It's funny to us that one of the more enduring things associated with Charles Bukowski is his old Volkswagen Beetle, given the man's extra-manly reputation. This is not a photograph of his dash, but rather a 200mph speedo that a Herbie replica aficionado installed in his own '64. Then again, if we had Buk's Beetle, we'd likely splurge on a 200mph speed-gauge ourselves, while leaving everything else intact. Somehow, we think the erstwhile Hank Chinaski would appreciate the irony. Also, Minuteman, fIREHOSEr, newest Stooge and San Pedro's ambassador to the world, Mike Watt, just interviewed Linda, Bukowski's widow. Totally worth a read. – Davey G. Johnson

mike watt talks w/linda bukowski for mean magazine [Mike Watt's Hoot Page]

Related:
Celebrity Struggle Buggies: Mike Watt's '05 E-350 [Internal]

On the occasion of the day after D. Boon's birthday, and having had all manner of fuel scents drift in from the harbor over the last few days, we started wondering why what we yanks call "gasoline" has so many names around the world. The Germans refer to it as "Benzin," based on the fuel's benzene quotient. The Italians have been known to sell cars, such as the 308 GT4, in North America with a "benzina" gauge to measure the amount of fuel in the tank. And of course, the Brits, their former subordinates and Americans with a penchant for affectation refer to gasoline as "petrol." Which one is coolest? Watch the Minutemen play "Jesus and Tequila" out on San Pedro Bay while you decide. Godspeed, D. – Davey G. Johnson

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Gasoline [Wikipedia]; Mike Watt's Hoot Page

Related:
Hello From Pedro! Davey G. Returns [Internal]

While not quite the quad-flat Merc Limo of 'Gundo, this Cadillac's been sitting on 22nd Street right next to the sidewalk for the last couple of weeks or so. Sure, it's missing a couple of wheels, but since it's for sale, this display tactic allows potential buyers to check out the brakes. Nearby sits a primered El Camino with a flat, which we will show you sooner than rather. Ah, the GM cars of San Pedro by the Bay. It really, really is a whale of a town. – Davey G. Johnson

Related:
And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Parts: Using a Floor Jack and Jack Stands; 2 Legit 2 Quit: Mercedes 300D Limo [Internal]

Despite what y'all think, we at Jalopnik to do not spend our days tearing around in Torino Talladegas playing the Angry Samoans at high volume, outrunning the Los Angeles Police Department and California Highway Patrol, mowing down sidewalk fruit stands and supping on the finest lobster bisque at sunset on the beach with Jodie Kidd on one arm and Sabine Schmitz on the other as the sun drops behind Catalina. We haven't even illicitly airbrushed a Viking mural on the side of an Isuzu I-Mark in nigh on three months. No, mostly we just sit around and look for things to write about. Now and then, to clear our head and purchase a refreshment and/or snack, we walk the half-block to the bodega. This afternoon, we stumbled upon it: The Great Hoverchair of San Pedro, a previously-thought-mythical device designed to ease Angelenos' commuting woes somewhere in the early 1990s.

Rumors abound about this mysterious machine, the intial prototype of which was allegedly constructed by Horacio Stanjovic-Foutopolis around the time of George H.W. Bush's re-election campaign. Apparently quashed by some serious hush money from oil interests in nearby Wilmington, the Hoverchair ran on an interesting organic fuel that could be easily synthesized by utilizing ingredients from cheese tamales and egg rolls, although an extra tablespoon of MSG was required for the machine to keep up with traffic on the Harbor Freeway and shortened its range to a mere 475 miles. Suddenly we feel like Indiana Jones or the Knights of the Round Table. Holy grail, kids. Holy freakin' grail. – Davey G. Johnson

Related:
The Day The World Turned Day-Glo/Lost Cars of the Boat People of San Pedro [Internal]

The Pacific Electric Red Cars were legendary in prewar Los Angeles part of a 1,500-mile streetcar network that enabled the city to grow before everyone had sixteen cars and a Mike Brady-designed ranch house. A few years back they restored one of the old streetcars and used it as a model to construct replicas which run up and down the San Pedro waterfront from the cruise ship terminal down to 22nd Street. But they're not all that's left of public transit in LA, in fact, there's been a massive push out here to increase the system's efficiency. And amazingly, in Southern California — land of the auto-centric solipsist — it's actually starting to work. – Davey G. Johnson

L.A., Long Ruled by Cars, Becoming a Transit Leader [Washington Post]

Related:
Are Toll Roads the Solution to California's Transit Woes? [Internal]

...revved hard during a descent but the plane did not pull up and hit the water.

