I was still cruising when the movie came out. But it was in my Poor Man's Goat and with my buddy and his straight axle 55 Chevy. The hot spots were Deer Park Ave in Suffolk County and Hempstead Turnpike in Nassau County. You didn't see as many rods and customs as you did years before but, they still came out to play. Then came the oil embargoes and the hot rods began running 4 bangers and V6s and that was the beginning of an era for about 10 years. Then came the Boyd revolution. Funny how some people say that rodding died during the late sixties and during the 70s. But, that's the time Walker put together the NSRA and it grew by leaps and bounds. What I believe happened was the rods were parked and covered and and only used for special occasions. AG did indeed push buttons for many people who never knew about the car culture, I'm not talking about what is considered, the Kulture today, I'm talking about the comRODeray among rod and custom owners. Back in the day, we weren't so picky about what was what. You either had a rod or you had a custom or you had a street machine. It was all cool. What happened?
Dead on with our scene in the '60s in SoCal. Spent many nights on Colorado Blvd in Pasadena in many different cars. Those really were "the good old days".
Great movie, great music, great fun! High school days for me '69-'72. Rich kids were driving muscle cars but there were plenty of rods cruising 8th street in Rapid City SD. Round through A&W on the south end, head north, turn left, round the block and do it again! We were always jealous of the SoCal scene but in hindsight, it was all good!
It was like that in central Ill. too. In the late 70's - mid 80's, in Canton Ill. We cruised Main and Locust, from Tempo's parking lot out North to JC Penny's downtown. My buddies and I would hang out about halfway in between, at the Sherwin Williams lot or at the Clark gas station, (one friend worked there). When we got bored, we would go over to Peoria and cruise Main st. Of course the cars were mainly 60's - 70's Camaros, Mustangs, a lot of 68 - 72 Novas, etc. There basically weren't any pre 50's cars, (although one guy did have a 48 Kaiser). There were a few 50's cars, and very few imports, (maybe fart cans hadn't been invented yet). I still remember cruisin' Main in Peoria Ill. with cars bumper to bumper at about 15MPH. I had just bought my 57 Chevy with a 4 speed and I smoked the clutch going up the hill. Other times we would go down on SW Adams in Peoria and pester the working girls.
First I've seen of this thread. Jarred has just been ruined. I was bit older the first time I saw it. The next thing I knew I had Royal Crown in my hair and cuffed jeans, riding my skateboard and dreaming of hot rods and talking to the cool girls in art school. Nostalgia really is great. I was pretty cool ten years ago.
It's turned into, cruise to the local cruise-in and hang around wiping down your car, sneering at other's cars. Thinking you are the big kahuna or just plain, showing off your car. My wife and I loved to cruise up and down the lanes of cars and maybe stop at a car here or there cause it just struck us or the owner was a friend and then we'd leave and really go cruising. Seems most cruising today has turned into a bunch of, let's sit here and see who's car gets the most attention. Screw that, cars were and are built to be driven. Not to be taken out twice a week and parked and shown off like some trashy trophy.
some of my cruising memories in Riverside, Kings drive in at Jurupa and Magnolia, and jaw'n with Tim T. as we were jackin up his right rear wheel in his newly acquired 50' Olds cpe. The look on his face when he put it in gear and didnt go anywhere, just a whiirrin sound vibration from his spinning wheel!! gggggg fun times.
I'm only 17 and really wish I had grown up back then. Don't get me wrong, I love the car but I heard from someone that Millner's Coupe was actually a piece of shit in real life and that Falfa's '55 was a much better car mechanically at least. Some people tend to forget about that '58 Impala, that thing was pretty bitching too. I'd love to own them all though one day..........
well kid I know both cars and the 32 is a littlle rough around the eges but thats the way it was then,the only reasonthe 55 might have beat the 32 was it still had the rat motor from two lane blacktop (look it up) which is what the 55 was orig. bulit for and redone for its 2nd movie.......if in fact the 55 had a period motor it might have been a good race but in the end it was HOLLYWOOD and the good guy always wins!
Dammit, I love American Graffiti, my all time favorite movie. Too bad i was born in 1991. As a senior in highschool i can say that nobody cruises anymore, it must be a act of a bygone era, I would give a kidney to have been able to cruise the gut, packed with rods and customs. Oh well
I'm not sure it was ever established who won. Milner thinks Falfa won and Toad thinks Milner won. Who won?
