The "Wonder Years"

[Bud Bud]

After reading the last thread about the Sundowner and also the one discussing the excitement that still surrounds the Phase Falcon’s after all these years, got me wondering, is there anybody here that did not grow up through those "wonder years", and wished they did (or glad they didn’t), and for those of us that did what funny stories or good (or bad) memories do you have from this era?

For me I was born in the early sixties and I can still remember Beatle tunes on the radio that were the latest singles at that time. Ob-la-di ob-la-da along with lady Madonna were amongst the first songs I can ever remember hearing.

Gilligan's Island, Bewitched and Get Smart were brand new shows and not re-runs. Days of our lives still had the same awful start as it does today. Is it still on?

I can still recall Neil Armstrong stepping out and on to the moon surface (July 69), but I was too young to remember him uttering his now famous speech. The launch alone dominated the TV for probably three days and I can still recall the antiquated digital clock counting backwards to lift off in the corner of the screen no matter what program was on at that moment. I had the presence of mind as a six year old to know that was the biggest single event that man had achieved up until then and that it would still rate right through my life.

In Motor sport, visions from Bathurst in the early seventies still excite me today. I can recall people literally standing on the side of the track with no barricades and watching these barely in control missiles hurtling only meters past them and think nothing of it. The very mix of different brands and classes is what made it look like an exciting race back then and these cars really did look like the cars that were in the show room at that time. The Moffat Bond Cobra 77 win was one of the most exciting finishes I can remember. When peter Brock died it actually reminded me that I could still clearly remember most of his Bathurst victories. His total domination of the late seventies in his A9X was also incredible.

As you can see, I can not remember a world without TV!

I know that this era had just as many social and political problems in a relative sense as any other and perhaps it has more to do with my childhood and not that era anyway (most of us grew up scared of the Rusky's dropping the "bomb'), but I still think that there was definitely a greater innocence and naivety back then than there is today.

[Polyal]

I have NFI what you are talking about....lol

Im angry that I missed out on cheap petrol.

[Allen]

I think I know what you mean... I'm only 19, but sometimes I wish I was born back then, as the world seems so different back then.

It seems to me that life is revolving about political correctness now, and the government is slowly turning to a nazi state... (3km/h tolerance!!)

[snortycorty]

I wish I grew up in the "wonder years"!

I wish shows like Get Smart and Gilligans island were still on, instead of the c**p thats on these days.
I wish I could have been there to see Bon Scott in ACDC play. I wish I could have seen Cold Chisel play!

I wish that i couldv'e grown up in alot "safer" environment, where there were no such things as 'date rape' drugs, and harmless fun was exactly that - harmless.

I love listening to the stories of what the kids used to get up to in those days! Where you didnt really have video games and computers and if you were bored you made your own fun. I heard a story once where some boys made a hovercraft - out of old lawn mower motors - an absolute classic!

I wish I was there to have seen the exitement of the XY's, and the controversy of the phase IIII!

But all I can do is wish, and I just have to settle for the stories of those days.

[Bud Bud]

Originally Posted by snortycorty

I wish I could have seen Cold Chisel play!

I saw Chisel play many times and they were awesome! I am a huge Mossy fan. The first time I saw them cost a silver coin donation (10cents) in our High School hall in 1976 (I think) as part of a 5-KA radio pro-mo. I saw KISS and AC/DC in the same year in 1980 but the Chisel gig still rates as one of the loudest shows I have ever been to. The show went for only half an hour (lunch time) but my ears rang for over 2 days! I also went to the last stand concert at Apollo Stadium in 1983. They tore the stadium down in the mid 90's to build a small housing division. Ahhh progress!

[thefargo]

Ob-la-di ob-la-da , I am the walrus koo kook a chew, that's when they wrote real songs with lyrics that mean something, not like the rubbish today. I too was born in the early 60's and apart from being in my mid 40's now, don't regret it.

[MO]

Lived it when it happened..would love to live it again..they were good days.

Everybody was happy..none of this current crap.

[shadows]

yep i know what you mean i was born in 1987 but wish i was about 25-30 years older some times.

[Danny]

I would liked to have been a teenager of the 80's ;)

[RegSpec]

Originally Posted by MO

Lived it when it happened..would love to live it again..they were good days.

