Old Timers Thread - Ya remember when......

[DJJSR]

This little hole in the wall is for the Elder Statesmen. Any of you young whippersnappers hangin around here just sit down and be quiet. Maybe, just maybe, you'll learn somethin.

Now, what was I thinkin about?.........oh yea........

Ya remember when gas was 23 cents a gallon?

Ya remember when TV signed off at night, playing the National Anthem?

What DO you remember?

[Vezna31]

Originally Posted by DJJSR

This little hole in the wall is for the Elder Statesmen. Any of you young whippersnappers hangin around here just sit down and be quite. Maybe, just maybe, you'll learn somethin.

Now, what was I thinkin about?.........oh yea........

Ya remember when gas was 23 cents a gallon?

Ya remember when TV signed off at night, playing the National Anthem?

What DO you remember?

What constitutes an elder statesman? My body tells me every morning that it is really older than it is from the years of hockey and racquetball.

I do remember when premium gas was $1.00.

[Java Junky]

I 'member 'er when she use'ta be Ethyl n' the nice fella'z that'd serve it up wore caps with 50 mission crushes n' they'd check yer oil fer ya.
(N' you da man Don. I believe you're right n' it might'a been Stoney Burke.
Thanks for the thread. I thunk it . . . n' I thunk I fergot it jus' as quick)

[DJJSR]

And they'd clean your windshield, check your tires and the oil was in glass bottles with metal spouts.

[Java Junky]

Ow! This hurts! Should cobwebs be comin' oud'a my ears?
I'll see your glass oil bottles n' raise you the smooth action'a Dyna-Glide.
How 'bout the grass-hopper wing blinkers that used ta pop oud'a the door posts'a the ol' Austins?
The 3 mile deep rear window deck on a '53 Hudson Wasp? (Not the stodgey Hornet. That was too stuffily upright)
The wow-power'a the bullet-nosed Studes when they first hit the streets.
N' much later on the crumblin' a the known free-world when Sunoco pulled the rug out from under the hot-rod world n' there wasn't a drop'a 260 no mo'. 'Pullin' up to the pumps ta find that out was, well, like bein' in an elevator droppin' 20 floors.

[DJJSR]

Originally Posted by Vezna31

What constitutes an elder statesman? My body tells me every morning that it is really older than it is.........

I'm sure you've heard it before, "Your only as old as you feel". Sometimes that's good, like navigating the twisties with the top down, I feel 17 again. Other times, like when it's freezing outside and the snow shovel is calling me, I feel about 100.

[DJJSR]

Hey, most cars didn't even have turn signals, so the little flags on the Austins were state of the art! I went to the Studie Museum in South Bend about 10 years ago, they've got some great cars there. Talk about thinkin outside the box! There's still some '53 Studebakers that run at Bonneville. They look just like they did when they raced 45 years ago.

[Java Junky]

Not for nothin' Don, but those slope-nosed Studes r' still some'a the slickest lookin' rides. They were meant for places like Bonneville from the day those guys first put the design on paper.
Godda correction though: the upright Hudson was the Jet. The Wasp and the Hornet were the "lead-sled" bad boys. If you could take a Mafia beefy heavy-weight, complete with zoot-suit (Now there's a left-over!) n' fedora pulled low over his eyes n' transform that into a car . . well, that wuz the Hornet n' the Wasp. The original heavy-hitters.
N' if you're goin'ta Bonneville, ya can't leave out the belly-tank cars: ground-goin' record setters made oud'a left over drop-tanks from WWII aircraft.
Campbell, Thompson,Tommy Ivo, Don Garlits, Big Daddy Roth . . I think I'm havin' a seizure . . .

[philiam]

What does this picture tell you? I was excited when tv came out. We got a big screen 7 inch! I had a crush on a cute new girl on the tube. Betty White!

[philiam]

Oh ya, we didn't use glass bottles at the Flying A. We pumped the oil (it had a green tint) in to a copper can with a swing spout. If the customer was a regular we would wipe the car down. If they left it for a lube job we washed it.

[Java Junky]

Now that . . . I can recognize as a Ford. Nice flick Phil.
As for the washin' . . we seemed to do that for almost anything that came in, didn't we?
Don, you brought up the late-night test-pattern on the TV when programmin' ended for the day n' the national anthemn. Color me weird, but there was somethin' comfortin' n' . . jus' right . . about that.
N', I'm not doon any shot-for-shot, mine'z bigger'n yours Phil, but I think our first was a Dumont 9" n' Uncle Milty n' the Honeymooners were pulled in oud'a nowhere to the amazement'a all.
Anybody for Winky-Dink? Jungle Jim?
Stony Burke eh? 'Likely'z not that wuz it Don.

