If you could go back, or pick and era to grow up in...would you you?

[66340SEDAN]

Do you like how times are today? Is the car "culture" still cool today? If you could go back in time, would you? I personally think that growing up as a teenager in the mid-to-late 50's would have been just awesome! No internet, no cell phones, no worries like we have today, just good care free fun :glasses7:

I can picture myself cruising the main drag in my used 55 Dodge Coronet Red Ram Hemi listening to Buddy Holly in 1959 on the AM radio, scene very similar to the film "American Graffiti" only care on my mind was wether or not I looked cool or had a girl sitting next to me, or had enough gas to get her home :glasses7:

Then, by the mid-to-late 60's I could have saved up enough loot to but a real american made MoPar muscle car. Those sure seemed like good simple times, granted I would be older now today than I am now....LOL

So, the question is, would you go back? Or stay here in society how it is now today? I would like to hear your response.

 

[mismy69swinger]

I hear ya and if could go back but get to keep all stuff in this head! Man that saying " if I knew then what I know now" I would be on easy atreet

 

[66340SEDAN]

I hear ya and if could go back but get to keep all stuff in this head! Man that saying " if I knew then what I know now" I would be on easy atreet

LOL, I hear ya!! But going back, not meaning taking the knowledge you have today to make a better future for yourself...just meant to grow up in a simpilar, more care-free time

 

[grumpuscreature]

Go back? No way. When the Civil Defense sirens went off and you found out it was just a drill, it still took a couple of days to reswallow your asshole. 18 was a big deal because then you had to register with Selective Service and give up 2 years of your life if your "friends and neighbors" decided your services were needed. They didn't even cut Elvis any slack on this one. Sure the rides were nice and gas was cheap, but how you gonna pay for it when you were making less than a buck an hour? If you were young enough that this wasn't a problem, you were really screwed because when your turn came, Viet Nam was in full swing and way too many of your buddies were coming home in body bags for nothing. I'll put up with the terrorists and the school shooters because they are less of a personal threat than wondering when I will disappear in a blinding flash. Besides, I've gotten so old that it really don't matter to me because I won't be here when it gets really bad.....

 

[64 AAR Valiant]

I know this is ment to be a fun thread, but truth be told except for cheap cars,
Pot, and free sex. The 60ds were not all that great.

Presidential assignations, race riots, Kent state, add in what was previously posted you get the picture.

As much as things change they remain the same.

For me way to much Drama here lately. not leaving just taking a long vacation away.

You are a great poster I hope I didn't side track it too much.

 

[dartnabout]

Oh... the civil defense sirens...I forgot about them! Grumpus makes a good point and I agree. You were fortunate if you HAD a car! I remember doing a whole lot of walking! Oh there were the guys that had cool cars but they were just a few guys and then they were off to serve in the military. But one of the things I miss was the closeness of people and neighbors. You sat on porches and talked and got to know each other. None of this texting or emails. I guess it is a matter of perspective. I miss some of it and I remember a lot of cool stuff but I want to just keep going on I have cooler cars now. I just can't afford the gas.

 

[Frankie]

I like to go back to the period between WWII and the Kennedy Assassination. 1945-63.

I was born in 1949, and it seems to me the prosperity and the innocence of era are unequaled since.

 

[ramenth]

Not thinking far enough back.

Personally, I would have liked to have been on the frontier.

 

[IfItsGotWheels]

I like to go back to the period between WWII and the Kennedy Assassination. 1945-63.

I was born in 1949, and it seems to me the prosperity and the innocence of era are unequaled since.

Funny that you mention being born in 1949. I was born in 1957 & have always wanted to have been born 8 - 10 years earlier. Seems to me that being a teenager in the mid to late sixties would have been just about the perfect time. More importantly than that, I'd be retiring now.

 

[71ChargerSE]

Not thinking far enough back.

Personally, I would have liked to have been on the frontier.

That's what I'm thinking too!

 

[mopardads67]

I'm 44 and I always thought it would be cool to be a teenager during the 50's.I also feel that this was the greatest era.Seems to me people were proud, god fearing,hard working in this time period.

