The Jim Arkin Photo Collection

A 1954 Chevrolet Bel-Air. Jim believes this one belonged to fellow San Fernando Valley Illusions member Mark Jorgenson. Photo by Jim Arkin.

A 1956 Ford F-100 that Jim built after he sold his 1965 Chevrolet Impala in 1968; "It had a 3 inch dropped axle and lowered rear springs." This photo shows the car in red primer. Photo by Jim Arkin.

A photo of Jim's 1956 Ford Victoria taken in the mid 1960s. During high school, Jim was a member of the San Fernando Valley Tyrants car club, and this mildly restyled 1956 Ford was his cruiser at the time. Photo by Jim Arkin.

A photo of Jim's 1967 Buick Riviera. "The '67 Buick Riviera I owned around 1968 and 1969. It had 8 inch Anson slotted aluminum wheels, and a business men's pinstripe, 2 lines a half inch a part, the length of the car striped by Larry Watson." Photo by Jim Arkin.

A photo of Bill Stewart's 1955 Chevrolet dated January 1968. Billy was a long time member of the San Fernando Valley Illusions, and his Chevrolet was painted by Bobby Santoyo at City Motors in Sun Valley, California. Bobby painted many of the cars that ran in San Fernando Valley. Photo by Jim Arkin.

Bob Guilbault's 1963 Pontiac Bonneville. Bob was a fellow member of the San Fernando Valley Illusions car club. As Jim remembers, Bob'sBonneville featured a flaked roof and lifts on the front. Jim believes the lifts were installed by Dick & Ron's. Photo by Jim Arkin.

This photo from the Jim Arkin photo collection shows fellow San Fernando Valley Illusions member Nick Hoogoian's 1965 Chevrolet Malibu. As Jim remembers, Nick had Joe Andersen of Joe Andersen's Custom Shop paint the car pearl green with fades in the summer of 1966. Dick & Ron's installed lifts up front on the car after it had received its Andersen paint job. In this photo the car has been fitted with a set of Keystone Rims. Photo by Jim Arkin.

This photo from the Jim Arkin photo collection shows fellow San Fernando Valley Illusions member Sandy Gordon's 1961 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible. Sandy's Bonneville featured as so many other Illusions car a Joe Andersen paint job and hydraulics up front by Dick & Ron's. On this photo dated May 1967, the car rolled on Astro Supreme Wheels with thin white stripe tires. Sandy was a founding member of the Illusions car club, and he was the one that turned Jim Arkin on to Joe Andersen and Dick & Ron's. Photo by Jim Arkin.

This photo from the Jim Arkin photo collection shows fellow San Fernando Valley Illusions member Mark Jorgenson's 1960 Chevrolet Impala. Mark's Impala featured a fadeaway pearl blue paint job by Joe Andersen of Joe Andersen's Custom Shop and lifts up front. The lifts were installed by Dick & Ron's of Huntington Park. Unfortunately the car was torched not long after it was completed, and it wasn't fixed again. Photo by Jim Arkin.

In 1966 Jim had Joe Andersen of Joe Andersen's Custom Shop paint his 1965 Chevrolet Impala in rainbow colors. Jim had met Joe the summer before, when he gave fellow Illusions member Sandy Gordon's 1961 Pontiac Bonneville a pearl apricot paint job. This photo shows an early version of Jim Arkin's 1965 Chevrolet Impala in front of Dick & Ron's shop featuring chromed and reversed wheels and flat baby moon huncaps. Photo by Jim Arkin.

The Jim Arkin Photo Collection contains photos from Jim's personal archive. Jim grew up in the wast San Fernando Valley in Sun Valley, Los Angeles, California. During high school he was a member of the San Fernando Valley Tyrants car club, and he drove a 1956 Ford Victoria. After high school he attended Valley Jr. College where he meet some guys involved with "lowriders". They decided to start the San Fernando Valley Illusions car club. Jim's nickname in the club was AkAk.