Was Anyone Here Actually There?

I was there in there in the 60's late, didn't get a fast car till 1970, rode with some of my buddies that had cars, mainly saw em on the street... the cool ones

 

Back in the 60's and 70's it was pretty common to see hot cars with cams cruising around town. The guys would build old 50's cars to compete with with new muscle cars because most of em didn't have money to buy the factory muscle

 

it'z kinda cool when an old thread (5+years old) gets re-started...

Came of age (not gonna say grew up) in the 60's and cars were where it was at...SoCal, crusin' Whittier Blvd and Harbor...street racing in the wee hours of the morning...choice of drag strips for Saturday PM, Lions, OCIR or Irwindale...(often 16-32 car funny car fields)...cheap gas (a couple of bucks and you were good for the weekend). Not that hard to buy beer as a minor
Biggest downside was sex was not as available at that time...actually, it may have been, but all my time and effort went to beer and cars

 

Count me in.....Class of 1959 Redlands CA....70 years old....it was the best of times.

The Drags were the best, Drag News Standard 1320 Classes, a class for everyone and NO Indexes, Brackets, VHT or Burnouts.....bring em to the line and go when the flag comes up.

I attended the drags at Eagle Field last weekend....think 1959....who ever said you can't go back...lied

Lee...

 

I was a long, long way from being "there".

Even when I was a kid I always knew I was born too late...

Seems like anymore it's just a parody of "there", while I have no idea what it was really like, I know it was better than this.

Now if I could just find my time machine...

 

Had my first car in '62, my first rod in '63. It was a flathead 26 T tub hiboy on an A frame. In '65 I took it off the road for a rebuild and bought a mint custom 36 5w coupe. In '66 I straight swapped it for a channeled '34 5w coupe. In '68 I sold it and ran a succession of prewar Fords through the 70s.

 

My Dad took me to the drags in Great Bend Kansas in the early fifties and to drags at other air strips in the area which was a common place to race in the day. He had a 32 with a Merc flathead and worked on it every night it seemed. He also had several friends that ran at the local dirt tracks with the jalopies and would spend hours talking with them about racing at the garages while I waited on him.
Growing up in the 50's and 60's was much better than today in so many ways, which leads me to believe the best days of common decency and hot rodding themes have become sort of a distant rumor for this generation. America lost being "cool" in the seventies and has been on the down hill slide ever since in my opinion. We now have rampant drug abuse, rap music, gangs, drive by shootings, Wal mart and all the other things we have adopted in our culture that have changed our complexion a negative way.

 

Graduated in '67, drafted in '69. I was still livin' the 50s/60s when I got back. First 2 cars were 56 Fords. Wish I had em both back.
We were having lunch at work one time and one of the guys was braggin about seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivans show. I shut them all up when I told them I remembered when Elvis on his show. I'll be 62 soon.

 

There in the 50's.
Almost 71.
Graduated HS in 1958. First look at a little book 1953 on the junior high playground. First indoor car show, Hartford State Armory 1954. Went to first drag race in 1556 after I got driver's license. Been a car nut since early teens. Still at it.
First Bonneville Speed Week 2010 & first LSR & Jalopy Showdown 2011.

 

I have spent probably the past hour and a half reading every post on this thread. Every story and memory is amazing. Thank you everyone, for the sake of us young'uns like myself for sharing your memories. I've spent enough time looking at my dad's old pictures of his door slammers and diggers (one of which we still own) in their fiery burnouts, when builders, mechanics, and drivers were all one, and they were fearless, to be able to put images with time periods and stories.... which makes me sad that I missed it. I am probably going to spend the next hour re-reading this thread, followed by a trip to the garage to see my pops and then the track on Sunday. Thank you everyone, again, for sharing your memories for us young pups! =)

 

I was there i am 60
Cruzin 4th St San Rafael
Fremont Drag Strip

 

After my post a page or two back, I started thinking about my life, things I'd done and hadn't done.

