History Where were you in '62???

I was a junior in high school in Redlands CA. My ride was a '56 Olds 88 2dr sedan with a factory 3 on the tree. I loved that car. As I recall gas was around 20 cents a gallon. Was even cheaper at an independant nicknamed "Jungle Jims Swamp Water". The "in" hairstyle was a "Balboa" (flattop w/fenders). Spent a lot of Friday and Saturday nights drinking and driving in San Bernadino. If the cops caught you with beer in the car they would pour it in the gutter and let you go. However, they were not the least bit tolerant of street racing or having a car that was "too low". Got a lot of tickets for "exhibition of speed" LOL.

 

I was a Junior in hgh school even though my dad was a laborer I always had a knack for finding cool rides. My daily was a 1948 Ford convertible nice blue smittys and subtle pinstripe job called Little Boy Blue. My backup car about to make it's debut was actually my first car bought when I was 14 a 53 Merc. hardtop with a Yblock in it originally 1953 LM Bittersweet with a cream top but about to go one color my then girlfriend now wife bought me paint for Xmas present though supposed to be same color came out much oranger I had the first competition orange car in these parts. I also had a 45 Harley Flathead it wasn't very fast but man did it sound good. Pumped Gas at a Sunoco station after school till closing 190 was $19.9 and 260 29.9. On Sat. was very popular with the race car set as they would stop on the way to race track for their weekly fillup. My boss a long time service station owner insisted we wash windows with Bon Ami a pain but job gave me a hoist to work on my stuff plus I made 66 cents an hour! Good Times Good Times. Did our fair share of cruising and street racing hung at the 99 Drive in or A&W. Sat in school with the little mags tucked inside whatever book I was supposed to be studying dreaming about the day when I could make a living with cars. But thats another chapter. I wasn't the coolest guy by any means but I did have the coolest cars.

 

USN Charleston S C USSMcdonough DLG8 1953 olds 2door poster factory stick Life was good

 

Depends on the day in 62. On one weekend in October 62, I was trying to get the GizzleHopper off my head. That weekend in OK City I lost control and flipped her on her head, took out about 200 feet or so of fence and wiped out the car.

Other than that, 62 was a good year.

 

I was at that awkward age - 13 - not old enough to hang with the guys with cars and too old to hang with my younger brothers....

I spent the summers mowing lawns around the neighborhood and hanging with my friends waiting till we too could drive - in the meantime a 24" Columbia single speed got me around town, or my 2 feet!



Girls were a strange creature from another planet and to be avoided at all costs - for about one more year...

 

I was 12..just me and my Schwinn Longhorn..working on my Eagle Scout..about that time Dad got me a go-kart and I been mashin the go pedal and gettin sideways ever since..

 

Graduated in '62. Drove a '29 av8 that my grandfather and I built 2 years before while working on his farm for the summer. I bought a stock '29 coupe from a guy in northern Michigan where my dad was stationed flying B-52's and drove it my sophmore summer to Pennsylvania via Canada to northern Pennslyvania and my grandparents farm. After chores each evening we would work on the A. The engine was out of the '47 Ford school bus I rode to school my first day of first grade. After summer vacation was over I drove it back to Michigan and began my 5 year long relationsip with my first built hot rod. Over 200 cars since and it's still in the top 10 that I've ever owned.
When AG came out a friend told me I had to go see it,glad I did as it was like reliving those great high school years all over again. Met my wife my senior year ('62) and this July we'll count 47 years married.

Frank

 

Oh my that was a couple of days ago. 1962 married with two kids had just graduated from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy. Still married to that little Gal. How she has put up with me all these years hell I don't know?
First assignment was at the Drunk Farm in Saugus, Ca. Back then no one went from the academy to patrol. We all went to some type of Jail. About six months before the Watts riot was assigned to Lakewood Sta. and oh the riots were not fun!
So in 1962 my cruising days were long over with. Also how come you guys that were cruising in Long Beach, Lakewood, Bellflower, Downey etc never went cruising in Compton? Back then Compton was a great town.
Hmmmm just these few words were great to remind me of those days.

