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SilverFleet
SilverFleet SuperDork
9/18/14 1:39 p.m.

Back in the summer of '87, I was 5, and all my older cousins who I idolized started skateboarding, so naturally, I became interested in it. They were all riding the typical boards of the day, including Powell Peraltas, Vision, Santa Cruz, etc. After hurting myself bad by introducing my face to a stucco wall at their house while on one of their boards, I didn't get back on a board until much later when I was 11. I skated for a while after that, but I gave it up sometime in college.

Fast forward to this week. I was thinking about a way to get around in the pits at the Challenge this year, and space is limited so a bike is out of the question. But a skateboard.... that would be perfect. I went on a search at my parents place and found a bag I stashed away sometime in the mid-90's full of old-school goodness. In there were a bunch of wheels (Toxic Acid Rains, Speed Wheel Bullet 66's, and 90's era stuff), some crappy Variflex trucks (barely better than nothing LOL) and all sorts of hardware. I then grabbed my beat to hell 1987 Powell Peralta Caballero Dragon deck that I have had in my garage for wall art, and I created a "Rat Board" cruiser for the pits. I hope I don't break my neck.

I will get some pics up later tonight.

Also, does anyone know if Energy Suspension end link bushings interchange with skateboard truck parts?

rob_lewis
rob_lewis SuperDork
9/18/14 1:44 p.m.

Being, "ahem", older, you might want to look into a longboard instead. Much more stable and slow for pit cruising.

BTW, hopefully you didn't have to re-drill the board for the trucks. I know you said it's beat up, but even beat up boards that old are still worth some money. Maybe that and the wheels and you could buy a new longboard for what you'd get for them.

-Rob

mndsm
mndsm MegaDork
9/18/14 1:45 p.m.

Man, I remember riding a Peralta on 66's.... good times. Cant wait to see it.

Dr. Hess
Dr. Hess MegaDork
9/18/14 1:45 p.m.

I thought you were going to talk about clay wheels. Old school, you know. Not them new-fangled urethane wheels.

bludroptop
bludroptop UltraDork
9/18/14 1:47 p.m.

I had a Hot Foot, back in the day....

It was LIGHT YEARS ahead of the metal wheel board that it replaced.

Cone_Junkie
Cone_Junkie SuperDork
9/18/14 1:51 p.m.

Brings back memories of my Powell Peralta Lance Mountain board with lime green/black tiger striped grip tape. Don't remember what wheels, but I do remember the Independent trucks.

Dr. Hess
Dr. Hess MegaDork
9/18/14 2:36 p.m.

BDT, you must be about the same age as me, Margie and Tim. I had metal wheels on my first. It was terrible. Clay wheels on the next board that I built myself in wood shop class. Then I upgraded to a fiberglass board I bought at a surf shop somewhere out near the beach in the LA area with good trucks and urethane wheels. That one got me through to high school when I eventually acquired 4 real wheels.

SilverFleet
SilverFleet SuperDork
9/18/14 2:47 p.m.

This board is BEAT. There are chunks missing from it. It is still reusable though. It has sentimental value anyway so its going nowhere. But yeah, I found that I am a lot taller (and heavier) than I used to be!

Dr. Hess
Dr. Hess MegaDork
9/18/14 2:55 p.m.

And, you don't bounce near as well as you used to.

JohnRW1621
JohnRW1621 UltimaDork
9/18/14 3:18 p.m.

This thread seems to call for the need to draw attention to the documentary
Dogtown and The Z Boys

Sure, maybe you have seen the movie version, "The Lords of Dogtown" but the documentary is sooo much better.

