JDLD Stands for James Dean Last Drive. The letters were placed there after the old telephone poll was replaced. The letters were put there in 2017. There's a Facebook group called James Dean's Last Drive and a website of it as well that explains this. Thank you Adam for this historic journey you shared with us. I like visiting the griffith observatory and seeing all the filming spots there and his statue.
Adam, James Dean was driving the Porsche because the car was required to have been driven a certain number of hours before the race. So, he and his mechanic were driving the car to fulfill the road hours requirement.
That 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder was a car Porsche did not sell to the public unless you had Porsche connections. Bought at Competition Motors in Hollywood from Johnny von Neumann with a chassis number of 550-0055 on September 21st, 1955. It weighed only 1212 pounds with a 4 cylinder 108 HP engine it was very nimble & fast for 1955. To give an idea of that weight my Mazda Mx-5 soft top roadster weighs 2350 pounds. Mr Turnupseed's Ford weighed 4 to 5 times more than Dean's 550 Porshe. BTW its speculated if James Dean had worn his seat belt he could have survived that crash but in 1955 seatbelts were optional equipment back then. His Porsche 550 Spyder had seatbelts ! He met with fellow actor Alec Guiness for diner just after buying it & he felt the car was " hungry ". He told James not to drive it or he would be dead in a week. Of course JD laughed at him driving off but we know Alec was right.
James Dean's sports car was a Porsche 550 Spyder. Made from very thin metal and aluminum so the car was very lightweight. Unfortunately it crumbled like a pop can in his accident 😕
Wow, when you were standing in the spot and matching up that first photo of James picking up his car gave me goosebumps. Things like this blow my mind. Great work Adam. Cheers
When Scott (Dearly Departed) and I did the 62'nd Dean Death Anniversary tour, I stapled the letters DEAN and stuck Scott's 63 Anniversary tour pin into the pole...Sadly, the JDLD silver letters are gone...
Initially I thought, James Dean Last Destination but I agree it could be last drive or last day. It is good that he is being remembered. I loved him in Giant.
Wow, that brought back some memories! Lol. Remember when you had to "break in" a new car for a certain amount of miles?! Didn't they advise you to only do up to a certain speed or something, or am I just imagining it?/confused?! 🤔
Rest in peace James Dean lovely tribute to a legend his next film was going to be king creole the part went to Elvis Presley James would have been proud he did a great job 🌹
The gas station in the photo was also used as Nikolai’s flower shop in the show Six Feet Under. Fun fact. Also, the station wagon and trailer were owned by Jimmy as well. Bill Hickman drove with Sanford Roth and followed JD and Rolf in the Spyder…
Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Alec Guiness about a week before James Dean died, ate dinner with James, and after seeing the still factory sealed car that night, told James he would be dead within the week if he drove that Spyder. It shook up Alec a little bit.
@@lisapolanski9379 I agree, people should not make statements like that. I cannot speak for occultist, but I am a Freemasonry and we do not put curses on anyone. The objective of Fremasonry is th "Make good men better".
Adam so happy to see you near my hometown. I've been wanting to go down this road to get to Solvang and Santa Maria which I used to visit a lot before the pandemic. Haven't been able to because of severe anxiety and panic attacks. But knowing that you were down this road gives me the courage to try again. Thanks Adam. 😊💓
Adam, your videos are extremely well-researched, entertaining, and bring a great deal of context to your viewers. Greatly appreciate the time and dedication your content brings to us all!
The man who was in the car with James in the accident was Rolf Wutherich and he survived the crash. However he ended up dying in a car crash 26 years later.
What a birthday gift! 🎂 I've been enamored with James Dean since I was a teenager and I have always wanted to see this or take this journey! My birthday was yesterday, 48, seems so fitting you filmed this 8/1. Thank you so much for this Adam! And Happy soon birthday to you.
I just finished watching and a thought came to me that if JD was never pulled over he would have lived past the day he subsequently died on . The timing of the crash , the man who ran into him would not have been in that spot at that exact time ... Something to really think about. Thanks for the video Adam , well done as always.