...General Motors before heading over to ToMoCo in 1991, where he evaluated engines for its NorAm operations before being put in charge of engines and drivetrain calibrations, and finally to head up the alt-fuel team. The team stateside, because almost all of the engine design and manufacturing occurs in Japan, is primarily focused with discussions with Congress, the media and the Cali Air Resources Board. Hermance is survived by his wife and two grown children. [Hat tip to Jeff!] – Ray Wert

Toyota hybrid exec David Hermance dies in plane crash (sub. req.) [Automotive News]

Related:
Toyota Seeks To Boost Prius Production By 50% In 2007 [internal]

In San Pedro there is problem. And the problem is transport. We hammer on this point like Sweet Peet on his "product, product, product" mantra, but the movement of goods in and out of the harbor has created a massive air-pollution problem. One application where we see hybrid technology as especially beneficial is in medium-to-heavy-duty, short-haul vehicles that require serious torque to get up and go. Just like the container-bearing trucks that clog the southern terminus of the 710 at practically all hours. Peterbilt (East Bay, represent!) apparently agrees and will be displaying two new vehicles at the Hybrid Truck Users Forum next week in San Diego. (Who knew there was such a gathering?)

We know we've got a tendency to give hybrid drivers much shit, generally because they're ill-informed about what they're paying for and give us cross looks when they see our SUV. But seeing as we've put — at most — 200 gallons of gas in it in the last year and they burned far more not using their electric motors on long, single-occupant carpool-lane commutes, screw 'em. We can be self-righteous too, if you haven't noticed. But to us, this heavy-truck-hybrid business is simply brilliant.

According to Peterbilt, their Model 335's diesel will only run for one hour per eight hours of operation. They've also been playing with hydraulic hybrid technology, specifically aimed at the low-speed world of refuse collection. If it works as advertised, get this technology into the Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach and onto the 710 freeway ASAP. It'd make a world of difference here. Now if we could only do something about the congestion... – Davey G. Johnson

Peterbilt to Introduce Medium-Duty Hybrid Truck for Fuel Savings of 30-40%>a [Green Car Congress]

Related:
Government to Test Hydraulic Hybrid in Garbage Truck [Internal]

Yesterday was one of the hottest November Sixths we can remember. According to the owner of the bodega, it hit 93 in LA, although we're sure it was a bit cooler in Pedro. Nevertheless, it resulted in some of the worst harbor smog we've seen in the year Jalopnik's Los Angeles bureau has been in operation.

However, plans to ameliorate such events are in the works — according to LA and LBC harbor authorities, 45 percent of the two ports' pollutants will be reduced via some type of Five Year Plan. We only hope that it's a result of serious planning for the ports' future rather than massive breadlines consisting of longshoremen. Also note that our LA office, although a tiny speck, is actually visible in this photo. [Thanks to Scott for the tip.] – Davey G. Johnson

Los Angeles area ports revamp proposed air pollution plan [Contra Costa Times]

Related:
Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to Clean Up [Internal]

We really thought the Loverman would nail this one, but apparently, commenter ParanoidAndroid07's taste in experimental rock ranges beyond mopey Brit-types and into at-all-costs San Pedro corndogs obsessed with politics, poetry and brevity. Here's the winning comment: "Because it is the Daihatsu Boon and has a D on it. D Boon." Now, Android, all you have to do is find David Johansen, tell him that you heard he was looking for a kiss and that Jalopnik sent you. Good job, son. As Lance Hahn of J Church once sung, "It's my turn to play a tape. I feel like hearing the Minutemen. 'Cause everything old is new again."

