DID YOU GROW UP IN THE 50'S AND 60'S ???

[studebot]

How about one more! I don't know where to start,except it was maybe 1967 or so. My family always celebrated birthdays,and my cousin came over for a birthday and the whole family thing goin on. And what I liked to do was aked the recent boyfriend if we could go for a ride in his 65 plymouth fury Convertible 4-speed. Well he agreed and my sister and I got to go for a ride,well it was so cool cause your young ,and in a convertible with a 4-speed. He drove it several miles to the park that had a langoon ,and he trounce on throttle alittle. Just to cool. Or my dad used to work at the local Chevy dealer as a salesmen ,and a couple times he would bring home for lunch a corvtte. And old 61 or so ,and I would go outside and get inside and look around and the 4-speed ,just a good time. How about the time the place to cruise was the ave in downtown, by this time it was 1973 and were crusin in my brothers 67 mustang. And then in the other lane was a early camaro ,tunnel ram ,two hollys and loud,and this guys got a chick with him,and my brother asks his friend to ask the guy what class he runs in. I don't remember what he said, or do I ,maybe he said he didn't run in any class. But that camaro was built-up!

[Tom Setzer]

I was born in Feb. 1947, and grew-up in the 50's and early 60's. I discovered Hot Rod,Rod and Customs, plus the other car Magazines in 1954 and I have been a Gearhead ever since then! I just love Hot Rods, and Street Rods! My Grandfather got me started model building, and taught me how to build models,from the time I was six years old. My Grandfather painted Military Figures and built Military Vehicles of all kinds, he also, built all kinds of ship models from ancient war galley to WWII War Ships in both wood and plastics. He taught me how to use tools, Hand paint, and use an airbrush. How to clean up models, including how to remove flash and mold marks from plastic and metal models, to always test fit parts before putting any glue on them.

I cut lawns and did anything I could to earn money, including delivering News Papers and always deposited atleast 80% in my savings account! I managed to save over $5,000.00 by the time I was 14years old! I started working after school in My Uncles Speed Shop when I was 12 years old for minimum wage plus training in how to work on cars, and do work installing speed parts, and making modifications to make them faster, including the right way to build Flat Heads, and all kinds of other engines, Transmissions, rear ends, and chassis and suspensions. I also learned some body work. He worked me very hard but it was well worth it!

I found a still running A Model that only had surface rust, that belonged to an old guy that could nolonger renew his drivers liscense and bought it for $25.00, after over two, almost three years and a little over $400.00, I had My first Hot Rod, it was still only primered with black primer, and it was upholstered with surplus Army Blankits, but it was fast and I loved it. I have had a lot of Hot Rods, and other Fast Cars since then, but in my heart I will always remember that first Hot Rod!

[gtx6970]

Born in 1959 got into hot wheels and model cars late 60's , been hooked ever since. got into real cars by the mid- 70's . By the early 80's I had 2 hemi car's,, several 440 six pack cars and a Daytona, ( all now gone )

( with a slight deviation along the way for ' the ladys' - married in 1993 )

Turned 16 in 1975 and had saved my money to buy my own first car. Driving around in my parents 1973 Dodge Colt station wagon did very little for ones image,( although the back of that little wagon could tell some pretty cool stories all there own )

After a brief stint with a 6 cyl Pontiac Tempest I wanted something cool and fast, but it had to be cool

1975-76 time frame My dad and I went to look at a 1957 Chevy 2 door hardtop, 283 and 3spd , with the continental spare tire on the trunk. Sadly the car had been wrecked and hit a culvert in a ditch. Bending the ft lower frame crossmenber. And my dad wouldn't let me buy it.

It took some persuassion on my part with my dad. But I ended up buying a friends of mines 1967 Cougar 390 auto, I beat the snot out of that car for about a year, till the oil consumption got to be to much and I didn't have the money to fix it back then. So I sold it to my uncle and he replaced the motor and went dirt track racing with it , I think he ended up junking the bent banged up car after a year or so of racing it .

The summer of 1977 before my senior year I was at a friends house down the road when I spotted a blue 1969 Road runner in a guys ft yard for sale. After stopping to talk to the guy about it. I was interested. So the next day my dad and I went and looked it over, and I drove it home. He wanted $200 for it, when I told him all I had was $150 he took it. AH,,,,, the good old days of cheap and fast.

