... back in the day practically every guy owned a performance driver - was just as common as carrying a Smart Phone today - even to this day we associate most guys to the car they drove back then "...yea, I remember him, he drove that black '69 El Camino with the Playboy Bunny emblem on the hood..."
... so viewing this 1969 Pontiac GTO put the memory wheels in reverse ...
... summer '71 - a beautiful Saturday evening... was a few months away from applying for a drivers license so was on foot and headin' downtown to see what was brewing for the night with the boys at the usual main street hangout... the sudden rumble of twin Cherry Bomb's and we turn to greet a good (slightly older) friend who pulls over to the curb in his '69 GTO - very nice - 400 cubic inch V8, four speed on the floor - he'd just painted it a very cool candy lacquer raspberry/purple paint scheme, and along with the Cragar S/S custom chrome wheels and tires was a very sharp car... he was sportin' a jaunty driving cap (worn backward) the color of which exactly matched the car (he always claimed that he owned the cap first and painted the car to match the lid)... best girl settin' tight alongside... "Hey - we're goin' to the Drive-In movie, come on, jump in!"... "Awww - I don't know"... 'Come on, man (gesturing toward the back seat) - Luscious Linda's* cousin is in town and doesn't want to go with us alone!"... "Man - I don't know, I..." and out of the rear window appears one of the most gorgeous gals we've ever viewed, beautiful smile ear to ear "... don't have a thing planned" (learned later that we were targeted right from the start)...
... a quick introduction and we're Drive-In bound - a few beers (and what not) for the show - this is turnin' into a good evening... he's got the 'Doors' newly released album, 'LA Woman', crankin' on the 8-Track (first time we heard it - an icon of road music) - coincidentally, turns out the 'gorgeous cousin' is visiting from (Barstow) Southern California, on vacation for the week... add some nuts and put a cherry on top - the main feature is this (now classic) hot rod flick titled 'Vanishing Point'... and we always thought a jackpot was just cash!... then the next thing ya' know ol' Jed's a millionaire - the 'gorgeous cousin' wants nothin' ta' do with watchin' the movie (if ya' know what we mean) - she's on vacation and a long way from home...
... returned the following Saturday evening with the regular girlfriend and watched the flick...
*... names have been changed to protect the (somewhat) innocent...
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