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America's Pastime: Cruise-In at Bob's Big Boy

Bobs_Big_Boy_Downey_Classic_Cars_feature2 Trends pass as quickly as the years do, and it’s no different with cars and the city landscapes around us. If you were a teen in the 50s or 60s, that would’ve included picking up friends and heading out on a Friday or Saturday night in your car to cruise your town’s main street. Somewhere in there you would probably park down at the local burger joint, a popular Bob’s Big Boy perhaps. Bobs_Big_Boy_Downey_Classic_Cars_15 Cruising has faded from teenage activities, much like the cars and architecture of past decades have disappeared from our streets. Detroit iron has been sent off for scrap and iconic mid-century buildings are being torn down – replaced with something more modern. There are those of us that believe creations of yesteryear have value, not just historically, but because they were made with a level of craftsmanship now lacking in our surroundings. This story is for those of us… Johnies_Broiler_Downey Photo courtesy of City of Downey. Harvey’s Broiler was the center of teenage cruise-in activities in Los Angeles during the 60s. Completed in 1958, it would be considered a futuristic, “Googie”-style building – its very architectural uniqueness acting as a sign to those passing by at the bend on Firestone Boulevard in Downey. Eventually Harvey’s changed hands, becoming Johnie’s Broiler…decades passed as the restaurant slowly drifted into irrelevance and neglect, closing in 2001 and coming within a hair’s width of getting torn down. Once again the restaurant changed hands, this time to Bob’s Big Boy franchise. Working alongside the city, the building was reconstructed using the original building plans of Paul Clayton and re-opened in late 2009. Bob’s Big Boy Downey has now returned to its original glory –once again becoming a mecca for cruise-ins and hot rodding culture around Southern California and beyond. Every Wednesday and Friday night, classic cars fill up the parking lot and drive in spots – providing the opportunity for vehicles, as lovingly restored as the building they’re meeting at, to meet-up and be shared. Bobs_Big_Boy_Downey_Classic_Cars_01 Jerry and the Starlight Boys, regulars down at the Big Boy, bring their traditional Bellflower-styled kustoms. These are the same sorts of hotrods that would have been popular at the Broiler during the 60s, with their candied and outlandish paint jobs. With the restaurant's location being smack-dab in the middle of those days most popular customization shops - Watson, Barris, and Hines - it was a cinch for fellows to cruise-in with their most recent project cars for all to see. Bobs_Big_Boy_Downey_Classic_Cars_09 Bobs_Big_Boy_Downey_Classic_Cars_10 Bobs_Big_Boy_Downey_Classic_Cars_07 Bobs_Big_Boy_Downey_Classic_Cars_17 George Goodrich built his T-bucket full sixties-style, heavily influenced by Big Daddy Roth and Tommy Ivo. If you get a chance to talk to George in person, you’ll get an ear full of stories, many about his relation to these two automotive greats. Bobs_Big_Boy_Downey_Classic_Cars_06 Bobs_Big_Boy_Downey_Classic_Cars_08 Bobs_Big_Boy_Downey_Classic_Cars_04 Bobs_Big_Boy_Downey_Classic_Cars_02 Stories are one thing that this crowd is never short on. With the renovation of both the restaurant and the cars, you can be sure that this generation is building its own stories as they resurrect the great American pastime of the cruise-in. If you’re looking for a good time and in the area, drop into Bob’s Big Boy on Firestone Boulevard and get a glimpse for yourself – sometimes it’s nice when things never change! -Tim Sutton Bobs_Big_Boy_Downey_Classic_Cars_14 Big Boy Restaurant 7447 Firestone Blvd Downey, CA 90241 See the latest events on their Facebook page! Bobs_Big_Boy_Downey_Classic_Cars_18 *Historical info provided from City of Downey and JohniesBroiler.net.
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