My dad was a ride mechanic at knotts berry farm , he named one of the cars on this ride after me. I still have the pie plate with the name from the back of the ride vehicle. I looked up this video to show my son what the heck I was talking about when I came across the name plate haha. This was definitely a favorite ride of mine as a kid.
That's such a cool story. Its always been my dream since I was a kid to be a Knott's Berry Farm ride mechanic . Maybe someday soon I will live that dream up.
These were a lot of fun for the ~8 year old me. Unfortunately the ride effects (lights / smoke / sounds) didn't last too long after opening, and I had forgotten about these until National Coasters mentioned them.
How cool would it be if Knott's had somebody engineer an updated version of this ride? Reopening the Wacky Soap Box Racers with some of the original designs and artwork but better track system and cars? Keeping the same twists and turns but tighter and faster? But safer? People would flock to ride those....
I loved this ride! so sad when I went back one year and it had been taken out. Knott's has removed some other rides that I loved too like the octopus one.
Man they do run a whole lot slower than I remember; as a kid I felt like we were flying! Nevertheless an awesome trip down memory lane....specifically our elementary school graduation class trip. Thanks!
I remember this from when I was a kid; it was still a motorcycle theme. This ride is still the scariest roller coaster I've ever done (and I'm quite an aficionado). Both my brother and I remember desperately trying not to fall off as those were the days when you simply held on and were responsible for your own safety.
@@1ROCKET- i wouldn’t know. I visited LA as a kid in the 90s a couple of times and always went here. One time in the late 90s, I found they were gone and when I moved to LA in the late 2000’s, I haven’t been there since then. Not a rollercoaster guy really but I did have a good time with this ride and Jaguar and Boomerang and the greased lightning spinning cars.
@@alonzotanner1226 In a sense I’m jealous, you got to experience Knott’s during that time. I was born in 2003 so I never got the chance to experience any of those
@@1ROCKET- yea I was born in 85. Came up in Harlem New York but my mom has a couple of cousins who lived in Inglewood for decades so my folks would take all of us on trips there in the summer sometimes. After I graduated college I moved to LA myself and by then I was already in my early 20s and not even for dates I never went to amusement parks. Talkin with you now tho I just might start going again. I’m jealous of you too though. You’re only 18 I would give a lot to be 18 again rather than 35. However when I was your age it was much simpler times.
@@1ROCKET- I’m jealous of you man. You’re only what, 18? I’d give anything to be 18 again. I’m twice your age now. I’d love to trade places believe me.
By this time basically everything of any type of effect had been removed from the ride. They all deteriorated in the weather and simply weren't replaced. It was a shell of itself.
@@spectroman71 Did leaning ever help? lol. I remember as a kid to "LEAN!!" to make it go faster to try and win :D I saw the dudes in this video do it as well
looks like by 1994 they had removed all the fun scenery and the doors you would crash thru. check out the knots berry commercial from 1980 to see what i mean. i was there in 1980 when i was 9 from nyc!
Agreed! I thought I was going crazy, because I remembered it being so much better than what this video shows. There were a ton of doors that blasted open when your cart slammed into them, which really made the whole thing super exciting. I wonder if it was a safety concern. But safety concern or not, it looks like they got rid of ALL the extra themeing by '94.
probably got rid of all the cool stuff to cut back on maintenance costs. The more moving parts something has, the more points of failure, which means it breaks down more, meaning it costs more money. All about that cash.
The Cork Screw is still around. Silverwood bought it and it's still running there! There is a placard paying homage to the iconic ride and the history behind it. I totally agree, the Soap Box Racer was one of my favorites!
This ride was so much more enjoyable with the theming when it first opened. I remember the doors you would crash through the sewer pipes were full of smoke!
This ride was so fucking awesome!! I was just reminiscing with my buddy bout this and Whirlpool...so glad I got to ride these great rides when they were still around!
When this track first opened the riders were actually on motorcycles. You sat upright on a cycle seat and had to hold on for dear life to the handle bars. The ride was fast and the turn could catch the first time rider off guard. There was a seat belt but it was hard to imagine that would have kept the rider on if they lost their grip. Those did not last too long and then the replaced the cars with the Soapbox variety as shown in the video.
This was my favorite ride in the park. I was so pissed when they demolished it in favor of that horrible Wind Jammer coaster! Xcellerator is better than WJ, but it's still no WSBR!
when this ride was new it was well themed and really fun.. all through the 80's they chipped away at it and by the time this video was made there was nothing left .
