In the last issue, David Burge took us over the border into Juarez with Mike Lightbourn – the guy who discovered the remains of Ed Roth’s Orbitron – and embarked on the haphazard journey of one of the greatest car culture archaeological digs of the century. The Orbitron was found and was destined for more glory than it originally ever enjoyed.

Now, months and untold zillions of dollars later, Beau Boeckmann (of Galpin Auto Sports fame) unveiled the finished restoration of the three-light monster in fine L.A. style last night to a heady mixture of hot rod royalty and SoCal hipsterdom.Darryl Roth was there with brothers Dennis and Charlie, custom paint icons Bill Carter and Larry Watson were trading stories (Bill was on a cane after getting hit by a truck on his motorsikkle – guys half his age wouldn’t be doing so well!), Dave Shuten – who headed up the Orbi’s restoration – was breathing a well-deserved sigh of satisfaction, Robert and Suzanne Williams were chatting it up with some L.A. hip-hop guys, Xzibit and Jelly Roll were wondering “where all they alcoholics at?!?” and Mike Lightbourn represented El Paso with all his homies extremely well.

Now, I’m not exactly sure who all the celebs were on the step-and-repeat and I’m pretty sure there were more than a few hipsters in attendance who had absolutely no idea who Ed Roth was and what the big fuss over the little blue car was all about, but hey – that’s L.A. and it’s quite a scene.

Here’s the thing, though: there were a few thousand people at this event and it took 30 minutes just to get off the freeway exit and onto the Galpin Ford grounds. Even if just a handful of all the bedazzled blazer crowd were stopped in their tracks by one of the greatest car culture finds of our generation, that’s a good thing and I’d like to think a few more gearheads were born again last night…