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Motion Pictures American Graffiti - A Different Perspective

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by CAHotRodBoy, Feb 22, 2020.

  1. Almostdone
    Joined: Dec 19, 2019
    Posts: 892

    Almostdone
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    CAHotRodBoy - sorry to hear about your buddy.

    You got us all going here, so what’s you’re next hot rodding move?
     
  2. G'day, I was 17 in 1973 and had my first 1956 Chevy. It was a more door sedan that my dad and I rebuilt. It gets cold in North Dakota and we were working in a barely heated shop but we got it done in time for my 17th birthday in January of 1973. The car was a blast until my brother "borrowed" it and wrecked it.

    I went through several versions of hot cars until we went drag racing. My dad drove and I wrenched. Then dad came down with MS and so I drove and wrenched. We had a good friend that worked with me that also raced under our banner and was a better technician than me.

    I started posting here in 2009 and war really psyched to get started on my 1959. That was about the time I found out that a different "friend" who had store my Vette for me stripped the car and sold all the chrome and even the hard top.

    But then I had a stroke and had to quit posting and working on cars. Then the second stroke almost buried me but I survived somehow. It was a month or so that I came back to the HAMB. I found out recently that I have a hereditary heart valve issue and Afib. No one told me about it until my Afib attack.

    Now I find that I have to have the heart valve replaced and I have lost family from the surgery. They claim that survival chances are getting better but with other medical issues the Doctor isn't real positive. So for now I wait and do what I can but I haven't seen the car in 3 months. I have so many parts hoarded that I don't know what my wife will do if I were to die. North Dakota is just too far to try and pedal stuff.

    Anyway, enough whining about me. We had a good time drag racing and I had some really nice old Chevies. I courted my wife of 40 years in a red, white, and blue 55 Chevy. Hope for the best for the heart surgery and then the rotator repair.

    mitch
     
  3. Fortunateson
    Joined: Apr 30, 2012
    Posts: 5,331

    Fortunateson
    Member

    Kind of like that line in AG when Miller is taking about "rock and roll" and the effects the beach boys had on it...
     
    Boneyard51 likes this.
  4. OLSKOOL57
    Joined: Feb 14, 2019
    Posts: 477

    OLSKOOL57
    Member

    Or The Older You Get........Quicker Time Goes Bye.
     
  5. OLSKOOL57
    Joined: Feb 14, 2019
    Posts: 477

    OLSKOOL57
    Member

    As much as most of us would like too, “We Can’t Change The Past”
     
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  6. Warpspeed
    Joined: Nov 4, 2008
    Posts: 532

    Warpspeed
    Member

    I am probably about ten years older, but definitely identify with what you are saying.

    Our great grandfathers probably lusted over having a really nice horse and saddle.

    Our grandchildren only seem to think about sitting on a couch and playing the latest video games. Really sad.
     
    Boneyard51 likes this.
  7. Scumdog
    Joined: Mar 3, 2010
    Posts: 630

    Scumdog
    Member


    I'm one of that bunch - life seemed so simpler then, health was better, had no kids or mortgage, my wages were mine to spend and I hardly needed to sleep.

    A.G. really lit my fire hot-rodding wise and the fire still burns, a bit less brightly at time but it's still there....
     
    Boneyard51 likes this.
  8. Corvette Fever
    Joined: Feb 18, 2014
    Posts: 142

    Corvette Fever
    Member
    from Michigan

    I have always told my friends (hot rod buddies)
    That “if you aren’t having a good time ,it’s your own fault”
    Yea being young was definite great but one advantage of being older is that the 57Vette I wanted in my youth and could not have, now is in my garage and enjoyed (driven) to the fullest.
    Still enjoy getting out one of my rods and making a little noise. Most of my close friends are also hot rods guys so lift is good.
    Get out there and enjoy it..........it is still a great life.
    Low Rider


    Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
     
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  9. CAHotRodBoy
    Joined: Apr 22, 2005
    Posts: 458

    CAHotRodBoy
    Member

    Thanks.

