Reader Photo: ‘They don’t make ‘em like they used to...’

On his first visit to the weekly Cruise Night at Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, Gabriel Carbajal shot this photo of a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air. It was June 2012.

“This 50-plus year-old work of art was begging to be photographed and I chose to shoot it with the equally iconic Bob’s Big Boy sign in the background,” Carbajal said. “I wanted to capture ... what the L.A. car culture was like in the ‘50’s ... and possibly take someone on a trip down memory lane.”

“They don’t make ‘em like they used to...”

Even though the photo is several years old, Carbajal recently posted the photo on Instagram as motivation for completing his own restoration project of his ’72 Chevy Chevelle this summer.

He said good vibes and good people help each other keep L.A.’s classic car culture moving.

“Visiting Bob’s on Fridays has such a cool, nostalgic vibe to ... (it) never gets old,” he said. “So much invaluable information is shared by fellow classic car owners. Most everyone is willing to share tips on how to troubleshoot certain types of restoration-related issues ... or who to reach for the best deals on parts.”

Carbajal used his first DSLR camera, a Nikon d5100 w/18-55mm kit lens, to make the image.

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Each week, we’re featuring photos of Southern California and California submitted by readers. Share your photos on our Flickr page or tag your photos with #socalmoments or #californiamoments on Instagram and Twitter. Follow us on Twitter or visit latimes.com/socalmoments for more on this photo series.