Posted on 11/03/2014 11:45:09 PM PST by A Navy Vet
Hey guys and girls. Who here has cruised a Blvd or Ave while you were a teen? Do you remember what that meant to you and the fun of just looking next to the other car? Who has dragged raced when the light hit green?
I had a ‘67 Mustang fastback w/289 - the girls loved that car but it was totally unreliable.
Dexter Gordon story...
We had a GREAT jazz club here in Dayton (Gilly’s) that seem to attract major jazz players.
I saw Dexter Gordon there and after each song he would hold his sax out in front of him and the sax would “bow” to the applause.
It was 1979. The disco era was in full swing. I had a red 1970 Ford Torino 500 with a well-modded 302. I listened to Styx and Kansas and Meatloaf, but there was also a lot of Bee Gees and Donna Summer on the radio in those days. I raced everyone and beat most of them. Worst defeat ever was to a Javelin that turned out to be an AMX. Ouch. Beat by an American Motors car, creator of the Pacer. But, it was the end of the 70s and girls were easy, so I had a lot of great memories in that car.
1961 Biscayne...it was a boat. And, could haul seven friends while we looked for an assist to buy some beer (even ‘low’ beer...3.2%). The music was anything from Del Shannon (Runaway) to Aretha Franklin to Three Do Night and CCR. Toss in a little classic country and we were right in the middle of a ‘good time’...
Surprised we survived some of it, actually. But, wouldn’t change a minute.
68 AMX 390 automatic v 65 GTO The White Album : AMX prevailed while my guitar gently wept!
8 Mile Road in Detroit, 1977, in my mom’s 1968 Camaro, listening to Gary Wright’s Dream Weaver and talking on the CB radio (Channel 5.)
Oops, brain fart. Cruised Gratiot Avenue between 8 and 10 mile roads.
How did so much go so wrong in just 50 years?
1954 Austin Healey 100-4 while listening to the Stones,Beach Boys, Beatles, Who, Dave Clark 5, Ronettes and too many to mention. Those REALLY were the days.( $.15 cent burgers)
In the mid- to late 70’s I cruised endless miles up and down “The Strip “ in my home town in W Tennessee My weapon of choice was a gold 1973 Mustang Mach 1 with a 351 cobra jet engine.
When not listening to 8 tracks of Leonard Skynard, The Doobies, Seals and Crofts and ELO we tuned in to broadcasts of John “Records is really my middle name” Landecker out of Chicago on WLS, (does anyone else remember “boogie checks”?)
As we guys cruised we would hook up with different collections of girls that we identified by “string” (first string, second string, etc.). If you happened to have a daughter in HS in those days, then we were the creatures of your worst nightmares!)
When not cruisin’ we worked out at the football team’s field house and played a pretty mean game of tennis.
I would like to say I was “cock of the walk”. but it was my younger brother who went “parking” with both of the Corruthers sisters AT THE SAME TIME!
(Names changed to protect the not-so-innocent)
1955 Nomad, built 327 4-speed, posi. Paul Pearson’s, Porky’s, and Sun Drive-In, all in Minneapolis. Open headers driving up and down Lake Street looking for match races for $$.
Big Wheel. Yellow handle bars. Yellow forks. Racer red frame. Fat rear tires.
NASCAR sounds from my vocal chords.
69 Camaro listening to Eagle’s Desperado....
Van Nuys Blvd,1970
1960 Ford Falcon
Sure didn’t impress too many but sure was fun.
The “Tool Time” episode, when they dropped the beam on a not-really a Nomad..is a classic.<P.
My roomate freshman year at college (1964)..his mom had a 57 Chrysler 300 convertible...with the big V-8 and the auto transmission with the push buttons mounted on the dashboard. So we’d go cruising whenever we went home for a weekend....mainly to get our laundry done..so at a traffic light , we’d push N...then tromp on the gas..rev it up, then push D...the car would do nothing for about 2 seconds...then this huge THUNK sound ...the car would literally shake..as the tranny engaged..then it would take off like a bat out of hell..
1968 Ford XL 390 Convertible - red - listening to Steely Dan! Still have the car, but it is headed to a rest-o-mod shop for serious overhaul and update when I can get the funds together.
Drag racing? Yeah, the little flecks of rubber stuck to my rear quarter panels got me busted by my dad more than once. That big Ford could really move.
I'm wanting a fat-fendered pickup to tinker with now. Got a line on a bone-stock '56 F-100.
I remember that Velvetex stuff. One of the TV Batmobiles that was on the “World of Wheels” car show circuit back then was covered in it.
73 Vega Stationwagon 350cu. V8. Van Halen, Molly Hatchet,etc.
Late 70’s. when using nitrous would get your a$$ kicked.
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