What was cool

[donsrods]

I know what you mean, that was such a crazy era, carwise, that you never knew what you would find under the hood of any car, even station wagons! In 1966 I had a brand new tripower GTO and one night I was racing another goat. I beat him the first time and he wanted to go again, so we lined up on this 4 lane road out of Pittsburgh, Pa. Just as we were ready to launch my buddy in the passenger seat yells, " Here comes the cops!" The flashing lights were coming up behind us.

The cop in that small burg had a 64 Dodge or Plymouth with a 426 wedge, two fours on a cross ram, and the tallest four speed shifter I have ever seen in a factory car. It was him coming after us. We both took off, and the other GTO took an exit and I continued up this long winding uphill stretch of the four lane. My buddy is telling me I better kick it because the cop is gaining on us. My speedometer went to 120 mph and the needle was at about the 130 mark and this d*** cop was still catching me! Those Mopars always were top end machines.

We finally turned onto a winding road and I parked the car on a side street and we took off running. While we were hiding in the bushes the cops found the goat and had it towed. Next day my Mom had to bail it out as it was in her name, and luckily for me they couldn't prove who was driving it, so I got off. Mom was not very happy with me for a LONG TIME!

Ah yes, the good old days. It's a wonder any of us are still alive to talk about them.

Don

 

[rustybeercan]

Trucks were the big thing where I come from. They were for both transportation and work. Rich kids got GTO's, Vette's and the like. I drove beater trucks nearly all my life.

 

[Willowbilly3]

I remember some pretty rare stuff, knew one guy who special ordered a 64 Belair wagon with a 409 4 speed. I also remember those old Mopar cop cars but a little later when they had 440s. I talked to an HP who served from the 50s through the 70s and he said the best car he ever had was a 57 Ford 300 with a 312, two fours and 3 speed with overdrive.

 

[the reverend muddy grimes]

I dont understand why this is what WAS cool. I still think it is. Main reason I prefer trucks is where else are you gonna get an affordable 2 door v8 with a stick these days?

 

[bob w]

Let's talk about cool stance. In the 50's it was lowered in back. A little later it was down in front. Then raised in the rear. That's how the L60 tires fit under there. Of course, copying the "up in the front" gasser look became popular. Lots of muscle cars were high all around, to get the big tires in the rear and the gasser look up front. Certain people more interested in styling/cruising were low all around.

In my time, I guess I've seen just about every way a car can be lowered or raised become popular.

 

[workin class]

I grew up in the 70s and 80s I was never cool. I always hated store bought muscle cars as the guys I knew who owned them were mostly A holes. I worked in a body shop building custom Corvettes for rich stupid people with lots of $$ and no taste. I drove a 56 Chev pick up with original paint and hung around with the local Street rod crowd. Most if not all the other kids I went to school thought I was stupid for waisting my time with old cars. So if muscle cars are cool I will never be nor ever want to be.

 

[earthman]

Remember jacked up in the back with "scavenger pipes"? How about lake plugs or even dumps? There was a '47 Chevy in my hometown that had it all.
Lake plugs in the front wheel wells, lake pipes down the sides and it was jacked up in the back so you could see the bell tipped scavenger pipes.

 

[earthman]

What the heck! Who remembers shrunken heads hanging from the rearveiw mirror, later replaced by fuzzy dice? Those were pretty much comtemporary with bongo drums in the back package tray. The bongo drums were from the beatnik days. Remember beatniks? Oh yeah ,how about rolled and pleated package trays that would reflect up in the back window. Wait! It's all coming back now...who remembers painting names on the back fenders, the racing stripe fad and of course the fad of fads, baby moon hubcaps with the new narrow line whitewalls?

 

[earthman]

We are learning lots about the real Don from this thread! What a treat!

 

[donsrods]

We are learning lots about the real Don from this thread! What a treat!

Yeah, I wasn't always the little blue eyed angel I am today. [ddev

Don

 

[Willowbilly3]

I remember the car that made me fall in love with 63 Fastback Galaxys. I was maybe 10-11 years old. I had came out of the movie theater, small town, movie was Sat. night only. I think the movie was Redline 7000. Anyway, I hear this awesome rumble and down the street came a black 427 63 Galaxy fast back, nose high stance, dumps open and it had "Bad News" painted on the lower front fender. Now that was cool. Over the top cool.
Reverend muddy, for me it never changed, 4 doors still aren't cool, or 6 bangers, or automatic trannys. Trucks are for hauling stuff and towing the race car. I'm sure there are a lot of people on here that disagree. Oh, BTW, my shop truck is a 6 banger, and my DD is a dorky minivan, totally utilitarian. The cars that occupy my daydreams are still coupes, roadsters, musclecars with V8s and a stickshift. And not that 3 on the tree poverty shifter, a real 4 on the floor. Or 5 or 6.

 

[PA41]

What the heck! Who remembers shrunken heads hanging from the rearveiw mirror, later replaced by fuzzy dice? Those were pretty much comtemporary with bongo drums in the back package tray. The bongo drums were from the beatnik days. Remember beatniks? Oh yeah ,how about rolled and pleated package trays that would reflect up in the back window. Wait! It's all coming back now...who remembers painting names on the back fenders, the racing stripe fad and of course the fad of fads, baby moon hubcaps with the new narrow line whitewalls?

Then theres the bobble head dogs on the package tray, sometimes with brake lightes for eyes. Sometimes fuzzy kitties with lighted eyes.

Also lace racing stripes, where a lace table cloth was a stencil.

Crome lugnut covers, crome grease caps and beauty rings on stock wheels--real poboy stuff..

'Speed' tricks like flipping the top of the air cleaner to get the WOOOOO noise--60 psi in the rear tires so you could get the 70 hp banger to squeel the tires. (Thats kinda embarassing)

PA41