Everybody was happy..none of this current crap.

God, ain't that the truth.....

[jaydee]

Yep, I grew up in that era, it was great, GT's, XU1's, Chargers and the like, the music, well what can I say, I don't think anyone will be listening to Eminem in 10 years time, unlike my young teenage son who loves ACDC all these years later.
But the girls weren't as hot as they are now or as easy going if you get my drift.

[fat289]

Remember watching the 1969 Bathurst races as an 8 year old & being captivated buy these Fords with the Kangaroo's on the side.

Grew up listening to my mother playing The Beatles etc.

Looked at "NEW" XY,XA,XB GT's on the lot at the local Ford dealers with my uncles.

Bought my first XY in 1979 ( Electric Blue / sadle trim XY Falcon 500, 302W, 3 speed colum change, bench seat, GS pack, Lowered with 7" & 8" painted 5 slots )

You can actually hear me rev it up on 1 of the AC/DC film clips that was recorded in Wagga

Drove "EVERYWHERE" on the highway at 100MPH

AC/DC,The Mentals, OL 55,Split Enz, The Angels concerts

$4 worth of petrol would get me 60k's in the XY

[Dezza]

Originally Posted by fairlane_ghia

I think I know what you mean... I'm only 19, but sometimes I wish I was born back then, as the world seems so different back then.

It seems to me that life is revolving about political correctness now, and the government is slowly turning to a nazi state... (3km/h tolerance!!)

I totally agree with you here too. I'm only 23, so when I was born, the mighty XF was brand new, but it would have been great to be around in the days before then. My dad has told me a number of times about how much of a hoon he was in his old XA GT coupe. His car was known as the "Purple Flash". These days, I have to constantly watch my speedo to ensure I don't receive any nasty surprises in the mail. I listen to music like Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkle, etc. I am quite old fashioned at heart, even if I don't look it on the outside.

[GXL078]

Originally Posted by Danny

I would liked to have been a teenager of the 80's ;)

I was and being a fan of Dick Johnson it was pretty depressing sitting at Bathurst and watching Commodores win year after year. (I am just old enough to remember watching the 1977 race on TV though. :voldar02: )
My mum used to live right next door to the garage in Russel Street (Macquarie Motors) where they used to bring the cars to the day after the race for post race scrutineering (don't know the correct name for it). I used to wander through there. I remember seeing Dick's blue XE parked in a bay with the heads off, must have been checking the valves were legal or something. Waited for a while and him and his wife turned up in their private Black XE with DJR 17 number plates, the old green ones with the map of QLD on them, parked right outsied our front gate. Dick signed a poster for me, I must have been about 13 at the time.
Cold Chisel played at the 1983 bike races. I was too young to go but I had the poster!!!

[GXL078]

To EA Sliver Ghia: I went to the launch of the XF at the local Ford dealer in 1984. We got an invite because we had an account with them on account of the fact we owned XD taxis and went through a lot of door handles. The most exciting thing I remember about the XF when it was released was it was the first car I had seen with a golf hole (access to the boot from the back seat) like wow! I went back in 91 after hanging out for the release of the Windsor V8. First look under the hood of one in the showroom, tubular steel exhaust headers and twin cats caught my eye, I was 23 by this stage and had endured 8 years of Ford with no V8. The 80s weren't THAT great!

[Dezza]

Originally Posted by xcgxl

To EA Sliver Ghia: I went to the launch of the XF at the local Ford dealer in 1984. We got an invite because we had an account with them on account of the fact we owned XD taxis and went through a lot of door handles. The most exciting thing I remember about the XF when it was released was it was the first car I had seen with a golf hole (access to the boot from the back seat) like wow! I went back in 91 after hanging out for the release of the Windsor V8. First look under the hood of one in the showroom, tubular steel exhaust headers and twin cats caught my eye, I was 23 by this stage and had endured 8 years of Ford with no V8. The 80s weren't THAT great!

Yeah, IMO the 80s were some of the most boring times in automotive history. No V8 Falcons, all new cars were basically boxy, and were covered in big slabs of black plastic (although I must admit a done up XD-XF Falcon can look really tough). What I meant is that I wanted to be around BEFORE the 80's, more around the 70's.

