The Motor Underground: Chinatown Confidential | Episode 3

The Motor Underground: Chinatown Confidential | Episode 3 | Secrets & Lost Innocence

Рет қаралды 24,732

Ай бұрын

In his search for a wicked gasser that ran the streets of Chinatown half a century ago, Stoner uncovers a story made for Hollywood: street gangs, secretive Chinese tongs, high school kids building choppers, and a network of city gas stations where Chinese kids built some of the first street-driven gassers ever seen. But it all came to a screeching halt when a mafia-stye shooting took place at a beloved Chinatown restaurant in 1977. And just as he was about to give up the search for the Underdog, Stoner is stopped dead in his tracks when a mysterious email shows up in his inbox…
Hemmings is the ultimate destination for finding your perfect ride. Head to Hemmings.com and register to start your search today.
This Motor Underground series - Chinatown Confidential - is the third of four episodes in this series.
Hemmings Content on Gassers
GASSER COLLECTION
www.hemmings.com/stories/tag/...
RETURN OF THE GASSER
www.hemmings.com/stories/arti...
It Has the Nose-High Stance of a Gasser, but This 1951 Chevrolet Also Has Plenty of Rat Rod DNA
www.hemmings.com/stories/hfod...
#hemmings #classiccars #chinatown #sanfrancisco #norcal #vintagedrags #dragracing #musclecars #hotrods

Пікірлер: 73

@Zed32_Customs Ай бұрын

This is the BEST car-based documentary in a long while. Got me on the edge of my seat waiting for a new episode

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

The master plan is working!

@New_Jax_City Ай бұрын

You know what Ol’ Jack Burton always says at time like this… “Have You Paid Your Dues Jack? Yes Sir The Check Is In The Mail”

@Flatland-Relics Ай бұрын

Next series is when they go and search for the Pork Chop Express 10 Wheeler

@New_Jax_City Ай бұрын

@@Flatland-Relics your not looking for a truck!! Your looking for a girl with green eyes. Yes!

@tiptop8584 Ай бұрын

What a fantastic snapshot in time! I went to Galileo high school from 1968_1970, I was lucky enough to see the Underdog make more than one pass by the open doors of our high schools auto sho. I've never forgotten seeing those cool cars! Great memories watching this!

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

Amazing! Got any pics from back then? Love to hear more about the Underdog…

@AliasHSW Ай бұрын

My distant uncle (RIP) may have known and hung out with some of these OGs. Whenever I visited his home in SJ in the late 70s. I always peeked into his garage to looked at his dark blue modded Malibu (🤔). As a kid I didn’t know better but know it was special because of the super clean high gloss paint and chrome wheels, and it was my first up close and personal taste of (Chinese) American hot rod. He kept it for the longest of time like the OGs in this video, but finally sold it to a neighborhood kid that was admiring it for the longest of time when he was no longer fit to drive.

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

Dangit! Once again, I was too late to snag it up for myself... 😃

@galendea1855 Ай бұрын

Great story. This took a lot of "sleuthing" around and interviewing some of the folks that experienced a great time of car culture history in Chinatown. I remember most of this stuff as I saw and knew some of the guys who owned these cars. I was also into hot rods at that time and had mustangs, camaros, GTX, GTO, roadrunner and cruised the streets of Chinatown in the early 70's. Sometimes we had challenges for racing from a few members of the Wah Ching gang. I distinctly remember one was a 65 light green GTO and a 66 blue GTO. I also knew the guy who had the straight axle copper color 62 Nova with the straight axel. I remember the Underdog at Galileo high school and Chinatown. It was a "bad ass" car! I kept my 69 Camaro and sometimes go sit in it and listen to the 8 tracks :)

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

You still got your '69 Camaro? Let's see pics!

@galendea1855 Ай бұрын

still got the Camaro, was at a car show a few years back with Brian Fong and Andy Yun also had a 65 Stingray but sold that about 15 years ago. Let me take some pics of the Camaro and will send it to you. I remember some guys brought their gassers to auto shop at Galileo to work on.

@murdoc6501 Ай бұрын

This story just keeps getting better! Compelling exposition and production of a unique and equally compelling story and history! You are knocking it out of the park! Go Stoner and Motor Underground, keep moving forward!

@ryurc3033 Ай бұрын

I've been obsessed with cars my entire life. Tri 5 always had a special place because my uncle Al picked us up from the airport in Reno, and drove us up to Oregon in a baby blue 55 nomad with a Pontiac 455. His drag car was another baby blue 56 post, jacked up, craigars, white fender well headers, aluminum head Pontiac stroker motor, tunnel ram, blue plexiglass hood scoop. I just remember that was the first time I got planted in the seat, and as my head hit the back, I realized I couldn't move, my arms felt like they weighed 100 lbs. Nothing else quite like it. I have 3 current projects. 87 2 door blazer with a 2003 5.3, a 76 Silverado stepside with a mildly built 454, 4 speed. And a long term project 72 Chevelle that needs everything, but it's mine. So I will never let it go.

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

We need to see more of your stuff!

@scottmoto Ай бұрын

happiness is finding out you posted the next episode. Thanks for the series.

@martincardone5727 Ай бұрын

Keep it coming

@user-ve3ib9sd8n Ай бұрын

Can't wait for next episode.

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

One episode to to go! I almost don't want it to be over...

