Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Bambi B on December 09, 2003 at 07:53:46

In Reply to: September 30th, 1955 posted by gware on December 08, 2003 at 22:46:55:

gware,

I have often travelled CA HWY 46 from I5 to the coast on my way from LA to Pebble Beach/Monterey- this is roughly the same route Dean was taking from L.A. to Laguna Seca- where every August you can see vintage races- and Porsche 550s still appear.

The interesting thing about 46 is that Deans' ghost must be be present as it is probably the fastest public road in the West- (here I'm glad the web is anonymous) as I've gone "over 120" for long stretches on that road- and it's a pretty narrow one with the odd big truck. This is the only place in the world where I exceeded the rating on a tyre and burned it- this was on my old Mercedes 6.3 L.

So- a thrilling spot altogether!

If you travel along 46, about halfway to the coast, there is a little collection of buildings on the North side with a monument to Dean- a kind of granite obelisk with a plaque. I've only ever seen this monument as a blur, but legend has it that Dean's Porsche is buried under that monument.

About 10 years ago, I was at a metal fabricator's in Los Angeles that had made a completely new body for a 550 Spyder, and a person there said that this body, while not for Dean's car was for someone who knew the real location of Dean's- and that it exists. The stuff of legends!

Not far beyond is the place where the 1950 Ford turned across Dean's path. I'm told this was originally in a "Y" into 46 and today it has been made a 90 degree intersection- for safety.

I'm sure you-ve seen Dean's famous ironic saftey annoncement only a short time before his death, somthing about not speeding..

By the way, the driver of the other car, who has a strange name I can never remember like "Fusspockets", I think still lives in San Jose, Ca. Yes, I know the way!

Strange how the glamourous deaths of the glamourous are so pervasive and pop up again and again.

Cheers,

Bambi B

- a safe and sane driver-now