Oh man I remember this ride. It was located in the far back north/west section of Knott’s park. I use to love this ride 2nd only to Timber Mountain Log Ride. ❤❤❤
I remember when it was the motorcycle chase ride ! My hands would be so sweaty because those leather straps that held you in really didn’t .. you would hold on for dear life . Crazy late 70’s
I remember this ride from when I was younger up until my 8th grade year when my Jr High went there it was awesome. My stepmom God Rest Her Soul both in 7th & 8th grade would give me her whole disability check to go when the school went. She even did that for my 8th grade trip to Magic Mountain.
I was a little kid when I went on these & have very faint memories of it, along with the parachute ride & the indoor scrambled egg ride "Whirlpool". I still love Knott's Berry Farm for Ghost Rider & Silver Bullet, but I miss these rides too.
I grew up across the street from Knott's Berry Farm in the 70's behind the Buena Park Mall this ride was the best ride to me 2 is the log ride seen this video gives me soo many great memories
Went to this park second day of the 92 riots. There was maybe 300 people all day! Best day at an amusement park we ever had. Log ride no need to exit and get in line if we wanted they just waved us through.
@PHAEDRIDER Yeah, I remember the commercial promoting this ride when I was a pre-teen, in the summer of 1980. Everybody wanted to go to KBF that summer to ride it. It was a very popular and fun ride, don't know why they replaced it with that Windjammer junk. But I do like Xcelerator though, lol!!
Yeah I remember being 12-13 or so in the late 70s and going to the little cars with the guard rails on the other side of the parking lot. Miss the trolley cars too.
All the effects were off by then.. there used to be announcers at the corners after drops. Both ground drops were into fog. The last area was full of fog and would blow up when you entered it.
I loved this ride when I was a kid I miss it. Surprisingly anyone that works at knotts now if I bring it up they don't remember it and it's just sad this ride was awesome
wow, i loved this ride, im 30 it was my favorite ride as a kid, i wish they would bring it back and take out xcellorator, well keep that just move it lol, but i know they had problems with the manufacturer and were having trouble finding parts for it to replace when time came to do so.
I rode this with my parents when I like 8 or 9, along with the Wave Swinger and the Tampico Tumbler, and all three scared the crap outta me. I was a sensitive kid. Looks pretty tame now, watching this video as an adult.
Does anybody remember Jungle Island the donkey rides the train rides the carousel and where you can feed the ducks in the pond and ride the wooden horse that shoots water out of its mouth it's next it used to be next to Liberty Hall where Soak City is now
I will never understand why they took these out, so what if they were dangerous, Everything they've placed in that location so far hasn't lasted more than a few years.
Blackpool pleasure beach has one of these called Steeplechase (based on the Coney Island ride) but you sit on horses instead, like the motorcycles that was on this ride.
We might have a vhs camera copy of this from the mids 1980s, the big problem is we did not do a good job keep track of what is on the tapes. We got a video camera in 1984 and since then we have over 600+ Vhs tapes, lots of them not marked, but if i find a copy of it I'll post, Luke
This use to be a bike ride (using the same rail system here) and it was ten times scarier because the only thing securing you was a leather seatbelt. I remember the sensation of falling off the bike because their one-size fits all belt was so loose.
its hard to see from the footage, but this ride FELT fast. Also it didnt have any lapbars or seatbelts so it felt crazier and more out of control than it looks.
I wish Knott’s bought more land so they can add this back. Same as boomerang. The parking lot takes too much potential space so it should be stacked up to be 3-6 stories high. The parking near ghost rider is okay but near hotel should be stacked instead of ordered pairs. Like hotels with stacked parking. They should add soap box racers, boomerang, and wind seeker. Even tho wind seeker was mechanical problems. It was awesome ride. And they should add corkscrew back. And they should bring back perilous plunge.
List of rides should be added back if Knott’s bought allot land or removed parking lot and stacked them instead of using too much space: Corkscrew Boomerang Windseeker SOAP BOX RACERS Perilous plunge
Henry Mancini's "Shades of Sennett" from the first Pink Panther flick, 1964 with Peter Sellers and Hnery Mancini, but oddly NEVER used in the United Artist-DePatie-Freleng-Mirisch-Geoffrey cartoons as was the theme, was used in this ride!!!!
