Has anybody on here built a California Kid clone or even possibly have that beautiful car? It was my first time to watch this movie the other night, And i have to say that It is my favorite movie cars.
http://www.bing.com/search?q=california%20kid%20car&qs=AS&sk=AS4&pq=california%20Kid&sp=5&sc=8-14&form=BDKTMA&pc=BDT3&shash=&BDParam=0000&mkt=en-US here ya go ! enjoy Bill aka Tnomoldw
I think I've seen one that looked convincing from the outside, but was all streetrod on the inside and underneath...
Even the "California Kid" isn't all "California Kid"... remember the engine close up? Just watched the movie again tonight.
If it was your first time watching it you probably wouldn't know this, but in the shot where they show the motor they actually used some footage of the engine from Milner's coupe. The real California kid motor is a sbf with a single 4 barrel and the movie people felt the car needed a hotter looking motor, hence the "photoshopping". Don
Pete Built the "kid" with the Engine, Transmission and rear axle out of the T-Bucket he built when he was working at Blairs. He dragged this home for two hundred and fifty bucks,..... And got really lucky when Gray Baskerville introduced him to Jim Jacobs.... The chassis was re fitted with Pete & Jake suspension kits over the years But when the car was first on the road and the movie was filmed this is what the chassis was like. Nov. 1973 R&C (Before the movie) Under construction,.... this is the Kids chassis. And pretty much as it sits now.
When they made the movie, Pete had them include in the contract to return the car as it was on delivery,----All the road rash & scratches were taken care of---And Pete was happy!
Here is one my son & I built back in 1981 to run in the Soapbox Derby. Turned out it was pretty fast, finished second.
You might enjoy this,... A HAMB member built a clone of sorts but it's a 1933. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=529856&highlight=1933+california+kid I have had a few 33 and 34 3/W over the years,.... and I have always loved the look of the kid and the Ben Rizzio coupe..... I have one tucked away in the barn that I really should be working on... but I am working on 3 friends cars most of the time now..... Ain't that the way it always goes ?
I remember seeing the car at a show in Fraizer Park Ca. in 78 Impressive for a dummy 16 year old. The movie had not been out that long.At least for me
There's only a couple clones I'd like to build/own and that's one of them. I had just gotten into hotrodding when the movie came out. My dad, brother and I were glued to the television. It's also got what I consider to be the sweetest set of flames EVER. Not too much, not too little, well blended, perfect.
I was a kid just out of high school when they made the movie--"Buzz's Garage" is in Piru,Ca-they shot all the town scenes there. A few of us live about 30 miles from there,and went over ,hopefully ,to see about extra parts. No parts,but got to watch them film...the hot rod thing hit me hard from that movie,and started building them.I still drive thru Piru and do my pretend Kid thing in my coupe!!
Chris Carrier from Hartford, Ct. bought the "California Kid' from Pete for around $25,000, after the TV show first aired. That was huge money to spend on a car at that time that had no interior. Bob
Yeah,... I know.... This car has nothing to do with that car (not to mention it's a 33'),... But this is the last one languishing away in the barn untouched. I originally started it as a daily beater,... the chassis is built like a tank !......Maybe one of these days I should roll it back into the shop and.......... Nahhhhhhhhh....... I'll just leave it sit.
He told my buddy and I they screwed it up pretty bad sliding in gravel over and over to get one good take. It was no too long after the movie was made and it's been so long I didn't remember him saying they fixed it again.
Pete told me they beat it like a red headed step child,.... but they agreed to pay him for all the repairs as well as the studio rental fee... which was big. There were quite a few scratches on the car as well as some on the front fenders from getting walked up on. A kleeg light fell and hit the radiator shell and put a dent in it (You can see it in the gas station scene).... so that was replaced as well. But acording to Pete they paid him well,... and he would be happy to have done it again. Pete is a pretty solid pack rat, he still has all the parts taken off the car as he repaired and upgraded it. But Jerry does have both Pete & Jake's Coupes.
Thanks for the update!---Next time you talk to Pete, ask him about his roadster with the license plate that read SIROD!----At the LAR show at Great Western in the late 70's (?)---Don
The glass 27 he built for his Dad ?,..... love that car! (even though I hate green on most cars) Last time I was in Ca. he still had it. And I think he and Carol took it on a reliability run a few years back. I always felt that Roadster had a really sweet overall look. I usually see him at Detroit. Thanks for mentioning the roadster Don.... Did I mention I love that car ! Never sat in it, but always wanted to. this seat looks comfy for a 27 T.
The California Kid and Jakes yellow coupe as shot by Jay Fitzhugh out of Frank Morawski's Super Bell Coupe a couple of years ago
I DIDNT REMEMBER ANYTHING ABOUT THE MOVIE except the fact that i loved the car in it. i even forgot exactly what THAT looked like. but i do remember drooling.
I went to high school with Michelle Phillips ( not her name at the time ) and when I saw the movie with her and the Kid it was a perfect combination. Both were super hot!!!!
And the plate is his mother's name - backwards (actually it is SIROD2, it comes from the fact that his Uncle had named one of his race horses SIROD for his sister, Pete's mom and this was the second SIROD, hence the 2) Oh and it's a '26
Jerry let me sit in the coupe some years back. We even took some pictures to torture my buddies with. Yes, I liked the car.
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