American Graffiti” released 1973 (45 year anniversary)

History.Com(This Day in History) ^ | 08/11/2018 | staff

[Kid Shelleen]

On this day in 1973, “American Graffiti,” a nostalgic coming-of-age tale set on the streets and steeped in the car-centric culture of suburban California, is released in theaters across the United States. The movie went on to become a sleeper hit. --SNIP-- The 1970s saw a boom in classic-car restoration, even as more and more Americans were driving Japanese imports. The era also saw an increasing number of “lowriders”–or classic cars or trucks with suspensions that had been modified so that they rode as low to the ground as possible

[jjotto]

Three junk silver coins today should be worth $3 or more. What’s the price of gas where you live?

[Ge0ffrey]

Overrated

[DivineMomentsOfTruth]

I was 17.. I had a ‘Heart Like A Wheel’ and what did I drive? I drove a Buick station wagon. Ugh.

[ETL]

[Joe 6-pack]

"We are further away in time from the movie than the movie was from the era it represented"

I had a similar thought a little while ago while reminiscing with some 80s music. The Kinks' song, "Come Dancing," came out in '83. Ray Davies was around 39 at the time and waxing nostalgic about his early teen years. I was a 13-14 at the time, so his song about the music of his teen years actually became a song that takes me back to my teen years.

Now as I close in on 50, it occurs to me that I'm a decade older than Davies was when he wrote that song.

[Karliner]

Saw it when I was 15 in 1973 and was happy to hear the fifties music but there were still radio stations that had fifties, forties and pre forties music on the radio, Being teens we did have fifties and Godfather themed keg parties...well Godfather but being rural the barn country parties were alwys the wildest and best.

[Jeff Vader]

He’s fast!
Yeah, but he’s stupid

[SamAdams76]

Did you drive it faster than the speed of light?

All the way to Planet Claire!

[ETL]

[dhs12345]

In a drive in watching this movie with my parents and brothers.

[Karliner]

Messed up that sentence. Meant at point of,”Well Godfather we had mixed drinks and dressed in gangster clothes then took out our rifles( everyone had one) and shot targets behind the home or did some skeet shooting...different times 1973 and looking back for that movie wasn’t all that far back. It was a breath of fresh air after the late 60’s music.

[whistleduck]

OK. That 429 was kind of an underperformer, at least stock. At least my buddys seemed weak. 1973 I was going through flight training and driving a 68 440 charger. Guess it was not all that hot, but looked like a mach 10 go machine.

[DivineMomentsOfTruth]

In 1977 I had a Camero LT 305, front and rear spoilers, 8-track player blasting Foreigner and Boston.. Fun! I loved that rust bucket. Heh.

[Dr. Sivana]

In 1977 I had a 1969 Plymouth Satellite. Pretty strong 318 V8 with hydraulic lifters. I used to beat Cameros with the 350s off the line.

If that isn’t a muscle car then it is just shy of one.

I had a '79 Dodge Diplomat and an '89 Chrysler 5th Ave (Mechanically VERY similar) and they weren't great performers, and needed high-test fuel. In '77 you needed a catalytic converter already. Did you have a 4-barrel carb to get more out of it?

[DivineMomentsOfTruth]

The 60’s was a great time to be a kid.. Wish I could live there again!

[ETL]

In 1977 I had a 1969 Plymouth Satellite. Pretty strong 318 V8 with hydraulic lifters. I used to beat Cameros with the 350s off the line. If that isn’t a muscle car then it is just shy of one.

The Roadrunner and GTX were basically stepped up versions of the Satelitte.

Roadrunner

GTX

Roadrunner

[ETL]

He’s fast! Yeah, but he’s stupid

Lol! Sounds familiar. A line from the film? Haven't seen the movie in years.

[LongWayHome]

I was just a kid....went to see this with my cousins in a very old classic theatre.

[PhiloBedo]

My thought...exactly.

[Bigg Red]

You and I must be about the same age. I rarely see any movies, but I did catch this one on television back in the early 1990s, and I remember thinking that it rang true for me as depicting the middle class white culture of the time.