Can I just say that I really love what you're doing with the videos/content right now Adam, I like the mix of the theme parks, baseball, road trips, talking vlogs and filming locations. I love that you switch between Florida and OC and I like your solo vids but also when Natalie and other friends make appearances. You've really found your rhythm, thank you for the endless free entertainment 👍
Awesome and amazing and I like this the coolest coolest and I love this hope you okay my awesome friend that I love this my name is. Craig king from south west wales 🏴 in Pembrokeshire
It’s amazing how in life split seconds matter. If he had not gotten pulled over, if the cop had taken a little more or less time… if he took another bite of his apple, he would not have been in that intersection at that exact moment.
Timing indeed matters. For all we know, tho, if Mr. Dean had actually made it alive & w/o incident to his destination, he still could've crashed & burned racing that tiny gem of a sardine can of his. I wish he would've survived, having a long, illustrious career, but for James, evading the Reaper just wasn't in the cards. Anyone know who the other gentleman was (besides his name) depicted sprawled out alongside the road in Adam's diagram? Stranger, friend, local rancher/farmer, passenger thrown from Turnupseed's car, perhaps?
Next to Casa de Cadillac where I used to work! That dealership was also in the Transformers movie. A a lot of history there too. Big James Dean fan and loved this video.
Thank you for tracing James last drive Adam. I'm 61 years of age and have admired James Dean's work and philosophy since I was around 15. I have visited the USA seven times and been fortunate enough to visit sites associated with James Dean myself. I love popular history and Americana and so really appreciate your vlogs and style of presentation. A big thank you from the UK 🇬🇧.
James Dean, thrill seeker, and rebel, man who smokes in a garage,NOOOOO,then rides a car he couldn't race in giant, and then goes and crashes it and kills himself,without cause, What a man, I like to think if there is a heaven, he'll be the first guy that I go and have a chat with, because I'd like to ask him a few questions, rest in peace dear James Dean,gone but NOT FORGOTTEN.
@@dingledangle265 Thanks for the intel... I just cant handle that laugh, or the way he talks to her like a child. I like location videos, so I have to push through lol
Nice tribute video...fairly accurate. On Rt. 99 just south of Wheeler Ridge and Rt. 33 /166, the current telephone pole has the JDLD letters affixed -- representing Jame Dean's Last Drive ...now a legendary event drive from LA to Salinas following the 9-30-55 route -- created by Shannon Wofford of San Diego. At Blackwells Corner....Dean made a pit stop but did not get any gasoline. FYI. PORSChE is a two-syllable Family name pronounced: PORSHA. Lee Raskin, James Dean Biographer / Author. Fact-checking source: James Dean On The Road To Salinas, 2015/2020.
Just call it Paso..lol Fun fact:Turnipseed was told that, even with some injuries, he would have to WALK home, in the dark, through the mountains until he reached the Central Valley and then continue walking from there! He lived in Tulare Ca. which is about 75 miles away. No Uber in those days lol As I recall, some kind people did eventually pick him up
That's not a tow truck, you fool! It's Dean's brand-new '55 Ford Country Squire pulling a car trailer. On the date of the photo, he had owned the Porsche 550 less than a week, so the Country Squire was probably just as new. The Ranch Market was where they had breakfast before driving both cars and the black Cadillac press car north on 99 toward Bakersfield. He wasn't "taking it for a spin", they were leaving for Salinas, where the race was being held. Salinas was a small town in Northern California, where it would take most of the day to get there. That station wagon is called a Ford Country Squire. James special-ordered it with Ford's highest-performance V8, a 272 4-bbl. with automatic choke. The driver was Bill Hickman, who was not only James' boyfriend, but a Hollywood stunt driver who also drove the black 1968 Dodge Charger in "Bullitt" with Steve McQueen. You've got it backwards: they stopped for gas in Sherman Oaks before they had breakfast at Ranch market. Dean lived in Sherman Oaks with his father and the station was just down the street from his house. The picture of Dean's car across the street from Ranch Market was taken after the gas station picture. Back then, everybody who smoked did so around gas pumps when dispensing gas. The risk was minimal, despite warnings in place on the gas pumps. Note, Bill Hickman is having a word with the driver of the '50 Cadillac Fleetwood, which was part of the entourage. That's why all three cars were in the shot. What was that you were starting to babble about Manson, but dropped your train of thought? If it was some baloney about them cleaning up in the restroom at the same gas station where James filled his car the day he died, that didn't happen; that gas station was in Pacoima. That station wagon is called a Ford Country Squire. You may find this eerily ironic, but it's the same Ford Country Squire Dean just bought to haul his Porsche around with! Yep! I swear, I am NOT making