Related:
No Prize, Just Cred: Why Would Johnson Drive This Car?

Quick break from Maximum Mopar Day. Reader Ben suggested this, and while we've considered posting it for a a while, we thought we'd drop a train on y'all in the form of Angeleno X1/9 footage, not to mention the inclusion of the greatest Van Halen cover ever covered. Ever. We Jam Econo is available on DVD as of this moment, and we highly recommend picking it up. Now get your hands in there and feel what the people are all about!

Related:
Fondling the X1/9 [Internal]

The other day, Bumbeck said to us, "Man, I may as well just go back to smoking," in reference to the air quality in LA. He's up in the hills, while we're at the tip of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. We're also three blocks from the Port of Los Angeles, which, combined with the Port of Long Beach, create the busiest port facility in the US, and the fourth-largest in the world. What's more the ports handle a mind-boggling 40% of the cargo to enter the United States each year. And due to the ships' massive two-stroke diesels burning high-sulfur fuel and the aging fleet of short-haul trucks used to ferry cargo from berths to railcars, it's also a source of massive air pollution. Officials have just revealed a plan to change that.

Under the plan, each port will contribute $100,000,000 to replace the trucks. Meanwhile, cargo ships will be required to run on low-sulfur fuel within 20 miles of the harbor. The docks will altro be retrofitted, at customer expense, to allow freighters to run on electrical power while dockside, instead of keeping the stanky diesels idling. One interesting sticking point that's hung in the craw of environmental groups: apparently, it isn't clear whether the rules will also apply to cruise ships and tankers.

To finance the trucks, port officials are floating a bond measure in September, noting that the funding will have to come from other places if CARB doesn't approve all of the bond money they need.

Dear CARB. Stop picking on classic-car lovers and do something about the ports. We're willing to bet you that they pollute more in a day than every over-30 classic still on the road in California combined does.

Los Angeles, Long Beach ports unite on proposal to fight air pollution [USA Today]

Related:
Five Corporations: Big Companies Produce More CO2 Than All of UK's Cars [Internal]

ThnderBlt's comment on this post got us thinking about what's alternately known as the Harbor Freeway and the Pasadena Freeway and can be generally summed up by its route number, the 110. Designed by a man named Spencer Cortelyou (who, coincidentally, is the great-great uncle of the first girl we ever made out with), the former Arroyo Seco Parkway was originally built to connect Pasadena with Los Angeles.

It opened in December of 1940, running from Chinatown to Pasadena and was later extended to meet the 101 and the 5. Eventually, the freeway was sent through Downtown and extended all the way to the top of San Pedro where it dumps onto Gaffey Street. Although the entire 31.9-mile expanse of Macadam, concrete and rebar is known internally as "State Route 110" the stretch from Pedro to Downtown meets Interstate standards, and is signed as such. Bless thee, noble 110, although you have tried to kill us on numerous occasions. Now please, somebody do something about that 110/5 meetup. If not for that piece of boneheaded interchange wizardry, it'd be a lot faster to go see Coonce and Bumbeck.

State Route 110 (California) [Wikipedia]

Related:
Kickin' it Like St. George on the Dragon: Tennessee's Public Nurburgring [Internal]

Lately, we've been a little obsessed with bombas. Maybe it's because it's summer, and the Mexican guys around Pedro are dragging 'em out of the garage and parading them around. These cars were harbingers; the first customs, and they've got a look today that totally endures. They won't look dorky and anachronistic like todays billet rods will in 10 or 15 years. They're an eternal cool, and you simply can't touch them. What's more, when you see a guy cruising down an alley in San Pedro in his bomb with a laundry basket in the back and then spot the car parked at the laundromat, it's like Prozac for the gearhead soul. The sound of San Pedro isn't the Chevy small block. It's the Stovebolt six.