    Putting this 392 in my '34 coupe and pulling the fenders followed by some big smokey burn outs! :D

    A lot of great replies here. I am by no means quitting hot rodding, in fact now that I'm retired I'll be spending more time playing with cars. I moved to a pretty rural area away from big cities and all the crap that goes along with them. I can cruise the back roads around here and pretend it's still 1973 (with the exception of the new cars that pass by).

    I might hit LARS but not sure if I want to deal with SoCal traffic. Will definitely be doing Bonneville again this year. I want to take the '34 on a around the country tour this fall. When my buddy, Arthur passed away his brother didn't have my phone number (Art didn't have a cell phone or a computer!) and didn't know how to get a hold of me so I missed his funeral. I want to visit his grave site and pay my respects. He lived in rural VT so fall is a good time to go there.
    From there I'll head down the eastern seaboard to visit another friend in SC then maybe down to FL before heading back west. I'll be trying to avoid all interstates as much as possible and sticking to the back roads. Going to try to stop in as many small towns as possible and hope to meet fellow hot rodders and talk to them about their younger days and experiences. I think it would be really cool to video the "interviews" and maybe put a documentary type of film together, kind of like Hagerty's "Barn Find Hunter" but instead of looking for old cars I'll be looking for old guys (and their old hot rods too)! I was going to call it my "Searching For America" tour but now I'm thinking I'm going to call it "Searching For Milner". I think most small towns used to have their "Milners", whether he was driving an OT Camaro, Road Runner, Mustang or an actual Deuce Coupe. I wonder if those guys are still around and if there are new young versions of "Milner"s today or are they all too busy playing with their cell phones.
    Maybe when I'm done I'll send all the footage to George Lucas and see what he thinks!

    IMG_7615 (Small).JPG IMG_5006 (Small).JPG gloss (Small).jpg
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2020
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  10. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,245

    theHIGHLANDER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Some more...

    I "peaked" in my highest end of rodding/racing in the early 90s. All the time before that I was just a participating observer with a decent car but never a contender. Happy to just be there, and sometimes I'd race a friend's car in the wee hours. It was ok, a juiced BBC and faked out slicks, easily a 11.50 car on a good night. And back then that was less than "mid pack" meaning several others could whip it's ass with ease. Shit, I even went out in a Ferrari one night. Once I got real fast I promptly blew it to shit and had to rebuild, and on that night the big bust happened and I went to the track, for good. Lettered up my car and made it strictly race. Today, even at my best, a new Challenger might knock it back at any given time. I'd have to run 110 minimum and I'd be lucky to see 8 MPG going to and fro. But you know what? All that compression, those smells, the bang when it shifted, heavy steering, hard seat, roll bar in the way, that's something you just can't put words to. It's the juice. Anyone can have a payment book Challenger or late model Shelby, but the vibration through the floors and seats of the fire breather vs them? Which one would your best girl wanna be in? See? Fountain of youth? Fuckin eh it is.:cool:
     
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  11. pirate
    Joined: Jun 29, 2006
    Posts: 1,024

    pirate
    Member
    from Alabama

    Not here to try and diminish anyone’s health problems or tell anyone how to live their life’s. As we get older I suppose it’s natural to reflect back on our glory days rather it be cars, sports or other achievements in life. Probably would be good to even write some of those down for kids, grandkids or others as a way to be remembered in the future.

