chevelle about a 10 minute walk North from where we were at. I told an officer that and he said go on and walk to get my car. I said "Thank you, I'll see you next week" jokingly, he nicely replied "Find something else to do with your time, this is over forever. We are shutting this down." And they did. But we went to Reseda boulevard which was a different division."
John




John,
Yes, Reseda Bl didn't last long either. Everyone moved 1 block East and West to Sherman Way. In three months it WAS over forever...
And that is when you and I (and the few other hold outs) remained @ Super Shops.