Mulholland Drive

I just got done watching the movie "King of the Mountain" with Harry Hamblin and Dennis Hopper for the hundreth time or so, and thought what it would've been like to run that mountain back then. I've never been to Mulholland, only been to Southern California a handful of times, but I would like to hear some stories about people that ran mulholland back in the day,and want to know if that movie is somewhat of an accurate interpretation as to what it was really like. Yes, I know it's a movie, but what about how they set races up? And what were some of the fastest cars that ran on that road? Damn Debrah Van Walkenburg (chick from the warriors) looks GOOD in that flic. Anyways, just wanted to start a new thread to hopefully learn a little more about the crazy So Cal car scene back in the day....take it easy

 

Time is speed! Speed is time!

 

Great movie. There really was a king of the mountain....
Lots of neat stuff in this thread.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=323773

 

Sit back for a long read on the site mentioned, Im only up to page 55 out of 250 or more. I just drove the'' track'' two weeks ago in a rental at no more than 35 mph, can't imagine running real fast even with no traffic , guess I'm getting old

 

where did you see the movie, on TV or DVD. I would like to find a DVD of it

 

I was lucky enough to get a ride up the in about 82 with a guy that lived next to my folks house.He had a 280z that had all the period shit,flares bbs lookin wheels,roll bars ,extrra driving lights and some killer pre-tuner jap car motor,we sat up there and saw a ton of cars and even a few bikes (h2 kawaskis) and even the van thrown in for fun.I went up a couple more nights on my own and will neveer forget it,not quite like the flick which is in my top 10 ever movie file,but I will never forget it........and yeah we made one pass and it got my attention damn fast!

 

Lots of guys crashed their shit on that road [then and now], both racing and just being piss poor drivers. Some also lost their lives on that road because some other dickhead didn't know how to drive and ran them off the road;very unforgiving that 200-400 ft drop into the canyon. If you're gonna drive that road, take the time to pre run it and figure out where the bad parts are. good luck. Waldo.

 

I was one of the guys that ran that in the 60's and 70's. It was street racing at it's wildest. We had one turn we called grandstand. It was a big burm on the inside of a turn that the spectators could sit and watch.

Sports cars, sedans, bikes and even a crazy guy with a pick-up ran it and he would win. Trailered cars a few times. Guys with delay swithches on brake lights to make the guy chasing brake late and spin. A few guys I knew back then would say Steve McQueen would run everyonce in a while on a Triumph bike.

It was just like the street drag racing with guys that liked to make turns.

Had a friend that ran a tow truck on the weekend and he would just sit up there on the weekends and wait for the call on a car over the side or upside down. He could make more money with one tow like that then 20 AAA dead batt or flat tire calls.

I only got busted once as I was leaving the races... I forgot to turn my lights on...

 

I once read that James Dean put over 1000 miles on one of his cars in one weekend running back and forth through Mullholland. I've been trying to make time to take a trip there just to drive the road. It's about 10 hrs south of here and it's on my "must do" list.

 

Hey, we could do a weekend Mulhulland Cruise and end up some place for lunch. A whole lotta hotrods on a legal speed cruise could be fun. We could end up at Van Nuys Blvd for the cruise night or who knows where

 

Just say WHEN

 

In my day Mulholland Drive was also good place to neck.

 

Yeah, we did that between races too.....

 

I love Mulholland, I live 2 miles from it (in Hollywood, off of Cahuenga). It's a tough road, in a Hot Rod, but fun as hell. You can almost go all the way, from Hollywood to the ocean, with the exception of Sherman Oaks where you have to get off.
Legendary for sure, and it really hasn't changed in past few decades.

 

I made it up to Mulholland many times in the early 60s. Not to race but to "enjoy" the lights Of the SFV.

 

Was you "necking" or "making out?" Ever get beyond "first base?" Ever hear a tap on your door window and look up to see the "fuzz?" Oh why, oh why did I ever grow up?

 

I said that and she asked "wadda ya expect, Pony tails".....Oh, wait you meant the cops... Yeah, that too....

 

I still watch it on VHS. I remember they had it on dvd from that company CHEESY MOVIES some time ago, but haven't been able to find a copy on dvd yet. I check ebay, and find some old movie stills and posters and such but haven't found it on dvd yet. Dennis Hopper is bad ass in that movie. Cal, the former reigning champion of the mountain. And isn't the mechanic that runs the shop harry hamblin works in Grizzly Adams??

 

Damn I used to spend alot of time on that road-had alot of good times there.

 

BITCHIN!!! Thanks for the info man!!
There really was a KING OF THE MOUNTAIN!! Right on, Truth is stranger than fiction sometimes!!! thank you...