Related:
The Lonely Barracuda of Pedro [Internal]

We've been walking by this forlorn Valiant derivative for a week or so now, and every time we see it, our heart sinks a bit. Oh, sweet little A-Body, won't somebody take you home, love you, buff you out and buy you a new fender and headlight assembly? Maybe slip a nice 340 between the rails of your front subframe? You just look so morose; like an automotive Strong Sad knowing that some Mustang's going to come along and make fun of you. But remember, little Barracuda: the Hemi Under Glass wasn't a lowly pony; it was a snarling, roaring, wheelstanding fish. So buck up.

Related:
1971 Hemi 'Cuda Sold for $2 Million [Internal]

Bumbeck came down from the hills in the Mighty Starlet to catch a showing of Cars today (which totally brought out the softy in us, and may well be our favorite Pixar film yet — disregard the haters and see it). He calls and says, "Hey, I just ran across this awesome bike show," which happened to be at Century Motorcycles (since 1936!), only a few blocks up from us on Pacific. We'd been meaning to check the shop out, and we're kicking ourselves for not going in sooner. Oh man...if your tastes run toward old bikes, we have to say, this show was a killer. Even the Harleys there were well-sorted, although most of the machines were either of British or Japanese origin. This might well be the best motorcycle show we've ever attended, because practically everything there was a runner, and those that weren't, well, they were all rad and weird in their own way. Click through for a grip of photos.

A few months ago, we rocked a set of photos of the random vehicles we found down by the marina. Now, here's a random sampling of what can be found by merely walking from our house to Louie's Chinese Restaurant #2, known around these parts as "Dollar Chinese"...for good reason. Sit back, relax, put on your headgear, get ready for a trip through the Pedrosphere. We're gonna take you on a ride through the Harbor Zone. We don't need a space ship, we've got our internet phone.

Related:
The Day The World Turned Day-Glo/Lost Cars of the Boat People of San Pedro [Internal]

When Ray and Austin crashed the parade in Indy and ended up in a car with Karen Catchpole and her husband Eric Mohl, the masterminds behind Transamericas Journey, for some reason, it didn't click. And then in some sort of delayed reaction, we hear from the mighty Lew last night, saying "Karen Catchpole!" And it still didn't click. And then he added context clues and we were like, "Oh, duh. That Karen Catchpole!"

The Karen Catchpole who wrote for the incredibly ruling Sassy! (Lew worked on the equally-ruling "Sassy for boys" concept, Dirt, which everyone lucky enough to catch during its brief run laments as ahead of its time.) Needless to say, people like Lew and Karen had a big impact on us and the women we've loved during our formative years. And now she and Eric are off on a three-year, 70,000-mile journey all over North, South and Central America in a Chevy Silverado. And as Karen said to us in an e-mail this evening, "Despite the fact that I'm on the road for three years driving through North, Central and South America and that — in and of itself — assumes that the world is BIG, I am sometimes very glad (and tickled) when it turns out to be this small." We entirely concur.

Support these people. Write them and convince them why they should come to your town and see weird things. Buy them odd regional foods only sold in the southeastern corner of your county. Show them the strange and odd facts about and strange-ass artifacts of your town. We're totally taking them to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. And to the apartment where Watt and Boon wrote the first Minutemen record. And maybe, if we're lucky, we can repeat the dork maneuver we made a week ago where we drove past George Hurley's house cranking Double Nickels on the Dime while George was outside talking to his neighbor.

Trans-Americas Journey [Internal]

Related:
I Am Indy: The Parade's The Thing, Part II — Ray's A Maniac, Maniac, In The Car [Internal]

As we were walking back from supper at Louie's Chinese Restaurant #2, we spied a white GMC MotorHome that looked like it'd been painted with a brush. Pedro, with its salt air, light breeze, Southern California sun and "Trespassers Will Be Eaten" signs, is the perfect place for such a vehicle. In fact, it would be the perfect Jalopnik Mobile Command Post, suitable for car shows, races, and anywhere a 455-powered front-drive vehicle that isn't a Toronado may be required. The GMC MotorHome may have slipped down PCH from Malibu Barbie to Pedro Davey, but damn if we're not in lust all over again.