this up! And that sports car 130 is Dean's 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder. Of course, he took his sweater off - it's September and this is Southern California. Interstate 5 did not exist in 1955, so it's unlikely that pole existed back then, either. Remember, just because some yahoo places Dean's name on something doesn't prove he knows WTF he's talking about. Dean was stopped and cited for speeding by the CHP a few miles south of Lamont on Hwy. 99, an area several miles southwest of Bakersfield. After his death, the citation was dismissed at the Lamont court's own motion "in the interest of justice". BTW, that station wagon you keep referring to is called a Ford Country Squire, a fact you might want to keep in mind for your next edit. You're mis-identifying Grapevine. The stretch of road between Ft. Tejon at the top of the hill to the south and the townsite of Grapevine at the bottom to the north is what was known as The Grapevine Grade, named not after the curvature of the original road alignment, but for the numerous wild grapes growing in the area. What you keep calling a sports car is actually called a Porsche. It's a German-made, high performance car made of soft, lightweight aluminum and Dean's, a 550 Spyder, was designed exclusively for professional racing, and not for daily transportation. You might want to make a note of it, since you come across as rather amateurish calling all these important cars by their generic descriptions. That 20' poster outside Blackwell's Corner appears to have had some surgery. While Dean was holding his trademark cigarette, somebody felt it was more politically correct to have his finger bandaged instead of promoting smoking. Why are you jerking the picture of Turnupseed's car back and forth? Why don't you have the girl hold it while you focus your camera? Are you really that bad with a camera, or are you just trying to frustrate people who want to study it closely? What's the matter with you? That "metal object" as you like to call it, is called a memorial monument. They put those up where someone important has died. Congratulations on the proper pronunciation of 'Paso Robles'. Most people think it rhymes with 'nobles'. There. I've just done a year's worth of research for you in three hours. You're welcome.
Rolf Wütherich, Dean's passenger and mechanic, signed a contract for 20,000 Deutsche Marks, in early July 1981, to at last talk about the crash and that last day of Dean's life. To that point, he had never spoke of it. But weeks later, July 22nd 1981, before that interview could happen, a drunk Rolf crashed into a residence in Kupferzell, Germany. Like Dean, he had to be cut from the car and was pronounced dead on scene. Not to be morbid, but glass was found to be embedded into James Dean's face at autopsy. The only source of glass to the riders in the Porsche was from the other car's headlights, as the Porsche's windshield was a composite. Just saying, Dean had to have died instantly; thank God for His mercies. RIP James and Rolf, you are both missed.
At 22:47 To the Left, you can see old 466 Next to the lone tree (There use to be two trees and a small bridge) that was the road Dean traveled on, it is mostly gone When I was there in 1985, you could walk the old hi way - highway markers, old cans and bottles were still off the side of the road. The road your car is currently on was built in 1957. It is still known as BLOOD ALLEY. In the next year or so, the intersection will be destroyed and re-built for safety and congestion issues. If you look at photos taken at the time, you can see that the road was much more narrow and not a clear shot down as it is today.
Whoa, that Sherman Oaks spot is only a black away from my place and I never knew about this! Before the Whole Foods was built, the old gas station building was still there. It was a flower shop, and the canopy over the gas pumps was used by the car wash next door to hand dry cars that got the premium wash. You can see it by going back in time on Google Street View: www.google.com/maps/@34.1504359,-118.4452189,3a,75y,356.88h,89.75t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sWNt5SW4N3VbqcTG1uk1p7g!2e0!5s20140401T000000!7i13312!8i6656
Notice the front round clear light is missing from the Porsche Spyder 550 driver's side only reason james dean drove his Porsche Spyder was to get familiar with the Porsche and accumulate some miles before the race bill hickman was along for the ride driving the other car with the trailer✨😁👍
James Dean was before our time, however, this episode has influenced us to watch some of his movies and learn more about him. Thanks Adam and Natalie. Love these adventures where you teach us Hollywood history :)
Adam, The JDLD does indeed stand for James Dean Last Day. Here is the info on the guy that put it there: facebook.com/jamesdeanslastdrive/posts/we-put-up-new-letters-to-mark-the-spot-where-james-dean-got-his-speeding-ticket-/1023155351158639/
The photo showing the crash seen tells alot..the guy standing out of place is Turnupseed, and they just got the passenger (Rolf) from the other side of the fence getting ready to load him on the stretcher. you can see him on the left bottom next to the stretcher..they are getting ready to lift him up. Dean is still in the car..
