Being a young hot-rodder in New York is fun, and a lot of people like seeing my shoebox Ford around town, and I'm easily spotted by it. When I cruise around, and listen to Del Shannon or Dion and the Belmonts,I wonder what it was like in the era of Drive in movies, and Drive in fast food joints, and wonder why I couldn't be born then. It just seems like a different time. I enjoy cruising Long Beach with my old flatty, and a lot of the older crowd makes it a point to say, "I had one of those back when it was new, and gum used to cost a penny." Maybe it's just me, but I wish I was around in the real age of hot-rods and customs. It pains me to see people not interested in the scene, but theres nothing you can really do about it? Just and epiphany I've had while driving my car. See you on the streets. -Rick
Hey Rick, Nice to see there are young guys out there like you, guys who love the old hot rod scene and the music of the era. Growing up in Southern California we had it made when it came to having a great time at the drivie-in movies, burger places like Harvy-Boiler, Mel`s, The Clock and the A&W`s. We cruised all over the place on less then .50 a gallon for gas. Find guys like youself and start a club with like minded cool people. Good luck with your ride................ See ya, out there on the streets Rick. Cruiser
Yeah, we enjoyed the times, but you know, we had no clue how good we really had it. The hangout in Compton was Jerry's BBQ, on L.B. Boulevard, a drive-in restaurant, next to Record Town. Hamburger and Elvis' latest. One-stop shopping '50's style.
For those of us that were around then, well yeah, it was cool, but it had it's downsides too. Korean War, Vietnam War, cold war with the Russians, cops in those days HATED hot rods. Fortunately, the good far outweighed the bad.
When I start feelin that way I usually talk to my dad or some of my older friends and thay all say that I was born with an old soul. I guess that`s why most of my friends are 20-30 years older than I`am and I`m 31. I really enjoy being the "young kid" around all the old farts when they get to story tellin and they share some of thier tricks with me.
i know the feeling... but when i get in my car and cruise around, it helps... or when we get a bigger group together and take a ride, its fun and kinda makes you imagine it a little better... but its still not the same... we just have to make good with what we have and have fun.... hell, thats what it was all about, right?
We all feel that way about one era or the other. I lived through the hot rod stuff of the 50's and 60's and am still strongly involved. My dream was to do 20 years in the Navy as a carrier pilot, retire and become an archeologist. Course, shooting down Zero's and Betty's (the plane, not the girl) was part of the dream. To accomplish that I woulda had to start at about four years old and the problem there was, I couldn't reach the rudder pedals. Somewhere in there I realized hot rods were easier than Corsairs and generally speaking there's no one shooting back. Got to be an archeologist though. A recent find....
<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">Rick, It's refreshing to hear a young guy enjoying what I did as a teenager in Southern California. Here is the kicker, I still do it with a bunch of old guys in West Virginia today as I belong to a local car club, that is the ticket. Look for like minded folks and hang out, it's cool whatever your age is, good luck and keep cruising. Rags </TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on"> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
I'm 56 and still enjoy just driving somewhere, in my rod. To me, the best shows are the ones that are in the older sections of town. It's like a trip in the "Way back machine". (Good name for a car)
I pretty much like the decades I've lived through. I was born in '51, so I remember a small bit of the 50's thanks to my older brother. I survived the 60's; partied through 70's. Although I sometimes like to listen to the old doo-woop stuff, the recording quality was pretty bad...much better music has been done since that time. I only wish: (a) I had a bigger house with a bigger garage and property for my cars, and (b) wished I had bought that Aston-Martin DB4 for 10 grand when it was offered to me, (c) drive-ins were still abundant and safe. Patrick
It's good to see such positive feedback and what not. I am in a car club that my late father started a long time ago with family and friends, and they love seeing me into all the old cars and actually driving mine. They mostly just go to the club meetings and eat, and we have one trailer queen, and one part time trailer queen, I don't blame him though, the cross bronx is a terrible road, and it woul end up hurting the car. Maybe I'll make a drive in burger joint, that would help. -Rick
Respecting the past is fine, but look at all the events around the country we have today. HAMB Drags, LSR, Hunnert Car Pileup................and 4353 more. If you added all the circle tracks,swapmeets, drag events etc there is something to do EVERY week of the year! Technology has made the whole world smaller. I am happy to be living today.