As far as the frontier,I like my toiletries to much

 

[toolmanmike]

First I clicked the Go Back button just because it was a simpler time in the 50's and 60's. I don't like the way our world is headed right now but there were the same threats back in the 60's so I decided to stay right here. Personally I am enjoying life with my family, friends and cars and I wouldn't want to change that. Now if I could go back to the early 60's knowing what I know now, I would do things different. tmm

 

[goldfish65]

Obviously we can't go back and it's difficult to say given the person I have become based on my experience, realistically I have lived a relatively pampered life, i.e. people use deodorant today so I would be squeamish. That being said, my Dad was born in 1936, he always says he has had a great life. He was poor but so was everyone in his town so they didn't feel poor, there was no TV so he learned to do a lot of things. The Polio epidemic was very scary. He was in the Army but missed combat. He was the first in his family with a college degree, he had a lot of goals and accomplished them, he would have died at 60 and again at 75 but thanks to modern heart surgery and cancer surgery he is still fine at 76. His house is paid for, he doesn't want for anything. He didn't sit on his butt in front of a computer like I am doing right now though, he worked very hard. Prosperity is both a blessing and a curse.

 

[Lonewolf3165]

I was born in '65 & as a teenager always thought it would have been cool to have been born 10 years earlier to be in the hight of the musclecar era. But I'm grateful for the experiences my time here has given me. I would like to go back to the values of the 40s, 50s & 60s up until the progressive collapsing of family values. A time when things were actually made in the USA! But if I had to choose I'd stay put because I'm blessed with a wonderful family & I wouldn't want to risk it being any other way.

 

[plum crazy dart]

Born in 58' pretty happy with that, if anything maybe 3 years earlier. That being said people that were born in the late teens early 20's had quite a lot of things happen in their life that might not ever be replicated.

 

[ocdart]

I read what Grumpus, Frankie and others said about growing up in the '60s and agree - we're all about the same age.
But at the same time I think that growing up in SoCal during that time period was just about the best. I was born in '48 and graduated from high school in '66. Now think about the cars that were on the street then and in the next few years - the musclecar era was in full swing. And the music was the absolute best ever!
Cruising on Whittier Blvd., a multitude of local dragstrips that became legendary names (OCIR, Lions, Irwindale, etc.), fuel drag racing legends everywhere like Prudhomme, McEwen, Ivo, Tony Nancy, Garlits - too many to list. Back then you raced out of your garage, not a huge race shop in an industrial building with multiple car teams. No big sponsor packages.
Sure, there were tough times too. I remember the monthly civil defense drills where you dived under your desk at school when the sirens went off at 10AM on one Friday during the month. I remember watching the smoke from the fires during the Watts riot from my one of my summer jobs during high school. And exactly where I was when I first heard of JFK's assassination.
But I also remember walking all over town or riding my bike as a young kid with my friends. Saturday movie matinees. Playing ball all day long and drinking out of garden hoses when we got thirsty. Taking off from home in the morning during the summer and not having to be back until just before the street lights went on. And the sense of community with all the neighbors keeping an eye on each other and each family's kids - kind of like secondary parents.
To me, growing up in SoCal back then was perfect. I don't think I'd trade my time period for any other.

 

[zigs]

I was born in 49 also .I remember the duck tails, malt shops, poodle skirts ,saddle shoes. It was a good time to grow up but had its down side also. For one thing it was a way of life you didn't know any difference. Not everybody had hot rods and not once did I run into Fonzie. In the sixties not everybody had muscle cars, had no idea what that was. You either own a Mopar ,Ford or GM product with options, some better then others. It was a very small circle that new what they had. Usually Mom and Dad had the good stuff but didn't know its full potentual ,thats where you come in satuday nights you took it out and blew the carbon out of it.
Everybody had flats back then until steel belting came along. It was nothing to see someone on the side of the road changing a tire.
Fond memories but just memories.

 

[ceekay]

....truth be told except for cheap cars, pot, and free sex. The 60ds were not all that great.

I don't see a down-side.......

Presidential assignations, race riots, Kent state, add in what was previously posted you get the picture

Sounds no different than today, tbh...



