Projects Milner Lite 32 aka graffiti removal

Figured I'd start a thread keeping track of the changes I've made to my 32 5w. Plan on completely changing the car, but it's hard to tear it apart when it runs and drives so well. Short history. Bought this Henry 32 from a good friend of mine in early 2014. He had purchased the 32 as a "streetrod" in 2004. He began removing the street rod items and making an American Graffiti clone out of it. When I bought the car he was well on the way to a Milner clone but hadn't chopped or painted the car the right color piss yellow puke green.
I got the 32 and started to make a few changes. In the end my goal is to have a very traditional 32 hot rod. Plan is to eventually disassemble the car and paint the frame black and body a solid traditional color. I'll keep track of the slow progress here.

This is the 32 basically as I bought it in Feb 2004.

Started with a number of mechanical upgrades and interior changes. Steering column, fuel lines and proper pump, trans cooler, redoing wiring, cooling fan, brakes redone to self actuating self adjusting and parking brake added, switched the rear gears, etc.
At this time the car had no interior. Only the glide seat was upholstered. I put a quick do it your self interior together. Added a tach. Made the ignition key and headlight switch holder. Car had a GM column in it before. Welded up the old holes in the dash including a square for a radio.


Got rid of the flush mount windshield and power windows. Put cranks and a swing out glass back in. Put arrow headlights at that time.

Put a full size grill shell and radiator on. Also switched the headlights again to guide copies by OTB.

Test fitting the hood top.

Ditched the fenders and put taller front WW Firestones and WW Dragsters in back.

Swapped out the low Sanderson headers for a set from GearDrive headers. Like these a lot. Look good and are well made. Re routed the plug wires and made a few changes around the engine.



Over the past 2 weeks I've been changing the exhaust once again. This time running it under the car to exit just before the rear tires. One change leads to another I had to run new plug wires and separators.







Exhaust is sorta trial and error. It now has a crossover and I'm using 3.5" cones at the end of 2.5" pipe. So I can use the baffles, packing, and turnouts from the Gear Drive headers. I also wrapped the exhaust. Partially for heat, but also as a noise reduction experiment. Which works by the way. It will shorten the life of the pipes but I'm ok with that.






So this is how the car sits today.


I have changed the interior up some as well. I removed the Covico graffiti wheel and put a 40 wheel from lime works. I had made the interior and panels a few years back. Simple upholstery backer board with faux leather vinyl over it. Some of the 3m adhesive has come loose so I'll be doing the interior again over the next few weeks. Really like the feel of Limeworks wheel.

 

Nice improvements.

 

Way better!
That flush windshield was ugly!

 

yes....like your choices !

 

Good for you for getting rid of the clone car. Looks way better.

 

Damn, that's a nice car underneath too.

 

Very nice!!

 

Thanks y'all. So I am changing the car from the point at which I bought it. I do however need to give credit to my friend John that I bought the car from. He did a considerable amount of improvements to the car in the 10 years he owned it. He purchased the car as a full (fiberglass fenders) fendered car. The car was already painted the color it s now. But bucket seats, a old 305 & th350 combo polished Torque thrust wheels and bright red paint on the suspension. Another friend and John started on relocating and improving the suspension points. Made the front and rear fenders. Had the entire front end chromed. Had the new 383 stroker engine built and the th350 at the same time. Bought the glide seat, Milner wheels and graffiti pieces. A number of changes and improvements I am forgetting. John really did a lot to improve this car. His hope was to eventually make an accurate Milner clone. John decided not to chop this 32 being advised it was too nice of an original body. I think this is the point he began to lose interest. John has always had number of nice cars and is constantly buying and improving customs and hot rods. I was very lucky to be able to purchase this car from him when I did. I was a dream of mine to own a 32. Never thought it would happen, but by chance it all worked out. It took a lot for me to be able to own this one.

 

The motor with the GearDrive headers..

The engine with the block huggers ...Also switched the blue fuel line it was bothering me!

 

Well done!!

 

Really nice !
Every improvement looks better and better and I'm guessing the future improvements will be the same

 

Joey,

You have a beautiful car there! It is spotless above and below and you are doing a fantastic job with it. Keep up the good work.

I know you didn't ask, but if it were mine I think a chop would be in order.

Thor

 

IMO; Best thing was to get rid of the short grille shell & put the stock height one on.

 

It's obvious where you hang around......your vision is ever-changing and that is easily understood as well. Great job @joey7508.

I will say as a graffiti clone it was bar rubber and chop one of the better ones I've seen.

 

You have turned that one into a really nice looking hot rod.

 

Looks real good now.

 

are you leaving the wheels? I like them

 

You're making all of the right changes to that car. Great choices everywhere. Thanks for posting the progress...........................Don.

 

Super job making it your own. Digging the windshield and headlights. Yeah, so many dashboards went under the knife for stereos.
Tell us what traditional color you have planned.

 

I have to agree with Moriaity's comments.

 

Looks a lot better now. Great hot rod.

 

Thank you all for the positive comments!
Most of the changes I make to the car are done because I'm a different kind of lazy! I take the easier path at the time knowing that I'll change or improve that part again later. It's entertainment and I learn something every time.
I had listed this car for sale here on the HAMB recently. I was planning on splitting the cash between a shop I'm working on and buying a model A roadster to build form scratch. Sometimes I think it might be better to build a car from the ground up rather than work around others ideas. It is nice to have one that runs and drives while you work on it also. Hard to explain at times that " I didn't build it originally" but I'm going to have built it by the end.

As far as the questions I was asked.
My thought for the color is a dark brown. my 2nd choice a dark solid maroon.

I like the wheels, but I do plan on changing those as well. The cars lug pattern was redrilled to 5x4.5 long ago. The original pattern is still in place and I will go back to that and run a diffent chrome rim and black wall bias combo.

There's a number of changes to the body that I have planned. 100% sure I'll put the cowl vent back in. I know there's mixed opinions on the filled top, but I'm hoping to remove the filled section. From inside all the original wood is in place. Might have to buy an un-filled roof piece from United Pacific to make it happen. And if I get that far the 32 will get a hair cut.

The body is a big chore. I'm aware of how much time and effort that will take. So I plan on taking the long path to that point. Changing and rearranging the chassis, suspension, engine etc first. All in small steps.

 

Tasteful changes. I especially like the fenders being gone.

 

Well I am not sure what color the car is but I like the body in that color. Changing the frame to black will show the chrome off a little better.

I really dig what this car is becoming.

 

Joey do you have any more Graffiti parts for sale.

 

Beautiful car, good choices on all the changes you've made so far. Thanks for posting.

 

Now go cruising and hook up with a bitching babe..ha ha ha..nice improvements..kudos to your bud