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American Graffiti Coupe Pictures and Myths

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Graffiti32, Jan 28, 2012.

  1. Graffiti32
    Joined: Oct 9, 2005
    Posts: 392

    Graffiti32
    Member
    from Illinois

    Thanks Jim
    I know you will like this week on my site. It's all about That Very Wicked 55 Chevy from Two-Lane Blacktop and American Graffiti. Enjoy Jeff
     
  2. twistedridez
    Joined: Aug 21, 2008
    Posts: 112

    twistedridez
    Member

    Cool website! Thanks for the history!
     
  3. Graffiti32
    Joined: Oct 9, 2005
    Posts: 392

    Graffiti32
    Member
    from Illinois

    A little gift for all you American Graffiti lovin Hambers This week the 56,32 and is that the real 55??? Read and find out.

    I am trying a larger format for pictures this week for better veiwing. Let me know what you think. Thanks Jeff
     
  4. XERB
    Joined: Aug 8, 2012
    Posts: 126

    XERB
    Member

    Awesome site Jeff, so cool of you to run it, really means a lot to fans, all the best and keep it coming!
     
  5. Graffiti32: Great BLOG...
     
  6. Graffiti32
    Joined: Oct 9, 2005
    Posts: 392

    Graffiti32
    Member
    from Illinois

  7. When I go spread my ashes on this road and the Bonneville salt flats :cool:
    [​IMG]
     
  8. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

    If this has already been discussed on the HAMB, forgive me, but I didn't see anything about it. The other night I dug out a box of my old hot rod magazines and found a 1976 Street Rodder magazine with a lengthy article in it about AG. Since it was done shortly after the movie came out everyone's memories were very fresh and the article named all the shops that did various jobs on the cars, how they were acquired, what happened to them after the movie, etc.

    One thing that I found interesting was that the only two cars that had any buyer interest when the studio tried to unload them after filming were the 58 Chevy and the Edsel. The 58 sold for only $200 :)eek:) and it had a tired 348 and 3 speed stick setup. They guy who bought it and his brother drove by the movie theater where AG was showing, which must have really freaked people who just watched the movie out. :)

    We all know that Richard Ruth built two of the 55's for the first movie, Two Lane BT, and he said that if he knew how bad cars get beat up during filming he wouldn't have built them to the high standard he did. When the cars left his shop they were painted a nice light blue but the movie people shot the black primer on them to make them look more wicked. :)

    After that the 55's were redone in black and used in AG. Ruth said that there has always been controversay over which car would have won, the Deuce or the 55, but he said he took the one 55 down to Hollywood Blvd and made $ 150 racing it one night. At the track it ran 10.90's, so I guess that solves which one was quiicker.

    Nothing reallly new or earthshaking in the article, but it was fun to read it again.

    Don
     
  9. Baron
    Joined: Aug 13, 2004
    Posts: 3,636

    Baron
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I have had this Street Rodder in the night stand beside my bed since 1976 ! I have just about read the print off the pages. It was not until two years later I built my first 32 Grafitti Coupe in 78.

     
  10. ANDEREGG TRIBUTE
    Joined: Jan 1, 2008
    Posts: 1,385

    ANDEREGG TRIBUTE
    Member
    from Bordertown

    Your site never ceases to amaze me Jeff!!!!!
     
  11. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,363

    evintho
    Member

    Here's my little bit of trivia, however useless it may be.
    Back in the early '70's I was offered the Deuce and the '55 at $1500 each. If only I knew then what I know now! The story is a bunch of us were heading up Hwy 12 to my buddy's father's ranch in Sonoma when we spotted an old car sitting on a property off the road. Can't remember what it was, it was 40 years ago! We drove up the long, dirt driveway to investigate. An older gentleman came out to greet us and asked us if we wanted to see something cool. He took us out to the barn to show us several cars. One was the Deuce and another was the '55. I remember he said the Deuce couldn't be driven over 35mph 'cause when they chromed the front end, they screwed it up. He said they had been used in a movie, locally. $1500 would score each one. We gave it some serious thought but we were 17 year old kids. Might as well have been $1 million! This was after post-production but before the movie was released. The guy had something to do with the film crew. I can't remember all the details but I guarantee it was the original '32 and one of the '55's. I heard there were a couple. We didn't pay much attention to the '55 'cause we were enthralled by the Deuce!
     
