So, I watched American Graffiti last night and.....

Brings back memories from when I was an 18 yr. old in 1968, went from southern Okla. to the NW corner of North Dakota that summer on a custom harvest crew. Bosses wife had a 58 Olds 98 with the full load of chrome,color was what we dubbed titty pink, and I think a green interior. There were four of us young single guys and when we had a night off, it would haul all four of us with dates, a little crowded, but we liked that. Had a lot of fun that summer.

 

One reason, they are a rare find. In years past (70's-80's) my Acadian wagon could have been a parts car for a 2 door Acadian or Nova. That is one reason there are few Acadian/Nova wagons around.

Another reason, it must be cool, there is a Hot Wheels version of a Nova/Acadian wagon .

 

In my area we called station wagons a "hearse".. But then in 1962 if you were 16 years old and had your own car it means you had freedom. 4 doors were cheap for a guy who cut grass or did the shitty jobs that kids were able to get to pay for his first car. He still had pride in his ride.

 

In that era of time my Dad was flying for an oil company and getting a new car every year. I don't remember paying much attention to cars, until one afternoon he came home in a shiny red on red 59 Impala, I stared at that car for awhile. Just about then one of my Dads buddies pulled up on a brand new Harley dresser and asked if he could take me for a ride..Yes, I think that was one of the defining moments in my Life...

 

Actually (and I apologize if it's already been mentioned and I didn't catch it) I believe there is a 1957 Ranch Wagon in the cruising scene (Runaway by Del Shannon) and it looks pretty cool!

 

Hey listen, I was in high school 1957-1962 and any dang car you could get was acceptable!! Any make, model whatever was better than walking. Very few students could afford any kind of car and were lucky to get the parents car for the night. I was fortunate to buy my 1936 Buick for $45 earned mowing lawns when I was 16 and proud of it. Was it neat? Damn right, because it was MINE!!

 

If they had moms car, I doubt they hung with the "cool" kids.

 

--------------
Yep....and particularly germane
to the move, Edsels.eek. Also
practically any 'land-yacht-status'
luxo barge And low-line stripper
sedans of any make, if they had
4-doors and - even worse eek:!)
- were (heaven forbid!) 6-cylinder
powered.

Mart3406
===================

 

when i drove my dads 4door i always took the hub caps off as soon as i got out of sight of the house. one sat.nite i forgot to put them back on. he woke me up the next morning wanting to know where his hub caps were.........................

 

Damn right! 'Been there, done that too,
- but just about 12 or 15 -years later
than you, although with similarly aged
at the time as your '38 Buick had been
in '57 '- 15 and 20 year "aged and obsolete'
early-and-late-50's "junk". But by now
(late 1960's-early 70's) mostly priced
right up up there in the 80 to 125
dollar price range!!! (damned
inflation!!!) A couple of old
sayings from 'back in the day' -
"Second class driving beats hell
out of first class walking!" - and -
"If you don't like my car...GET
OUT!!!"

Mart3406
=================

 

And if you look at the photo carefully, you can see my Dad's '59 Pontiac Catalina 4-door that I rarely got to drive and my brother-in-law's 1953 Desoto 4-door that he let me use occasionally. In fact, that was the car I took my girl to the Fat's Domino dance.........she broke up with me that night and I was so pissed, I broke the handle off the driver's door! He was not happy about that! All 4-doors, dudes. You took what you could get.............

 

I was only 3 in 62 but wish I could have been a young adult in this era. I agree with you on this one, best of times and a simpler, cleaner way of life.

 

Well, I was just in Junior High School in 1962, but was tuned in to what the cool older guys were driving and getting the chicks with.

Things that were considered cool in the area I grew up in.

Convertibles
Corvettes
T-Birds
Any kind of old 20's to 40's hot rod.
2 doors (especially hardtops)
Full wheelcovers
Bucket seats
White sidewall Tires
V8 engines with more than a two barrel on top
Dual Exhausts
Dual rear antennas (especially the power ones)
Exhaust cutouts
Floor Shifters
Moon Eyes decals
Custom Roll and Pleat Interiors
An AM radio that worked
Tachometer
Ability to "lay rubber" upon request or not
Bench seat if you had a babe or cheerleader snuggled right next to the driver

--- Steve ---

 

Me too


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

I LOVE the white and purple 40 Ford in the crusin scene.



Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

i missed that one, but the closing song, the beach boys "all summer long" came out in '63.

 

Lucas said he chose the songs to fit what was happening on the screen and the studios payed big for it. If you pay attention, it's easy to spot.

Also, from Wikipedia, producer Francis Ford Coppola regretted having not financed the film himself. Lucas recalled, "He would have made $30 million on the deal. He never got over it and he still kicks himself."

 

Growing up for me was alot more like Hollywood Knights. It was if the writer had followed us around taking notes. All the pranks were so similar to the stuff we pulled.

I remember back in the late fifties my dad still had a 49 Plymouth, which was considered a pariah on our street because it was the only car on either side of the long curb that still had a high profile. It stuck up like a box turtle among all the long low slung cars that had come to be the modern style.

It stood out like a billboard that read: "LOSER".

My mom had a 1950 Plymouth two door that also looked like a box turtle for a short time but it needed work. A young guy in the 'hood bought it for fifty bucks and quickly painted the wheels red.

In 1963 our neighbor Jack White bought a Catalina and his wife Jan had a Tempest. I thought they were cool because they'd do burnouts a block long. My old man wasn't a car guy at all and thought that was a sinful waste of fuel and rubber.

 

I remember going with my parents to look at the Edsel when it came out. I was 11 and we all thought it was neat. When the new cars came out every year it was a big deal. Remember when the 327,348 then 409 and 427 and when the Mopars came out with there hi performance stuff. But best of all were the real Hot Rods.

 

I was a teen in '62 and the big deals were the 55 - 57 chevies. Station wagons didn't get a second look, until Mod Squad came out. Then got bit by the woodie bug. ps. There's a merc wagon that passes Falfa when he stops to pick up Cindy Williams. Thanks for the memories!

 

A little off topic, but I was born in '62 and first saw AG at the drive-in in 1974. Watched it sitting on the tailgate of this car. It came back to our family when I purchased it in 1998, 20 yrs after pops had sold it. That's my 14 yr old son on morning of their 50s day at school.
I think these wagons have always been classics!

 

one thing i really remember in 62 was the back row @ the drive in..................

 

Understatement of the day!

What used to get me was getting the hots for a chick only to learn she drives her family's old 4 door wagon with curb feelers and a dented fender. Oh well, guess they all can't drive white '56 T-birds.

 

Lived in Milwaukee Wi. I cruised Wisconsin ave on Saturday nights, mid 60's-mid 70's. It was HUGE big time fun, it would take up to 45 minutes to make a lap, approx 3 miles total. We also cruised hyw 100 south side, Big Boy on capitol dr and Villard ave. A lot of street racing went on in that time frame, Did a fair amount myself. When I saw the movie, I thought, Heck, Been There, Done That. Many Happy Memories from that time, All of my memories to this day are Happy, I Choose to forget the "bumps in the road" along the way. Definatley one of the best car movies ever made. John

 

I grew up one block north of the A & W on Villard. People think I'm bullshitting them when I say it looked a lot like the movie in the summer nights. Too bad I grew up a generation late and was on my stingray bike. Ended up being friends with lots of them now though.

 

Got my first piece in the back seat of a Citreon! I LIKE UM!!!

 

I liked the movie Hollywood Knights better. Any fans of that movie? All I hear about is Am. Graf.

 

Hollywood Knights is legit, too. It doesn't seem to carry the same nostalgia as AG. I want to do a clone of that Elky with the Thunderbolt style hood and Cragars. Being an Edsel owner I hear all the time how uncool it was when it came out. It's almost immediately followed by, " but now.... Geez it really stands out." People trip over 55 and 57 Chevs to come check out my Ranger, modest as it is.

I don't think the whole how cool was the car then thing has changed much. There will always be people who just want to get from A to B and a Stude then or a Hyundai today works just fine. But then there's the car guys who today would rather push a Stude than drive a Hyundai. I know I would....

 

Was 15 back in 62, Tri chev's were cool along with 54-56 Olds but the fastest aroud home was a 47 Ford with a early Hemi with 6 2 barrels twisting a old ford drive train(lots of rebuilds). Cars were great then

 

My first car as a senior was 57 Dodge 2 door hardtop, dual mirrors and twin antena. just a 361 ci but a tight 3 speed auto more then made up for the lack of cubes, for some reason rear brakes wore quickly. Fun time of my life