tru-blue 442

Ahh...1976. 13 going on 14. I used to pass the Olds, Buick, Chevy house on my way to a good friends house on my bicycle. there was a 67 Ford Galaxie 500 and a 69 88 4 dr.
that had been sitting on their back lot for some time. It just happened that my elementry
school principal moonlighted as a salesman. I got the nerve up one day to go in and ask if either for sale. He said yes, your choice, $400. I picked the Olds and asked if I could pay it out over the Summer and he said yes! I was thrilled. I said here is $10 down and I would see him soon. Every week I would come in and pay him something. I worked around town, pulling weeds, mowing yards, whatever it took to earn a buck. He kept a little notebook and would mark down
whatever I paid. One day I came in and he said 'Have you got $20 today?' Yes sir, I do.
Good he says, the car is yours, but we will have to deliver it. I couldn't sleep at all that night. He brought it out to the farm the next day with the title. My Father got home from
work that night, caught me with it out in the pasture doing doughnuts and was pissed!
"How the Hell can they sell a car to a 14 year old!" The rest as they say is History, I
was hooked and have been an Olds man ever since. I have had many.

kitfoxdave

I was 20 in 1976... in college with very little cash... the 71 Dodge Demon had a 225 slant 6 with the optional automatic...
Had the car for 13 years, until it rusted out... took a lot of glass and resin to keep all the parts "in formation"

Macadoo

Good to know some things never go out of style and that a new generation will carry on the good work
Hang out here at CO and you'll be an expert before you know it.

Texas442

They are filming a sequel to this movie now with a 1971 442 in it.

Here is a shot from the 1993 movie:

tru-blue 442

Oh Yeah! Girls in rocky mountain jeans...mmmm....

vmathy

The Good Old Days! I had forgotten about the fire hydrants, I did the red white and blue paint job on the one in front of our house. I had a blue Schwinn Fastback Ram Horn with the 5 speed stick shift, seems to be a common thread here. 1976 I got my learners permit, my Dad traded his 68 Bonneville for a 72 Country Squire Wagon! I remember going to the Chicago Auto Show with a buddy's Dad. Lots of Pacers, Vegas, Gremlins, and Pinto's. As a matter of fact my buddy's Dad went out a week later and bought a baby crap yellow Pinto, About a month later we took it for a midnight joy ride and hit a shopping cart in the Kmart parking lot at about 70 MPH. My cousin dropped a 427 into a 68 Camaro took me for a cruise down Archer Ave. I had to have a hot rod. I heard about an old widow that had a car sitting in the garage for years. I jumped on the fastback and peddled like hell over there, 50 bucks later I was the proud owner of a 62 Skylark with less than 50 thousand miles on it. July 4th 1976 since I didn't have a license yet the car was parked in the yard behind the garage. My girl and I stole a quart of Drewry's from her Dad's stash, we sat in the car watching fireworks like we were at a drive in movie. I had put in an under dash 8 track and some Jensen coaxial's so the Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here 8 track was jammin. A little buzz on and then came "those awkward teenage moves" gave me a whole new interpretation of "Have a Cigar". Now 77, 78, 79 gets dazed and confused, the beers went down faster, the cars got faster, the women got faster! Damn it why did I have to become a responsible adult? Yes those were the day's!

seansolds

I remember those days on archer avenue. Cruise nights lead to two cars leaving hard on green lights. Drivers with all makes would u-turn to catch a race at a light from Harlem avenue to Cicero ave turn around and do it again. I miss that!

don71

Lots of good music that year and some not so.

http://www.ask.com/wiki/Billboard_Ye...apn&ap=ask.com

I remembering burning my hand pretty bad on the 4th of July.

I thought it was a pretty cool year, reminds me of Billy Beer but that might have came later.

vmathy

This is a cool shot! My Son is an actor this shot reminds me of some stills from a movie he was in. It is a B grade horror flick called "Bachelors Grove The Movie". It is staged in the 70's at Bachelors Grove a haunted cemetery just south of Chicago. The opening scene a group of teens are pulling into the cemetery to drink, (which ironically I actually did back then) They pull up in a viking blue 442. The cars part is even shorter than my kids part, he is the long haired drunk kid in the cemetery. The movie is actually on you tube if anyone is interested.

2blu442

I graduated from high school in 1976. Was driving a 1963 Chevy Impala that got 6 mpg and leaked/burned 4 quarts of oil a week, talk about a worn out engine! I bought it for $50 and worked for $2.30 an hour that summer. When a tire would go flat I'd purchase another worn out tire at the local tire store for $3 mounted and taking the junk tire for disposal likely at the land fill.

I remember when unleaded gas showed up at the pump and my Dad commenting on why does it cost more to not put lead in it? I also remember him being outraged when gas went over 50 cents a gallon. We'd drive to the neighboring town to fill up rather than pay that price!

Lots of memories when a person stops to think about it.

John

droldsmorland

Hats off to you for having that type of old school view and respect. We need more of it! I brought my kids up the same way. Sounds like they're about your age. My son mixes, records and samples music from the 50s to present. In fact hes going to school for this. He too says "Dad they simply dont do anything or make anything the way they used to, to include cars and music." Hes got his eye on my 68 and grandpas 68.
Heres a look in the eye and a firm hand shake, to you, from all of us from the "respectful generations"... Tell your mom she did a good job. Remember this when and if you raise kids. Someone needs to carry the torch when were on the other side of the dirt. Remember everything older is better!

seansolds

Amen to all of that!

Macadoo

Finally watched it. Wow man, that was, man.....very cool. So accurate, right down to the rec center. I think I had a flash back!

