Today, back in 1955, James Dean remodeled his car. Not good for the upcoming star and Porsche owner...RIP Jimmy

RIP

RIP JD

Headed to Rennsport IV alone in my 930 I got forced off the road into the dirt shoulder by an oncoming pickup truck intent on passing traffic. To my left was the old highway intersection where JD was hit...

Rebels with a cause.
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Fourteen years ago a few of us met on the "50th" date (09.30.55) at the location of Competition Motors/ Hollywood Cali. Vine St. N + La Mirada St. A few weeks before this construction crew arrived, the 1 story mechanics garage and lot were still there (up to 2005) . This was the departure site... the day of his Last Ride.
Cars: 1970 9146 Chuck Null, Black 550 Beck Spyder Dave/TRE motorsports, 1979 930 yours truly
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These shots recently came up for auction, they were held by one of the lawyers involved.

Prefer to remember both him and the car in this state.

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I bought a whole role of those once, it was like wallpaper.

Ha Ha! I have this same photo around. It was actually a page out of a vintage Life magazine if I recall. I scanned it and made a screen saver.

Now where the hell did I put the original?

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Poor little bastards
Never had a chance. Driver saftey in a 550
Non existent ...914 not much better i assume

Now a days the car would be trailered. To willow but back then they drove it up flat out and tuned and fiddled with the car as they went

Funnily enough I drove right by the Y at CA-46/CA-41 at just past midnight on the 30th while on the way back home from San Diego.

914 is MUCH better actually, so long as you are wearing your seat belt. The 914s have that big roll bar built into the wings. The 550 had nothing to protect the driver if it went shiny side down.

Zach

Somewhere in my collection of (actual paper) photos I have a picture of myself, Rich Johnson, and Glenn Stazak at that place

I wear the belt but the tension is worn out
So not couting on much there


(Rebels dont drive Volvo s

If he didn't die in the car, the cigarettes would have killed him. I have never seen a picture of him that he didn't have a cigarette in his mouth or in his fingers. I might have to watch "Giant" or "A Rebel without a Cause" tonight. By the way, this is STILL one of the most dangerous intersections in the central coast.

I'm just glad they've been working on widening the highways over the last several years, it was brutal being stuck behind slow semis for 99% of the way between 101 and I-5.

Damn...20 yrs ago I and some friends drove up to memorial. We left at 6am, returning home at 9pm...what a blast

Oscar

You can tell which one was mine.

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Beautiful

I was reading up on Mr. Dean's ameteur race career , in which his filming career took up most of his time. He traded in his 356 with some cash and got into the 550. In order to make enough break-in miles on the engine he ran it on Mullholland Dr. , and took it off the trailer somewhere before the incident; as he was trying to rack up more break in miles. Earlier that day a CHP officer that stopped him and passenger Rolf Wütherich , scolded him for driving too fast and stated: Keep that up and you'll kill yourself...

I don't know about you, but I've had an incident where someone completely pulled out in front of my 914 without seeing it.

I think one needs to drive a Porsche (sports car) defensively, almost with the same mindset as you would drive a motorcycle.

Here is a great video of him racing the 356.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2397750163839458

Limited visibility of our small + low cars is a good point Lawrence; when I used to Daily my 914 I would always run with parking lights on at dusk. I also had some close encounters with drivers not seeing me during their lane changes. According to the driver of the Ford that hit Mr. D at that junction ...he recalls looking ahead into the bright sunlit horizon of the road just when taking his merge. Unfortunately for the fast charging 550, it was in a lower grade of the road not visible to the other driver. The "Newer" version of this merging road is better...but it' s still up to the drivers out there.

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Interestingly enough, there is a local legend that the car in it's crashed state was placed behind a false wall in Bellingham WA.

Again, RIP,

but some really interesting lore that goes with this.

YES...I have heard this too. I met an old-time racer back in 1998 at Laguna Seca that told that story. I didn't pay much attention to what he was saying. Then a few years back this was being retold on multiple news outlets. I also recall there was a lengthy interview (eye witness) in an article but don't remember which magazine.

Wouldn't it be something if the story was verified? I think ownership disputes were a major hurdle. George Barris may have had rights to it, but he has since passed.

Oscar

@ValcoOscar @Mikey914

I'm pretty sure i read a few years ago that the car was found and the story was indeed verified.

Don't have time for google right now but that should be easy enough to double check ...

Gets more interesting than I remember.

There is a question of ownership that is likely why it's still missing.

https://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/who-o...-porsche-111515

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And that is the reason I drive with the fog lights on all the time. Well, mine are 911 driving lights, but same reason. Anything I can do to make my 914 more visible on the road is a good thing. Plus... we always assume no one can see us, but everyone is trying to kill us. In this case, paranoia is a good thing.

Bought the LED headlight kit from 914rubber and the LED turn signals, brake lights and backup lights from Spokeworks for Igor last night. They are on both the other two. Even wanting to keep Elwood as factory original as possible, we still did this modification, because we consider this to be a safety thing.

The "D" in his last signature appears to look like a sad face.

Not his typical signature...

Oscar