DOH When I read the original post on the thread somehow I got that the fella was cloning the '55Chevy not milners coupe. So I am an idiot for sure. I still don't grasp the whole cloning thing but I do understand taking inspiration from a car or a builder. The problem is that there is a very large chasm that seperates an inspired vehicle and a clone. Probably take more than two jumps to cross it. Seems like the car had Ansen peddles if that is correct then the question has been answered. You do that by cruising the classifieds or contacting titus here on the HAMB. Now the fella is a newbie this being his first post. So simple intructions are like this, go to your notifications then then in the drop down choose unread private messages. Now when you find unread private messages look to the right and choose new message, tap in titus for the person you want to send the message to and then send him a message asking about his swinging peddle assemblies. After that you are on your own. As for c 14" chropme reverse look in the classifieds, they are hard to sell as no one wants 14" wheels any more. Scroll through the classifieds and keep looking I have seen them for sale lately. Now back to the question at hand. My whole take on it is that you take your inspration where you find it. If you happen to want to build an exact copy of something, then that is where you are. You know what they say wherever you find yourself that is where you are.
i would rather see a milner coupe clone then see an original rat with no fenders, clipped camaro front end with 20" rims and a skull welded to the roof. i have no idea where to get the tires. just wanted to add my 2 cents. my soon wants the christine car. he has loved that movie and car since he was 5. its his dream to own it. now i have to go tell him to not have a dream of owning it because we cant find or afford the original. and clones are not accepted. with all that said. i hope my son decides he doesnt want the exact car and would rather build a custom. i also would never clone anything.
When you get ready to do that I have an engine that is close to correct. But I would rather you give me the sedan then for me to give you my engine. By the way I want to build a clone of the route 66 corvette.
I'm about to GEEK out...I'd love to do a clone of both the '55 and the coupe! I drive down "Paradise Road" (Frates Road on the way to Petaluma) at least 4-5 times a month. I was 8 when my Dad took me to see American Graffitti in the theater. I have the '55 power shifting to second in the last race permanently imprinted on my brain. I would rather have the clones for driving. You could flat leave the GROUND guilt free with a copy! Little details like NO !@#$ING RADIALS, the RIGHT rake, chrome reverse wheels (single bolt pattern, hubcap bumps etc. available from Stockton Wheel) and for GOD'S sake, will somebody please build one with those beautiful, super tall, skinny SLICKS!!! Seeing the original with those weenie ass bias plys on the back SUCKS! I owned a set of Blue Streaks that were at least 29-30" tall, 7" of cheater tread width and 9.50" sidewall to side wall. Mounted on 14x6" chrome reverse, they were FANTASTIC. With some wily thinking, you could plumb nitrous under the manifold on a 400+ cu.in. small block (with a monster cam to rattle your rib cage and painted aluminum heads etc.) Run a stout 5-speed too (OD for the highway.) Outwardly, make it EXACT, but with the right set-up the little !@#$er could outrun damn near ANYTHING on the street! If I did Falfa's car I wouldn't copy Ruth's straight axle or glass body parts. I think realistically if that car was built back then, it would've been a cherry 150 business coupe with stock suspension, no backseat, no roll down back windows and a one piece frame. '57 Olds rear with welded 4:11 spiders and the dual quad 409/4-speed out of a totaled rich kids '62 Chevy! I'd run the SAME slicks as Milner's car but on chromed/reversed 7" wide reversed Cadillac rims. I'd build that 409 as strong as I could with a giant cam and nitrous, overdrive 5-speed with a spooled and axled '57 Olds rear!!!! The original '55 Chevy front rims, (15x5.5) stock offset with the skinniest bias plys I could find. One piece California bumper (without the bumperettes) too. That !@#$er would be so straight and gloss black it wouldn't look real.....glorious. ....I, uh...haven't had much time to spend on the computer 'till today. Most of these guys are right man, build what makes you HAPPY. Just writing this made me happy as !@#$!!!! - Good luck!
Build the car as you like it. If I had the scratch, I would build my own version of Falfa's car. Siimilar, but not an exact replica. i can still remember seeing it in the theater and falling in love with that car as an impressionable 13 year old. By the way, you might want to do a proper intro before the intro police show up.
He isn't going for an "exact" copy of the original, down to every last item, just a close tribute. There are some guys who are building precise clones to the AG car and that is cool, not what my Son wants to accomplish. This carb setup became available through a good friend and I knew my kid wanted to do the Deuce, so I bought it for him to use whenever he does the car. He will probably correct some things that we feel were "wrong" on the original, like too short rear tires and too chopped grille shell. I think most people will agree that while the AG car is cool because of it's celebrity status, if it were not in that movie most people would look at it and wonder why certain things were done the way they were. There are certainly better looking 32's running around, but none cooler because of the movie. I guess it is like Hugh Hefner. If he was a janitor women would think he was a dirty old man. But because of who he is chicks most of us would die for are falling all over him. Don
Try wwwprojectthx138.com I also am collecting parts to build a heaviley influnced coupe . Although it will be model A based on deuce rails.