[MO]

Just to give you an idea..I was born in the late forties..I grew up with everything...and it was great!!!

[Trevor 57]

Been there, done that.

Watched P. Brock in a Austin A30 at Phillip Island, Watched Moffat at Sandown, went to a truck show at Calder and watched one of the first running of Waltzing Matilda the jet powered Lousiville, have pics of that, Calder was pretty basic back then, about 1976.

I drove a XT GT when I was 16, my footy coach owned a GTHO (can't remember the phase), my dad had a Phase III as a police car for a little while, he loved it.

I drove a XA GT when it was fairly new.

and yes I am old, but not as old as ^^^^^^

[bathurst77]

I dont remember Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. But I do remember Apollo 17 (the LAST men to go). i rembember the Viking landers on mars, and Pioneer and Voyager to Jupiter and saturn. I remember Whitlam saying "its time" and later saying "Well may we say God Save the Queen" (i was in primary school).

I remember Moffat/Bond 77. It was the greatest thing i ever witnessed and I was a "Rusted on" Moffat fan ever since. But they werent Cobras. The Cobra was in 78 and did dismally. I remember being pretty dismissive of the Cobra, as just a paint job, not too interesting.

I remember Dick hitting the Rock (i was at the track and was gutted) I remember him coming back and winning the next year. I remember Holden dominating in the 80s and 90s. I can remember all those races like they were "the other day". These days V8SC just isnt as interesting and important and the ATCC and Enduros were.

I remember the panelvan and CB radio crazes. I got a CB (Im still an active Ham and Shortwave listener) but I was too young for a panno back then, and no my wife wont let me now!

I remember being wowed about the "Euro Looking" Blackwood (XD) Falcon, thinking EFI and Watts link suspension was the hight of sophistication when they came out later. I remember being unconvinced by the 1st EA i saw. (Looked like a cockroach and had smaller engines!) But learning to like it and finally thinking it was really handsome from some angles and trims. (A bit like the AU I guess)

I remember when TV went colour (it was a few years before we got colour in our house tho) and when commercial FM radio started. 2MMM/2DAY failed to come on air on the much hyped and advertised date due to technical problems. 2JJ went FM and became JJJ without a hitch. I listened to JJJ since it started and my fave announcers were like best friends. 80s and 90s bands are still current "modern" bands to me.

I didnt like the telly show "the wonder years". I preferred Grange Hill, Degrassi Junior High and Catweasel.

I remember my 40th birthday, (but my 45th is still a few years in the future).

[Trevor 57]

I voted for Whitlam

I watched man walk on the moon in my first year at secondary school (1969- ah, the year of '69 - memories)

[Bill_R]

Originally Posted by Bud Bud

I saw Chisel play many times and they were awesome!

Those were the days. Everything re first post.
Chisel: Used to see them often. They'd come to Newcastle to try out their new stuff. Great concerts. It was jsut a regular night out. Add to chisel bands like INXS, Mondo Rock, Mentals etc etc etc.

[Creampuff]

Ahhh..the early days in Brisbane. We were the first in the street to get colour TV, they came and installed it during "Bewitched" wow!! AM Radio only, "Cloudland",the first microwave(none of the family could work it, so we bought fish'n'chips)..petrol I remember at 14.9, lollies were 2 for 1 cent,etc etc

[GasoLane]

Yep, it was fun then, at least the bits I can remember were.

Like Watching Moffat, Jane, Brock and Co at Sandown and Bathurst (why did Moffats HO sound different to everyone else's? I never did find out)... Hell I'm even old enough to remember seeing the Beatles live in Adel! ( I was very young then)

Back then the only sniffing dogs you saw were ones with a cold.

HIV Aids was'nt invented and a speed camera was what you took to the track to capture Moffat beating Brock.

[Jastel]

Only mid thirties here but I remember

The video game revolution
How amazing Pong and Space Invaders seemd to us kids back then
At only 20c a go we would go over construction site to get glass coke bottles to take back to the shops for game and lolly money
The Vic 20 and Commodore 64 computer were hi tech and cassete players were an expensive option in cars, CD's were on Beyond 2000

Dad used to have a V8 5 litre Sandman Panelvan, he installed bucket seats in the back for us kids (had the windows in the back) and the dog hung out the back with the tail gate up letting the exhaust in
Was great for driving in, and you could afford the petrol to go for a drive back then and the politically correct fun police were not even thought of.