It was bright blue with blue interior , 383 column auto and bench seat . But it had air shocks , and these really cool aluminum slots all the way around and boy was it loud. But I was in heaven.I was hooked , And I've had nuttin but mopars since.

1986 I went to work as a dodge dealer tech for the next 25 years. While there the office manager was this really good looking brunette. it took some gusto on my part but did get up the nerve to ask here out, . We've been together ever since, now married 19 years with 2 daughters .

But from time to time, I do think about where my life would be if I had bought that Chevy.

Edited August 4, 2012 by gtx6970

[sjordan2]

Well, here we are 4 years after this thread was posted, and I haven't gotten any younger, and my kit interests remain pretty much the same. Even in the 50s, my modeling activities were mostly for 30s classics, which they still are, and I was annealed in the fire of Pyro kits like the Auburn Speedster, 1948 Continental, etc., and the bodaciously difficult Revell multipiece bodies of the '56 Continental and Austin-Healey 100/6. I'm still stuck in a time warp of buying older or reissued kits, since there's not much new out there that I find of interest. Can't someone issue a new large-scale kit of the ancient greats?

[MrObsessive]

Being born in '61, I can remember noticing shapes of cars as early as '64 when I was three years old. I didn't know what models they were, but I noticed a distinction between the finny and chromed cars of the '50's/early '60's to the "squarer" shapes of the mid and later '60's.

As Bill above mentioned, I also got into Hot Wheels big time when they were intro'd in '68, and by that time the muscle car scene was hot and heavy. I don't want to think about the '70's when Big Boredom began to take a strangle hold on the car industry at that point. Seems as though the designers thought that if they put tape stripes on it, that made the car go faster somehow. Not!

Big disappointment as I was in high school at the time, but at least those muscle cars were nice cheap used cars at that point!

[Agent G]

I was born in '55, so like Harry, grew up in the 60's and 70's. Mom came from a motorcycle oriented family. I still have the panoramic photo of gramps and granny astride the 1919 HD J model with sidecar they had. Dad rode a BSA and my brother a Yamaha. I was doomed from the start to be a bike guy, and I still am.

Brother Neal is a Khe Sahn Marine, so dad was a bit hesitant to let me enlist when I turned 17. I assured him the war was over, and danger no longer existed. April 1975 I was found myself in Saigon evacuating folks.........................................................never say never. My experiences in the Corps gave me a unique outlook on life which I enjoy. Danno says I'm way too frikkin cheerful for my own good.

First car, 1962 Pontiac Catalina 421SD

First bike, Yamaha 125 Enduro bored to about 170cc's

First street bike, Yamaha TX 500a, then a HD Sportster.

G

[Harry P.]

Hands down, winner of the "Oldest Resurrected Thread" Award!

Do people actually go back dozens and dozens of pages and read ancient threads? And then respond to them? I guess they do...

[Dr. Cranky]

No DEAD threads on this forum, Harry, just dormant for a while!

[Sixx]

Hey Kodiak Island Modeler!!! That's a trip...you grew up in Osky huh?? Me, right down the road in Ottumwa!!! I didn't pop out until 68 tho!! LOL!! Went to school with Tommy Johnson Jr., and his wife. They both have a job I wished I had, top fuel & pro-mod!!? Used to go to Eddyville for the drags...Knoxville for the sprints!! I've said to friends before...I was born in the wrong era coz I loves me some '50's cars!!! I got stuck with leftover late 60s...then the 70' happened!! My first car was a 1970 Maverick, beat up 302, airshocks fully pumped in back, and a TON of bondo!!! LOL!!! only paid 200 for it. LOL!!

Edited August 10, 2012 by Sixx

[cobraman]

Born in Chicago in 1951. 1951 ! ###### I'm old and still playing with little cars and lovin' it more than ever. Moved to California in 1977 and to Arizona in 2007.

First car was a 1962 Ford I got from my folks for 50 bucks. That car took me everywhere and never let me down. It gave me some very fond memories.

My first bike was a 1974 Honda CB 450 that I bought new.

['08SEAL]

Lucky guys... 2000 and the last childhood memory was grand canyon in 2005.