27:17 below the street light is a rectangular shaped James Dean Memorial sign with two poles holding it up. That is very close to where James Deans car ended up after the collision.
i like things with clues in some ways like ie when the rumor that Paul McCartney died and they gave clues on the songs . Sometimes they got far fetched but here is that we guess and that is all we can do.
JDLD Stands for James Dean Last Drive. The letters were placed there after the old telephone poll was replaced. The letters were put there in 2017. There's a Facebook group called James Dean's Last Drive and a website of it as well that explains this. Thank you Adam for this historic journey you shared with us. I like visiting the griffith observatory and seeing all the filming spots there and his statue.
JD LD = James Dean's Last Drive
correct
Yep Last Drive or Last Day.
@@AARON-K4RNA Thank you.
I think the initials LD might have been "last day"
That is what we thought also :)
I was thinking that it was either "Last Day" or "Last Drive"
that's all i could think of too, james dean last day but only the person who put it up there will ever truly know!
LAST DRIVE!!!
I got the same idea
JDLD. James Deans Last Drive.
That is what I was thinking.
Or last day, having been looking on the interweb to determine
Thanks. I couldn’t find it on the interwebs
That’s what I was gonna say.
That's what I thought too..
Adam, James Dean was driving the Porsche because the car was required to have been driven a certain number of hours before the race. So, he and his mechanic were driving the car to fulfill the road hours requirement.
Oh that's interesting! I had no idea.
Yeah that's right the engine hadn't been broken in.
Not hours but miles…
That 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder was a car Porsche did not sell to the public unless you had Porsche connections. Bought at Competition Motors in Hollywood from Johnny von Neumann with a chassis number of 550-0055 on September 21st, 1955. It weighed only 1212 pounds with a 4 cylinder 108 HP engine it was very nimble & fast for 1955. To give an idea of that weight my Mazda Mx-5 soft top roadster weighs 2350 pounds. Mr Turnupseed's Ford weighed 4 to 5 times more than Dean's 550 Porshe. BTW its speculated if James Dean had worn his seat belt he could have survived that crash but in 1955 seatbelts were optional equipment back then. His Porsche 550 Spyder had seatbelts ! He met with fellow actor Alec Guiness for diner just after buying it & he felt the car was " hungry ". He told James not to drive it or he would be dead in a week. Of course JD laughed at him driving off but we know Alec was right.
James Dean's sports car was a Porsche 550 Spyder. Made from very thin metal and aluminum so the car was very lightweight. Unfortunately it crumbled like a pop can in his accident 😕
Just as the Porsche Carrera GT in Paul Walker’s death.
Jimmy had no alcohol or drugs( except nicotine) in his system. The last thing he ate was an apple.
The actress who played Seinfeld’s mother actually dated Dean for a bit. Lived with him too. I think she wrote about it in her book.
Liz Sheridan
Yes, it's a really good book. It's called "Dizzy and Jimmy."
Those sunglasses she is wearing…………
Wow, when you were standing in the spot and matching up that first photo of James picking up his car gave me goosebumps. Things like this blow my mind. Great work Adam. Cheers
That was Awesome Adam! Nice reenactment of James Dean last day. Do a reenactment of Paul Walker’s last day next. 👍
That was very interesting; I didn’t know any of the details of this tragic event so I learned something today. Thanks Adam
When Scott (Dearly Departed) and I did the 62'nd Dean Death Anniversary tour, I stapled the letters DEAN and stuck Scott's 63 Anniversary tour pin into the pole...Sadly, the JDLD silver letters are gone...
I think Natalie needs larger sunglasses.😎😎😎😎
Initially I thought, James Dean Last Destination but I agree it could be last drive or last day. It is good that he is being remembered. I loved him in Giant.
oh look, its that giggling cam chick again. im sure the comments will start about her as usual LOL
Only from you apparently.
@@suzikramer1611 wrong!
Not sure why there are two camps? Those that really like ‘Natalie’ and those that really despise her. Not quite sure why?
@@anonemusly You literally brought her up, so yes.
Then why do you comment on her?