    However, we all get older, can do less possibly remember less and it’s not going to get better. I also have been in that funk about getting older. We all have choices to make no matter what the situation. I’ll soon be 74 but refuse to give in to “old” age and living in the past. Every new day is a blessing and opportunity. What you do with it is everyone’s choice. Get out go for a walk even if it’s only a couple hundred feet. Work on a project rather it be a car or something else. Even if you can’t do as much as you used to, do as much as you can. Call a friend to check up on them but make it positive. Meet someone fo coffee. The more you do the better you will feel. When you really start feeling down you don’t have to look far to find someone worse off, so count your blessings instead of problems. No one gets out of this life alive we are all headed to the same outcome so make the most of it. My opinion your mileage may vary!
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2020
  12. Almostdone
    Joined: Dec 19, 2019
    Posts: 892

    Almostdone
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Sounds like a great trip CAHotRodBoy. Love that 392 also. And....he’s back!
     
  13. ned5049
    Joined: May 9, 2009
    Posts: 413

    ned5049
    Member

    Exactly right !
     
  14. ned5049
    Joined: May 9, 2009
    Posts: 413

    ned5049
    Member

    I agree. Still have memories to make. And, three projects to get on the road.
     
    lothiandon1940 and LOST ANGEL like this.
  15. 0NE BAD 51 MERC
    Joined: Nov 12, 2010
    Posts: 1,783

    0NE BAD 51 MERC
    Member

    I am 64 , will be 65 in September. Got my first car when I was 16 in 1971, Grew up in Burlington Wi, 18 miles from Union Grove and Great Lakes Dragaway. Cruised Hwy 100 in Milwaukee. All the time listening to things like Inagodadavida by Iron Butterfly and Born to be wild by Steppenwolf . No matter how old , bald and gray I got in my heart I have always been that 16 year old long haired kid , building and racing cars, motorcycles and cruising for girls in my customized Econoline van. In January I got an ambulance ride and spent an afternoon at UW hospital in the ER hooked up to tubes and and machines and listening to BEEP, BEEP,BEEP! While my wife and brother stood there helpless. For the first time in my life I knew what it felt to be a frail 64 year old man! Thankfully what I thought was a heart attack or stroke, was complications from sever dehydration from an upper respatory infection I had been fighting for a couple weeks . So now I sit in the shop looking at my fleet and wait for Wisconsin winter to get over . Then I am going to fire up one of the Mercs ,Mustangs or Harleys and plug in some Steppenwolf! John Kay will always sound better than a heart monitor going BEEP,BEEP,BEEP!! Larry
     
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  16. BoogittyShoe
    Joined: Feb 18, 2020
    Posts: 330

    BoogittyShoe

    I'm certain that they were not helpless.
     
  17. 0NE BAD 51 MERC
    Joined: Nov 12, 2010
    Posts: 1,783

    0NE BAD 51 MERC
    Member


    They where there ASAP and that's all that mattered to me. But your love one's always feel like they should somehow be able to do more for you. But letting someone know they love and care about you is all you need. So now my brother and I can get back to bickering what's better, My Ford's or his Chevys!;);) lol Larry
     
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  18. Clik
    Joined: Jul 1, 2009
    Posts: 1,965

    Clik
    Member

    My experiences were more like the movie 'Hollywood Knights'. So much so that I wouldn't have been surprised to find out the writer was one of the guys I hung out with. So many of the pranks were similar. We weren't quite as goody-to-shoes as American Graffiti. Even today, when out with the car club or at an event I won't pass up a chance to prank someone. Keep the spirit alive. Attend events. Join a car club.
     
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  19. redidbull
    Joined: Oct 17, 2013
    Posts: 26

    redidbull
    Member
    from Ct

    Class of '75 here. Saw AG while in high school with a bunch of drunk buddies. Love it then and still now. The 1st time Milner and Falfa meet is my favorite part of the movie. A bunch of the ole gang were at a 60th birthday party a couple years back and we talked about how we all joking that we had $100k cars by today's standards. We had the typical, 1 guy worked at a gas station, so we had access after hours to the lift and all. Loved cruising around. I had a 70 Duster with a 300+ HP 273. Learned so much on the car. I now have nothing pre 80's simply because I can't afford to. I have a couple trucks I like to work on and I enjoy it. At a recent car get together/show I was talking too one of the guys and he asked what I was working on and I told him he basically turned away and had no interest. Really gave me a bad taste in my mouth. I always thought "Hot Rod what you got" was the thing. I put 2 kids through college. Money for the 32 coupe I always wanted just isn't going to happen and I am OK with that. With the hobby going away as we know it think we need to be more opened minded. I am not a big fan of the ricer with the fat coffee can muffler but I am thrilled the owner loves it. Jim
     
