Cruising Pottstown Pa back when it was Great...

[QuickBpBp]

Saw an old video come across my Facebook feed and decided to take a look at it... Pretty cool to see My '64 Dodge was in it twice in the first 15 seconds... It's a dead town now but sure was a great time out there cruising and street racing till early in the morning. It's also where I met my wife 30 years ago. Just thought I would share..


1991 Cruising Pottstown pa - YouTube

 

[fratzog lover]

Was this the East end of High street? My wife used to cruise that in the late 70's.

 

[turbine68rt]

Thanks Brett, that was almost a weekly thing for us back then. The 66 Coronet in the video was a 383 4spd that was owned by a friend of mine that I would later own in '93. Good times.

 

[F4R/T]

There was a lot of nice iron in that clip! I bet that was a good time... awesome memories!

 

[moparker]

What killed the town? A company pack up and move south or over seas? Much simpler times. No fn cell phones.

 

[440 PHIXX]

I cruised Pottstown in my Charger and ‘Cuda.

pic from 1988.

 

[Darter6]

Thanks for that.
My home town of Monessen Pa was once a population of over 30,000 Steel mill town. Mills closed, and slowly all the small businesses.
Today less than 3,000 people live there. Back in the 60's-70's crusin' was mainstream.
Lots of street racing late at night.

 

[turbine68rt]

What killed the town? A company pack up and move south or over seas? Much simpler times. No fn cell phones.

The local police tried whatever they could to detur cruising in the early 90's. We got tired of getting tickets for the smallest thing. I even told the officer I had to pull over because it was running hot and didn't want to block traffic. He didn't say a word and kept writing.

 

[QuickBpBp]

Was this the East end of High street? My wife used to cruise that in the late 70's.

This was kind of in the middle of High Street at the Sunoco station.. It was a long strip.

 

[fratzog lover]

This was kind of in the middle of High Street at the Sunoco station.. It was a long strip.

She remembers.

 

[QuickBpBp]

What killed the town? A company pack up and move south or over seas? Much simpler times. No fn cell phones.

Yes many large/small companies and business's left. Police took orders about how this was not good for the town, town Politicians got involved to change it from 2 lanes each way to a single lane w/bike lanes and parking NOT parallel parking but to reverse into oncoming traffic and park at an angle. The business's actually lost lots of money too by enforcing BS like if you went to the McDonald's and ate, once you were done eating you were considered a trespasser in which police were called.. Section 8 housing and cheap run down housing made it a haven for criminals. Pottstown now is currently one of the most dangerous places to live in based on crime per capita. Statistics are startling.

Pottstown, PA Crime Rates & Map (areavibes.com)

 

[Darter6]

Section 8 housing and cheap run down housing made it a haven for criminals.

Same thing for Monessen Pa.

 

[440 PHIXX]

Pottstown Pa. actually made Car Craft magazine’s Cruisin’ USA series they did back in the 80’s. I read about it there before I dove out to check it out. And yeah... the cops shut it down. Same in Lansdale Pa. I got written up for my bumper being to high on the Charger, because I had Hijackers to clear the 60’s and slots.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Car-Craft-...2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

I have the issue in a box in a closet.

 

[QuickBpBp]

Pottstown Pa. actually made Car Craft magazine’s Cruisin’ USA series they did back in the 80’s. I read about it there before I dove out to check it out. And yeah... the cops shut it down. Same in Lansdale Pa. I got written up for my bumper being to high on the Charger, because I had Hijackers to clear the 60’s and slots.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Car-Craft-...2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

I have the issue in a box in a closet.

It really was one of the greatest across the country for decades...

 

[demonram]

We used to cruise Genesee street in Waukegan Il. It started back in the sixties. Friday and Saturday nights it was four lanes bumper to bumper. In the mid eighties they changed the whole layout, diagonal parking, closed off the south end turn around etc.. 15 years later they had a designated cruise night once a year. It was pretty good, car show, cruising, lots of food and music. We actually had a few cities around us that would shut down main streets for a day for big shows.

 

[Darter6]

Kingman Az Street Drags was last week.

 

[Budnicks]

There used to be a huge cruise night/s in
Walnut Creek Calif. Friday & Saturday nights
Main Street & Locust street loop
from the mid 70's to mid 80's
before they shut it down

I tried to find some video of it but was unsuccessful
I used to go there a lot, hang around until 11:30pm-12:00 midnight
then we'd head out to Encino Grande Safeway parking lot
Concord Ave & Willow Pass
in Concord Ca. where all the racers or gearheads
would go to get street races
we'd usually hang out until about 1:30-2:30 am & go to Ygnacio Valley rd
also in Concord to line up (a couple blocks away from my house)
some really good years, some extremely fast races for back then

just figured I'd share
this thread brought up the good memories
Any Concord Ca. guys, from back in the day
for people here (?) or something like that

there should be a link to it above or below this now
it was years ago

 

[Budnicks]

Kingman Az Street Drags was last week.

is it an annual deal or a weekly deal ?

just curious

 

[Darter6]

It comes and goes annually.By that I mean they "try" to have it every year.
I screwed up and said it was last week but it is Oct 22-24 COMING UP .
kingmanrt66streetdrags.com

 

[HawkRod]

Now Pottstown is trying to get the cars back. I think they have a large free show every month in the summer - I went to one in September. I guess they have realized that all the cars and people bring money IN to the town!