Video Description: A gang of Venice skateboarders ignited an underground phenomenon that helped shape the attitude and culture of modern-day extreme sports.
Movie Description: Narrated by Sean Penn and directed by skateboarding legend Stacy Peralta, this award-winning documentary tells the story of a gang of discarded kids who revolutionized skateboarding with an aggressive style, awe-inspiring moves and street smarts, and in the process transformed youth culture forever. Featuring historic old-school skating footage, exclusive interviews and a blistering rock soundtrack, the film captures the meteoric rise of the Zephyr skateboarding team from Venice's Dogtown, a tough "locals only" beach with a legacy of outlaw surfing. With rare appearances by skateboarding icons Tony Alva, Jay Adams and Tony Hawk, Dogtown And Z-Boys is a thrilling all-access tour of the birth of a pop culture phenomenon.
Genres: Sports, Documentary
Cast: Tony Alva, Tony Hawk, Jay Adams, Stacy Peralta
Director: Stacy Peralta
Writers: Stacy Peralta, Craig Stecyk
Producers: Jay Wilson, Agi Orsi

Unfortunately, Jay Adams passed away just last month.

AngryCorvair
AngryCorvair UltimaDork
9/18/14 3:25 p.m.

BITD i had a Schmitt Stix Allen Midgett (sp?), and some kind of double-kick freestyle board. I still have some nameless (because the graphics were sanded off) vert board on Indy trucks and i can't remember what kind of wheels are on it. it works great for moving my generator around in the garage, LOL.

Duke
Duke UltimaDork
9/18/14 4:27 p.m.

I started on a Sidewalk Surfer with metal wheels:

Skipped clay wheels and moved up to a generic plastic swallowtail board with approximately the same board size and track width, but urethane wheels. After that, my father made me a board out of 3/16" aluminum. It was beautiful - the griptape was machine-inlaid in strips, it was engine-turned, nice wide front, and a kicktail with a custom delrin skidplate. My name was machined into the bottom of it. My only miscues in laying out the board - it was still the day of teardrop-shaped single-kick boards, and the tail was a bit too narrow. If it had been a year later, I would have made it symmetrical, and had him bend a kick at both ends. That had Bahne trucks and Cadillac Da Kine wheels, which eventually got replaced with Road Rider IVs. The switch to sealed bearings was life-changing. I still have that board. I gave myself a concussion on it and had to wear my motorcycle helmet after that.

Then, for my birthday, I got a park board. 27" Alva Skates, with Tracker Mids (no clearance for wides) and Kryptonics Green 70mms. The skatepark closed within a year and the giant, hard Kryps were useless, so I put the Road Riders on it.

Again, I was just a year too early. A year later and that Alva board would have been 8-9 inches wide, instead of 6. After I put the RRs on it, I rode it as a commuter board in college for a while. I may have made the mistake of giving that one away. Eventually I ended up with a generic 10x32 single-kick board from Madrid, that I did a custom airbrush paint job on and added side rails to. I still have that one, too. I ride it occasionally, or use it to move heavy furniture around the house. Basically, just like this except about 6 inches shorter.

Slippery
Slippery Dork
9/18/14 4:37 p.m.

I grew up in the 80's too. I had a Vision Mark Gonzales with Independent trucks and white Proton wheels ... My aunt threw it away, along with my brother's Santa Cruz Jeff Grosso. I was pissed when I went looking for them and could not find them.

This is what mine looked like:

My brother's:

Slippery
Slippery Dork
9/18/14 4:37 p.m.

Off to Ebay to look for some skateboards

Duke
Duke UltimaDork
9/18/14 4:38 p.m.
Slippery wrote: Off to Ebay to look for some skateboards

You'll be amazed / appalled at some of the prices they fetch.

mndsm
mndsm MegaDork
9/18/14 4:51 p.m.

So let's see this aluminum deck already.

SilverFleet
SilverFleet SuperDork
9/18/14 4:51 p.m.

If you actually want to ride the things, they make re-issues now of a lot of the classic decks. They are anywhere from $40-90 depending on where you look. They also make re-issued old-school wheels too.

This place got my attention:

http://www.sk8supply.com/index.html

Off to Youtube to look for old Nickelodeon SK8 TV episodes....

