Got my first car, 30 A tudor in kit form. spent late nights putting her back together. she is still wearing the J C Whitney seat covers I spent $40.00 on.
The fall of 62 In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I had my NEW drivers license and was stuck driving mom's 56 Ford ranch wagon. Not exactly a cool car for a kid, but it had wheels. Later on I got a 54 Mercury Sun Valley.
Driving a bone stock model a 2 door to high school. Today I am trying to get a model a pickup on the road. Not much has changed except my ability to bend over and pick up a wrench.
I was in 6th grade at Cradock Jr. High School in Portsmouth, Va.Building models, cutting grass and delivering the Ledger Star newspaper on my Schwinn Hornet. Dad traded his '55 Buick Roadmaster for a new '62 Chevy Biscayne.
Hell, I was driving old what's her name down a dark back road in my 1939 Deluxe coupe that I unfortunately sold to "1940 Willys Coupe" and his brother the next year.. Hey, buddy, you ready to get rid of that old car ? Billy
I came into the world in 62, really cool to read all the posts here though about cruising, burger joints and old cars being bought for low bucks, decent memories of a great time huh, lets keep bringing it on back!
I was 11 years old growing up in a small town on the Maine coast. I was building model cars and wearing out my J C Whitney catalog dreaming of what I'd do if I had a real car. Living on a saltwater farm, most of my play time involved boats or home made tractors.
This is great , I have enjoyed all the stories , but , I guess I should mention , I wasnt born untill 1970 , I was really relating to the pic and the time it was taken , and that badass '60 Chevy lowrider , I was a child of the '70's , alot like the '60's just throw in a little of that mexican smoking tobacco I saw my uncle smoking while they built motorcycles andspending every cent I could on Hot wheels cars , Revell Model kits , and those trading cards of hot rod customs, they came with the stick of rock hard bubble gum , remember those?
1962 was a significant year for our family. After hating too many winters in New York, my family moved west to Phoenix in a shiny new 389 Catalina Safari 9 passenger. My folks sold everything they owned that would not fit in the car of the little trailer we towed across the country. It was the first Pontiac in our family and planted the seed deep in me and my older brother. Several hundreds would follow. Here is an old pic they day we headed west leaving our old home in Mineola. Have since located and bought a nearly identical 62 Safari, colors and all. Had wanted to restore it and drive across the US this year to honor the 50th anniv but, busy working on other project. One day though, I want to trace back the route my folks took heading west in our new Poncho.
I was 8 yrs old and playing fire watch for my father as he was doing some welding on the Willys in my photos, in our attached garage when I asked if he had a light on under the seat and he said no, so I said you've got a fire. He ran to the far side of the house to get the hose, told my mother to get the kids by the door just in case and ran back with the hose which kinked all along the way,he finally got the kinks out and got the fire out (just that underlayment under the carpet) just as the fire dept pulled up, my mother had called.Needles to say the fire inspector was back the next day and the only thing they required was a piece of Sheetrock between the Oxygen and Acetylene bottles.
Graduated HS in mid June and by the end of June my mom said you have two days to make up your mind either get a new job (as I had to quit my old one to finish high school), get in the service or get the hell out of the house...... July second I was in the Air Force and on my way... In November she sold my 48 Club Coupe and all the flathead speed equipment I owned to one of my buddies for 50 bucks, didn't tell me about it till dec and I haven't talked to that asshole since, and I still hate him for taking advantage of me that way. She signed my name to the pink slip to boot. Anyway I was really mad at her for a while till 64 when she did cosign for me on a loan for a brand new 327 Impala..... all was OK then. I forgave her....but still haven't forgotten my Flathead roots...............
I wasn't even thought of yet. Nice shot of a old steel mill deuces. Its a shame that they are going away in this country its all I know there is no more in pitt or bridgeville any more and that was the steel capital at one time
You and your buddy should kiss and make up... Maybe he'll sell you those parts back for 50 bucks... Not sure on the coupe though.....
I was 4 years old in 62 - wearin' shorts and running around Box Hill in Melbourne, Victoria. Life was fun, I remember. Simple times - thanks for starting this thread, even if I'm late finding it. Cheers.
In '62 I was twelve years old living in rural Anderson County and I had a second hand bicycle as my main means of transportation,,I bought my first car with my grass cutting money in 62 but it was short lived,,my dad made me return it to our neighbor. HRP
In '62 I was 8yrs old. My ride was a 24" fenderless Roadmaster with wide whites, from Western Auto. Old man wanted to whoop my ass when I took those shiney chrome fenders of that bike . Hung around with the guys at the little country store, sitting on the bench outside, drinkin' 10 cent Pepsi's, and practicin' our cuss words. Damn, life was good. An old guy (maybe 20), called Hawk, had the most beautiful car I'd ever seen. '57 Chevy 2drHT, black, nosed & decked, spinner caps, sweet. That car planted the seed in me. Though a small one-horse, country bumkin town (pop. around 250), it was a hotbed for hot iron, then & later. 409's, Vette's, a 406, a real Z16 Chevelle, and later, a real COPO Camaro to name a few I recall. Good times.
Lets see I was 13 & well into being car crazy. I still remember a couple of the "older guys" in the neighborhood getting their 1st cars & doing what all guys would do. They lined up on a residential street (49 Ford & 53 Chevy) & let 'er rip. Dont know if the guy in the Chevy lost or just chickened out but the Ford went by us at a blinding 40-50 mph. 10 minutes later Detroit's finest were cruisin' the area.
I was 11 and wandering around the local drag strips and jalopy races with my Dad. By this time I had my Dad's post-WWII used twin lens Graflex camera that I still have today. I lugged that camera around with me for another 10 years until I finally got a used Nikon in 1971. Here's a couple of frames of me in my Roth sweatshirt, that is also my avatar, that I got for my 11th birthday. I'm checking out Don Garlits dragster at Lions Drag Strip...1962 Levis, rolled up cuffs and white cap from the Indy 500. Good thing mom bought me long Levis that we could cuff, because I'd grow about six inches in the next two years... Shortly after this time, my folks would just drop me off at Lions and pick me up out at the front gates at about 10:30 after the final rounds. Different world.
The Jalopy Journal
