STREET RACE, SPEED SHOP, and Van Nuys Cruising Locations in 1980s Los Angeles!

In this video I’ll take you to 1980s Los Angeles street racing spots and former speed shops! You’ll also see the old cruise locations on Van Nuys Blvd., the site of the abandoned San Fernando Drag Strip, and my former workplaces at Hot Rod Magazine, Burbank Dodge, and Car Junkie TV. There’s also some info on the Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale, California, and I’m hitting all of this in my 1971 Plymouth known as The Red Duster. And there are many great then-and-now photos I love so much!
I really dig this video; it has so much history. If you like it, please share it!
Thanks to Goodguys for the old cruising photos from Van Nuys.-D/F
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[@-nitroace]

Love the longer videos and history related stuff!! Great work man

[@TheDavidFreiburger]

Thanks!

[@quirkydad6083]

Agreed. He’s a great storyteller. So much of KZbin is throw it against the wall and see what sticks or over production with a team of writers.

[@sprintcarsandguitars959]

@@TheDavidFreiburger cool video,i was in the northern ca seen in the 80s. we cruised el camino blvd fri nights. but i have to tell you,graffiti nights in madesto in like 88 was just off the hook. 3 days of pure cruising when you didn't have too register to cruise like now. santa cruz even had a cruise one year called beach st cruise.

[@CaptainTonus]

YES! This is exactly the kind of content I was hoping for from this channel. So awesome! Hoping to see more of this type of stuff on here. Thanks, Freiburger!

[@TheDavidFreiburger]

You got it!

[@taunovalo2964]

@@TheDavidFreiburgerI wonder if the sideshow dudes will wax nostalgic about their intersections like this in 50 years.

[@georgeponnay447]

When I was a kid in the 60s, Dad took us to San Fernando airport. There used to be an abandoned B25 bomber at the end of the runway we'd spend the whole day playing bomber pilot in.

[@emilianocruz11]

We need some behind the scenes of roadkill garage with steve dulcich

[@cactuspete2727]

Boom !! First to view !! Ridin the storm out in Florida

[@JonStein-mu5eb]

Blessings to you and yours.

[@CHAPPYakaBRAT58]

Same here in Saint Johns

[@MrChuckMCCEAST]

Same.. New Smyrna Beach. Good stuff Freiburger!

[@charlestorruella8591]

St pete and ya the wind is pretty bad but not alot of rain

[@williemorgan6738]

You and me both be safe tonight.

[@speedfrk73z]

Have any super shops stories? How about PAW stories? I’ve bought many speed parts from both places.

[@freshvintage]

Love the video! Seeing the surprise NCC-1701 ORIGINAL Enterprise just made my day too keep up the great work!! 💪👊

[@TheDavidFreiburger]

Trying, thanks!

[@kiiiisu]

hah i was thinking that 1320 for speed shop was too coincidence pretty cool they managed to get it :D

[@Tunnelramlife]

Keep up the great content! Loving it! Should have taken the $18000 for the duster😂

[@AR_420]

Same here, love it!

[@TheDavidFreiburger]

I would not have been able to live with myself

[@Tunnelramlife]

@@TheDavidFreiburger I completely understand. You're a solid guy.

[@xtr3m3fLx]

@@TheDavidFreiburger Was offered 125K CAD this past summer for my '68 GTX 426 Hemi 4 speed and I turned it down.

[@Fatty420]

The speed shops I knew of in LA have all closed up or moved out of state. Are there any left or is it all pretty much online ordering now?

[@TheDavidFreiburger]

There are a few, like Westside Performance

[@TheDeckofCard]

Team C Performance in Bellflower is still solid too

[@DLRPyro1]

Blair's Speed Shop is still in business in Pasadena

[@Akestler]

BDS blowers

[@markmonroe7330]

Excellent presentation. Thank you. Really enjoyed this one.

[@TheDavidFreiburger]

Thanks!

[@ngehrer]

Freiburger is a national treasure. A true hot rod historian. Thanks David!