Duke
Duke UltimaDork
9/18/14 4:59 p.m.

In reply to mndsm:

As soon as I can find it and take pics, sure. I think it still has the Kryps on it, which are entirely wrong.

mndsm
mndsm MegaDork
9/18/14 5:02 p.m.
Duke wrote: In reply to mndsm: As soon as I can find it and take pics, sure. I think it still has the Kryps on it, which are entirely wrong.

Eh, whatevs. I love custom jobs. I had a custom deck back in the 80s. Whale tail, custom delrin brake plate, matching grind rails, custom lathe turned wheels. We were broke and my dad was a machinist. That board went missing after he died and I went offroading.

mndsm
mndsm MegaDork
9/18/14 5:42 p.m.
SilverFleet wrote: If you actually want to ride the things, they make re-issues now of a lot of the classic decks. They are anywhere from $40-90 depending on where you look. They also make re-issued old-school wheels too. This place got my attention: http://www.sk8supply.com/index.html Off to Youtube to look for old Nickelodeon SK8 TV episodes....

I've got pics of an old school alien workshop I spotted at.zumiez looking for a half deck for my.kiddo.

Will
Will SuperDork
9/18/14 5:59 p.m.

As a kid in the 80s, I always wanted a Powell & Peralta or Bones Brigade skateboard, but could never afford one.

25 years later, I realized one day, "Wait a minute, I'm an adult. $70 isn't a lot of money anymore." It was a real "Eureka" kind of moment.

And that's why I have this Powell & Peralta Rob Caballero deck.

914Driver
914Driver MegaDork
9/18/14 6:55 p.m.

I've got one like the HotFoot, must have 100,000 miles on it by now.

I never set a foot on it. Moved about two dozen refrigerators, my wife's hugeass potted plant every spring & fall, wheeled engines and transmissions around the garage, thing is priceless.

SilverFleet
SilverFleet SuperDork
9/18/14 8:37 p.m.

Pics!

Pile of stuff:

Santa Cruz Speed Wheels Bullet 66's:

Toxic Acid Rain 59's (I think), I put these on the board because they already had bearings installed:

Assembled:

I don't have pics of the top, but it has the most disgusting clear grip tape. The tail has a chunk missing, too. Whatever... it's together and I'm gonna ride it!

Mazdax605
Mazdax605 SuperDork
9/18/14 8:50 p.m.
SilverFleet wrote: Pics! Pile of stuff: Santa Cruz Speed Wheels Bullet 66's: Toxic Acid Rain 59's (I think), I put these on the board because they already had bearings installed: Assembled: I don't have pics of the top, but it has the most disgusting clear grip tape. The tail has a chunk missing, too. Whatever... it's together and I'm gonna ride it!

I had those same wheels, Tony. The deck I remember most was one that had an elephant on it, but I forget the skater, or the brand. I loved that board!!! If I could find another I would buy it for my sons in a heartbeat. I'm too old and fat to skateboard now, and I wasn't very good as a youth, but I had a lot of fun on them.

SilverFleet
SilverFleet SuperDork
9/18/14 8:50 p.m.

Side note: See that "Hardcorps" sticker? That was my local surf/skate/snowboard shop. The guys there were awesome. They were also into cars... AWESOME cars. A quick list of what I remember they had:

-Multiple Buick Regal T-Types and Grand Nationals

-Alfa Romeo GTV6

-S12 (?) Nissan 200SX Turbo

-a beautiful RUNNING Maserati Biturbo!!!!

-the first Turbo Honda I ever saw: a 1993 kermit green Del Sol

-Custom chopped 70's Chevy Stepside with exhaust exit in the bed flares

-weird custom 1988 Chevy long bed pickup extend cab with a chopped nose, it only had one row of headlights (so effing weird...)

And more. They were the coolest, but sold the shop to someone who turned it into a hot dog stand. They introduced me to weird fast import cars, powdercoating, and all sorts of other stuff. Miss those guys.

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