Adam, that was great info. What a story. I didn't know that James had a passenger that survived. wow.
Just "Natalie?" WHO is she? Someone you just met on the street? Why is she wearing a disguise because her wig is slipping?
I always like when you do these type of things on the history of movies,actor, and places. Thanks again for sharing with us
Happy Birthday Natalie
Should've brought a metal detector you might have found a piece of the car 🚗
The motor in the Spider was brand new, he wanted to use the miles of driving to the track to break-in the motor.
Wow, that brought back some memories! Lol. Remember when you had to "break in" a new car for a certain amount of miles?! Didn't they advise you to only do up to a certain speed or something, or am I just imagining it?/confused?! 🤔
@@lindatannock there still is break in periods on cars usually 5,000 miles or so. Mostly sports cars
Rest in peace James Dean lovely tribute to a legend his next film was going to be king creole the part went to Elvis Presley James would have been proud he did a great job 🌹
The gas station in the photo was also used as Nikolai’s flower shop in the show Six Feet Under. Fun fact.
Also, the station wagon and trailer were owned by Jimmy as well. Bill Hickman drove with Sanford Roth and followed JD and Rolf in the Spyder…
Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Alec Guiness about a week before James Dean died, ate dinner with James, and after seeing the still factory sealed car that night, told James he would be dead within the week if he drove that Spyder. It shook up Alec a little bit.
@@lisapolanski9379 I agree, people should not make statements like that. I cannot speak for occultist, but I am a Freemasonry and we do not put curses on anyone. The objective of Fremasonry is th "Make good men better".
Adam so happy to see you near my hometown. I've been wanting to go down this road to get to Solvang and Santa Maria which I used to visit a lot before the pandemic. Haven't been able to because of severe anxiety and panic attacks. But knowing that you were down this road gives me the courage to try again. Thanks Adam. 😊💓
Adam, your videos are extremely well-researched, entertaining, and bring a great deal of context to your viewers. Greatly appreciate the time and dedication your content brings to us all!
Shall you
The man who was in the car with James in the accident was Rolf Wutherich and he survived the crash. However he ended up dying in a car crash 26 years later.
Wow that’s ironic.
@@KassidyGinn I know! I remember when I first heard it and I was thinking WOW
Woah 😮
Rolf was a car racer all his life - his chances of dying in a car wreck was much higher than non- racers!
@@conniecrawford5231 he wasn't in a race when he was driving but he was drunk and lost control of his car. Regardless its sad
What a birthday gift! 🎂 I've been enamored with James Dean since I was a teenager and I have always wanted to see this or take this journey! My birthday was yesterday, 48, seems so fitting you filmed this 8/1. Thank you so much for this Adam! And Happy soon birthday to you.
Happy Belated Birthday to you 🎈🎂🎁 Blessings, Piper
Happy belated birthday! 🍾🥂💖🏴
@@pipertarin68 ah thank you so much!
@@lindatannock thank you 😊
He was very gorgeous
It’s amazing to me that James Dean was only in three movies
James Dean was an icon. RIP
I just finished watching and a thought came to me that if JD was never pulled over he would have lived past the day he subsequently died on . The timing of the crash , the man who ran into him would not have been in that spot at that exact time ... Something to really think about. Thanks for the video Adam , well done as always.
That's really something to think about. Crazy how things turn out. Almost like a BTTF scenario
Can I just say that I really love what you're doing with the videos/content right now Adam, I like the mix of the theme parks, baseball, road trips, talking vlogs and filming locations. I love that you switch between Florida and OC and I like your solo vids but also when Natalie and other friends make appearances. You've really found your rhythm, thank you for the endless free entertainment 👍
Awesome and amazing and I like this the coolest coolest and I love this hope you okay my awesome friend that I love this my name is. Craig king from south west wales 🏴 in Pembrokeshire
This was fascinating Adam. Really appreciate the detail you put into videos like this x
Selling souvenirs for a man who died tragically over 60 years ago. Really quite sick.
It’s amazing how in life split seconds matter. If he had not gotten pulled over, if the cop had taken a little more or less time… if he took another bite of his apple, he would not have been in that intersection at that exact moment.
That’s why what is supposed to happen, will happen. Once cast plan it enough. Just one bite…chilling to think of
I often thought about that.
