A few months ago, we posted about Joie Chitwood and his gang of merry stuntman. In the mid 50's, these guys were tearing up '56 Chevrolet's with reckless abandon. However, by 1960 it looks as though J... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
Supposedly, other than open exhaust, those cars were stock. Any HAMB'ers involved with the shows care to enlighten us ?
Ryan, as you are a fan of the Indy 500 you probably know that the name lives on at that venue. http://www.sptimes.com/2005/08/04/Sports/From_Tampa_to_Indy_a_.shtml
Was Joie Chitwood involved in the Tournament of Thrills? It's a different group than the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show, isn't it?
I used to beg to go to Joie Chitwood's show when he came to Minnesota. My Dad never had the money and I always lived to far away. However I've always dreamed of someday seeing some home movies. Thanks Ryan, you've made an old man's day.
Chitwood? I don't see/hear any mention of him in that clip. "That car is ALL Ford!" Love that, as it is bouncing around like 500lb nelly in a jelly wrestling match. 'ALL Ford!', haa, haa, that is killing me.
very cool. the clowns were a hardcase touch. dont think id be game enough to get between the cars. lol.
I saw chitwood in Avoca, Iowa in about 1951. had Fords. I was 5 or 6 years old, so was very impressed!
Chitwood did go back to Chevrolets. In his book, "Safe at any Speed," he mentions that the second-generation Corvair, introduced in 1965, was the only car they were able to use for two complete years in the ramp-to-ramp jump. Others had to be scrapped at the end of the year because the suspensions had worn out. Apparently, they just changed a little chrome for the 66. Also, I had the pleasure of watching Joie Jr. and another do the two-wheel drive at Daytona in the 60s with a pair of Novas. They made it all the way around. Biggest problem was finding tires that would hold up. As I understand it, they had to go to really cheap tires because they needed thicker sidewalls.
Rad. My boss used to be friends with Joie and bought a few of his cars back in the 60's & 70's, he said he loved to drive them around with "Joie Chitwood Thrill Show" lettered on the side and gets attention everywhere.
Likewise the 3 window 49 Plymouth business coupe. In 1965 or so when I was a about 7 I saw a "Hell Drivers" show in Binghampton or Liberty or Beacon (one of those towns) in upstate New York. It had an almost identical itinerary of stunts so I reckon this was pretty much what you would see at any stunt show around that time. No doubt any new stunt innovation would be immediately copied by every other outfit. Great little film. Our expectations of what thrills us now has really changed I remember that the "Hell Drivers" slide for life was longer and had more fire. They also had a more elaborate "Dive Bomber" crash using more cars.