If I could choose, I'd be born circa 1953-1955... Get all the good Rock & Roll back when it was still Rock & Roll, be a kid through the early 60's and get all that awesome 60's music (Credence, etc), go off to the last real war (Vietnam) and kill some Commies, (hopefully) come back, invest heavily in 60's and 70's cars and precious metals and machineguns, then today be a multi-billionaire selling-off all that stuff! Also, see CCR, Led Zep, Hendrix, Floyd, Skynard, ACDC, Megadeth, Slayer, Pantera, etc. in concert and in their prime!

Also, I'd bet lots and lots of money on Superbowls... ;)


- CK

 

[Tony Fields]

Great thread Keith!

There are times when I go to the garage, put on some malt shop oldies
and think back to the way it was when I was in high school. I graduated
in 1965 and loved that time in my life. After school the girlfriend and I
would hop in the car and head over to the Dog-N-Suds. Jerry, the grill
guy would see us coming and start the order on the grill. We always
ordered the same thing. Car windows down, music coming from the radio
inside, great food, good friends. My oh my, I sure miss that.
R.I.P. Jerry. He was the first one killed in Viet Nam from our town.

Yes, it was a simple time back then. We actually did things instead of
having our phones, computers or whatever in our hands all of the time.

Going to the drive in is what was on the menu for the weekend. Great
fun right there. I miss that too. We would also cruise the TeePee in Indy
and the local Big Boy here in town and the A & W Root Beer stand.

Yep, sure wish I could go back.

 

[jabdusty57]

Not thinking far enough back.

Personally, I would have liked to have been on the frontier.

Wow, forget can openers and IPhones - that's even before electricity!

 

[seabee]

I would pick being 19 in the earlier 80's so I could have banged all of the loose metal chicks in the back of my Le Car.

 

[cosgig]

Y'all can call me crazy, and most that know me do, but I've always wanted to be a Walton!!! I want to ride up to Ike's store on Blue, help Jim-Bob fix up at old clunker first car he got, and probably more than anything go up in the hills with Grandpa where they all learned so much about the land and the way the balance of nature should be!!

I don't care that it was the depression, or how hard they had it, or any of the strife they must've shared back with the entire nation in those times because thats what made this country what it is... good hard work and determination to be a sucessful contribution to mankind!! That kind of mindset is all but lost on the self serving, entitled youth of today, and nothing but a good swift kick in the azz from John-Boy is gonna bring it back!!!

Watch a couple episodes and tell me you don't want to be a Walton too!! Maybe they still got room in that chicken coop J-B fixed up fer himself, but I call the spot next to Erin!!!LOL!!

Good Night Everybody!!! Good Night, Geof-Bob!!

 

[72dart]

I was born in 1952 and enjoyed growing up in the 60's. I was fortunate to have a 1970 Duster 340 when I graduated from high school and like to remember those days of cruising and street racing. But I love life in the present with my 5 grandkids and things that My wife and do like RVing. I am lucky to be where I am now and would never want to go back to that time except for being young again.

 

[roadrunnerh]

Great question. Reading through the replies and thinking about my own ideas I think I would go back in time, but only 10 years or so. I was born in 1968, but it would have been cool to be born around 10 years earlier.

 

[Robbie2734]

I'm 44 and I always thought it would be cool to be a teenager during the 50's.I also feel that this was the greatest era.Seems to me people were proud, god fearing,hard working in this time period.

As far as the frontier,I like my toiletries to much

I was born in 1946, and I don't remember it that way! I remember Korea, they wanted my Dad back in the Navy!! He didn't have to go but it wasn't as good as you'd think. Remember Tail Gunner Joe? He had us all half nuts with tales of the Russians coming. Then came the "Duck and Cover" era. Now that was a real treat, and don't forget the Cuban Missle crisis. I was drafted in 66, spent about 12++ months up in the iron triangle with the 25th inf. Just another day with the NVA. Coming home was a real trip, and my friends that I hung out with were either coming or going. The Military had most of us. We did have great music and cool cars though, I bought my 67 when I got home and drove it to Ft Gordon Ga. Nah, the best is yet to come. If you ignore the crazy politicians, I think this era isn't all that bad. Sort of a 50's with a better attitude.