[kgf3076]

Let's see...gas wars? Gas as low as 3 cents a gallon at stations competing for customers. Sunoco 260 for 39 cents a gallon? Packards? My grandfather always bought them...that's a '49 through '51 Ford (can't tell which one without looking at the tail lights). I remember reading Life magazine while riding in the back seat of my fathers car and seeing an ad on the back page for the '49 Fords. We were all amazed how modern they were. Remember when car dealers made a big deal out of new models coming out? My Dad worked part time for a Lincoln-Mercury dealer and they would put the new models in the showroom in September (when the new cars came out) covered with sheets so you couldn't see them...on a day set by the factory, they'd have big showings of all the new cars.. Remember Desoto? Remember chain drive, motorcycle engined Civics? How about Sunbeams? Crosleys? Sears build it yourself house kits? Remember "pegged" pants? How about duck-tails? Switchblades? Smoking areas? Girdle ads in the Sears catalog?

[H20]

Originally Posted by kgf3076

Let's see...gas wars? Gas as low as 3 cents a gallon at stations competing for customers. Sunoco 260 for 39 cents a gallon? Packards? My grandfather always bought them...that's a '49 through '51 Ford (can't tell which one without looking at the tail lights). I remember reading Life magazine while riding in the back seat of my fathers car and seeing an ad on the back page for the '49 Fords. We were all amazed how modern they were. Remember when car dealers made a big deal out of new models coming out? My Dad worked part time for a Lincoln-Mercury dealer and they would put the new models in the showroom in September (when the new cars came out) covered with sheets so you couldn't see them...on a day set by the factory, they'd have big showings of all the new cars.. Remember Desoto? Remember chain drive, motorcycle engined Civics? How about Sunbeams? Crosleys? Sears build it yourself house kits? Remember "pegged" pants? How about duck-tails? Switchblades? Smoking areas? Girdle ads in the Sears catalog?

National geographic. The MGA. And hiding under the desk at school. Beatle haircuts. Beatle boots. The Eve of Destruction. FREE LOVE (my personal favorite). My first car, a Spitfire. My H1 Kawi. Fast forward to last night and the cops in force at my house cuz the Jam band was too loud. No change, except for gas prices. Maybe I grow up but I hope not.

[Java Junky]

Kg, the Clippers (Packards guys), weren't they the ones with the hydraulic suspension? . . 'r maybe it was air, but I remember a family friend comin' over when he picked his up (Remember when one'a the greatest things you could experience was takin' your cherry ride, sniffin' that one-of-a-kind "new" smell the whole time n' jus' rollin' aroun' to everybody you knew ta show it off . . n' how it was expected?) his Clipper n' sittin' on the continental shelf (Ya godda love it) ta show us how the weight was compensated for by the active suspension.
I'm experiencin' Sears Best Heavy-Duty cobwebs here.
N', fer that matter . . remember when the Sears catalog always listed Sears Best Heavy-Duty as the ultimate of anything innitt?

[DJJSR]

Speakin of Sears, how about the Allstate? The car, not the scooter. It was a re-badged Henry J (Kaiser). Still see Henry J's at the dragstrips occasionally. Sears sold EVERYTHING back then, even houses.

Phil, I'm guessing that Ford is a '49. Very desirable year for collectors these days.

Kg, I had one of those early Hondas, 2 cylinder 600 cc. It was called a 600 Sedan. Civics came a few years later with 4 cylinders. 1972 I paid $1640 for that car brand new. My neighbors all made fun of it, but a few months later the Arab oil embargo hit and lines at the gas station started. That car only held 6 gallons, but would get about 45 mpg on a bad day. My other car at the time had a 396 in it and only got 8 mpg, so that little Honda got me through very well. I think I put about 40,000 miles on it and sold it for more than I paid for it.

[HELL_ON_WHEELS]

HEY Philiam nice ford shoebox in that pic, any chance ya still got it, and if so I'd like to buy it, is that a Studebaker in the back?

I'm 29yrs old, but I feel I was born in the wrong times. I've always connected better with the older generations (see my Dad and Mom hade me in they'r 40's, I have friends who's grandparents who are the same age as my Dad) so growing up with they'r stories, movies and over all culture has had a impact on me, anywhere 40's 50's is where I should be

I'm the baby out of three boys (15 year gap between me and my brothers) so when my Dad took me around with him, working on his 32' highboy with his buddys or out fishing with his friends I've been around older guys my whole life, alot of my closest friends are in they'r 40, 50 and 60's LOL

I'm a man without a country

[DJJSR]

Jack, here's Stoney Burke.......