[@emilianocruz11]

Good Job in the videos David hope see next about the story of the roadkill muscle truck

[@TheDavidFreiburger]

Eventually I’ll get to that

[@allautollc1]

YEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS finally new content!!!!!!!! Will watch on big screen at home !!!!!

[@TheDavidFreiburger]

I’ve been dropping every Thursday and 3:00 PST

[@allautollc1]

@@TheDavidFreiburger I've been stalking your page all day waiting lol

[@allautollc1]

@@TheDavidFreiburger your content never fails keep up the great work!!!!

[@robertobuenrostro2781]

Make Street Racing Great Again! Vote for David Fryburger! 👨‍🔧🇺🇸

[@TheDavidFreiburger]

See the Dulcich-Freiburger 2024 shirts in my store. shop.davidfreiburger.com/

[@toddt65]

I drove to California from Ohio in 1972 and we got to cruise Van Nuys Blvd one Saturday night. Very cool experience

[@papascustomcars]

My wife bought my Christmas gift of an intake, carb, and headers for my current Nova at a Supershop. Wow that takes me back.

[@BUCKSTALKER123]

Hell yeah! Thank you David for the videos!

[@WilliamKiene]

Hwy 99 in the 1950s was the highway from NorCal to SoCal. It went through the downtowns of many cities.

[@BUCKSTALKER123]

Good to know...i live near highway 69 in Oklahoma, its known to be one of the deadliest highways in America. ​@WilliamKiene

[@speedpartsKomets]

You never mentioned the real street racing spots in the valley. Woodly and Saticoy, Sepulveda and Plummer, were the big spots in the late 70'. Prudhomme crew chief would come out with the Snake and bring a Blown V8 Datsun 240z.

[@TheDavidFreiburger]

I recall Chatsworth and Zelzah. Those places are all too developed now.

[@craignmz5264]

Old San Fernando Road, Canoga and Lassen, there were several. I haven’t watched yet was meet up spot at Tommy Burger on Roscoe mentioned? Then there was the Thousand Oaks and Camarillo areas.

[@speedpartsKomets]

The street racers knew to meet at Jack In The Box next to Super Shops to find the real fast cars in the late 70's.

[@speedpartsKomets]

I was based in the valley. I would flat tow to Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Dodger Stadium, Compton since my car was well known locally. I had a yellow small block Vega, my car was on the cover of Popular Hot Rodding magazine with Mike Johnson PHs Project Big Block Vega build. Fast times

[@armondoborjas2442]

Also Raymaer & be hind the Chevy plant on Van Nuys

[@vxpenfold]

Absolutely loving this content Freiburger, really helps us from very far away (in my case the uk) understand the hot rodding history in California and beyond, I find it all fascinating 👌

[@CHAPPYakaBRAT58]

Just wow, so many memories, Flipping crazy awesome ❤

[@markpatton1214]

Glad the algorithm suggested this to me. First cruised Van Nuys in 1978, worked at Customs by Eddie Paul in the early 80s. Lived in Long Beach so more familiar with Super Shops in Long Beach and OCIR. Love to see more like this

[@garyny4073]

Ive been to george barris shop on Riverside . N.hlwd incredible history while talking to him about all the legendary machines . 😮😅

[@DroneStrike1776]

As a 43 year old Asian who lives in New England, I was always fascinated by movies like American Graffiti, Vanishing Point, Two Lane Blacktop, and the old American car culture. Seeing how everyone got together at burger joints, did some street racing, no side shows, no guns, no fighting, no twerking. Seems like yall had more fun back in the day when America was what it was supposed to be, unlike the America of today. I swear I was born in the wrong era.

[@deepbludude4697]

So cool! In 1986 I was stationed overseas and got sent to a skydiving joint in San Fernando IIRC it was called Skydive Elsinore We jumped several ramair canopys and purchased several for a gig we were doing. I was really into Motorcycles and rented a V65 Sabre for a weekend I had a blast driving around on that bike street racing, hit the canyon road. So cool good memories I love your interest in history!

[@Vintage4x4s_and_StreetRods]

I am loving these videos. Freiburger has forgotten more than most people ever will know.

