The COVID-19 pandemic pushed Dave Stone out on walks, diving into exploration of his Pasadena neighborhood and Altadena, just steps away.
Over time he got to know, at least in nodding and waving fashion, who lived in the homes he walked past, and, because his teenage son Holden liked cars, where vintage and classic wheels lived in proud display in both communities.
The Eaton fire brought Stone searing visions of burned-out shells of automobiles when he resumed his walks in the days after Jan. 7, 2025.
Stone, who works in movie music, started photographing the burned cars, then interviewing its owners. He opened an Instagram account, @Not_EV_Altadena, a reference to the tag the Environmental Protection Agency spray-painted on gas-powered cars. (A photo Stone took of one such tag now adorns T-shirts.)
It’s his stark photos and the stories he told from interviewing car owners that gave rise to Altadena Cars & Coffee, Saturday morning meet-ups for car lovers, first to support survivors and then, welcome others who wanted to help. The gatherings bond disparate people of all ages and backgrounds over the tragedy of the Eaton fire as well as their love for all things auto.
“We’re just hanging out, it’s all very heartfelt,” Stone said. “With everyone scattered after the fire, this gave them a reason to come back, to have something normal to come back to.”
He has taken more than 9,000 photos and written close to 100 stories. Cars & Coffee soon outgrew its first location at the parking lot of Unincorporated Coffee on Lincoln Avenue and found a new spot at the old Rite Aid lot on the north side of Altadena Drive. (Unincorporated Coffee still sends its java, though.)
Stone led a six-hour version of the event on Jan. 10, in recognition of the first-year anniversary of the Eaton fire. Each meeting also highlights a project or a fire survivor who needs support.
“We wanted a place to gather a few hours a week and not think about everything we lost and focus on making new friends and talk about cars,” said born-and-raised Altadenan Ken Sakamoto, 73. “It’s easy to talk to one another.”
The owner of Sunchaser Studios in Pasadena and renowned expert in a mirror-like, metal finish for cars, Sakamoto, lost the home that had been in his family for 75 years, as well as a 1956 190 SL Mercedes. The Cars & Coffee meeting spot is three blocks from his lot.
Sakamoto said he will rebuild a more modern structure there, with space for at least five cars. In the meantime, he helps out at the weekly meet-ups and stays connected to Altadena rebuilding plans.
Frank de Jesus, 51, of Burbank said the Saturdays he spends at Cars & Coffee is a commitment he’s happy to make.
“Cars connect everybody,” he added. “It’s a passion.”
Justin Nguyen of Alhambra brought slick car posters to give away at one meet-up. He attended his first Cars & Coffee at its second gathering and has returned every week since.
“I like the fun of it, it’s grassroots,” Nguyen said, adding he knows many of the Altadena gearheads from attending other car-related events around L.A.
Those who attend Cars & Coffee gatherings say they make a point to patronize local businesses before or after their Saturday visits. Fair Oaks Burger nearby is a favorite.
Jeffrey Plansker of Pasadena said there’s nowhere else one can see a pristine Ferrari next to an old Chevy, and people exchanging greetings and tips on “Who’s your body guy?” or “Do you know a good mechanic?”
“The way it creates a community for car enthusiasts to connect within the context of their losses of the cars in their lives,” Plansker said. “That’s what I like best.”
Toy designer Carl Ebinger, 54, lost three cars in the wildfire: a 1985 Porsche 911 Slantnose; a 1966 Porsche 912 and a 1973 Volkswagen bus, of which only the tail lights survived. He lost his home too, as well as more than $100,000 worth of toys he collected over 25 years.
“I was broken-hearted for a while, then you stop thinking about it and you move on with your life,” Ebinger said. “You stay positive and think about what you can do in the future.”
Inesh Rathi, 26, a law student from South Pasadena, brought a 2006 Lexus IS-350 to one event.
“It’s my childhood car, we got it when I was in second grade,” he said. “It has 185,000 miles on it. I repainted it. Restored it. Lots of sentimental value.”
Rathi said the car guys he meets in Altadena can own an expensive set of wheels and still relate to someone with a beloved, but more humble, say, Toyota.
Raising funds for fire survivors, usually to rehab a car, is also enriching.
“We grow as people,” he said. “The car community is always a supportive community. This is my Saturday mornings now.”