  12. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

    Great story. I know what you mean about "it might as well have been a million dollars." In about 1969 I talked to Harry Luzader about buying his green 32 coupe, he was selling it to build the Opel I think, and he wanted $ 6,000.00 for it. Considering we had paid $ 9500 for our first house, that price was just way too high for me. Would I love to go back in time though. :(

    Don
     
  13. Graffiti32
    Joined: Oct 9, 2005
    Posts: 392

    Graffiti32
    Member
    from Illinois

    Great Story's Guys! Keep Em Coming

    I Will Keep Doing My Part. This week it's a 1973 Interview With George Lucas. Enjoy
    Jeff
     
  14. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,791

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    I really liked this latest installment. That's probably one of the better stories about what Lucas thought after making the film. The last paragraph where he states his next film will "have a strong plot and be full of action' must have been his hinting at "Star Wars". Even then, he knew the best was yet to come.

    I think I read somewhere that he and Spielberg had film classes together at USC and I belive one of thier professors had also taught Coppola when he was there. That must have been a sweet class to be in. I'd like to see an interview with that professor, if there is one. I wonder what it must have been like to have such great artist all coming from the same seed?

    When "Star Wars" came out, I remeber thinking, "This guy did AG. It's got to be good." Of course, the rest is history. As I've gotten older, I have a very strict code that dictates what movies will get my money. I look for who directed it and who's starring in it. So far, Lucas, Spielberg and Coppola have yet to let me down.

    Thanks for a good read.
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2012
  15. Graffiti32
    Joined: Oct 9, 2005
    Posts: 392

    Graffiti32
    Member
    from Illinois

    This week it's an 1972 article in Creem magazine about Wolfman Jack. Enjoy Jeff
     
  16. RoddyB34
    Joined: Oct 13, 2009
    Posts: 543

    RoddyB34
    Member

    img0039v.jpg

    Just found this pic of the Australian replica Graffiti Coupe from 1977 Aussie Nationals,

    Gave a set of 48 chev tailites to Jeff Beck for his replica in 1977 took him for a ride in it ,


    ,never did get the the trip to England though,
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2012
  17. Graffiti32
    Joined: Oct 9, 2005
    Posts: 392

    Graffiti32
    Member
    from Illinois

    Looks Awsome!
    Stop by the site this month and check out the Halloween "Looks like milner ....but it's not" special going on all month, dressing like Milner. Still FREE to all HAMBERS!!!! No Registration! No questions just All Graffiti All The Time. Enjoy Jeff
     
  18. RoddyB34
    Joined: Oct 13, 2009
    Posts: 543

    RoddyB34
    Member

    Okay Jeff ,,in the credits it says ,,,"man at the bar",,Del Close, where in the movie was there man at the bar?,,,,,,
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2012
  19. Graffiti32
    Joined: Oct 9, 2005
    Posts: 392

    Graffiti32
    Member
    from Illinois

    Ok you got me. I had to do a bit of research on that one. He is the guy leaning on the car talking to Candy while Toad is sicker than a dog.

    "He must not be used to drinking":eek:
     
  20. snakebit7
    Joined: Sep 19, 2011
    Posts: 11

    snakebit7
    Member

    Hey, Does anybody know where I can find a set of 56 Ford door panel trim pieces for my coupe? Gonna start the interior soon and would like to find these. Any info would be appreciated!
     

    Attached Files:

  21. hammer bowling
    Joined: Apr 1, 2010
    Posts: 90

    hammer bowling
    Member

  22. snakebit7
    Joined: Sep 19, 2011
    Posts: 11

    snakebit7
    Member

    Thanks Hammer, Been working on it for a while!
     
  23. Baron
    Joined: Aug 13, 2004
    Posts: 3,636

    Baron
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Beautiful job. Hope to get back on mine as soon as my 57 Corvette is finished. Wondering what the paint code is for the yellow you chose. Looks perfect.
     
