'American Graffiti' is on TCM as we speak.....

[TheLoneRanger]

I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed that movie. Seeing all that old Detroit Iron brings back memories.....

Steve Bolander (Ron Howard's character) used Castrol motor oil in the 58 Impala; he said so....

 

[rpn453]

I usually can't get into movies that were released before I was born, but American Graffiti is a good one. I won't rush to the TV though because I've got the DVD!

 

[mechtech]

Maybe he couldn't pronounce 'Wolf's Head' oil.

 

[Papa Bear]

Where were you in '62 ??

P.B.

 

[Papa Bear]

Power-Slide !!

Imagine having one of the new 6 speed autos in it.

OldMope....you da man.

P.B.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

Man, I lived that era. In 62 I worked at a little startup co. in Sunnyvale, CA next door to another startup called Hewlett-Packard. I owned a 1958 Chevy Impalla convertable.

 

[Papa Bear]

'57 Ford Fairlane 500 2dr Y-8

Oldmopargyy1 .... did you have the 348 ??

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

Yup, 348 with 2 speed powerglide.

 

[Racerjk]

My 2nd favorite movie of all time!

Milner was winning BTW.

 

[H2GURU]

I do believe this was jigly wigly, Suzzanne Summers' first appearance in movies.

 

[Kestas]

Great car movie!! I was 17 and it jump-started my love-affair with classic cars to this day!

 

[Scott P]

It was on one night as we were going to bed. I pointed out some of the actors and made my wife (age 30) guess who they were. Nice movie.

 

[obbop]

Guess I was more akin to the moped geek since I cruised in a '65 VW Bug.

But, with gas at 29-cents per gallon at one of the VERY few self-serve gas stations 2 bucks allowed an entire weekend of cruising.

American Grafitti showed the 20th and 11th street cruising scene of the early 60s.

I was in Modesto from '72 on and, by that time, the cruising was on McHenry Avenue. Very few cops. Minor stop light to stop light racing (serious races held elswhere outside of town) that was thrilling. A little Chevy II with a built 327 was the "one block king." Saw it blow the doors off hemis and other big blocks. Of course, so a full 1/4-mile race and those BIG blocks could show their stuff.

Great times. But, a couple years after the movie came out, the crowds on McHenry grew so large that the old "magic" was gone. During the summer months we'd see license plates from across the country!!! From the "quiet days" when only locals cruised (included the surrounding small towns) the scene grew so big that it led to an era passing away. I caught the last of those "good old days" before the crowds led to intense police pressure, fights, trouble, a bunch of negatives. At the end, cruising was banned and strictly enforced. Sure am glad I had a chance to catch at least part of those "wonder years" before it all cam crashing down.

Good old Modesto, California. Attended MJC and spent a good part of my 20s there. A great place for a babe magnet such as I to dwell.

Now that I'm a bloated crotchety old fartling, the cultural backwater of Nebraska is just fine.

Sniff......

 

[moribundman]

quote:

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American Grafitti showed the 20th and 11th street cruising scene of the early 60s.

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That may well be, since George Lucas grew up in Modesto, but American Graffiti was in San Rafael, Petaluma, Sonoma, Richmond, Pinole, San Francisco, Novato, Mill Valley, Berkeley and Concord shot between June 26, 1972 and August 7, 1972. Modesto was not a shooting location.

The cruising scenes were shot in Petaluma, with the exception of a few shots that were filmed on the first night on location in San Rafael. The town revoked the shooting permit on the first night of filming due to a disruption complaint, then granted the filming permit again. However, Lucas moved production to Petaluma. Used locations were the Old Adobe Road, Freitas Road and Petaluma Boulevard. The movie also premiered at the Petaluma Theater.

 

[Papa Bear]

Used to go over to Detroit a lot in '62.
Had the '57 Ford with dual exhaust, glass packs and lakes pipes. You could run her up to about 5 grand in low gear in the Windsor/Detroit tunnel and let her back down....beautiful sound there too Oldmope.

P.B.

 

[UncleS2]

quote:

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Originally posted by Oldmoparguy1:
Yup, 348 with 2 speed powerglide.

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Now, *there's* a fuel-efficient combination!

No car for me in 1962- I was 9, & riding a black Schwinn w/white pin-stipes.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

quote:

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Originally posted by Stuart Hughes:

Originally posted by Oldmoparguy1:
[qb] Yup, 348 with 2 speed powerglide. Now, *there's* a fuel-efficient combination!

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Acrually, it wasn't that bad. I had replaced the crappy 4BBL that it came with. I put a Thermoquad 4BBL off a buick 425 engine in it. Had to make an adaptor plate to get it to fit. That beast had 2.25" secondaries.

If I kep my foot out of it, it would do 15mpg around town, 18 on the highway. Another guy had a hard top, he put a T-10 4 speed in it. Mine would beat him everytime in a stoplight race.

Had the greatest sound when you wound it out. A smooth deep moan....

Gives me chills just remembering.