Torrance

Joe Hurst's 1947 Chevrolet Convertible of Torrance, California. The Chevrolet was Joe's first car, and he bought it for 75 USD in 1958. He was 15 years old, and a painter near North High had laid a Candy Red paint job with Pearl White scallops before Joe bought it. Mickey Vandervort pinstriped the car for Joe after he had bought it.

Mick Tully's 1954 Chevrolet, The Golden Galleon, was restyled around 1957/1958.

Doyle Bidwell's 1950 Ford Coupe of Torrance, California. Doyle bought the car in 1959, while he was a freshman in high school. After buying the Ford, he became a founding member of the Brahmans of Torrance car club. He started restyling the car, but lack of money and experience prevented the build from ever being completed.

Joe Burgasser's 1959 Chevrolet Impala was restyled by Barris Kustoms around 1959/1960.

Dennis McKee's 1958 Chevrolet Impala of Torrance, California. Dennis' Impala was restyled in 1962, and it received a pearl Tangerine paint job by Joe Andersen of Joe Andersen's Custom Shop in the Summer of 1962.

A photo of Richard Moore with his 1950 Chevrolet taken in Torrance, California in 1964. Richard is the kid on the skateboard. The 1958 Ford in front of the Chevy belonged to his brother. Richard's Chevrolet featured a Candy Apple Green paint job, a white tuck and roll interior, chromed and reversed wheels, a Hurst-shifter, and a Mad Man Muntz 45RPM Record Player under the dash. Photo courtesy of Richard Moore.

Mike Perello's 1960 Ford Starliner was restyled in 1964.

Joe Hurst's 1961 Buick Electra was restyled in 1965.

Steve Drale's 1958 Cadillac Brougham made its debut at the 1965 Tridents Rod Custom Autorama.

Mike Smith's 1962 Chevrolet Impala was restyled in the mid 1960s.

Mike Smith's 1965 Buick Riviera was restyled in the mid 1960s.

Howard Gribble's 1961 Ford Starliner of Torrance, California was restyled by Carl Darling and Howard Gribble. The build was completed early in 1966. Unfortunately a truck smashed one side of the car shortly thereafter.

Carl Darling's 1961 Ford Starliner was restyled around 1967/1968.

Roger Squires' 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline was restyled by Roger Squires of Torrance, California in the late 1960s. Known as "Pastime", the car is a surviving example of the early lowrider style, and it was engineered and built to a standard that was unusual for the time. The first version of Roger's Fleetline was completed around 1968.

Joe Hurst's 1958 Chevrolet Impala was restyled and fit with lifts in the mid 1960s.

Howard Gribble's 1956 Ford F-100, of Torrance, California, received a flame paint job by Walt Prey in 1975.

Delwyn Triska’s 1936 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Kagel Canyon, California. Del's coupe was restyled in the late 1940 or the early 1950s. He bought it in 1948 or 1949, shortly after he had graduated high school. Delwyn moved to Toorance, bringing the Ford along.

Jack Fields' 1960 Ford Starliner was completed in 2010.

Erik Hernandez' 1960 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 was completed in 2010.

Howard Gribble's 1964 Chevrolet Impala of Torrance, California. Restyled by Starlite Rod & Kustom, Howard's Impala is a recreation of the Bloody Mary version of Allen Duke's 1964 Chevrolet Impala from 1969. The build was completed in December of 2014, and it made it's first public appearance at the 2014 Mooneyes X-Mas Party.

Jack Fields' 1954 Chevrolet of Torrance, California. In June of 2016 Jack's Chevrolet received a flame paint job.

Torrance in the mid 1960s

Dennis McKee remembers that when he got his car and drivers license in the summer of 1962 Torrance cruisers would cruise school in the morning, before school started, and after school was over. They would then go home for a few hours before they would all meet at McDonald's hamburger stand at the corner of Crenshaw and Artesia Blvd. No indoors just walk up and eat in you car or standing around mostly. As the evening got later they would go cruise Hawthorn Blvd. to the A&W Drive In. A year or two later they built an A&W about a mile north of McDonalds at Crenshaw and Redondo Beach Blvd and Torrance cruisers started hanging out there instead. It was across the street from El Camino College. Friday and Saturday nights they would meet at a hang out and drive to Lakewood Blvd, and cruise the Lakewood Mall, one of the first shopping centers. It was also near Hody's drive in. Then they would cruise the A&W on Bellflower Blvd. Then cruise Bellflower Blvd. a few times. This was after the Clock drive in was gone, as Dennis never saw the Clock as it was before his time. After Bellflower they would head to Harvy's Broiler by the way of Tweedy Blvd., another cruising street. When they got to Harvy' s, which would later become Johnnys Broiler, you would cruise in and out untill a parking spot opend up. You just had to be lucky to be in the line at the time someone was leaving. They sat there until it got late or they were kicked out because they were not buying any more food. By then it was around 10 pm to midnight and they would head back to Torrance. If McDonalds or El Camino A&W was dead they would go to Hawthorn A&W, if that was dead they would sometimes go to the Witchestand drive in further north. That was what the Torrance cruisers did in the mid 1960s.

Custom Cars of Torrance, California

Delwyn Triska’s 1936 Ford 5-Window Coupe
Joe Hurst's 1947 Chevrolet Convertible
Roger Squires' 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline - Pastime
Doyle Bidwell's 1950 Ford Coupe
Jack Fields' 1954 Chevrolet
Mick Tully's 1954 Chevrolet - The Golden Galleon
Howard Gribble's 1956 Ford F-100
Steve Drale's 1958 Cadillac Brougham
Dennis McKee's 1958 Chevrolet Impala
Joe Hurst's 1958 Chevrolet Impala
Joe Burgasser's 1959 Chevrolet Impala
Jack Fields' 1960 Ford Starliner
Mike Perello's 1960 Ford Starliner
Erik Hernandez' 1960 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88
Joe Hurst's 1961 Buick Electra
Carl Darling's 1961 Ford Starliner
Howard Gribble's 1961 Ford Starliner
Mike Smith's 1962 Chevrolet Impala
Howard Gribble's 1964 Chevrolet Impala - Bloody Mary II
Mike Smith's 1965 Buick Riviera

Custom, Body and Paint Shops of Torrance, California

Starlite Rod & Kustom

Hot Rod and Custom Car Clubs of Torrance, California

Brahmans of Torrance

Citizens of Torrance, California

Carl Darling
Delwyn Triska
Dennis McKee
Doyle Bidwell
Erik Hernandez
Howard Gribble
Jack Fields
Joe Burgasser
Joe Hurst
Mick Tully
Mike Perello
Mike Smith
Roger Squires
Steve Drale