Timing indeed matters. For all we know, tho, if Mr. Dean had actually made it alive & w/o incident to his destination, he still could've crashed & burned racing that tiny gem of a sardine can of his. I wish he would've survived, having a long, illustrious career, but for James, evading the Reaper just wasn't in the cards. Anyone know who the other gentleman was (besides his name) depicted sprawled out alongside the road in Adam's diagram? Stranger, friend, local rancher/farmer, passenger thrown from Turnupseed's car, perhaps?
Very iteresting. Ty❤️❤️🙏😀
Next to Casa de Cadillac where I used to work! That dealership was also in the Transformers movie. A a lot of history there too. Big James Dean fan and loved this video.
Still a lot of accidents at or near that intersection. I always hold my breath having to drive that way.
It’s really scary . Was too dangerous
I knew he died in a car crash but didn't know anything more. Thank you for sharing all of this Adam and Natalie.
Thank you for tracing James last drive Adam. I'm 61 years of age and have admired James Dean's work and philosophy since I was around 15. I have visited the USA seven times and been fortunate enough to visit sites associated with James Dean myself. I love popular history and Americana and so really appreciate your vlogs and style of presentation. A big thank you from the UK 🇬🇧.
Love your nostalgic vlogs Adam. Very interesting and informative. James Dean was super talented. Such a tragic loss.
James Dean, thrill seeker, and rebel, man who smokes in a garage,NOOOOO,then rides a car he couldn't race in giant, and then goes and crashes it and kills himself,without cause,
What a man, I like to think if there is a heaven, he'll be the first guy that I go and have a chat with, because I'd like to ask him a few questions, rest in peace dear James Dean,gone but NOT FORGOTTEN.
I just can't look at Adam's friend Natalie the same since I saw her snizz on the interwebs. I am a little shocked.
Do tell
@@chuckfan1 She does only fans and has "fun" with herself for dollars. Search "Daphne Del Ray model hub"
@@dingledangle265 Thanks for the intel... I just cant handle that laugh, or the way he talks to her like a child.
I like location videos, so I have to push through lol
Nice tribute video...fairly accurate. On Rt. 99 just south of Wheeler Ridge and Rt. 33 /166, the current telephone pole has the JDLD letters affixed -- representing Jame Dean's Last Drive ...now a legendary event drive from LA to Salinas following the 9-30-55 route -- created by Shannon Wofford of San Diego. At Blackwells Corner....Dean made a pit stop but did not get any gasoline. FYI. PORSChE is a two-syllable Family name pronounced: PORSHA. Lee Raskin, James Dean Biographer / Author. Fact-checking source: James Dean On The Road To Salinas, 2015/2020.
Awesome video Hope to go there one day to
Hi, Mike! Love your videos!
Jdld. James Dean last day?
Buttonwillow raceway is not far from Blackwell’s, probably why there were a few race cars there.
Just call it Paso..lol
Fun fact:Turnipseed was told that, even with some injuries, he would have to WALK home, in the dark, through the mountains until he reached the Central Valley and then continue walking from there! He lived in Tulare Ca. which is about 75 miles away. No Uber in those days lol As I recall, some kind people did eventually pick him up
hi adam and natalie , another cool video , really well done guys , R.I.P james dean
Wow Adam this was a great tribute ... How you did this with great Respect ...very well done .... Hi Natalie
That's not a tow truck, you fool! It's Dean's brand-new '55 Ford Country Squire pulling a car trailer. On the date of the photo, he had owned the Porsche 550 less than a week, so the Country Squire was probably just as new. The Ranch Market was where they had breakfast before driving both cars and the black Cadillac press car north on 99 toward Bakersfield. He wasn't "taking it for a spin", they were leaving for Salinas, where the race was being held. Salinas was a small town in Northern California, where it would take most of the day to get there.
That station wagon is called a Ford Country Squire. James special-ordered it with Ford's highest-performance V8, a 272 4-bbl. with automatic choke. The driver was Bill Hickman, who was not only James' boyfriend, but a Hollywood stunt driver who also drove the black 1968 Dodge Charger in "Bullitt" with Steve McQueen.
You've got it backwards: they stopped for gas in Sherman Oaks before they had breakfast at Ranch market. Dean lived in Sherman Oaks with his father and the station was just down the street from his house.