 

Wow 1962 oh man what a time it was. We had no idea 13 year old kid in Yucaipa Calif

 

My mother was born in 1962...

 

In 62 I was a kid in public school reading car mags when I could steal them from my brother. Hanging out at the dirt track with my oldest brother who raced a 56 Chevy hobby stocker. I was the go-fer.

 

On february 1st 1962, I was hatched!! Yes it was a good year. A damned good year.

 

born in 63 so missed it by one year. Oh well that's ok because it keeps me younger.

 

I was just ahead of you by a few month's, I caught the last half of Dec, born on the 17th.

 

I was 4 - in shorts at kindergarten. Don't remember much other than that.

Ho hum

 

1962...was driving this around and around....the yard

 

I was in the 2nd grade cruizin around in a pair of Keds.

 

I was 12 and still riding around on my bicycle.

 

I was 12 years old growing up in the small coastal town of Penobscot,Maine. We owned a small 20 acre farm on the salt water. I had an old Model A home-made tractor ( some call them Jitter Bugs) that I played with in the fields and woods. My brother and I spent hours on the water in and old wooden boat with a 7.5 hp Evenrude, chasing seals and generally exploring and enjoying life. Its hard to remember what we did in the winter ....I remember plowing snow a lot with and old Oliver OC3 crawler tractor. Winters were long....Summer was endless.

 

Going thru jump school at fort Benning Ga. US Army Paratrooper

Bobbyd

 

'62 was my second year in Southern California and as a 15 year old transplanted Canadian I was still trying to adjust to the California lifestyle! In '63, surfing savd me! In '64 Hot Rods took me! What a ride!!!!

 

Cool pic, speaks volumes about that era. Much more complicated for younguns' now.

 

I'm with you Dude...born in 62'...turning 50 in May...NOT GOOD

 

well i was one year old , but i was riding aroung with mom and dad in a choped 51 merc , i wish dad , and the merc were still here , its neat reading some of your history hope mine can go as well and as far , im glad to be able to be here and take it in

 

I was a freshman in hi school and my first ride wasn't in my hands for another year!

 

Better than the alternative.

Let's see, in 62 I was 13--just starting to read every car magazine I could get my hands on and building models (cars, airplanes, ships, anything!). I was driving a tractor in the fields and had to get there in an old work truck, so I thought I was Parnelli Jones on the dirt roads.

As far as the big block/small block deal, I don't remember anyone calling an engine a big block until the rat (originally porquipine??) engine came out in 65. And if you didn't have a big block, you didn't have a small block either. If some one asked what engine you were running it was just displacement. Except there were a lot of 283s that were "327s" and a few 348s that were "409s". Or vice versa if you were talking up a race.
Larry T

 

Wow, '62, Breed Street School, I was in 5th grade. After school, I'd hang around the playground playing basketball or baseball with my school buddies. On weekends, I did yard work or painted apartments that my Grandparents owned to earn money for school clothes. My Dad finally got hired full time at a trucking company called O.N.C.. My Mother was a housewife taking care of my 3 brothers and 1 sister.

 

I was hanging out at the beach near Wildwood, NJ......
learning to surf.....

 

Let's see I was 17 taking driver's Ed in HS. Going to the sock hops and trying to slow dance w/o arousing MR Peter. Dreaming of my 1st ride. Building model cars. Thinking about the US NAvy or auto design school which neither happen. Met a girl named Mary Ann and took her to the King & Queen dance. Mary Ann and I have been married for 44 years now. Drove my Dad's 61 Buick SW w/3 three on the tree. Slowly started to customize her and hoped Dad would not notice ...ha. I use to remove the air cleaner before I would cruz the town to hear that deep throaty sound when I punched her. That was a happy time and did not realize it then. However, I still play with cars.