It doesn't matter the distance. The fact is that LA is cannot compare to the Silicon Valley. See PG's posts on the topic http://www.paulgraham.com/startuphubs.html and http://paulgraham.com/hubs.html
LA is close enough to Silicon Valley that you could fake it pretty easy, without the huge inconvenience of living in a car. Learn a few popular hang outs and meeting places and commute up a few times a week. Schedule meetings and appointments to coincide with the days you drive up.
And living in Silicon Valley isn't going to make a bad startup idea any good.
Why not start in LA and move to Silicon Valley when you get things off the ground?
Development requires more than just attitude and being in the right location. You need to sleep and eat well.
If you are sure you really need to be here, and want to do it on the cheap, then hit Craigslist and get a room in a shared house somewhere in the peninsula.
I know it sounds like a waste of time, but you're going to lose a hell of a lot of time dealing with the inconvenience of living in a car.
I can understand wanting to be in SV for the networking opportunities and so on. But you can code anywhere, including in your home in LA, and the results will be the same.
SV is a fantastic place to create a startup, but it isn't the only place you can ever do it- I'm in NYC and plenty here have no trouble. Presuming that the only reason you haven't been successful is because you haven't got to SV yet is a very dangerous path of thinking.