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Where were you, In the summer of '73? American Graffiti turns 50 years old.

I did not have my driver's license yet. I was "fixing up" my very first Mopar. A 63 Fury 4 door that my cousin had given me. I went to see the movie with one of my friends that had not had his driver's license very long. We rode in his first car, which was a beautiful 65 Mustang GT fastback.
 
I was 5.

...but my Satellite was born in Feb/March of 73.

I remember the first time I saw that movie, though. Probably around 1977. Instantly LOVED it.

I believe the channel was changed to it right about the time they chained the cop car axle to the post.

I clearly remember "the 1950's" being super popular as a theme during the late 70's and very early 80's.

IE Sha, na , na.

Although I always suspected AG was actually set in the very early 60's due to the characters having late 50's cars which would not have been brand new for high school kids.

The cop car was actually a complete anachronism, as it was way older than the 58 impala of Ron Howard.
What PD keeps their cars for 6 years plus?
 
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I did finally get to see part II a few months ago all the way through.

I've only ever caught parts of it.

The split screen doesn't really work and is distracting.

Not nearly as compelling story line wise.

How come so many died in the end credits? Seems like too much.
 
@YY1, You get the Red X for not knowing your cars. The Cop Car was NOT older than Ron's 58 Chevy. It was a 61 Ford Galaxie.... :nutkick:
 
YY1 said:
What PD keeps their cars for 6 years plus?
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The city of Houston still had some Crown Vics few years ago and it's pretty common to see the retired cars in the hands of civilians but their numbers are dwindling.

I was fairly fresh out of the AF and was about to get hired on at ARMCO Steel and was driving around in POS 71 VW Super Beetle....which I saw nothing super about it but it wouldn't be much longer until buying a house and getting a 72 340 Challenger and waving that Stooopid Beetle goodby!
 
Big Bad Dad said:
@YY1, You get the Red X for not knowing your cars. The Cop Car was NOT older than Ron's 58 Chevy. It was a 61 Ford Galaxie.... :nutkick:
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Holy crap you're right.

Not sure why I was seeing a '54 car in my mind's eye.
 
MO it was an excellent movie. Memory is foggy – I had my GTO or Cuda around that time. Triggered emotions and maybe as I had some similar memories. Hot summer nights, drive-in’s, racing, and girls. Simpler times, not concerned about adulthood responsibilities just yet. Glorious time and time of life. Glad to have had them. Except, it wasn’t for those just a few years older who were in Vietnam and those I knew that came back in a box; thus not a happy ending or time period for some..
 
...and I'm gonna leave my post and my red X as is.

Because I deserved that.
 
Had just finished my sophomore year at PSU, mother was on my case for washing out of pre-med and not having my act together. I remember thinking my future, and the country's were going to be crap. The GTX had been dropped from production, the insurance and safety mandates from the feds were already pretty much killed the market, and the '73 Oil Embargo was posed to finish the process. The summer of '62 portrayed in the movie looked a lot better by comparison.

Silver lining - our beloved cars got cheap. My chosen career after washing out of medicine ended up paying more.
 
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SteveSS said:
What career choice was it?

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Tank truck industry, worked every job from loading trucks and janitor work to corporate general counsel, finance on the side with my own money. I was corporate for two decades, self employed before and after, drove for 25 years. Paid for law school with truck driving money.
 
In 1973, I was "outstanding" in my field......being a teenager growing up on a farm in Iowa.

:lol:
 
68BabyBlue said:
My chosen career
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Had no clue what I wanted to do and didn’t have much gumption to figure it out despite polite prodding (most of the time, lol) from my folks and a guidance counselor at school. Great guy. Close HS bud got me in at a machine shop junior year for a decent wage to buy me my GTO. Didn’t appreciate then all that – that job taught me. Great boss, like my 2nd dad (co-owner) other was a jerk. For some reason he liked me and had me doing all sorts of stuff running a business. Used that experience in my work for decades. Stayed there about 4 years post HS including while going to tech school. Just finally dawned on me to best figure out a career. Ya know, pick one out and work for it.
Then came marriage, a mortgage, and the kids. As more buds got hitched anyway, the aimless car cruising nights were getting lonely.
 
I just rewatched it on Netflix. When Harrison Ford is in town asking around for John Milner in town he leaves the intersection with just the right rear tire smoking. At the race out on Paradise Road, the '55 obviously has a Posi and both tires are smoking.
 
Jan 73 I was a kid, by Dec 73 I was almost an adult. Got my driver's license, worked my 1st real job, had my 1st major kiss (followed by many more). By Spring of 74 I was able to drive a school bus.
 
SteveSS said:
I just rewatched it on Netflix. When Harrison Ford is in town asking around for John Milner in town he leaves the intersection with just the right rear tire smoking. At the race out on Paradise Road, the '55 obviously has a Posi and both tires are smoking.
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Just like most chevys you see out
 
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