COOL CRUISE: WHEELS IN MOTION

PETE CHAPOURIS December 03, 2022 All Feature Vehicles

La Verne Cool Cruise of year 2016

Springtime in Southern California never fails to deliver countless car events and the one in year 2016 was no different. In fact, it may have started earlier because, frankly, winter in SoCal was a non-event yet again; even being faced with the dreaded “El Nino” did not change a thing.

Back in February of year 2016 when Carol and I were headed out to Palm Desert for the Doctor George Car Show it was sunshine from door to door. What a great ride. A big thanks again to the Palm Springs Cruisin’ Association for an excellent event. Of course, the Third Annual Muscle Car Show at the Fairplex also saw two days of sunshine—but now to report on another sunny event….I must sound like a broken record? Well, I can’t help that, we are blessed!

Yours truly on the left picked up a little memento from Larry Trujillo and our favorite hot rod bass player Michael Anthony was awarded “Best Flames” for his Boyd built ’33 Ford black flamed Hiboy Roadster!! (All photos courtesy of Robert Kenney)

We are also blessed with something else, or should I say someone else, that being LD Johnson. LD is the father of the La Verne Cool Cruise, and through his leadership success has followed. A few years back LD passed the reins of the Cool Cruise to Family Festival Productions’ Larry Trujillo.

Did I say success? You bet. The 2014 Cool Cruise had its largest turnout to date with 400 cars on display, 40 vendors selling everything from car parts to knickknacks. And check this: 18,000 spectators to boot. Unbelievable! That’s a lot of folks prowling around Old Town La Verne, especially considering all the construction going on, in and around the college. The local Circle K sold a lot of coffee!

A heavy crowd of 9500 at the 2016 Cool Cruise — A heavy crowd of 9500 was in attendance at the 2016 Cool Cruise; everyone had a great time.

At this stage I must take time to dedicate my column to a dear friend and business associate Peggy Slover. Peggy is the wife and partner of Jerry Slover; she passed away on April 14th 2016, of a blood clot in her lung. She was 66. Together they’ve owned and operated Pete & Jake’s Hot Rod Parts in Peculiar, Missouri since Jake and I sold the company in 1986. In fact the Slover’s owned Ruskin Auto Supply became our first real dealers in 1975. Jerry and Peggy were married 50 years. Their son Jason, who’s 46 years old handles the P&J day-to-day administration. Peggy is a cornerstone in the Hot Rod industry and will be missed not only by her family but her business friends and acquaintances in SEMA’s Hot Rod Industry Alliance as well. ‘

Here’s a nice back up of hot rods for the SO-CAL Speed Shop booth, (L to R) Todd and Matt Robbins’ Deuce Sedan; Evin and Justin Veazie’ Deuce Hiboy; Robert Kenney’s Deuce Roadster; and the Chapouris Family Track Roadster. Note at the end of the lineup is the new Rods, Customs and Muscle Cars shop booth of Jim Karls, who can be reached at 909 552 1200.

Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in the July 2016 print issue of the Drive Magazine.

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