R.I.P. A Blvd. Legend

[Chuck Miller]

Please excuse the personal and indulgent post, but I got word that one of my early teen hero’s passed about 10 days ago…

Larry Dixon Sr. was THE coolest guy on the Van Nuys Blvd in the early to mid ‘60’s …. Hands down !!!

(You might know him as the father of Larry Dixon Jr. renown Top Fuel racer)

The first time I saw Larry cruis’n Van Nuys I was about 13 driving with older friends… He was probably about 25

He built and drove the consummate ’55 Chevy Belair two door post street/strip car. It was without equal…

Larry’s family lived nearby me and I’d see the ’55 not only on the Blvd, but also in the neighborhood…

At the time Dixon worked as the lead mechanic for B&M Hydro just East of the Van Nuys GM Fisher Body plant. Of course the ‘55 had a Hydro in back of his 327 small block. The car had radiused rear wheel wells (with the Belair chrome trim stopping and starting) and M&H Racemaster Slicks proud of the body just a little. It eventually had a double sprung front end with Halibrand wheels in back and American’s in front. Larry’s ’55 was early ‘60’s Cadillac ‘Firemist’ Green, with a black tuck’n’roll interior. He also mounted (in the right direction) a big Ford truck small hood scoop. He also took the colored Chevy inlay out of the front emblem but left the bowtie frame. (he did this for a number of friend’s Chevy’s)

If this setup seems a bit familiar it could have arguably been the template for the ‘Two Lane Blacktop’ and ‘American Graffiti’ ‘55’s that came almost a decade later....

While cruising with the Hydro, Larry had a free right arm to put over the shoulder of his beautiful girlfriend, later to become his wife, and Larry Dixon Jr.’s mom. Larry would cruise about 3 days a week like the rest of us, but then take the car to the San Fernando drag strip almost every Sunday. With Larry behind that B&M the car would run consistent times to the tenth !!! Around 107 in the high 11’s… Not bad for a street car in the ‘60’s...

Larry went on to drive fuel dragsters for a few sponsors and finally won the 1970 Winternationals !!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-uLh0EzgX8

One Sat. night when I was about 16 I helped clean his dragster’s slicks for a run at Lion’s dragstrip …
Back then, if you had a pit pass you could somehow get to the starting line…... and loose part of your hearing forever...

In the late ‘80’s I ran into Larry and his wife at a Canoga Bob’s cruise in, they were in Larry’s ‘new’ two tone ’55 with a big block and stock body work, but with a tubed chassis and huge slicks all inboard. (I believe it was a Popular Hot Rodding Project X builds) I came up to him and said I was one of those kids on the Blvd. and wondered what ever happened to the green ’55 … He said ‘That old thing ?… probably in a crusher’

Sorry for go’n on and on…. But, to a bunch of teens of the '60's that are still around, he was THE MAN !!!

R.I.P. Larry …. You were a legend...

- Larry Dixon Sr.
- Sr. and Junior
- An early shot of the ‘55

[Rick Cabell]

I would loved to be in Southern California during those times, nothing like it. Thanks for the post Chuck.

[gled49]

I went to Glendale High, Eric Averill who worked for Rex Carson’ on San Fernando Rd, had just the same 56 in red. We did all the same cruising, but going to Van Nuys, usually meant you were going to get your ass handed to U. Our 57 wasn’t in the same league. Eric’s 56 barely visible, upper right.

[Rick Cabell]

Oh yea, I forgot you and Ron grew up in that area. Where I was a 57 Chevy was it. Nose high.

[Chuck Miller]

...going to Van Nuys, usually meant you were going to get your ass handed to U.

That's funny Gordon....

They used to go from Bob's to Bob's (an A&W was in there as well) looking for what was driven or towed to the parking lots... make the deal, and off they'd go
... I was the kid that tagged along...

One of the most convenient spots was right off Van Nuys Blvd. parallel to the railroad tracks on Raymer St. right in front of Ed Pink's shop ...

BTW - Raymer the same street, about 6 mile East, where Marco's TLG is and has been for years...

... and so it goes...

[Rick Cabell]

Didn’t the police know about these meetings?

[gled49]

We use to race on Riverside Dr, there would be 100 to 300 people there, if the police or CHP blocked the road to write tickets, we’d cut the fencing to the freeway, hop the curbs and drive away on the Golden Gate Fry. I was done with that life by the late 60’s.

[myflat6]

i would have loved experiencing this era of socal hotrod/racing culture. that culture runs long and deep in socal. i am younger than folks that got to experience these golden days of the culture, but even in the late 80's early 90's this culture was still strong with the street racing scene (inspired a movie a high school buddy of mine directed in the late 90's that kinda kicked off the fast and furious stuff) - although more of my experiences were a little further north in the desert. one of my first dates with my now wife was taking her to late night street races and escaping the scene as police broke up the action. i can talk about this now and realize i am luckily i survived my teenage and early 20's brain and decisions

[budge96]

Chuck thanks for toasting one of your street legends passing and including us in recalling the years past in the street hotrod days of lore ,
some of us east coast kids could only wish to see some of the cars and races recounted in Hotrod and car craft mags of the day .
I came out west in early seventies to visit my sis who had run away to live with a rock star in Hollywood (another story) and me and my buddies would go up on sunset near the Whiskey and Rainbow lounge and just watch the crazy car scene roll by …Porsche turbos , Lamborghinis , Ferraris , crazy Chevy Camaros , Hemi Cudas etc .
Going back east after a summer of that was like geez almost like dying LOL .. my sis lives up near VanNuys now and often when I visit the valley I wonder what those days must have been like , cool memories thanks Bert

[Bradford]

My oldest brother went to Van Nuys high school with Larry. As you mentioned, he said that his ‘55 Chevy was legendary! RIP

I was in high school in the mid 70’s and we would occasionally go cruising on Wednesday night. It was crazy. I got 2 tickets in one night on while cruising in my 914