You could paint any hoodless, bobbed fender coupe yellow and send countless people home thinking they saw a hot rod "just like the one in American Graffiti". You don't even have to buy red carpet.
Go man live your dream, I built my milner tribute car when i was 24 ,I built n owned over 125 cars n bikes since STILL have and drive the wheels off mine. Its not an exact clone but MY tribute to a car ,movie and lifestyle that changed my life. Ill have it in the basement at detroit this year . I also have a black 55. {sorry just had to toss that in }.If you have questions that i can ansewer id be glad to help where i can . Darryl[ THE BIG STAHU ]Pres. Lost Kustoms cc
I dont think we are condemning him theres just 1000s of clones close or right on and its just kinda like oh well another "piss yellow" wantabe Milner 32.
ok all im saying is paul lemat is areal person i met him hell of a nice guy and all of the stunt people were people the coupe didnt just materialize out of thin air and drive itself around the only fascination i have with the coupe is the first time i saw it among the other cars that are cool from other movies i was like OH WOW THAT THING IS COOL it (the coupe) played such a large part in AG that it became an instant reconizable icon alot of people in this world do alot of what they do JUST to be reconized soo what better way for a hotrod guy to be reconized then to pull into the local cruise or national show in the milner coupe or the california kid same way with the general lee and elenor clones you cannot tell me when you see a orange charger or a gray "shelby"fastback or a yellow 32 or a black and flamed 34 or a black or primered 55 chevy or even awhite 58 impala trimed in red your mind doesent automatically picture one of the movie cars also dont forget a yellow 210 57 chevy sedan (of which one day i will build a clone of ) im not trying to get into anything with you i just dont see where you cant understand why someone would want to build a clone of thier favorite car that made such and impression on them that it started them on thier way in this fun hobby of build what YOU like and forget anybody who doesnt like it
That website projectthx138 will tell you everything you want to know. I didn't do an exact clone but did use the car for some influence on mine. When I got ready to order the rims and tires I found on that website the size that was on the car and where to order them from. I used the hurst cheater slicks on mine and went with 15's on the back. I did my own thing on the drivetrain and interior but in doing that tried to maintain an early 60's look. Good luck. Lots of good info hear. I'm still a little new to the site and have actually already managed to get one of my posts deleted which was my fault for going non traditional. But I'm learning!!
If, a American Graffiti couple is your dream go for and enjoy it and for fill that dream. Good luck on your build. CRUISER
Trust me it doesn't even have to be a deuce. There used to be an A coupe around here with a 2x4 331 hemi. No fenders but it was yellow with a deuce grill shell. You would not believe how many people would run up to it at a show and hollar look at that AG coupe, is that the real one or a copy. I knew the fella who owned it and he said he painted it that color to see how many people would get fooled. I actually have wanted to clone the done spencer deuce for a long time. it was not only a nice looking car and traditional as it comes, it is one that doesn't get done and there is not another car more iconic thhan that as far as I am concerned.
That reminds me of when I was in high school. Our first rod was a white 37 ford coupe. This was back in 1990 and the funny thing was, none of the other kids knew what it was. They all called it the ZZ top car. I always used to get a kick out of that.
Awesome intro by the way..... Anyways talk to the guy that started this thread.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=665846&highlight=milners+coupe Guru of AG. Im not a fan of clones, and thats my opinion.
who was it on here who said no one wanted 14" tires and wheels? i do. i want all i can get. ford or chevy.sorry op, wasnt trying to highjack your post.
Appreciate the feedback . Yes I am going to Build the car , as it stands right now it is a steel body, correct chop , ( body and rad ) 1966 327 bored 60 over man o fre , 4 roch. carbs correct linkage etc. headers are being custom built to correct.. wishbone susp. and will have the black tuck and roll .My oThe car on the road is a 1932- 3 window blown pro street.complete with the 32 rear tank!.pics will follow. Everyone needs to have fun !
Yeah, but how many Batmobile clones and Back To The Future Deloreans have been built? I even know a guy that cloned "Kit" from Nightrider. Whatever makes your boat float.
There isn't a guy on here that would not mind seeing that coupe hauling ass down the freeway everyday after work. Probably make everybody's day. !
When you think about it, Lucas more or less "cloned" the original movie car based on cars he had seen as a young man in Modesto. Lucas built this world famous "copy" and now other builders want to do the same, which is fine by me. I loved the movie, loved the car, but if I ever was lucky enough to have a '32 I'd paint it black!
Back in the 80's, my first trip to the Pomona swap I bought a complete man a fre setup with intentions of building a graffiti style 32. 20+ years later I'm no closer to building that car. Follow your heart & build your dream, whatever it may be.
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