GMC MotorHome.com [Internal]

Related:
Break Like the Wind: Terra Wind [Internal]

Is this a Burberry cross-promo car, or is Mercedes planning to give Mike Watt a free car so he can save gas money by not solely feeding his E-350's V10? We're hoping it's the latter. We wanna see this ridiculous thing around Pedro. [Spotted by reader Al in the Mercedes-Benz parking lot.]

Related:
The Ex-Flea Harlequin Merc [Internal]

The prodigal West Coast blogger has returned after a week of Ann Arbor-outsourcing his posts to the the highly capable Mike Austin, whose deftness with a Bloom County reference knows fewer bounds than y'all could ever understand. I got lots of rest, drank plenty of fluids, and am back to proclaim May Day for all working men by um, er, working. And well, since Reverend Dave seems to have gone YouTube-loopy in my absence, one more vid can't hurt. So here's "King of the Hill" by the Minutemen, a big "Hey ho!" from San Pedro, and well, possibly the best rock video of the 1980s.

Related:
We'll Meet Again: Austin Says Bye-Bye [Internal]

USA Today's got a profile of Toyota's Jim Press, who lives in Rolling Hills, a few miles from Jalopnik's West Coast Bunker in San Pedro. Toyota's Torrance headquarters are just a quick shot up the 110 and a slow grind up the 405 from us, and the article notes that he once lived on a 42' boat "docked a few miles from Toyota's headquarters." Which most likely means Pedro. Wow. Mike Watt, Charles Bukowski and the President of Toyota Motor Sales USA. Can we come over for dinner sometime, Jim?

Press: 'I was in love with cars every second' [USA Today]

Related:
The Day The World Turned Day-Glo/Lost Cars of the Boat People of San Pedro [Internal]

Our friend Spence did a great post on the lost cars of his Mt. Washington neighborhood over at Leftcoastbreakdown, a blog which is required reading if your interests lean toward Los Angeles, queerdom, politics, religion, rugby and/or cars. He suggested that we do some lost-car postage of our own from the other side of LA. So this morning, bearing in mind Watt's comment that "Pedro's kinda weird because it faces east, which is why all my pictures are of sunrises instead of sunsets," we took a ride down to Cabrillo Beach.

A lot of stuff around here is named for Juan Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer who sailed under the flag of Spain. He died of gangrene caused by a broken shin incurred while alighting from his ship at Santa Catalina Island, just across from the beach that bears his name. Needless to say, Cabrillo did not have an interesting car. In the time, most conquistadors lacked such a conveyance.

Last night, while out exploring on our latest "Oh-my-god-we're-thirtysomething-and-single-again-so-we'll-regress-to-our-youth" purchase, a GT Power Series 24 BMX cruiser, we ventured down to Cabrillo Beach to watch the sun set, and while in the parking lot at Cabrillo Marina, noticed some interesting vehicles owned by people who rock it like Crockett and live on their boats.

Our friend Deirdre, who resides in the hipster enclave of Echo Park and has been known to rebuild Honda cylinder heads, once commented that she could deal with the gangstas and drug dealers of tha EP, but the boat people of Pedro were too much for her. Whatevs. We doubt very much that Echo Park hoods roll with as much style and panache as the Boat People.

However, unlike Sonny Crockett, none of the Boat People of San Pedro drive Ferraris, either real or fake.

So this morning, after waking up at an ungodly hour simply because our body decided it needed no more sleep, we hopped on the bike and rode down to the pier to catch the sunrise. This fortuitous timing would also allow us to make yet another H sker D reference on the site, which of course, is impossible for us to resist.

Watching the sun rise over water's a bit disorienting to Jalopnik's entire West Coast bureau, but it's also absolutely breathtaking. One thing we'll say for the harbor smog: it sure does pretty up the sky when the sun's low.

The Lost Cars of Mt. Washington [Lefcoastbreakdown]

Related:
Jalopnik's LA Bureau Opens for Business [Internal]