[@_lucas_1k_]

LA used to be such a riot back in the 80’s. Shame what’s it become now. But love the history videos, keep them coming!

[@papascustomcars]

It is so sad that the old drag strips are gone.

[@red-doggracing5557]

I worked at Super Shops at PCH highway Orange Street from 83-86? Good times

[@hotrodvon]

I used to go there! I still drive by and remember it.

[@impalasamsgarage]

I was a teen in the 80's, class of '85, growing up in GA was a lot different but, in a lot of ways very similar. IMO best decade to be a teenager.

[@charlesrives9092]

I graduated in 83 in a small town in MS- there was no street racing and just a couple of hot rods. DF's stories sound way cooler than what I lived thru.

[@JoshuaAtnip-u4g]

More more more!!! Only way it could have possibly been better is if you were in the Bee reminiscing.

[@kh40yr]

Corvette Summer, 1978, Luke Skywalker and Annie Potts. Cruise scene where the car gets stolen , Van Nuys Blvd , in 1978. Just watched that again the other day. JAM PACKED with cars. My mother in monster said it was that way all the time, till sunrise. In the movie. $2 breakfast buffet , all you can eat. $4 dinner buffet , all you can eat. Las Vegas -1978. Thanks Dave!. Cool old Haunts for Halloween.

[@cs2294]

Wow this was unbelievably cool. LA just had this aura and raw street style that you just can’t get anywhere else. The cars, the desert, the street layouts. It just has it all

[@sbccoupe]

The then and now stuff is very cool, Still have recipt's from super shops in 1994

[@robertratliff6030]

Brings back memories. I grew up on the eastside of Fort Worth and in the 70s we would street drag on Trinity Blvd ( an empty 4 lane road behind bell helicopter) on Friday and Saturday night. I participated in my 1971 Torino GT. Most people I knew went to a place called Speed Equipment World, which went away during the oil embargo of the 70s Harry's Hot Rod survived from the 70s until the new Summit racing ran him out of business.

[@garyny4073]

I like and own van nuys blvd . The movie and i like the song that keeps repeating " van nuys " over and over 😅😮love it . Hollywood knights 1979 release also

[@rong4189]

Neat stuff David! I remember driving my first car (‘63 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200, yawn) with my buddy past the Plymouth used car lot in 1978 and I spotted a ‘70 340 Duster, $700. So of course we test drove it and were pleasantly surprised but the price might as well have been $7000 dollars cuz the job I didn’t have at the time paid exactly zero dollars per hour so……

[@JamesJ7851]

Great video, I enjoy seeing other places, and it's a bonus when there is a car story attached to the sites. I've never been to California, but seemingly it was the center of the universe for Hot Rods from the 60's though the 90's, when I was building my 71 Chevelle SS 454 back in the early 80's. I ordered a bunch of parts from PAW out of Chatsworth, California, they always had great deals on factory "Hi-Perf" engine parts.

[@CraigKing-c9m]

How about a trip to Mooneyes? I went there a few years ago and it’s sooo cool and historic!

[@SModelMafia]

Great episode David. My Dad was great friends with Dick Landy. Always loved his stories. See you tomorrow for DTD, even though it's going to be like Hell. Freaking 110 Here in Phoenix today.

[@crashinaz]

This was incredible! Love to see more like this. Takes me back BIGTIME to the days of Roxford, Bracket Airport, Milliken, etc in my '70 Cuda. Great job David!

[@robertoiffel]

Thank you so much for this youtube channel it's like I've won the lottery

[@pinstripingbybear.]

@21:59 it looks like you're about two spots off of where the original picture was taken, if you look at the original picture there are four cars away from the stop light and the 5th car is where the picture was taken from your parked in the third spot it looks like but that's still a red spot man....

[@trackandtrail1]

How cool is this???? Love this type of stuff! Props David!!!!

[@mustang-ey4cu]

Make more! Love the history. You are so knowledgeable it’s crazy.