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  20. joeyesmen
    Joined: Dec 24, 2010
    Posts: 509

    joeyesmen
    Member

  21. 2OLD2FAST
    Joined: Feb 3, 2010
    Posts: 5,217

    2OLD2FAST
    Member
    from illinois

    There are a whole list of circumstances that are beyond your control , starting with illness , so before you go lumping everyone together , some things care NOT in anyone's control , no matter how perfect they are ...
     
  22. redoxide
    Joined: Jul 7, 2002
    Posts: 756

    redoxide
    Member

    When we were nippers scooting around in jalopies, the cops were tough old guys that gave you shit. Now were the old guys and the cops are snotty nosed kids . We can play them in lots of other ways , sad old guys eyes, and sob stories of limited time, make them feel bad and drive off laughing your old ass off..

    There is no substitute for old age, you just have to use it to your advantage :) Im 57 my old fella is 84 and still good . I hope I have his genes ...
     
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  23. Well they say that you can't go home. That is basically what they are talking about, hell yea you can go back to the neighborhood you came from but it will never be the same. Times change, people change. Some of us never really grow up but we are no longer young in many ways.

    Maybe that is a good thing. The things I did as a young man are way more dangerous today. LOL
     
  24. cfmvw
    Joined: Aug 24, 2015
    Posts: 977

    cfmvw
    Member

    I'm coming up on 55 this year, doesn't seem possible. Went to my 35th class reunion last summer, and we had a grand time! Some of us still acted like we were 17, others more mellowed out, and a few who were pretty frail. Lost a number of our class over the years, something that is becoming more and more frequent as time goes by. But we have always been a close- knit group of people, and still laugh about all the things we did in school and even in adulthood. In that respect, we never get old!
     
    ned5049 likes this.
  25. Well some of the rules I live by 45765366_336429673801202_1121842494187765760_n.jpg 43557787_1883699228378785_3192259216123363328_n.jpg

    Yep gettin younger every year .............
    20191004_103810.jpg
     
  26. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 13,174

    Budget36
    Member


    Sums it up right there...
     
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  27. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 13,174

    Budget36
    Member

    lothiandon1940 and mad mikey like this.
  28. woodbutcher
    Joined: Apr 25, 2012
    Posts: 3,310

    woodbutcher
    Member

    :D Like my dear ol`Dad used to say"Beware the golden years.They just might be brass plated pot metal".:rolleyes::p:eek:
    Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
    Leo
     
  29. hemihotrod66
    Joined: May 5, 2019
    Posts: 968

    hemihotrod66
    Member

    Being a child of the late 50's and 60's we always look at the past thru rose colored glasses...When you turned 18 the draft loomed and there were a few that never got to get old...I was able to do a little car building but life does make changes...Now I find politics has influenced things now so don't do as much these days... Just don't feel safe...
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2020
  30. wvenfield
    Joined: Nov 23, 2006
    Posts: 5,580

    wvenfield
    Member

    I haven't read the American Graffiti threads on here. I knew this was one of the latest. This may have been covered 20 times and I'm bringing something up that everyone else already knows all about.

    I'm watching a movie from the mid 90's "Mr and Mrs Loving". Timothy Hutton is in it. He drives a yellow 32 Ford. Looks to me to be the A.G. car. I did a quick google search but couldn't find any info on the car.

    Same car?

    You can see it here starting about 4:30 into the clip.



    Sorry, I never really got into the movie or the car.
     

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