Listened to the moon landing on the radio.
Saw the Beatles, Rolling Stones and many other British Invasion acts in 1964.
Watched the rise and fall of Cassius Clay.
Was scared the Russians were going to fire missiles at the US.
Watched the Vietnam war on news footage.
Saw the Queen of England crowned on news footage.
Outran the cops in my mates flattie 32 coupe.'
And the cruising, always the cruising.....

 

Got my first car in '59, a 40 ply business coupe.
I shaved/ leaded everything and finished it by the time I was 16.
I then swapped it for a 57'chevy conv and $200.
All the while I was going to High school and working @ a Sunoco station a 1/2 mile from DST ( Dearborn steel tubing)
Many times I pumped S.O.C. (Sunoco Octane Concentrate) 110 octane into DST Ford thunderbolts that they were building for Fomoco to run @ Detroit Dragway, anybody remember the 61 Ford Ragnasty? they co sponsored?
I spent many a Saturday night at the dragway inhaling their smells that made a 16 year old boy a man.
Yes I watched Elvis debut on the Ed Sullivan show and Bonanza sponsored by Chevrolet, and Diana Shores Chevy show.
See the USA in your Chevrolet and "Route 66" were jingles that still ring in my ears.
Many a evening I spent drag racing in and around Detroit metro airport or Telegraph road, and rarely, the famed Woodward Ave, but Woodward was a rich kids neighborhood, we came from the blue collar side.
It was a better time in this country, everybody worked and it was mostly auto related. You got out of school, and employment was no problem.
The streets were filled with star liners & Galaxies, Impalas & Bellaire's 392/426 wedges & Hemi's ,390/406 fomoco's 409 chevy's.
Even the 4 door grocery getters had tail fins & chrome.
A kid out of school could buy a high H.P hotrod from the dealer. gas mileage was never mentioned and we didn't know
what emission meant.
We ran 11:1 Cr in our daily drivers. and everybody had dual pipes that sounded nice. and the smell of high octane was the only "high" we ever knew, crack was the sound the exhaust made when you let off the throttle.
The Air was dirty but cars were fast and sex easy & clean.
This country will never be the same or better then it was in the "boom years" of the auto industry.
Never will a kid out of school work 40+ years at the same company making good money and retire.

 

I was born in 51 and grew up with gear head cousins and neighbors. I talked my Mom into buying me the little Rod&Custom mags before I could even read. My heyday was the 60"s, bought my first 55 Bel-Air for $50.00! We hung out on the west side of Columbus,Ohio. Anybody remember Green Gables? If you didn't have something that RUN you better just look at the cars and girls and keep your mouth shut. Those were the days my friend!

 

I've hung around alot of the old guys who lived like American Graffiti back in the day and listening to their stories makes me believe that I was born in the wrong time (I'm a child of the early nineties).

 

Late 50's early 60s cruizn from Germantown, Oh Gene's Drive Inn, Middletown ,Oh
2 Big Boys And a Country Kitchen in the middle. Driving a ford convert with top down in the winter, heater gone full blast cause it was cool.

 

now y'all have gotten me all nostalgic. thanks for sharing all the memories.
i was born in '50, married in '68.... still with the same one. he started building me drag cars and street cars in 1979. other than my Mom's heavy foot, never knew the "drags" til then. first run was 18 sec! second run 13! i was gone. husband started building cars and motorcycles with his dad who had been an aircraft mechanic in WWII. he had some great cars growing up and we both did the cruising thing..... it seemed a lot like the american graffiti thing (without Harrison Ford of course)
had a 56 Pontiac Safari wagon, pink and white $350 for my high school car. 6 mpg and ran an entire tank through it both Fri and Sat nights every weekend at .18 - .21 cents per gallon.

long story short, my avatar was my first serious car the 34 5W i took to Fremont in '86 ran some 10's and had a blast.

this winter we found a 34 5W to "save" and at 60+ i am back at the body and paint work to fix this car up. guess it gets in the blood.

