Jane,
On 10/01/87 we felt the Whittier Narrows quake while driving in Northridge area. That was a 5.9 quake. The car began rocking side to side enough to make my wife and I think the engine was going to come out. Looked at a man holding onto a lamp post and knew exactly what was going on. Not sure of the distance from Pacoima to Whittier Narrows.
Bob in Woodland Hills