American Graffiti Coupe Pictures and Myths

I just posted some old pictures of Milner's Coupe I bet you have never seen and some of the stories I know to be true. Let me know what you think. I would also like to hear you American Graffiti tales. Everybodys got one Thanks Jeff
http://jeffsallgraffitiallthetime.blogspot.com

 

I actually liked the car,... And the feeling it evoked when I first seen it,.. backing into that parking place at Mel's,... Maybe not the best aesthetics,... ( I was told a credible reason for the sectioned rad shell and highboy configuration on the body).

Here is a picture you rarely see,... and something that really shocked me,.... pretty unsafe if you ask me,... But considering this cars popularity,.. fixing it would be like removing Marilyn Monroe's mole.

 

I like the car and I like the movie. But, honestly, haven't we done this enough already? There are an awful lot of hotrods I haven't seen yet. Let' move on.

 

I understand what your saying, however, we have also been "Flatheaded" to death, as well as many other subjects,.. I have no problem with this because when the movie came out,.. real Hot Rodding was virtually dead.

This movie and lil' coupe started a wave of nostalgia that swept the nation and rekindled the flicker of light left for building real hot rods again.

At this time in hot rod history almost everything was muscle cars, street machines and vans,........ I'll never get tired of threads about this car and this movie,... IMHO

 

Very cool website. Funny to find out all the stories are false. Whatever really became of the 55?

 

Then why would you even open up and read the thread? Its a hotrod icon that a lot of us care about!

 

Graf,
Good stuff to read friend.

Here is a myth that you cleared up for me. For a very long time in my mind the fenders were molded not bolt on. I have no idea whay I thought that but I have been looking at Milner clones (both car and drivers) for a long thime thinking that they forgot to mold the fenders.

 

It got bought by some no-taste hack in Maryland who turned it into a gold-chainer's dream. I saw pics and although it could be returned to it's street-racer version, right now it looks pretty blingy to me.

 

ahhhhh,..... what are you talking about ?????

 

I think he's talking about the 55

 

cool website good stuff!

 

I always liked the written version...book or script....tells about Milners yellow deuce coupe pulling into Mels Drive-In sporting a HEMI ! I always thought it would have been more correct for 1962 if it had followed the book on that point !

 

I was in wichita back in the late 80's with a buddy of mine, cruizin around in his 70 440+6 roadrunner. We happened into a parts store and a really cool guy strikes up a conversation. Here we are talking to Steve Fitch! He tells us to follow him to his house where he proceeds to show us these pics, he had just recently sold the cars. (said the 55 would've easily won the race by the way!Lol) He tells us to follow him on foot around the corner from his house and there thru the windows of a garage of a buddy of his is the black and gold car from w.w. and the dixie dance kings! His buddy wasn't home so we didn't get in the garage but what a day! The 6 pack tended to leave a little "residue" on the back bumper of my buddies runner so when we leave town to head back home he writes in the soot "I JUST MET STEVE FITCH". It was a while before he washed that bumper! Steve is a VERY cool guy! Memories!

 

I heard that CAROL still had the little PISTON shift knob !

 

My shift knob is a tribute to the movie.............

 

Where in,... the key to the sectioned Radiator shell story comes from,... I was told by a guy that supposedly worked for the the prop department, They looked at a number of 32 Fords,.. but because this one had a chopped top (really pretty rare at the time) they decided to go with this car.

According to him, the car was Red and had full fenders and running boards,.. the front fenders & boards came off, and the rears were bobbed. and the front axle went out for chrome plating.

According to the original script, the car was suppose to be chopped & channeled with a Hemi. It was a low budget film,.. and because the front suspension was out and the radiator shell was off, they thought they would start by sectioning the Radiator shell,...

They were running out of time and budget,... So they never channeled the car, but it had to go back together,... and there sat the sectioned Radiator shell and radiator,.. So the car went back together that way.

Now,.. I have no idea how reliable this story really is, And I lost that guys name and number decades ago. I met him on a visit out to see my Uncle in Costa Mesa,.... But it was a lot of years later that I read somewhere, that there was evidence the car was painted red at one time.

So from what I understand, that is why the car was a Highboy with a sectioned grill shell,....

For what it's worth.

 

Thanks, yes I should have specified the '55. I saw some pics of it a few years ago, and it had a leather interior, no roll bar, hub caps, and a mural inside the trunk. On the plus side, I recently found a video on Youtube and at least it sounds pretty badass and the hub caps have been removed.

 

After meeting my wife in August, 1973, our first date was American Graffiti.
Still together 38 years later....and yeah, we both love the movie.

Marshall

 

Red told me that the 32 was braking the lower camra mounts on an every other day base. LOL thanks for keeping this in eyes view. we know a little about the tail dragger in the opening cruzing sene its said to be the same car from hollywood knights was this ever put to the test? again thanks for a good read.

 

My parents saw American graffiti on their first date too. They're also still together. My dad and I both love the movie and the first date thing makes it even cooler to me.

 

Best movie EVER bar none.......and the car is perfect and always will be.

 

I drove this Merc to see AG at the drive-in in the mid seventies . Bill

 

In the early 80s the coupe was stored next to HAT RACING ENT IN SAN RAFAEL CA ON MILL ST it was no big deal i open and closed the doors to take a look. The right rear quarter window FELL to the floor pan an that was the last time i ever saw the car.

 

Its Rick Figari that owns the real AG coupe.

 

Nope not the same coupe....http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Tom_Hocker's_1940_Ford

Close, they are/were owned by a fellows named Tom, just the yellow coupe in Hollywood Knights was owned by Tom Hiser
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50877&highlight=tom+hiser

 

Cool info and pics. Thanks for taking the time to share your info with us.

 

I've been a fan of this movie since the early 80's when i first got the chance to see it. i saw an article in Car Craft magazine around 1984 (I think) about Steve owning both cars, wanting to know more about the cars, i somehow came up with steve's address, and wrote him a letter, and he actually responded and enclosed 2 pics of the cars, how cool! huh, i still have the letter/pics in my stash of stuff

 

I don't want to get In Harms way. (sorry I just had too) I think that you tale is pretty well spot on. It all makes sense. I was wondering if you have a copy of the script? I have the book and it says "Chopped and Lowered" not Channeled?? Thanks Jeff

 

Wow Harms this is an old pic. The front super slider spring has since been replaced with an original and the shocks have also been changed. Cool Share Thanks. Jeff