In those days you could buy a working 440 roadrunner that'd press your eyeballs back in their sockets for $400. I almost bought a 68 Chevy Super Sport with some massive engine in it for $600. Sometimes I wonder if it was a good thing I didn't buy it :-/ That car today would cost a bleedin fortune.
Those people who do free climbing, they're crazy, and have a short life expectancy. Not something I'd ever consider. But I'm not going to tell them they can't do it.
After all your description sounds somehow safe, the problem would still be a ton accelaterated in public space which has nothing to do with free climbing
Naturally, they'd race them. All over the place. By informally setting aside a safe boulevard at night for them to express those urges, the idea was things would be more safe, not less, and the cops could keep an eye on it to keep things from getting out of hand. After the cops were forced to shut it down, it went back to being distributed around the city in a much less safe manner.
And so I envy Tom Cruise, who is rich enough to have his very own P-51, and writes it off as a business expense :-/
There's some people around to make things are safe. No cops in sight. When a new vehicle rolls in, people crowd around to check it out. It's a beautiful thing.
It's almost convinced me that cities should put in a public access drag strip. Just like they have facilities for other sports. A place where the teenagers and gearheads can go nuts. But away from public streets and with some basic safety rules and equipment. I think it would be a huge hit.
It was great fun. Not only were kids drag racing their cars, a lot more were showing off their cars, hanging out at the drive in joints lining the strip, etc. I remember one older boy had my fantasy Mustang, very heavily modified. My Dodge is an ode to that start to my devotion to muscle cars :-)
Unfortunately, some parents eventually complained and the cops were forced to shut it down. All part of the general removal of fun from our society.