[@noise5555]

In the late 80's I was racing my '68 Riveria against a 5.5L Trans Am along Crenshaw Blvd in Torrance. Freiburger saw us and stopped us to say hi and learn about the cars. He told us he was big into racing and introduced himself to all of us. Super nice guy. He was impressed that I had my Riv bored 80-over, "nobody ever does that to a Buick". Anyhow, we chatted a while until one of the guys in the Trans Am (I didn't know then too well - they were my brothers friends) insisted the TA could pull 9's in the 1/4-mile. Dave said FU liars and bailed.

[@dano9215]

Thanks David. My oldest "late" brother grew up in the 50s and 60s when he did his hot rodding. He spent alot of years in California, around Bakersfield. He was the original Fonz in my mind. He was much older than me. I always admired him as a kid. I cant even count how many cars he had. He would buy tri-5 chevys from the junkyard for $50. The hodrod bug hit me in the 80s and I never really got to spend much time with my brother or hear his stories about California. Thanks again for bringing some of these memories of my brother. back to me.

[@barneyba]

There was a van called Wild Cherry in the opening credits of the movie, Van Nuys Blvd. Google the drama surrounding that van the last few years.

[@Porsche996driver]

Are you going to the Bakersfield vintage drags next month?

[@raywagner8016]

Very cool David. A big trip down memory lane of magazines and project cars.

[@justingalvan4050]

So that’s why the real discount tire is americas tire in California

[@chipchandler695]

Pat Ganahl would be proud. I love this stuff, please do more!

[@HillbillySailor]

I'm one of the original Car Junkie TV forum members!

[@robg6485]

Nostalgia rocks! Keep up the good work

[@rogue13131313]

I miss the simplicity of the 70s & early 80s

[@neilsteinhauer2736]

Loving the content david, keep up the great work!!!

[@twisteddemontransmission2003]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing David!

[@tyronebiggims1613]

Lenard Paich's old duster...

[@noberet]

Yes! More like this! Thank you.

[@sethosborne6250]

This cool video cool idea 💡 😎 👍 👌

[@chasinlines4803]

car history from the golden years is the best. Keep it up david

[@dustyrose2451]

Bring back old memories of standing up all night working on street race cars😂

[@dustyrose2451]

To live a fly in V.A.

[@Bigtiny123]

Dave,love the throwback episode, I too refined my love of cars in the late '80s behind a federated auto parts counter. Another funny thing,you said you worked for Jacob's Electronics,well in about '88-'89 I was big into Chevy Monzas (v8 of course) and I kept burning spark plug boots and wires on my Monzas,I called jacobs,Jacob's, they sent out a guy who took all kinds of pictures and measurements , I got the first set of the ceramic boot wires and a cdi box from them for FREE! That was a longtime ago. Street racing wit a V-8 Monza, how Bitching is that!

[@bmwpete65s55]

I also owned 5 or more V8 Monza's back in the mid 80's including a factory 5.7 1975 Town Coupe and a Monza Mirage with the 305 and a posi.

[@DakarRaider]

I grew up on RT 231 on Long Island during the mid-to-late '80s...epic cruising and street racing strip. Similar memories to ole DF here

[@scottvanessendelft408]

Deer Park Ave( Rte 231) 1982-1985, used to hang out there... Lots of fast cars.

[@jaysparks4930]

This has to be one of the greatest videos you have ever done. I really enjoyed this content and shared this as well.

[@TheDavidFreiburger]

I really appreciate the share and the comments

[@r000tbeer]

Thanks David! Amazing how 45 minutes goes by so fast

[@TheDavidFreiburger]

Thanks for watching to the end

[@matthewschneider2089]

Dude!!! 🤯Wow!!! History of the 80's!!! Cruising 82nd in Portland!!! And building my credit with Tom Peterson and Super Shop!!! My first Job!!! Lyman slack Chevrolet!!!✌️

[@100proofcrew]

Dan and Uncle worked at the San Bernardino super shops.... back when San Bernardino was cool...

[@billdedrick1914]

David great video, great mind, great memory, great presentation...I still enjoy pulling out my old (late 60's early 70's) issues of Hot Rod, Popular Hot Rodding, Super Stock, Car Craft..I live south of Detroit and used to drag race at Detroit Dragway and also on Woodward Ave. I remember the days of Gratiot Auto Supply, Custom Speed Enterprise, Standard Auto, Ramchargers etc..All quite similar to the west coast California hot rodding days of the 60's 70's.