 

A Cruise down Memory Lane! Born 1954, I remember 1964 a green Deuce roadster, at McGregor Motors in Petrolia Ontario. See it on web as "T Bird Deuce", I new Willoughby , Davis & Prouse, in the 70's. Never knew they were involved with that car. I Remember a Deuce or A coupe in Sarnia about '66. Blue I think with red windows, open engine.
In 1968 Belleville Ont. a late 30's or early 40's coupe with a 348 at Gulf? station for "tuning". Middle of Muscle Car era. Saw Shirley run her injected FE dragster when the throttle linkage fell off at Deseronto Dragway, as depicted in "Heart Like A Wheel". Saw Lance Hill Camaro, John Petrie's GTX Rag & Super Bee 1969 PRO Stocks, and 1 Ford (Dave Benn's Gentle Ben Mustang?) at Deseronto in 1969. "Bad News Anglia" as well. 1969 In London, Ont guy named "Rusty" with a 46-48 Ford coupe with 396 toying with 'em on Dundas St. A T bucket with a Pontiac OHC 6 and padded interior. My first ride in a "Hot Rod" was Larry Turner's sbc T bucket. Saw Dick Lahaie with daughter Kim, just a kid, at St. Thomas Dragway running his injected Nitro FED (A/Fuel). I remember some of those gasoline Econo Funnies at St. Thomas. Awww, the Good Old Days!
My T bucket supposed to been built in St. Thomas about 1966, then to Sarnia, (Mike West) then north of Lake Superior where I bought it after 2 owners up there. Anybody know more about it? It was a 283 3speed stick with 1957 Ford Wagon rear end, 1961 Econoline Spindles on straight axle, and 61-66 Chev hydraulic clutch. Fiberglass body from the body 'glasser in Florida. (Body sags under windshield), 16" P/u box. Plans were from Hot Rod Magazine. Has straight rectangular tube frame, no "z", 4 Corvair Coil springs, & universal tractor 6 gallon fuel tank. had 2 sports car seats bolted to floor. Body glassed to wooden floor.Titled as 1969 Ford Homebuilt. I believe was dark red, dark blue and dark green at various points in time has been yellow for 30 years for sure.
I've had it 25 years.

 

Just found this page and thought is was so cool. All the old guys posting what it was like back in the day.
I was born in 39 got the big paper from Salina High in 57. Spent lot's of time draging SantaFe (main drag) in my first ride 37 chev coupe then a 48, then a 49 Merc. Then a 53 merc hard top. Made it to the NHRA 1955 Nationals in Great Bend, what a blast. Along came a 4 year stint in the USN. Then right back into hot cars. Bought a 57 chev when I got out and it was off to the drag races in Great Bend, Ks. once more. Lot's of hot rods have came and went since then. But still have a Deuce sedan and a steel deuce roadster, plus a 40 Ford. At the age of 73 I am working on buying a 32 3 window from a old guy that was a old hot rod 35 years back. It is a rough old toad, but it is buildable. Those were the days. You just had to be there.

 

Im young also 52 i remember cruisin like about 14 in back of a built ford coupe with pontiac power , meanest car around ,than brothers 56 vicky all night for a couple bucks of gas . totally got into bike scene for years (lost a lot of good friends ) then got back into cars . I have had my superbee like 32 years now.

 

Built my first race car(a comp coupe 1929 whippet) in high school 1956, Raced at Cleves oh first year track was open(couldent drive to young) always had plenty of volunteers. Racrd at Lions in the 60s in LA & us30 in the 70s& IRP in the 00s. Still building hot rods & hope ill never stop.

 

It has been said that if you can remember the 60's then you were not there! Hmmmm.....well born in 54, just a lil' young for the true 50's experience, but I was surrounded by cousins and uncles that I looked up to. One uncle played with Bill Haley and the Comets and another won the Golden Gloves championship at Madison Square garden......seems like everyone in the family had 55-60 Chevs......I was hooked on cars from building amt models.....watched Bonanza to see the cool new Chevy commercials in the 60's....was truly branded to Chevies at 14 cruising in my best friends 55 Nomad.......he was 16......looking back.....did not know how much that would influence the rest of my life. Today still into it heavier than ever and sure glad I have all the memories, and my friend with the Nomad.......we are both still a best friends

 