The picture of Dean's car across the street from Ranch Market was taken after the gas station picture. Back then, everybody who smoked did so around gas pumps when dispensing gas. The risk was minimal, despite warnings in place on the gas pumps. Note, Bill Hickman is having a word with the driver of the '50 Cadillac Fleetwood, which was part of the entourage. That's why all three cars were in the shot.
What was that you were starting to babble about Manson, but dropped your train of thought? If it was some baloney about them cleaning up in the restroom at the same gas station where James filled his car the day he died, that didn't happen; that gas station was in Pacoima.
That station wagon is called a Ford Country Squire. You may find this eerily ironic, but it's the same Ford Country Squire Dean just bought to haul his Porsche around with! Yep! I swear, I am NOT making this up! And that sports car 130 is Dean's 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder. Of course, he took his sweater off - it's September and this is Southern California.
Interstate 5 did not exist in 1955, so it's unlikely that pole existed back then, either. Remember, just because some yahoo places Dean's name on something doesn't prove he knows WTF he's talking about. Dean was stopped and cited for speeding by the CHP a few miles south of Lamont on Hwy. 99, an area several miles southwest of Bakersfield. After his death, the citation was dismissed at the Lamont court's own motion "in the interest of justice". BTW, that station wagon you keep referring to is called a Ford Country Squire, a fact you might want to keep in mind for your next edit.
You're mis-identifying Grapevine. The stretch of road between Ft. Tejon at the top of the hill to the south and the townsite of Grapevine at the bottom to the north is what was known as The Grapevine Grade, named not after the curvature of the original road alignment, but for the numerous wild grapes growing in the area.
What you keep calling a sports car is actually called a Porsche. It's a German-made, high performance car made of soft, lightweight aluminum and Dean's, a 550 Spyder, was designed exclusively for professional racing, and not for daily transportation. You might want to make a note of it, since you come across as rather amateurish calling all these important cars by their generic descriptions.
That 20' poster outside Blackwell's Corner appears to have had some surgery. While Dean was holding his trademark cigarette, somebody felt it was more politically correct to have his finger bandaged instead of promoting smoking.
Why are you jerking the picture of Turnupseed's car back and forth? Why don't you have the girl hold it while you focus your camera? Are you really that bad with a camera, or are you just trying to frustrate people who want to study it closely? What's the matter with you?
That "metal object" as you like to call it, is called a memorial monument. They put those up where someone important has died.
Congratulations on the proper pronunciation of 'Paso Robles'. Most people think it rhymes with 'nobles'.
There. I've just done a year's worth of research for you in three hours.
You're welcome.
Hey Adam, I’m here in Anaheim! Here till Friday! Lmk if you’re still around, Would love to meetup
I’m Not in town . Left yesterday and heading to northern California
I live next to Tulare, I know Don Turnupseeds grandson. I wont speak for the family but I know they wish they were never involved with that accident.
I think the JD and ld meens either James Dean's last day or last drive.
Rolf Wütherich, Dean's passenger and mechanic, signed a contract for 20,000 Deutsche Marks, in early July 1981, to at last talk about the crash and that last day of Dean's life. To that point, he had never spoke of it. But weeks later, July 22nd 1981, before that interview could happen, a drunk Rolf crashed into a residence in Kupferzell, Germany. Like Dean, he had to be cut from the car and was pronounced dead on scene. Not to be morbid, but glass was found to be embedded into James Dean's face at autopsy. The only source of glass to the riders in the Porsche was from the other car's headlights, as the Porsche's windshield was a composite. Just saying, Dean had to have died instantly; thank God for His mercies. RIP James and Rolf, you are both missed.
LD - Last Drive? Last Day?
Drive
Adam questioned why he would drive so far from the 101 to get gas. Well, in 1955 the Ventura Freeway wasn't completed yet, it opened on April 5, 1960.
I see Natalie and Adam and like automatically.
At 22:47 To the Left, you can see old 466 Next to the lone tree (There use to be two trees and a small bridge) that was the road Dean traveled on, it is mostly gone When I was there in 1985, you could walk the old hi way - highway markers, old cans and bottles were still off the side of the road. The road your car is currently on was built in 1957. It is still known as BLOOD ALLEY. In the next year or so, the intersection will be destroyed and re-built for safety and congestion issues. If you look at photos taken at the time, you can see that the road was much more narrow and not a clear shot down as it is today.