[gomarlins3]

A. No, I remember $.67 a gallon.

B. Yes, I remember the little bullseye and the long "BEEEEEEEEPPPPPP" after the National Anthem.

[DJJSR]

The Honda 600. This one is a sedan, they also made a coupe which was a little more popular. I had a '72, the first year Honda sold the cars in this country.

600 cc, 2 cylinder, air cooled, front wheel drive, 4 speed. Pretty quick for what it was. I think it only weighed about 1200 lbs, most of which was up front. I could actually lift the back end of this car (I was in better shape back then). Only had 10" wheels and skinny tires so the front tires would only last about 10,000 miles, but the rears would probably last forever.

[kgf3076]

Originally Posted by gomarlins3

A. No, I remember $.67 a gallon.

B. Yes, I remember the little bullseye and the long "BEEEEEEEEPPPPPP" after the National Anthem.

Actually the sign off test pattern was called the Indian Head Test Pattern and was a standard, patented piece. Every station had one and you could use it to set the linearity and size on your television. We used it to set viewfinders in our studio cameras (until built in test patterns evolved). We used to shut down the station every night with "Portals of Prayer" which one of our engineers used to call "Portholes of Crabs" and got away with for over 3 years.
That's a '49 Studebaker in the background of the Ford (which could be any model up to 1953).

[kgf3076]

Originally Posted by Java Junky

Kg, the Clippers (Packards guys), weren't they the ones with the hydraulic suspension? . . 'r maybe it was air, but I remember a family friend comin' over when he picked his up (Remember when one'a the greatest things you could experience was takin' your cherry ride, sniffin' that one-of-a-kind "new" smell the whole time n' jus' rollin' aroun' to everybody you knew ta show it off . . n' how it was expected?) his Clipper n' sittin' on the continental shelf (Ya godda love it) ta show us how the weight was compensated for by the active suspension.
I'm experiencin' Sears Best Heavy-Duty cobwebs here.
N', fer that matter . . remember when the Sears catalog always listed Sears Best Heavy-Duty as the ultimate of anything innitt?

Yep, they had air suspensions. I remember my grandparents visiting and watching the car change height as they removed their suitcases from the trunk. The first car I remember them having was a 1949 or 50 Packard Deluxe 8 Sedan. They traded that for a 53 Packard Patrician (almost everybody traded cars every 3 years in those days). Those cars were huge. You could rent the backseat out to a family, they were so big. Once upon a time everybody was a Ford, Chevrolet or Plymouth family. My father was a Chevrolet person. Every car my parents owned was a Chevrolet until the 80's when they switched to Toyota.
Remember Fluid Drive? You didn't need to know how to use a clutch, just shift gears (Chrylser and Desoto had it), Powerglide (two speed automatics in Chevrolets), Pontiac Indian Chief convertibles (4 door convertibles), hood ornaments, chrome wheel trim rings, lake pipes, running boards, suicide doors?

[Java Junky]

Yeah, guess my dad's responsible for my Ford loyalties n' 's'funny your mentionin' 'bout that 3 year's trade-in time period. Dad was on the road a bit n' every 3 years come hell 'r, high-water there was a new FoMoCo out in the driveway. He even carried that 3 year exchange-rate into his retirement.

South'a the border, eh kg? Safe trip.

[Bubblerboy64]

I remember watchin a fellow pump $7:21 of gas into his Ford LTD. I looked under the car to see if it was runnin out on the ground. Gas was about 25 to 30 cents per and that my friends was a big tank. Car was one of the biggest Ford ever made (late sixties)and like got 6 or 7 mpg out of a 390 cubic inch engine. So he needed a big tank. He pumped a long time to get that gas into his tank. A guy could pump 7 bucks pretty quick like today couldn't he. Bubblerboy64

[philiam]

"HEY Philiam nice ford shoebox in that pic, any chance ya still got it, and if so I'd like to buy it, is that a Studebaker in the back?"

Yes that's a Studebaker in back. The Ford was a 50. Only difference between that and a 49 were the parking lights. 49 had round ones. Had I kept many of the cars I've owned, I'd be rich today. One of them was a Mercedes 300S coupe. Years ago worth about a quarter of a million. They made 35 of them in 54. They showed one in a Mercedes ad once. I cried. I'll dig up a pic of it and post. The 50 ford was traded in for a new MG-TD, which cost $2200.

[jagg]

You are my hero Phil.

[Java Junky]

Don't go gettin' all warm n' fuzzy Phil. Jagg likes Mavericks too.