The old dragster pushbikes, with 3 speed gears in the T bar set up and long banana seats and huge sissy bars, no such thing as BMX or mountainbikes back then, actually dragster type bikes are making a comeback I see

The invention of World Series Cricket was huge back then as well about the same time as we got color TV

The first in car camera at Bathurst showed the lounge room what it looked like to drive the mountain

And the whole VHS vs Beta debate for video recorders

Who can forget classic shows like Knight Rider, The A Team, Chips, Charlies Angels, Happy Days, Hawaii Five O, Starsky and Hutch, Dukes of Hazzard etc

Mobile phones were a big change as well, who remembers the Bag phone, the size of a house brick and the battery lasted for 15 mins or so only owned by posers standing beside their BMW.

Still it is not quite the Jetson's age we were led to believe was going to happen in the year 2000, everyone living on the moon and having hovercars and robot slaves etc.

Must remember to look at this thread in another 20 years and see whats changed

"What do you mean cars used to run on petrol, Grandad?"

LOL!!

[iCat]

Not so many years ago, I and my friends would leap into the back of a mate's ute and head down to Brighton beach for an evening drinking session. Would love to be able to do that now .....

Too much control and political correctness now. Too much of the minority speaking for the silent majority. Too much of the fun police. And notice how insular people are becoming?

Wouldn't want to be a teen growing up now ......

But I wouldn't mind being a teen again! :

[Quasi]

Originally Posted by MO

Lived it when it happened..would love to live it again..they were good days.

Everybody was happy..none of this current crap.

God I miss the 70s and early 80s.

A lot less to care about, buy a girl a drink, have a dance, and then.........the worst thing you guy pick up was taken care of by a 30 day dose of drugs, and it didn't kill you (I never did but my idiot brother got the itch twice ).

Fuel was cheap, Countdown was on telly, cops were friendly (and would usually pull you over just to check out your car - in a good way). I saw Chisel live at the ANU Refectory, in Canberra, and it was a blast.

I was married by 1983, but we could still go out for the night and not have to tolerate that plastic crap they play these days.

Great times.

[normxb]

Originally Posted by jaydee

Yep, I grew up in that era, it was great, GT's, XU1's, Chargers and the like, the music, well what can I say, I don't think anyone will be listening to Eminem in 10 years time, unlike my young teenage son who loves ACDC all these years later.
But the girls weren't as hot as they are now or as easy going if you get my drift.

Yep jaydee , My 15 y/o son came out the other day & said "Dad , you got any Peter Frampton stuff ? also Manfred Mann , Oh and Boney M , REO Speedwagon , Foreigner , Huey Lewis , Billy Joel , John Lennon and have you heard of a band called Slade ? I have NO idea where he came up with some of these bands ! but going through my LP collection I had them all.

Originally Posted by MO

Just to give you an idea..I was born in the late forties..I grew up with everything...and it was great!!!

Only a couple of years after you , Mo , similar to Gasolane , jaydee and a few others here , $2 - $3 fuel could get you around for the weekend (unless there was something special on )

You could walk down the streets of the Cross or the City without fear of ending up in the Emergency ward at the hospital , if your car was stolen , it made it to the local paper ..people exchanged "pleasantries" to each other down the street , even if you didn't know them

Very sad that it will never be the same again , but man, I'm happy to say that was there when it was.

Norm

[Trevor 57]

God, I saw Skyhooks live at the San Remo hotel and they were trying to push the first album so people would go out an buy it - shhessh, seems like yesterday.

Saw Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs at the Isle of Wight Hotel at Cowes and again at a pub in Essendon.

[GXL078]

I can remember siting in the Sheridan stand at the SCG and shouting "Lillee, (bang bang bang)" repeat, as he came into bowl, then all fell silent as he approached the crease. Early 1978, Australia Vs the World 11, and Tony Greig was Captain of the other team.

[jaydee]

[QUOTE=Big_Trev]I voted for Whitlam

And I saw him kicked out of office.