"60s Stuff, music, experiences... lets share um!

[Bill Sampson]

Dave and Bruce:

It has always struck me as downright bizarre that people born between 1946 and 1964 were lumped together as "baby boomers." Bruce and I (HS class of '64) faced the draft starting roughly in 1964 and continuing up to about Kent State. That was in 1970 but I have always held it up as the truest expression of what was in fact a VERY repressive era known as "the 60s." Those born late enough to not face the draft, or for that matter Vietnam at all, are VERY different from us in many ways. Yes, I'm generalizing but I didn't create nor define the term "baby boomer." Our experiences in "the 60s" are necessarily quite different. I remember them all to well - but not happily.

We're not better, not worse, just very different elements of a supposedly common "generation."

Best to both of you.

PS: Bruce - I'm too old now for sex, drugs and rock n roll so I gave up singing.

[DG58INNM]

Bruce (and Bill),
I'm just poking a little gentle fun at you guys and your reminiscing. I've enjoyed the thread. And also was pointing out exactly what Bill noted, that not everyone was at exactly that same idyllic/agonizing young adult stage of their life in 196x.

Although it was a controversial time in history,and not always in a good way, in a lot of ways I'm envious of you guys who are 15 to 20 years older than me. I have idyllic childhood memories of the time, but didn't get to experience (please, no hidden Hendrix here!) as much as you. Yeah, the cars especially. Bruce, I stared at that that picture of the 906 for 30 minutes of raptured reverie! That was the sort of stuff that shaped my 3 year old mind about cars, but by the time I was old enough to get my hands on one, and actually "experience" it, it was to late. I've dreamed my whole life of that stuff, and its always been just tantalizingly out of reach. If I could have 20 minutes behind the wheel of a 917 (the culmination of that development), locked in mortal combat with Jo or Pedro, I'd say "God take me now, life is complete". For real! But it won't ever happen. Missed it by that much!

I suppose the "boomer" division is necessarily broad. But one has to draw the line somewhere. Taxonomists can be either lumpers or splitters, and I prefer the lumpers approach. To a large degree I lean more past than the present (big surprise, having 356's huh?). Jack's girdled surfers presents a familiar image for me. Not specifically, but generally. The artistic layout, font, and physical appearance of the ladies is typical of my childhood memories. Its comfortable.

Of course I did find rock and roll. Zeppelin, not Zappa. Sex too, (obviously, since I have a beautiful daughter), not quite the free-love-if-it-feels-good-do-it of those 15 years my senior, but not the AIDS-you-gonna-die-if-you-do-it fear of those just a few years younger. Drugs? Well, I never found out about those. There were 5 or 6 stoners in my high school who hung out over in the corner of the parking lot, but everybody looked down on them.

That brings up that there is a spacial component to some of this cultural phenomenon, as well as temporal. The 60's good life in a S. California beach town, was not quite the same as the 60's in rural West Texas where Jim Crow was alive and well (not that he was needed, there weren't any black folks to descriminate against!).

Well, all interesting to speculate on. Please keep it coming. Its all good.

Oh hell. I'm supposed to be working today, and all I've done is post on Justin's site!

Take care,
DG

[Jack Staggs]

Think Small & Earth Day
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/18/business/julian-koenig-who-sold-americans-on-beetles-and-earth-day-dies-at-93.html?&_r=0

[roy mawbey]