I remember those days well. I was there. From the time Dave Campbell took me for a "front-end lifting" ride in his '62 Corvette, I was hooked. Then a ride in his 1969 B5 blue and white Hemi 4 speed Super Bee really stirred me up when he took me for a ride on I-75. WOW!!! What a car! Growing up at 11 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, Michigan helped my addiction. When I drove my 1968 Roadrunner up and down Woodward, I would race anything in sight. I would see the legendary "Silver Bullet" blow cars off all the time. There are waaaaaaay too many stories to tell here, but there are some good ones. I raced a red '68 Charger one time and both of his glasspacks blew off when he hit second gear. Scared the crap out of me. ALMOST got caught street racing one night, but the cops could not quite figure out where I went......Ahhh....those were the days.

 

I might know some "modern day shit",but if I could change things(which we can't),I'de swap in a blink of an eye. For you that were there in that time frame-I'm envious. It's not about immitating,but about living the way it was. Sure here i am typing,can use my cell,computer,and all that crap,but to be a pioneer....and live history would be the shit.
For those that were there- I totally thank you for your stories/memmories of a time that will never be duplicated........If I could only be there doing the things you did,or lived the life........Might not be cool by your thoughts today,but for us that were'nt there,and think "today" is the shit,some of us ,well,myself,would like to live in a different era......

 

This is an amazing thread. Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories. I missed the golden era of hot rodding as I was too young to really participate. I did get in on the very tail end of it in the 70's but I know it was pale in comparison to the two previous decades. For myself, I have always felt like I'm living in the wrong time and I have a hard time relating to what's happening now. Even as a child in the 60's I remember my mother listening to the things I would say and commenting that she thought I was born in the wrong generation. I don't think my Mom really "got" it but I remember her telling people about me, "he likes old things". Yep, I still like "old things." If I could magically go back to the early 50's and live out the rest of my life, I would do it in a heartbeat. I know it wasn't perfect then but I think it was a helluva lot better than now. For you guys who were actually there, I'm a little jealous. Again, thanks everyone for sharing some great stories.

 

I got hooked on cars with the issuance of the 1958 AMT 3-in-1 model car kits. I got my first real car, a Model A cabriolet, about the same time. Just rodded it a tiny bit with the four Banger back then. I retired it in '64 and am now rebuilding it. I got my first real hot rod done by the end of '63, a Model A tudor, with a SBC. It was my driver until I parked it and went to college.


In '65 I got a doggy '57 BelAir post sedan for $200, and during the summer I put in a 327 and stick and a little paint. It was my daily driver through college. Raced it a few times at Redding and Vina in northern CA.


Before getting drafted and heading to VN, I build a fiberglass '29 roadster A/SR with a setback, injected, 401 nailhead that had a previous life in an early funny car. ...very fast, but the motor blew before I got all the bugs out.

(reversed photo, I just noticed, compare to top pic)

end of the '60s was end of cars being my life. ...at least for a long time.

 

Yeh, I was there - grew up in the 50's. I think most of the hoopla is just that, hoopla. We were teenage kids having fun - it happened to be with cars. Wasn't any big deal - war was over, economy wasn't bad, could make maybe $1/hr down at the filling station, so we had a few bucks. Cars were making a comeback big time after the war. Was a natural - $, cars, teenagers with nothing to do. In 50 years ask today's kids and I suspect that they will tell you much the same - just kids having fun. Today it is with computers, elect. games, etc - no big deal. Don't get me wrong, had a great time, lots of great memories. Eventually, today's kids will look back on today, the "Golden Years", and think the same - great time, lots of great memories. I believe there is a saying to the effect that the "Good Old Days Never Were" [meaning at the time]. In the meanwhile I'll continue building my HiBoy roadster w/a four banger and drive my '57 Chev w/a 327/300hp. Who knows, maybe the good ole days will return.

 

I'll be 64 on the 29th so yes to your question, It was the time of my life, and I'll never forget it.

 

This thread should be required reading for anyone asking about traditional hot rods.
From those that lived through it, ask a question, then shut up and listen and you will be well served.