[@luzcastillo1944]

This was a cool episode !! Great content and like to see more !! Great job Freiburger !!!

[@FreedomRock44]

Freiburger.......GREAT STUFF!!!!!!! And YES more please!!!!!!!! SO COOL!!!!!!

[@mountainsgarage]

This was awesome! Our life parallels are uncanny mine just far away in Maine. Please show us more, love this stuff!

[@larrygreen9100]

Great video!!!!! Love hearing the life history stories!!!!!! Kind of reminds me of working at a Speed Shop in the early 80's they were an independent shop sold and installed a lot of Don Hardy kits , WOW those were GREAT times!!!!!

[@bartismoellis1052]

Back in 1978 my brother bought his second car a 1970 Challenger R/T 440 6 pack slap stick car that was black on black with centerlines . The car was no where near stock engine wise and the guy gave him several receipts to pick up parts that he had ordered from the local Dodge Dealer. I think Mancini Dodge Chrysler Plymouth. He paid $3500.00 for that car.

[@christianmayhew2617]

Bottle Bob? Rhonda in the 55? 6T7 Chevy II? Sakamoto Brothers? Poindexter? Or this crazy 428CJ Green Ranchero?

[@TheTulerie]

Oh man, this is probably one of your best yet. This brought back a LOT of memories. Not necessarily from Cali, but growing up in the car scene in PDX. man, that was a good time.

[@stephenfisher7412]

Good stuff Freiburger! I got a kick out of the cupcake part of the story lol. But very cool on the history of those stops for sure. All my stories like yours, were in Tucson back in the late 80's. Hearing your stories just brings back a ton of memories. Love these videos, keep'em going! 👍👍👍

[@marksinger3067]

In High School 1966 cruised V.N.Blvd. many times in those years..

[@jakebarney7766]

David, i absolutely love your channel. My mom grew up in palm springs in the late 70s. I love hearing the old stories about the good times in california. I sure wish it was the way it used to be. I love the memory lane videos. Keep it up!

[@notsofastwithedgar8480]

I was born and raised in the SFV, left at 17 for the military, came back after 8 years then moved away when I realized how dangerous it’s gotten and overrun by drug attics and homelessness. I last maybe a year I couldn’t wait for my apartment lease to end. I ended up buying a house a bit further up north. My how has the valley changed😢

[@tylerbyman3258]

Absolutely loved it! All your videos are exactly what i was hoping for, and this has been my favorite. Love the history. Thank you for these!

[@BuffsGarage]

Great video, love all the history, and how you personally tied it back to your youth

[@michaelmurphy75]

If'n I had the time ... the stories 'bout the Pizano brothers, Vinnie Zine (& his blown Jeep) Enzo's HS buddy Tino & the Hollywood Spring 'n Axle & DA hot rodders etc ~ damn good times

[@Henry-eg2fp]

David, this video reminds me of my days of racing in the 80's as well. Man, I miss those days. I raced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦. We had our spots just like you did. My hometown is next door to Toronto. It's Mississauga. Did a lot of racing back then. Great to see videos like this. I remember meeting Dick Lahay in the 80's in my hometown, he had a top fuel dragster with him. Have a great one. Thank you for the memories.

[@bigjoethrower1776]

Wish I could have done stuff like this. My generation just does street takeovers with g37s and Chargers, no old muscle.

[@WyldeBill66]

I miss those days. I would go cruising with my older brother in law who had some amazing cars. I'm just a year older than you, but I couldn't afford cars like that. My first car was a 71 Satellite Sebring, so it was the same body as your Road Runner, but with a 318. I would love to find another one, but they are hard to find. I grew up in So. California, but now live near Monterey. Such great memories.