I noticed the cheapest gas was $4.59 cash. Dang! Around Cincinnati today, It was up to $3:19 today I was pissed. Last April it was $1.36.
"2917" dyslexia kicking in.
History repeated it's self with Paul Walker, very similar story.
I caught that too
First thing I thought when he said that. Lol. He usually catches it and corrects hinself.
Tard
Incredible video my friend. Amazing information. Very tragic.
The DailyWoo
if you read this - at 11:03 you name the pole number as 2917 however it's 9217 - recheck ..
Whoa, that Sherman Oaks spot is only a black away from my place and I never knew about this! Before the Whole Foods was built, the old gas station building was still there. It was a flower shop, and the canopy over the gas pumps was used by the car wash next door to hand dry cars that got the premium wash. You can see it by going back in time on Google Street View: www.google.com/maps/@34.1504359,-118.4452189,3a,75y,356.88h,89.75t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sWNt5SW4N3VbqcTG1uk1p7g!2e0!5s20140401T000000!7i13312!8i6656
That HWY he died on is known and called Blood alley.
Had James lived , he would have been 90 last February but to everyone he will be forever young.
Notice the front round clear light is missing from the Porsche Spyder 550 driver's side only reason james dean drove his Porsche Spyder was to get familiar with the Porsche and accumulate some miles before the race bill hickman was along for the ride driving the other car with the trailer✨😁👍
Maybe
J D L D means ?
JAMES DEAN LAST DRIVE?
SPOOKY
Do a vid on the happy days locations they used for the external shots
The guy who hit deans car was a 23 year old college student. He passed away in 1995
OMG! Just have to say how cute Natalie is! The perfect vlog companion, she’s positive, excited, and not too chatty. Such a sweetheart!
James Dean was before our time, however, this episode has influenced us to watch some of his movies and learn more about him. Thanks Adam and Natalie. Love these adventures where you teach us Hollywood history :)
James Dean is timeless!"
@@josephmartinez8803 We are having fun learning more about him! :) He is definitely timeless
I think there was a KFC originally back 50s of this video. Wonder if Dean ever went there.
Can you imagine, 60 or 70 years after your death people still actively morning your death?
its interesting they took so many photos of him and the car on the last day
Hi Adam. Can you do a similar video about Paul Walker?
Thinking of James Dean today, September 30th ❤️🌹🙏
Adam,
The JDLD does indeed stand for James Dean Last Day. Here is the info on the guy that put it there:
facebook.com/jamesdeanslastdrive/posts/we-put-up-new-letters-to-mark-the-spot-where-james-dean-got-his-speeding-ticket-/1023155351158639/
The photo showing the crash seen tells alot..the guy standing out of place is Turnupseed, and they just got the passenger (Rolf) from the other side of the fence getting ready to load him on the stretcher. you can see him on the left bottom next to the stretcher..they are getting ready to lift him up. Dean is still in the car..
Jdld James Dean last drive
They put those letters up in 2017 as the old letters.... As you pointed out.... We're getting worn badly
One of my brothers is named after James Dean. I enjoyed this adventure immensely. I hope to travel that trail myself some day
27:17 below the street light is a rectangular shaped James Dean Memorial sign with two poles holding it up. That is very close to where James Deans car ended up after the collision.
I can't believe I forgot what that whole foods used to be 🤦🏻♀️ I would drive there a lot too
maybe LD is for last day? Perhaps marking the location of the ticket?
On the traffic ticket, they spelled his name wrong, instead of Byron they wrote Bryron.
Great video...Natalie your Gawjus 😊😊😊 x
Cool video. I met you at Blackwells Corner the day you were filming. Cool experience.
face book page....jdld.....james Dean last drive
Last day or last drive
i like things with clues in some ways like ie when the rumor that Paul McCartney died and they gave clues on the songs . Sometimes they got far fetched but here is that we guess and that is all we can do.
Another great vlog Adam. Hi Natalie!!
Natalie is soo beautiful and cool 😎
Whew! Those gas prices! Thanks for spending a fortune on this drive, so I don't have to.
9217* lol
Another good one! Thanks, guys :)
Obviously had Dean not been ticketed, there would be no collision with the Ford sedan. Fate.
New ATW fan. Really enjoyed this vidya.
Is she wearing a #4 hose clamp on her finger as a ring? Where do you find these chicks at dude?