[DJJSR]

[philiam]

Here's the old Mercedes 300S coupe. Sold new for $13,500 with 2 spares and fitted luggage in 19544. I didn't get the luggage. Had it stripped to bare metal and had 17 coats of lacquer applied. Dash and window frames were matched grain walnut. I took them apart to refinish them and they had to go back in the exact order. Bought it for $1000 and wound up with about $4000 invested. It was the only Mercedes that had the front fenders extend in front of the grill. Clarke Gabel owned one. The car weighed 2 tons on a 108" wheelbase. No power steering. There was a pedal you pushed each morning and it lubed the chassis. Sure wish I had kept it

Back in the 60's old cars weren't very popular. Who knew? Years later I found out that they made 35 of them that year. Traded it in on an Alfa Spyder.

[Java Junky]

Wow Phil! 'Ain't never seen one'a them without the tracks, turret n' the cannon!

[Java Junky]

You guys ever smuggle anybody inta the drive-in movie ridin' in the trunk?
N' speakin' a drive-ins, anyone ever make use'a one those drive-in burger places with the skate-wearin' car-hops?
Runnin' an Austin-Healey with the detachable aluminum-tracked perpetually- fogged plastic (Perspex if I recall correctly) side curtains (windows) didn't allow me to frequent those spots, but 'couldn't help but admire the . . ummm-m-m-m . . . . abilities . . of some'a them car-hops.
I'm jus' gonna go sigh in the corner now.

[DJJSR]

There's a place in northwest Indiana called the Blue Top drive-in. It's a burger joint that's been there for about 60 years and it's stuck in a time warp. NOTHING has changed at this place, building, menu, everything's still the same. Everybody still goes there on saturday nights with their old hotrods. If you've got lakepipes and a flathead, you'll fit right in. If it ain't old American Iron, leave it home to avoid embarassment.

Only difference is that Peggy Sue doesn't have that blonde ponytail anymore and now wears bifocals, but she'll still jump in the back seat with ya.

[Java Junky]

Damn Don! That sounds like a real "godda see". N' me without my AMX.
'Sounds like the kind'a place tailor-made for a gatherin' place ('Least once) for the site elders.
Yeah. I know. Very un-Stewie-ish, but contrary to popular belief . . there is life beyond Stewie.
I can't field anythin'z'old'z your most beauteous n' righteous '53, but I can field a 'Camino if it'll get me in the door.
Be well.
Java

[jagg]

I suppose I could get my hands on something worth rolling on into "The Blue Top" with. Any preferences?

Jagg

[kgf3076]

Originally Posted by Java Junky

You guys ever smuggle anybody inta the drive-in movie ridin' in the trunk?

More times than I want to think about...and lots in the back seat hiding under a blanket. I think they always knew but figured we'd spend enough at the snack bar to make up for the lost admission revenue.

Originally Posted by Java Junky

N' speakin' a drive-ins, anyone ever make use'a one those drive-in burger places with the skate-wearin' car-hops?
Runnin' an Austin-Healey with the detachable aluminum-tracked perpetually- fogged plastic (Perspex if I recall correctly) side curtains (windows) didn't allow me to frequent those spots, but 'couldn't help but admire the . . ummm-m-m-m . . . . abilities . . of some'a them car-hops.
I'm jus' gonna go sigh in the corner now.

Oh yeah. Staunton, VA still has a drive-in with car hops (as well as Sonic even though they no longer use roller skates). I drove a 2000-6 so I know all about Perspex...which was only clear the day you picked up the car from the dealer. It permanently fogged up as you were driving home.

[Java Junky]

Ya know, I didn't even wanna consider you with all your endless sources'a overly-righteous rides. I jus' knew that you were gonna be a problem.
Trouble with a capital T.
Endless Mountains/endless sources. 'Jus' spells trouble no madder how ya look additt!
(Buddiff ya wanna post summore flicks . . well . . I'll look if it makes ya feel better)

[kgf3076]

Originally Posted by Java Junky

Ya know, I didn't even wanna consider you with all your endless sources'a overly-righteous rides. I jus' knew that you were gonna be a problem.
Trouble with a capital T.
Endless Mountains/endless sources. 'Jus' spells trouble no madder how ya look additt!
(Buddiff ya wanna post summore flicks . . well . . I'll look if it makes ya feel better)

You wanna go to Argentina and Brazil next month? I gotta be there for a couple of weeks...I'll bring back pictures..

[Java Junky]

Apologies kg. That was meant for Brett.
You put yer message in while I wuz hunterin'-n'-peckerin'.
Thanks fer the offer, but Mama Java wouldn't take kindly ta me off on holiday while she's holdin' down the fort.

[jagg]

Brett?

[Java Junky]

How many Bretts you know Maverick?

[jagg]

ha ha.......Sorry, I wasn't thinking in James Garner terms.
I like it, it's a good handle.

jagg