Right Palm Up, Left Palm Down
In 1984, a ten-year-old boy encountered a mysterious 20-foot-tall fiberglass statue named Louie in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Eight years later, he spotted an identical statue in Tucson. A third sighting outside a run-down convenience store made it a trend. Thus began a scavenger hunt to discover the origins of Louie and his brethren. Only one rule applied: No searching for them on the Internet!

Right Palm Up, Left Palm Down

The Log of a Cross-Country Scavenger Hunt by Gabriel Aldaz
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Meet the Characters

This page is devoted to the Muffler Men in the order that I encountered them in my scavenger hunt. The names of most statues are widely accepted, and the numbers roughly correspond to the book chapters. The map and descriptions were accurate in 2009, and are being updated in 2023 with your help! Click on the numbers on the map or the names on the right to learn more about each one.
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Golf Guy

Carson, California

Golf Guy

The Dominguez Hills Golf Course is a low-key “pitch-and-putt” with no hole longer than 135 yards. Some golf courses might display bronze statues of Ben Hogan or Jack Nicklaus, but Dominguez Hills boasts Golf Guy. Perched above the par-3 1st hole, Golf Guy looks out over the 405 freeway and the Goodyear blimp base.

Location: Dominguez Hills Golf Course, 19800 South Main Street
Type: Service station attendant with jockey cap
Accessories: Golf club
Spotlight: Featured several times in Steve Harvey’s famous “Only in LA” column
Damage: Pelted with stray golf balls
  • Golf Guy

Left: Golf Guy (2009). Previous identities included a LA Dodgers player, a soldier, and Tiger Woods. He was once painted green from cap to toe. Right: The hollow nature of the statues revealed.

2023 Update

Porsche Guy

Porsche Guy

Carson, California

Golf Guy underwent a couple of makeovers after Porsche purchased the Dominguez Hills Golf Course and converted it into its Los Angeles Experience Center. Now he’s a Porsche Drive Coach, complete with checkered flag. It is not recommended to try to pull off I-405 to get a better photo!

Location: Porsche Los Angeles Experience Center, 19800 South Main Street
Type: Service station attendant with jockey cap
Accessories: Porsche flag
Spotlight: From 2013-2020 he proudly wore a Porsche Motorsports suit
Damage: None recently
  • Porsche Guy

Looking good, Porsche Drive Coach.