I grew up cruising Hawthorne blvd. From the A&W all the way up to the Which Stand in North Hollywood. Yes it was just like that only a bunch more white wall tires the blackwall hot rods came a little later at the end of the sixties. What a time to grow up in it was awesome would not trade one memory of that time loved it. Rags
Missed that era completely. Growing up in London, England in the 80's our local cruise was in Battersea. It was a great place to be, went on to 3 or 4 am in the morning and the only all nite food place was a McDonalds at Wandsworth roundabout It slowly disappeared in the 90's due to up and coming property prices in the area.
I think Milners comment to Toad was something along the lines of, "Dammit Toad, he was pulling me when he lost it."
Friday and Saturday nights at Busch's Drive-in in Tacoma in the late 50's early 60's, racing on South Tacoma Way, it was just like the movie. A great time to be alive. A lot more bone yard part adapting and a lot less after market stuff.
The movie was dead on, it was exactly the way it was here in Central IL. during the 60's and actually during the early 70's Our hang outs were Top's Big Boy and Icy Root Beer both with the car hops About the only thing in the film that didn't happen around here was the part about chaining the cops rear end. But we did have a couple of guys sugar a cops gas tank one night
My mom was working at the Wich Stand when she met my father. He was driving a 38 Ford with motorcycle fenders and the engine outta Mickey Rooney's car in 'The Big Wheel'. He's still working on his cars. Thinks we're a bunch of dorks with the money we spend on parts nowdays.
My favorite movie. I had a 59 Impala with a record player, would cruse Central, in Phoenix AZ. drive thru Thru McDonalds than down to the libary at McDowell and back to Micky D's windows down, 45's playing driving slow talking to the car next to you. I even installed a speaker under the grill....Spend friday and saturday night crusing central. Sometimes hang out in the parking lot acros from Park Central and watch the show.
I had a record player in my 57 Plymouth, and it was about useless for anything but slow cruising, every bump caused it to skip. Good excuse to park and listen to the music though.
We were crusing like that in the early 70s in Western Nebraska. About the only thing there was to do.
The crusing in Jersey was not like that in the late 60s and 70s. It was all about racing. hamilton square we hung out at the mcdonalds until someone found a race . then out to Hightstown princeton rd. In new bruniswick we hung at the white hen pantry or cruised joyce kilmer dr. The sears store in Trenton was where the big money races were setup.
Yeah, it hit the spot to ignite our lil internal combustion heads! Our group of guys ages 11-14 went to see it and came out in a transformed state as we started our car club and even used to read out of the books to play out the movie on weekends arguing over who got to play Milner! HA HA! For more info on that little car club go to http://www.streetkingsokla.com/
I saw that movie at the California Theater in San Bernardino when I was 11.It left an impression on my.When I got my first car a 67 Camaro in 1979 I couldn't wait to cruise Market St in Riverside and E St in San Bernardino.I use park in front of Carl's Jr on Market St every Friday and Saturday with my friends.Then when a drag race was set up we go to N Main by the Wild Animal Park or in Front of Martins RV.The start lines and finish lines were marked.Cruising was real similar to the movie.My friend John Hudson had one of the fastest cars around a 69 Camaro.Cruising was great for a about 4 or 5 years until the Riverside PD started blocking the streets and re-directing eveyone to the 91 freeway.I was glad I got experience the tail end of cruising.
I hope so or thats my dreams shattered ! over here if you get caught by the popo cruising about in a group of more than 3 cars (and your under the age of about 50) they can seize and ultimately crush your ride ! Harsh and its killed off the late night meets and street races that i used to attend 10 years ago down the town ! now im a bit older they leave me alone and i probably drive faster now than i did then , Well now i have a faster car and more experience with rear wheel drive lol !
I hate to say this but i think us HAMB'rs are becoming "TREKKIES"!!! I keep having nightmares of meeting someone from the cast of AG & them saying "it was only a movie, get a fuckin life"!!lol I think there was even a post about "AG & MAG"!!! I'm pretty sure trekkies argue over "ST or STNG"!!!OMG!! BEAM ME UP!!! lol Jimv
since we are talking about AG. there is a scene that always makes me wonder. Is the school teaching getting some action from the school girl. (the way the scene is done, make you think there is something going on between him and the girl that comes up at the end).. Just seems like a strange scene
Boones - there was nothing strange about that scene. Just a concerned educator and typical student. I think it's really odd that you'd make that comment. Really nothing to see there, so move along now...
I got that feeling from that scene, shes kinda disappointed that Kurt is there. The teacher was hosin' her. JimV
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