[@1967davethewave]

I grew up around KCMO in the 1980's. There are so many places like this around here too. Speaker Rd, Fairfax, Blue Ridge Blvd and Cruising spots like the mighty Noland Rd, 7 Hiway and "The Fe" (Santa Fe). Cruising on Noland Rd picked back up during Covid and is still going on a little bit. We also had KCIR, a drag strip that opened around 1967 and ran until about 2011. It hosted all the greats including a 16 year old me in my 69 GTO. I took 2nd in the KY102 High School Drags in 1984. I still have the trophy. I got beat by a 71 340 Duster. I mostly street raced out of Lee's Summit. We had a bowling alley that all the high school kids hung out at. Us motor heads occupied one corner. Guys from other towns knew where we were and they came to race. Every Friday and Saturday night was full of life. Those were such great times. I actually had a reputation for a high school kid. I still reminisce as I drive passed all of these old places, still in my 69 GTO or my 70 Challenger or a couple other old cars I own and drive. Our kids really missed out on the fun.

[@kaeldallaway9489]

I enjoyed this a lot. Thank you for sharing your memories and some neat local drag racing facts.

[@cimarronperformancewerks6611]

I grew up cruising on Whittier Boulevard and a few years older. I had friends that were from the Valley and we always had a friendly rivalry. Years later, I worked in Van Nuys and became familiar with all of these locations you grew up with. This is really good stuff. Keep going with all of your content. It is fresh and new from a guy who is so established…. Cars, history, trivia…..great stuff.

[@hotrodvon]

Love this. I have the same memories of street racing and cruising in the 80s, except on State College Blvd, Angelos and street drags in Compton, yorba Linda and Long Beach. Super Shops was on PCH/Orange Ave.

[@SaneCayne]

Who's your camera man/crew? Is that person editing and uploading your videos?

[@JustanOlGuy]

When you were out cruising and racing, I was in Boot Camp South of you at USNTC San Diego, lol.

[@richardsmith-qy6vl]

I was going to bring that up about the wonder wagon the guy who did all the work on my 0.60 over 427 big block had a vaga wagon in the late 70s early 80s and it still holds records at state capital dray way in baton rouge Louisiana he sold the car in the late 80s and he just tracked the car down and bought it back a few months ago and he payed $4.300 and sold the engine out of it for $4.500 he putting his all aluminum 434 in it and going back racing at 80 years old he owns Al Pitres racing engines. When I seen his car run in the late 70s I fell in love with vagabond wagons his is the panel wagon killer car.

[@tonyglazier6619]

Love the episode and channel. What do you use to tune your 5.9 Magnum? I have a stroked 5.9 (6.7) and I am having a hell of a time getting a tune in it. Thanks!

[@christiangrogan365]

Love the nomenclature David. And thank you for sharing your time.

[@titzer2127]

thank you so much for making youtube videos. I could watch and listen to this kind of stuff all day while i work and relax.

[@mwyatt222]

l still live just blocks away from Forest Lane in Dallas Tx. ln the 60s and 70s it was not only the drag strip but THE party spot. The parking lots were filled for blocks with young people hanging out almost nightly. My parents hated it! l was born in 63' so l grew up around it and still remember hearing the cars racing from my house. lm sure someone else knows about Forest Lane and its drag race history. They still have street races by me. Gas Monkey Garage is on Merrell road that runs thru my neighborhood and the drag spot will go unmentioned where they run now but its a bicycle ride away. A wicked Tesla beat everything last time l was there. Even trailered cars on big tires. Some engineer dude.

[@randywachniak7023]

Brother you should start up a 70s and 80s. Cruise nights on van Nuys..everyone cruise there hot rods....do a 70s wknd...then a 80s weekend...2 weekends a year..

[@michaelsteward4423]

Once again, an amazing episode! Thank you so much for sharing your memories about your world growing up in California. My world was 3 years behind you on the east coast, but I've been following you for years! Thanks again!

[@jeffreyguernsey3067]

Respect! I didn’t think you were old enough to have been around. I met editor Jeff Smith (we both had chevelles), in 1988 when Hot Rod came to my ship USS McKee and I got my picture in the Feb ‘89 issue. I ran the Optical Shop and there’s a story about the interview that was hilarious because even the Captain of our ship (who was standing right there), didn’t understand