Well guys I was born in 43. I left school at 14. I wanted to be a toolmaker. A guy arrived in our classroom and said hold up your hand if you want to be a toolmaker. I did,I thought they made pliers, hammers and screwdrivers. He gave me a list of local engineering companies to visit. One of them actually took me on with a friend but not until I reached the age of fifteen. The job was not what I thought in 1958, it was standing at a pillar drill drilling holes in plastic plugs all day long. So in 1960 I got eventually to be an apprentice as a press toolmaker and a day release in a college to gain some paperwork.
From 1960 things changed, I think we all changed over here.I had been riding motorcycles from 59 so in 60 had a BSA Gold star followed by Nortons. In 63 met my future wife and saw the Beatles live as well as the Stones playing in a pub all the time near us. Couldn't hear the beatles playing with the screaming and the Stones never thought much of them.
In 67 got married and moved from London. By 69 had my 356, still have my 356! Loved my job, still love my wife, and still like my 356 won't say love it as the hot start cranking has slowed again. Tried the solinoid strap connection yesterday, the bushing is not old checked the earths on battery and trans to body. I reckon this old body is going to have to remove it check the brushes and commutator and maybe the back bush. If I had been around Porsche in 1958 when they brought out the T2 version it would have been 12volt for sure

Forgot to say in 69 we had our first son. He has been Boxster driving now for a number of years.

Ten years of fun and games.

Roy

[Bill Sampson]

Roy:

Thanks. I'd have killed to hear the Stones playing in a pub. I think I permanently damaged my hearing when they appeared in the Forum in LA probably in 69 or so before 17000 of my closest friends. :>)

At least I spent several sets on several occasions sitting directly in front of Dizzy Gillespie at the Lighthouse and got to see Miles Davis in a couple of other small venues even earlier. In '64 Dizzy led everyone out of Shelley's Manne-Hole on a Dizzy for President march up Cahuenga Boulevard. If he'd been elected 58000 more of us would still be alive and we'd have better music to this day. :>)

[Jack Staggs]

Sonny Angel hangs up his wrenches
http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-motorcycle-touring/sonny-angel-motorcycles.aspx#axzz35iXxNSWt
http://bikersofamerica.blogspot.com/2012/03/ca-sonny-angel-motorcycle-legend-calls.html

[Jack Staggs]

Girls roller skate service

[Impi]

Hi Cant say I remember much about the 60's being born in 65 but two of the clearest memories is me standing on the door sill of my uncles 356b when we took it for a drive without a left door (the car was RHD as most in South Africa) as he was busy repairing accident damage my hands reached the roof gutter and my head was still below the roof. He and my father probably only did 10 mph but it was enough to get me hooked. second clear memory is of me being a passenger in that same car a few years later going for a road trip to fetch some hard chromed cranks which were the rage back then. These two experiences shaped my views towards cars and I have wanted a 356 ever since unfortunately they are very very rare and expensive in South Africa and I have yet to own one I do have a mint 71 914 and an 83 944 which I do enjoy.
Thanks
Armand

[bbspdstr]

Time to re-up this thread! I found some pictures last night from the '60s and while it's not of a rod or a rail and not exactly dropped, chopped, Z'd, sectioned, Frenched, nosed or decked or raced in a straight line....these two pictures are of the two cars I was privileged to change tires on...Penske's Can-Am Lola and the (one of two)Z-28 Trans-Am car.
I took these and other shots in the garages of George Wintersteen, where Penske Racing was housed in it's early beginnings. I worked out of the Penske Chevy dealership in Philadelphia for long race weekends but visited the Newtown Square shops regularly.
I saw George (Wintersteen) a couple of years ago at the recreated Hershey Hillclimb in the original Nomex driving suit he had in the '60s and I complimented him on not changing his body shape or size. We should all be so fortunate 40 or 50 years later!



Gotta love quad Weber 48 IDAs!!!

I think most car nuts would agree that the '60s were the high-water mark for racing and cars in general and I was fortunate to have been part of that as a young man. My first ride in a (very fast) Corvette was in '61 courtesy of a co-worker with my father, I had a bug-eye Sprite in '64 and got my first Speedster in '65. Got a job with Penske Racing in '66. My first (legal) beer was in '67. My first trip to the Porsche factory was in '68, was drafted upon getting a college degree in '68 and also got married in '69 along with entering the USAF. Pretty fast-paced decade for me with a LOT more great memories than bad.

[Jack Staggs]

Clint Eastwood in Rome circa 1962

[Gearz]

Cool! Is he missing part of his index finger?