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Hot Rod Time Machine: A Look Back At The Cruising Scene In Oklahoma Circa The 1980s With Period Photos


Hot Rod Time Machine: A Look Back At The Cruising Scene In Oklahoma Circa The 1980s With Period Photos
(Words and photos by Doug Gregory) – Memories from my hometown of Blackwell, Oklahoma seem to center on cars and trucks and that’s for good reason.  Even riding my bike as a child I was always looking for some hot rod in a backyard or a muscle car stuffed in a garage that you’d only see out on nice days.  In my neighborhood we had no shortage of stuff for a kid to gawk at either.  Across the street was a pale yellow, low-mile ’70 Mach 1 bought from the dealer’s wife.  Next door was a green ’64 El Camino.  Two doors down was Ken Levings’ famous ‘Oklahoma Green’ Willys Jeep.  Further down the street was Pete Jeffries’ wildly-painted 2nd-gen Camaro complete with L88 hood scoop and Hooker side-pipes.  Just around the corner was my now-brother-in-law Mike Kennon’s 2nd-gen LT1-powered Camaro, followed by a ’68 Cougar XR7, then a Barracuda fastback.  Everyone cruised main back then and my mom was no exception in her 351w-powered ’71 Ford Country Squire wagon.

Cars turned around at the Youth Center near Memorial Park and then made the other 180 through the Sonic Drive-inn.  Sonic has been in my hometown since before I can remember.  To say it’s a staple in small towns across the plains is an understatement.  When I moved to Montgomery, AL  with the Air Force in 1988 there wasn’t one there so I drove 40 miles, one-way, to get my #2 Cheeseburger, cheese fries, and cherry Dr. Pepper in Selma.  When a sign was put up at the Blackwell Sonic prohibiting the turnaround we began using the new Wal-Mart parking lot (built in the late 70s if I remember right).  A new Sonic was built next to the old one then later the original place was razed.  The club managed to hold a cruise-in or two at the old Sonic and I’ve found a few pictures of that.  The club also held a few shows in the Wal-Mart parking lot until finally settling in Memorial Park.  Most of these photos are from my late teens using either a 110 or Kodak Disc camera so please excuse the quality.  Step back in time with me and see some period-correct clothes, cars, and scenery.

Note the number of cars in this series of articles adorned with wire wheels.  I didn’t remember them being so popular, but apparently they were.  Enjoy.

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One thought on “Hot Rod Time Machine: A Look Back At The Cruising Scene In Oklahoma Circa The 1980s With Period Photos

  1. Blue'67CamaroRS

    Wow – the chrome fender skirts on that red ’67 Chevy II (in the background) are a throwback from beyond the ’80’s

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