Ol fueler, These young whippersnappers seem to think us old farts can't member nuthin. Seems like most of us here member a lot more than some of those kids remember. I came into this world in the midwest in 1939 and can remember things I did in grade school. We just celebrated our 55th anniversary last week and I sorta remember what me and my girlfriend did that first nite. Can't remember if we did it last week though! Forums like these are also good for the ole memory. One thing sorta jogs another hidden memory from long ago. More old guys and gals need to share their memories, especially car memories, because there's a rumor we ain't gonna be here forever.
Don't remember exactly how those bikers worded it but I'm pretty much going to my grave worn out and screamin.
Life is not a journey to the grave With the intention of Arriving safely in a pretty And well preserved body, But rather to skid in broadside, Thoroughly used up, Totally worn out, And loudly proclaiming, MAN!!!! What a ride!
Your ride and threads should be traditional, your birth date is immaterial. Traditional is rides 64 and older, not members, on this message board. Having said that, I can appreciate almost any hot rod or custom and any car magazine.
If you didn't cruise in the mid-50s to late-60s.....you didn't really cruise at the height of that activity. What you see in AG is about as accurate as any movie depiction of the era. No matter how big or small the community, there was a "gut" and you cruised it, round and round....stopping occasionally to sit alongside the boulevard just to "be seen" and look nonchalant if you were a guy, and disinterested if you were a chick (but you weren't really). There was also usually a place outside town where impromptu drag races were held, to settle the 'light-to-light' mini-races. dj
I seen AG about 20 times since it came out and I think it is a perfect depiction of most towns in North America . Every character in the movie reminded me of someone I knew from school or in the neighbourhood . And I got to know about Wolfman Jack , to boot , and another of my heros growing up . T
I was born in '46, grew up in northern California, so American Graffiti and AG-2 were a very real depiction of my teenage to early twenties life experience. I related to those two movies like I have to no others.
Hey I was born in late -1949 . My sister is 9 years older so in about 1955 when I was 6 and she was 15 she started going out with a guy who had a 40 Ford coupe. My sister had to take care of me when my Mom was working and so I rode a lot of miles in the front seat of that 40. I remember her boyfriend's younger brother had a 39 or 40 coupe and his older brother had an early 50's Merc. ...all black. This was in Easton, Massachusetts.....one thing that stands out in my mind is that when people went swimming back then and changed out of their bathing suits , the suits were hung over the antenna on the car and dried as they drove. Not sure if that was a regional thing or what . I know it sounds funny , but its just something I identify with that period. I have thought about hanging a bathing suit on my 48 Ford antenna just for the heck of it.
I was Born in 1950 grew up in Yucaipa next to Redlands is that the Burger Bar across the street from the High School. We could Drive out to Palm Springs or up to Big Bear or to the Beach in less than one Hour.Friday night cruising E Street in San Beradino the Drags on Saturday Fontana Riverside Pomona or one of the many Drag strips. Or we could allways make a run on Bryant. I left there in 1968 but wow where those the day
Born in 1946- old fords were being bought and stripped of fenders/ etc. I watched all that happening from the sidelines- my first car 1953 Ford Flathead V-8/ stick- did not make me want an old car- I wanted a new Corvette-
Trust me, the seventies where not "There". "There" was the late fifties and early sixties. Even AG depicted the sixties. I feel bad for those of you who missed being "There".
My parents lived through those times. Still have the car club coats, still have some of the cars and lots and lots of memories/photos. So cool to listen to dad talk about it and look through the old photos. Rolled up blue jeans and white t-shirts. Very greasy hair. Cigarettes rolled up in his shirt sleeve and didn't even smoke. LOL.
Born in 46,so spent a lot of time in the 50's, 60's and 70's. I see a lot of references to cruising on such and such streets and I'm sure there was one of those streets in every town that had teenagers. If you were fortunate to have done so,,,Who could ever forget "Cruising down Whittier Blvd". I'm talking bumper to bumper Early Hot Rods, lots of 55's, 56's and 57's, customs, sure enough drag race cars and lots and lots of beautiful California girls. It would take you 2-3 hours to go about 20 blocks, there were so many cars. Most of the times you could only do 2 passes before you had to go home And nobody cared that the traffic moved so slow. I remember sometimes even forgetting to check out the girls because of some really wicked and beautiful cars. It was two lanes coming and two going. Now, that was the real 50's and 60's. I sure wish I could see a video or pics of those times on Whittier Blvd,!!
