Art & Inspiration Do you have a favorite image(s) that always make you smile?

Thank you, we certainly are blessed!

 

Some from the past. You may remember the car and owner.

 

Happy kid...
Disneyland Autopia 1955 Thanks, dad…


Hello,

We were anticipating the finishing and grand opening of the Orange County Disneyland in 1955, after reading about it in the local newspapers. It was going to be something. Our dad was excited as he was explaining the sections of the park. Some explanation of the rides offered and what to expect.

When we got there not on opening day, but a week later, my brother and I wanted to go straight to Tomorrowland and ride the sleek bodied, go carts. When we heard them, we knew they were lawnmower style engines and we had worked on our mom’s lawnmower motor to up the speed/performance as we read about hot rods and motors.

The original Tomorrowland Autopia track did not have any rails in the center of the roadway. We were actually able to drive the cars as if we were on an open road somewhere in So Cal. There was even room to pass other slower drivers, but if anyone was reckless, the endless security guys would flag you and make you get out of your car once you came back into the loading lanes.

Our dad told us that the big worry was the rear end bump/crash from one car to the next. The low bumpers should prevent much damage, but we did see some pretty awful bumps when someone forgot to step on the brake and it rolled right up to a stopped car in the lane.

Jnaki

What was it like for a 11 year old kid to be able to drive and accelerate a moving vehicle? It was outstanding and we both felt like teenagers on the road to having fun. We used our “E” tickets and went back for more “E” tickets. There was nothing else we wanted to do at Disneyland. It was an open road for kids to test their driving skills and having fun at the same time. "E" tickets were known for the top tier attractions... for us the Autopia was the top of the pinnacle rides.

In later versions of the Disneyland Autopia, the management put in safety rails right down the middle of the roadway to keep the cars from wandering off the track at any time. When we took our son for his first adventure, he let go of the wheel, but we kept going straight after moving side to side on the built in center rail. (You could actually let go of the steering wheel and the car would bump the rail and continue forward if you kept your foot on the gas pedal.) It was not as fun, but the little kids liked the ride just because, of being in a moving car with the wind blowing in your face… a little like riding in a convertible.

As teenagers, one of our friends got a midnight hour job as a technician working on the Autopia cars. It was their job to tear down the motors that did not sound right and rebuild them for the cars. But, as a test ride after assembly and on the road tuning, the mechanics, all had taken off any hindering throttle stops and had timed races on the course all through the night. What a cool job. It was fun, but when we went to the beach during the day, our friend was sleeping his normal 6-8 hours until he had to get ready for his midnight shift. But, still, a cool job and a pocket full of money was a good thing… YRMV

 

Maxx

 

A camo pooch!!! What a great face!!!

 

Great Granddaughter!

 

Boner, you would pick the shot with Ernie ahead of me ! Ern gave me the #8, 20 days before he passed, it's safe and sound.

 

This pic is of my dads last ride in my roadster....passed from bone cancer about 2 weeks later........if you still have living parents, I implore you to spend as much time with them as you can, cuz, they are gone way too fast...love ya pops, miss ya.

 

Great advice @Ron Brown.

 

Nothing spectacular here off the top of my head but I'll share one anyway. In 2020 my nephew came to visit from Mi. and I had just scored a good deal on a Sportster out here in AZ. When he saw the bike he had to have it so I hooked him up and even took a little hit on it. He still has it and I smile every time he posts pictures of it. He could have easily sold it for way more than he paid and he kept it.

 

.....Great story. Even though you took a small hit financially, you are, in a sense, still enjoying the bike even as your nephew owns it. My thoughts are that you did the right thing and so did your nephew for not re-selling it for a profit.

 

My wife and my little boy Lucky( he just died on June 2nd) at the age of 18. But this picture will always bring a smile to my face.

 

There's a lot to smile about in that picture!

 

Scottville, Michigan...cool rides...click photo to enlarge

 

Don, Deuces didn't show the saddle he uses instead of a leash!!
Just jokin'
Al

 

I think this one says it all

 

It was absolutely mint and I felt pretty good about hooking him up. I wanted him to have something that nice.

 

I own this car today, but it looks a little different now. I was lucky enough to get some old photos of the car from the original builder. I would have only been about 5 or 6 when this was taken so girl behind the wheel was probably a couple years too old for me but boy wasn't she cute?

 

It would be cool if you could track her down and take a photo of her and the current edition of the car!