Hey Rick,I was reading your thread and thinkin to myself,Well first let me ask you how young you are?I'm now 40,and back in '84 when I bought my 51 Chevy HT,all the kids I knew had muscle cars or guidomobiles,no one my age had rods or sleds,if they were around I didnt know about it.So I was in the same boat you are in now.Luckily my Dad was around in the heyday of when our kinds of cars ruled the Boulevards and Main streets of the USA.The same goes for the music.Most of the guys I hung around were the older guys that knew how it was back then.Even to this day,yea I have younger cats that I'm friends with,but still relate to the older crowd.I was at a car show in Staten Island last Sept and some spectator came up to me and asked me "is this yours?"I said "yea",he then proceeded to say to me"this car looks like it could have been in the small magazines from the 50's".The only reason it was done that way because I was doing the car on a budget.So I never changed anything in the last 25 years.So believe me I know just how you feel.Joe
Hate to blow my own horn here...(aw hell, I don't either...!!!) but if you want to read what it was like back in the early '60's, in the midwest, grab both of my books from my website: WWW.RAJetter.com...or if you don't want me to autograph it to you, you can buy it from Amazon.com... R-
What I liked about growing up in the 50's and 60's was the pace of life... much slower than today. And we weren't inundated with so much stuff. You could turn on the TV and nothing was on but an Indian Chiefs head
no,,i dont,,,,,,dont plan on one either,, im usually either at my shop or at home,,so no real need for one (obviously, i do have a computer though,,hahah).. i often think about how cool it would have been to be working at barris's shop in the early-mid 50s,,,,a lot of the customers worked on their own cars, or they didnt get done,,,, ive often felt like i was born i the wrong time,,,i kinda made my own 1950s,,,,my apt looks like a time warp,,,all 50s furniture, lamps, hifi, art, etc,,,,the office at my shop is filled with all kinds of 50s stuff,,,oil cans, wax containers, pinup art, tikis, car parts, pictures,,just all sorts of neat ****...ive got 400+ of the "little books" i just feel totally comfortable when im around my stuff......im basically obsessed with that whole era,,,,hahahaha
We had a park it was about a 3 mile cruz through the park and on Sat that was the place to be absoltely every where you could back a car in there was a Hot rod Lots of straight axle cars ball joint lift kits and el camino spring cars,late 60"s early 70"s. then to white castle on Sat nite .Blast
Rick I'm 62 and allot of my friends are in their 20's, 30's, & 40's and these people say the same thing you said "I was born to late". I grew up in Southern California and was obsessed with cars from the get go, specifically KUSTOMS. I'm real glad to see young guys like you carrying on this part of our hobby. Maybe I'll see you at a run or something this year. Butch
I've often wished I could have lived throught that era. The reality is that the good ol' days are right now. Instead of lamenting the lost past, build something ,get out and live it now. From your post it seems you've already figured that out. Enjoy!
One of my favorite things to do late at night(when not as many modern cars are on the streets) is hop in my Olds and go cruising around down town to admire all of the old buildings. I dream of what it would have been like to cruise down the same streets when all those beautiful old vacant buildings were in their prime and the streets were filled with real cars.
Great post Rick. Any of you old guys agree that everything started to change when JFK was killed? The Beatles came along a few months later and the surfing/hot rod music that we identified with all but went away. Viet Nam kicked in not long afterwards and along came muscle cars. Lots of memories from that era---good and bad.
I was born in 35 and loved the 50s-60s car scene, no regets, except for my first wife but thats another story. About 12 to 15 of us still get together for breakfest once a month to see who can BS the best and 6 of us still are into cars, two have their cars they had in the 50s, two since the 60s. The only thing wrong is I can't get down and work like I use too, but I still try. It was good then and its good now. Hang in there young guys, there is still fun to be had.
The Jalopy Journal