born in 53, grew up with a drag strip two fields over from our place , it was all over before i was 10 hopelessly addicted to drag racing,hot roddin was much less organized, we were just guys who liked cars and built hot rods and race cars, you bought nothing, made everything yourself, it was the best, but i must admit, being able to check a chevy casting number on my sons smart phone in the shop is pretty neat, hung out at the local sandwich shop and the older guys were no less brutal than they are on the HAMB
Born in 66. I remember, bits and pieces of the Vietnam conflict/war. I remember rocking on my wodden rocker watchin NASA, and the moon landing. I remember sitting on a 30 foot Pearsons Commander (sail boat) floating in a lake erie dock watching Nixons impeachment hearings. My first exposure to Hotroddin was my uncle 66 GTO, which he still owns today. My other uncles Bonneville which my cousin owns. and cars loud exhaust on a busy 4 lane called Snow Rd, until we moved. I also remember John Force sponsored by Jolly Rancher in other words, I missed it.
Ud....the woodstock I knew was attached to an m-14 Born in'47, with two older brothers, I enjoyed a lot of the early 60's the late 60's not so much.
Don't forget Van Nuys Blvd, Hawthorne Blvd. from the A&W up to Wich Stand, Harvey's Broiler, Bellflower Blvd. Can we go on? Lions on Saturday night - I'm getting a headache from the nitro fumes!!! Yea, it's all true! Real and unreal! That was a time you could cruise any street in LA and it was cool ! (Well, maybe NOT L Street in "Wilmas" Did that once, but how many times can you hear War's "Lowrider" in one night? I'm just saying...) "1950's -1960's What's an STD???? Isn't that Granatelli's oil treatment ?" I knew guy in the Navy once, that had the Clap or maybe it was Crotch Crickets!
Born in Detroit in '49 so I missed all the "real" cruisin' years. Didn't stop me from enjoying all those cars though. I remember one of the older "hoodlums" in the neighborhood had a 56 Ford Crown Vic lowered in the back, Merc wagon tail lights, glass packs & WW tires driving by all the time. I had to have one. Fast forward to '68 one of the older Canadians where I worked sold me his 56 Meteor Crown Vic. It was the muscle car era so my car was well out of place then. I didn't care, loved that car. Had to sell it when Uncle Sam came calling. When I got back in '71 (again feeling out of place) I built a '63 Ford 406 4sp & opened more than a few eyes from guys with their muscle cars on Telegraph. Things had changed by then. Cops started kicking us out of parking lots we hung in & they started handing out tickets for "looping" as we called it. It was some good times though. Just wish I could have started a few years earlier.
Yes that was the Burger Bar across from the high school. And a block or two down was Bakers Bugers and Taco Tia. Redlands itself didn't really have that much of a cruising scene. (Except for the phony surfers who cruised Highway 99 and State Street all weekend in their woodies with the surfboards that never saw water strapped to the roof.) Most of the people I knew cruised E Street in San Bernardino too. Yeah, great times with the beach or Big Bear about an hour away. I left right after high school in '63 and didn't see much hot rod action while I was in the Army with the exception of one of my buddies named Joe Crawford who had a full fendered 32 Pontiac coupe with a hot Pontiac V8 with 3 2s. Scary ride in the wintertime in Iowa. Another shot of the Burger Bar, Bakers Burgers, B&B Burgers on Highway 99 just before Loma Linda and Taco Tia.
........I was born in 1942, was there, did that, and still do with the "carhop", working at the Hop Drive-In, 52 years ago....(tattoo is magic marker)
Born in 47'.....grew up in Chelsea (50 miles west of Detroit)...first car when I was 18 was a 50' Ford 4 door with the flathead, that I bought for $15 because the junk yard offered the owner $12. Never worked on the engine back then because it just ran with no issues. Now I have a 53' Merc with the flathead I have completely rebuilt, so the circle is complete. When I cruse now with the original tube type radio (AM) and get the static when I drive under a power lines, it is like I never stopped cruising with that 50 Ford on those hot nights in Michigan. We have an oldies channel on AM in Denver, so the same songs I heard back then are still on the radio now. It is something you don't have to try to remember, it just happens, and you can feel it.
I was born in 53. I started "working" on cars at a young age. There are pictures of me "helping" my dad wax our new 55 Chevrolet and crawling under his 50 Chevrolet pickup while he changed oil. The late 50s, the 60s and 70s were great times for me and cars were a big part of it until I got married in 78.
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