  24. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Bo Hopkins was in one episode of Andy Griffith but he was NOT the "hooligan" kid. Bo was born in 1942, he would have been more than 20 years old when that episode was filmed...
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2014
  25. choptop4
    Joined: Feb 3, 2007
    Posts: 767

    choptop4
    Member

    Evivtho , That was my buddy's uncle . He was the head teamster for the movie. He offered the coupe to me for $2500. We had one in the family already that was much nicer, so I past on it. Some of us got to be extra's .The guy I went out to the set with is now the the head teamster for the movies in Nor-Cal.I think we got 5 bucks a night to show up.We eat about 20 bucks of food every night. Lots of fun.
     
  26. _sir_charles_of_reno
    Joined: Jan 16, 2013
    Posts: 61

    _sir_charles_of_reno
    Member

    I recently got a tour of Lucas Film in San Francisco from a friend who work(s)ed there. Through out the whole property are rare tidbits and pieces from all of George's work, except this one. Maybe they're all in his private archives on his ranch property. But I did not see a single piece from this movie anywhere. I saw the frickin' Holy Grail and Coronado's Cross! But did I see Toad's god awful shirt? Nope. Weird.

    Slightly off topic, I recently was at the Roseville flea market and found an autographed picture of Wolfman Jack for 5 fucking dollars! It is one of his authentic signatures and is made out to someone named Paul. I hanged it next to my shitter. Whenever company comes over eventually someone asks; "Who the hell is Paul?".
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2014
  27. _sir_charles_of_reno
    Joined: Jan 16, 2013
    Posts: 61

    _sir_charles_of_reno
    Member


    That is correct. My grandpa (born and raise in Sonoma his whole life) was offered the Deuce as well. He passed on it because he had a family to feed and no spare money for rodding. The Edsel was for sale in Sonoma as well, the owner wanted somewhere of 12,000 for it because it was a movie car. To say the least, everyone thought he was insane.
     
  28. snakebit7
    Joined: Sep 19, 2011
    Posts: 11

    snakebit7
    Member

    Not exactly sure on the paint code Baron. I gave my painter the Original dupont code, A5248, and he crossed it to a PPG code. Then he tweaked it a bit from there. Not really sure exactly what the final formula was. Looks good enough for me. He gave me some touch up as well.
     
  29. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    O.K., for any that think the Coupe would have had a prayer against the '55:
    Richard Ruth has been a close friend of mine for 24+ years, and told me a little story about the '55.
    Don Lucas came by Richard's shop (when Rich was in So.Cal.) and asked about the progress on the '55. Richard offered to take Mr. Lucas for a ride...He launched the '55 in front of the shop, unwound it in 3 gears. George Lucas was screaming, "Stop! Stop! I'll walk back!" Ask Richard.
    Yes, the car did turn a recorded 'high 10'. It woulda won...

    The original Man-a-Fre intake was gas stained, very dirty. Year was 2011, Rick Figari had gotten on the list for one of the new Man-a-Fre intakes from the concern in Florida.
    Another friend, Ross Beuhler, had built another Amer. Graf. clone, and bought Rick's original Man-a-Fre, complete with carbs, linkage, and fuel lines.
    Rich then found out that the required number of pre-orders didn't materialize, and the new Man-a-Fres were not cast, as planned. (they were put on 'hold'...)
    Rich will testify to this, I believe he found a replacement.
     
  30. 55 Ford Gasser
    Joined: Jul 7, 2011
    Posts: 698

    55 Ford Gasser
    Member

    Just read the whole thread. Very good and lots of interesting info. AG was the first movie I went back to see a second time 2 days later. Someone had told me to go see it after he saw it. Shortly after that I bought a 30/31 coupe with 32 grille and shell set up for sbc. I paid $100 for it and immediately started chopping the top. Didn't know what I was doing and only got the top cut off. Don't remember why, but I sold it before doing anything with it. This past Saturday I saw Candy Clark at a car show and she signed my 1/18 scale AG 58 chevy. She signed it with Peel out on the roof.
    That reminded me of a true story. Was at a 4th of July party about 14 years ago at a co-workers (who happened to be blonde and named Debbie) house. We went to watch fire works in my 50 Ford Tudor. Debbie sat in the middle next to me because her daughter was in a car seat and we hooked the seat belt to the car seat. Debbie's husband was in the back seat. Anyway, when everyone was situated and I was starting to go, Debbie says "Peel Out!". True story.
     
    XERB likes this.

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