<table id="post2230904" class="tborder" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td class="alt1" id="td_post_2230904" style="border-right: 1px solid rgb(153, 153, 153);">for all you old timers: my dad and i was talking in the garage about the old days him being 59 and me 28 i brought up the old cruizin days in wichita and i heard from many hot rodders douglass was the place to be. With his eyes opening little wider and with a smerk on his face he told me it was always happening. Kustoms ,hot rods, street rods, etc. were the various cars down there back and forth all night long. I i also hear it from co workers who weren't even into cars and even said it was very cool nights back then. My dad says it was cops and city running you guys off (he was from halstead ks so his details might not be as good as some of yours.)) and the guy at work claims it was other stuff.. Any ways what i'm getting at is i think it would be cool if all you hambers spread the word to locals and hell even who ever wants to cruize lets get this history fired back up. reminise and pass it on to all your car buddies and so on and toss around the idea of firing up your rods and bring back that old wichita tradition. Pm me or reply some of memories if you want or just let me know if you think this would work, and get these cars on the road like they should be. or hell just start dragging your cars out and dusting them off and cruizing them. Ill be in a baby blue 49 dodge wayfere. i've kinda slapped together so if you see me stop me. Thanks for your input. <!-- / message --> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="alt2" style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 153, 153) rgb(153, 153, 153); border-width: 0px 1px 1px;" width="150"> <hr style="border: medium none ; background-image: url(hamb/misc/dl.gif); height: 1px;"> <script type="text/javascript"> vbrep_register("2230904")</script> </td> <td class="alt1" style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 153, 153) rgb(153, 153, 153) -moz-use-text-color; border-width: 0px 1px 1px 0px;" align="right"> <hr style="border: medium none ; background-image: url(hamb/misc/dl.gif); height: 1px;"></td></tr></tbody></table>
Wow what memories, started cruising Douglas in 66, would go from Sandi's hamburger place on Douglas and Grove to turn around at "Sam the shoe store mans" place on west Douglas , what great times . The place was always packed , chicks cruising for guys and of course guys cruising for chicks, stop light drags, beer drinking, pulling over on Douglas , sitting on your hood, looking cool, everyone hollowing at each other , loud pipes and some smart ass is some high dollar muscle car showing off all the rest of us in our stuff. Life was good...!!!
I cruised Douglass from '88 to '90. Probably a bit tamer than in '66, but still, wall to wall kids n cars, at the time lots of VW's and mini trucks, I remember a lime green '41 Chevy coupe, a red '70 Camaro, my buddies '72 Cutlass, and a few others. Always enjoyed the scene, and fortunately never got in any trouble. The older guys hung out at Arby's on Seneca then, so, since I liked the older cars I'd make a few passes on Douglass then head over to Seneca to sit . The street racers would match up and run on West Street.
I cruised Douglas from '65 until '67 or so. I still make a pass through the area when I'm out with the hot rod.
Oh yes....Kruizin in Wichita on a Saturday night in '59/'60. I lived in Sedgwick at that time. My cousin and I would take my '57 Ford 2dr hardtop w/ a California rake with my Grandpa in tow sitting in the backseat because with a restricted driver's license that was the only way my Dad would allow me to go to Wichita. Of course, there were many times we would go without him knowing. Anyway...before we would arrive at The Continental drive-in, we would be rolling down all the windows even in the dead of winter. Grandpa would complain alittle but with the heater on full blast it was ok. We would make acouple cool rounds though the Continental then off to Sandy's and the T&C. Those were the days. Thanks for letting me go on about my memories.
I remember dragging douglas in the 70's. Loved doing burnouts under the low bridge. That place was the place to be. Too bad the city cops ruined it. I left wichita in 81 to serve in the armed forces. When I came back here in 92, douglass was shut down and the young in's used to drag Seneca and south west street. When I was going to Vo-Tech right behind East high, I used to tune-up everybody's car just for that weekend. I had spent 4 1/2 years their building engines and landed a job at A&B auto Supply working for Cero. Since I live a block away from douglass, it ain't the same anymore. Steve DeTar
With Sandies gone Senaca may be a better place to cruise since there are places to stop for a burger and chat there. Count me in for either location. The burnouts under the bridge are great fun but the tickets for exibition of speed are downright expensive these days.
Off of this topic but ... I remember riding my bicycle to DeTar Automotive to get a look at Gene Snow's funny car back in the day. It must have been '64 or '65, the car was a Dodge Dart.
In 61-62 I had a 51 Olds 2dr hardtop. It would take from 1 to 2 hr. on friday and saturday night to make a round trip from the Continental grill (tell-a-tray) to the Town & country drive in and back. American Graffiti hit it perfectly. One of the first things I'm going to do when my Olds is finished will be to drag Douglas.
This information comes from the Marauder's web site; The new Friday night location is BIGS Bar & Grill, located at 7011 W. Central - southeast corner of Central and Ridge Road. It will start anytime from the middle of March to the first of April - weather permitting. Hours are 5:30P to 9:30P. Marvin the DJ will be there.
While all of you old time Wichita guys are hanging around I wanted to toss this one at you and see if I can get an answer. Anybody know where this video was shot in 1965? I was told it was Wichita but not what area / street http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdK9j-J4au4 I own the original molds that made this car!
BTT Theres alot of talk around town about an "impromptu" Saturday night ,"cruising the 60's , pre-1972 cars , work of month only, no publicity, "Draggin Douglas "this summer. Thought we would pick a time for everyone to converge on Douglas, work it thought the HAMB and local car clubs only. Could be a lot of fun,
I'm in for cruizin some sat night let me know, keepin it on the down low ,just showing up and doing it would be great!!
Ya i think if we just hit douglas at some set time the cops wouldn't be able to react quick enough to run us off..........Damn that would be fun!
Jack, Why could the cops run us off? Its a public street and as lone as we don't brake any laws why would they run us off. Besides most of the cops are to young to remember " draging Douglas".
my cruzn times was late 70's - early 80's not as glorious but we still had lots of fun novas, camaros, mustangs mostly muscle cars but we'd head down south seneca to arbys to see the real cars! kevin
I'm sure if we had alot of cars show up, they would come up with lots of reasons to run us off. We have tried to do this every year at Automobilia and it seems after just a few passes the come up with ever lame excuse to shut it down plus they find every reason in the book to pull us over , sure would be fun!
I seem to recall that back in the late 60's the city came up with a law to limit cruising. The deciding fact in your intent to cruise was by driving past the police officer 3 times in one evening. It was your word against his. You can guess how that was going to turn out if you took it to court. I have no idea if that law is still on the books. I'm up for a cruise through the downtown area any Saturday evening. Just let me know when.
OK boys and girls we need to really start thinking about this. Have talk to allot of the local Hoodlums and everyone thinks this would be a gas, my thoughts are no publication, except the HAMB, word of mouth only, just everyone show up at a given time downtown , ideas on a date?
KOOL!! can a wannabe kool Okie join up with ya guys?? I've always wanted to kruise Douglas. Merc is hopefully a couple of weeks away, then I'll be up for the kruize.
Mick, That would be great ! Stay at the house, the other Okie will be up to hopefully, we just need to pick a date.