76olds

I was 10 in 76. HA HA, pushing my dads lawnmower around our subdivision cutting lawns for $3-$5 then dragging the shovel behind me shovelling those driveways in the winter. I miss them good days. I climb back into 1976 every spring and love the smell of my old cutlass. Some great stories here.
Cheers guys!!
Eric

kjr442

I graduated in 82, but I can relate to this movie completely. I watch this movie, and feel like it is about me,my school, in that time line.

seansolds

Its such a great movie! Have you guys ever heard of "The Midnight Special", back in the mid- seventies you can watch a variety of Pop artists sing their hits to sell albums. Good stuff to check on youtube. Peter Frampton is one my favorites!

1970cs

I was seven then! Dad just picked up his 98 regency sedan company car from product delivery at the main plant. IIRC the only things it did not have was leather seats, door handle light and air bag. $6600 window sticker.

Pat

Diego

You should check out "The Old Grey Whistle Test."

seansolds

@Diego.. Thanks for sharing that! I was thinking why I've never heard of this before and turns out it is British BBC.. Makes sense. Show lasted for a long time too. Excellent!

Diego

There's a Detroit show with a few segments on YouTube. I only remember the name "tube" (assuming my memory is correct) but I know they had Johnny Winter so do a search and see what pops up. If you can't find anything, lmk and I'll try to find it.

pogo69

1976, the beginning of that year I got my drivers license, the world got a lttle smaller for me

don71

Don't forget Don Kershners Rock Concert. Copies of these are not for sale. Some of the later ones are on you tube but most are saved for achival and history purposes for use as "stock footage".

Midnight Specials, yea I forgot about those. You can buy these on DVD too.

I liked staying up late to watch them. The performers for the most part were live and not lip syncing. Good stuff.

Macadoo

You beat me to it, Don. Used to stay up late to watch Don Kershner's. I think it started at midnight in central Illinois. That's the first time I saw Kiss, lol.

Macadoo

Alright guys, time to come clean and add any surviving pic. This was actually after I cleaned up my act; cut my hair, got a real job, took a class that wasn't "shop". But as you can see by the blue jeans I'm wearing, I still had time to party. That's me on the left with my first car, a '67 firebird vert with a 326.

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seansolds

@Mac, that is a great photo, you dudes where probably chick magnets in the Pontiac!
Here is a photo of me circa summer 1977 just got a mini bike Honda Mini trail 50.. Loved that bike! We folded up the handle bars stuffed it in the trunk of our Buick and my parents used to take me to a relatives in Indiana to ride it. Little did they know I used to ride it in the alleys of the city. Look how I was to small to plant both feet down on the ground. I was 7 just about to turn 8.

oldolds88

i was 22,married for 2 yrs,1 kid working on the 2nd. the wife and i were living in the inlaws basement room. working at whatever i could find,as jobs were hard to keep. did drop forge,gas station,then hired into fisher body lansing. starting pay was 7.35 hr. that lasted 29 yrs. until my arms gave out,now retired. was driving my 73 nova ss,had put the 350 back in painted the valve covers and pan red white and blue with white stars. that didnt last long,put in a 400 over thanksgiving holidays,still have the nova and the 400. moved into a rental house in late 76.

don71

Anyone remember the Freedom Train? I have a 8"X10" hanging in the man cave. Never saw it in person, just a rail fan that collects stuff to fit in between his Olds pictures. All ways on the lookout for a real live running steam engine though.

Looks something like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fr...n_ga7.jpg#file

I'll have to look for a cool personal photo from 76.

Macadoo- Good photo, don't have any that Cool.

Macadoo

A rebel without a cause! Lol. Love the jacket. Do you still ride? I bought a Honda Shadow 650 a couple years back but it wasn't as fun as I remembered; at least not with a helmet and everyone worrying about me. So I sold it and bought the Olds, which is what I wanted anyway.

Until your arms gave out? Arms or joints? I'm having a helluva time with my shoulders and elbows all of a sudden. Sucks getting old.
And a red, white, and blue motor? Lol, that sounds awesome.

Always loved the trains, still do. We had one going through the farm where I grew up. Always ran to the tracks whenever we heard it coming. Talk about horse power!

Summerof84

In '76 I was 13. We did a family vacation from New Jersey back to the home state of Wisconsin in Dad's '73 Toronado. They left me behind! (at my Aunt's house for a week).
I spent a week in Madison and saw the Bicentennial fireworks there, which were much larger than they would have been back in Freehold. The next door neighbors took me to swim in Lake Mendota with their girls, so that was fun. We went to Wi Dells for the day, but that was just walking around and hitting the road.
Then I was put on the bus to Milwaukee where I spent a week with my grandparents. My Grandpa took me on a "special" tour of Pabst where he worked, we went to the loading docks to pick up the two cases of discounted beer every Pabst employee could buy, and we walked around the docks yakking with the guys. He took me to a par three golf course where I golfed for the first time and later that week my grandma and me hopped the bus and went to the giant mall. Lastly, my Grandma and me took a flight from Milwaukee to Philly, my first airplane ride, and in a 747 to boot.
So, ya, I remember '76!

My brother had been given a '74 Vega to go to college and my sister inherited the "taxi", a '67 Plymouth Belvedere 4 door,the rear right door didn't work.
I remember a story from '75 when my brother bought that car. Him and his buddies were trying to take the rear brake drums off for some reason, probably shoes. They had it jacked up and were banging and swearing and couldn't get them off.
12 year old me said something to my brother along the lines of "It's like the brakes are stuck on". He looked at me for a minute and then opened the door and pulled the parking brake release. The funny part was his buddy was yanking on the drum with his feet planted on either side of the frame and when the brake released, he went flying about 6' with the drum in his hands. The look on his face was priceless!