@andrewlee88 Ай бұрын

What's better than 'Just another car documentary?' A CAR COLD-CASE. The history of sf Chinatown with a history lesson of American automotive culture has just kept me on the edge of my seat. Well done and love how the car had shaped the culture and vice versa with style and identity. 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

@peterong1295 Ай бұрын

I remember seeing 55-56-57 Chevys cruising on Grant Avenue, left turn up Washington Street, left turn to Waverly Avenue, left turn down on Clay Street….

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

YES! Like I always say...I was born 30 years late. Woulda been sooooo cool to see them in their natural habitat

@Dirtbagdaryn Ай бұрын

Man these cliff hangers are really getting to me

@kylesedgley7530 Ай бұрын

Stay tuned!

@terrystewart2070 Ай бұрын

The ultimate next episode teaser.........can't wait!

@carloberardis1461 Ай бұрын

You’re killing me !!

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

Hey, imagine having to MAKE the damn thing!

@shermanlee9157 Ай бұрын

Great stuff. And a nostalgic walk down memory lane. "Born and raised in SF" Thanks Dan...

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

What 'hood you raised up in, Sherman?

@shermanlee9157 Ай бұрын

@@danielstoner2843 I was born in Chinatown. But raised in the Richmond district.I was a regular at the Great Highway and Brotherhood way.

@ConemantheBarbarian Ай бұрын

Now that’s a cliffhanger!

@MarkD-tt8qz Ай бұрын

This Chinatown underground needs to be exploited, our history of this country, is so biased, Waiting for a part 2, very interesting, i see a movie out of these storys, Awesome

@noverguy Ай бұрын

You couldn't have ended part 3 better! Go Dan Go! USA-1

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

Thank you, noverguy! Appreciate you, my dood...

@noverguy Ай бұрын

@@danielstoner2843 You got it Dan! Keep up the GRRRREAT WORK! USA-1

@maximuswedgie5149 Ай бұрын

Someone needs to make a movie about this

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

Believe me: now that it's done, I'm hearing enough before-hidden stories that we totally could do that and make such a killer film!

@kevinwilliams7979 Ай бұрын

Great job Dan. Great job 👏

@johnmorello1164 Ай бұрын

I remember the Chinatown Racing Team from Half Moon Bay !!!

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

Who were the members of that team? We never found out...

@GreggGonzalez-ei1gu Ай бұрын

Awesome stuff 👍

@noverguy Ай бұрын

Thanks for posting Dan!! We've been waiting! USA-1

@geedee94134 Ай бұрын

I remember those days while growing up in San Francisco. They were Street racing Heroes everyone went crazy tracking down where the races were being held.Usually Brotherhood Way or the Great Highway.

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

Ever race on Carroll Avenue?

@geedee94134 Ай бұрын

Yes! I grew up in Bayview Hunters Point and Visitacion Valley in the 60's and 70's.I had a 68 Chevelle I raced around the City back in the day.

@stevemcelfresh85 Ай бұрын

Never realized how much chinatown contributed. Cool story

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

That’s the most amazing part of this: total underground car culture…

@grabasandwich Ай бұрын

19:09 great blur job on the plate right as it changes angles at 19:10 🤣

@Roguescrambler Ай бұрын

Very cool series. Can’t wait to see the next episode… there’s a couple cars I’d like to locate. Maybe you can help…could make a cool story

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

DO TELL!

@knutbkristiansen Ай бұрын

Awesome series

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

One more to go!

@malibuconv1968 Ай бұрын

All the Straight Axel cars shown that were running the streets in the late 60s/early 70s were the early Street Freaks. They were mainly street driven and not built for a specific Drag Class. I'm a Bay Area "native" that grew up in the South Bay.

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

Yep--that's what makes these so cool: they weren't pulled to tracks on trailers...these guys lived their lives in them!

@hotrodhustle5456 Ай бұрын

Me and a buddy had a conversation about these cars being street freaks the other day the cars are very similar to what alot of the street gassers we see today

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

@@hotrodhustle5456 yeah, these guys seemed to be the first in Nor-Cal to street these cars!

@chaloy67 Ай бұрын

Yesss!!

@yamarider6199 Ай бұрын

thanks for this, not very many kids my age (27) are in to straight axle gassers. maybe im an old soul or born in the wrong generation (or both). im building a 62 mercury comet gasser right now and have a 52 chevy business coupe next. some day ill get my hands on the holy grail gasser (55-56 chevy)

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

Best news all day! Let's see pics of your axle cars and I think a Comet gasser is in my future, too--I'm thinking '65 Caliente with a 429 and a toploader...

@yamarider6199 Ай бұрын

@@danielstoner2843 YES! 64 fairlane and 65 comet are definitely on my must own list also. im a chevy guy but dont dig the chevy prices lol. love the ford styling and prices.

@malibuconv1968 Ай бұрын

"The Steets of San Francisco" season 1 episode 20 was about a Chinese Gang that kidnapped Det Stone called "The Cobras". If a tv show in 1972 used that as a plot point, you know it had been an issue for a long time.

@danielstoner2843 Ай бұрын

Man, that is SO true! Now I need to find that episode and watch it...

@malibuconv1968 Ай бұрын

@@danielstoner2843 Season 1 Episode 20 "Trail of the Serpent"