American Graffiti Coupe Pictures and Myths

Cool thread, I appreciate its been dormant since last year but always a good read....the movie had a profound impact on me...saw it as a little kid in 1974, been obsessed ever since! Was fortunate enough to visit Petaluma in 2006 and saw the real 32 for the first time, it's my profile photo which is in fact the first photo I ever took of it, believe me there were hundreds more! Met Rick Figari, the owner, one of the nicest guys on the planet! Was even allowed to sit in the 32 for a photo plus Rick let me ride in the 32 when he unloaded it from the trailer and parked it up for the photos...along with the bitchn' 55 he had Richard Ruth build...now that's one tough car (for a field car). Been along time since seeing the movie to seeing the real thing...being fortunate enough to park my ass in it and look through the chopped screen...well that was indeed a dream come true....

 

Very cool!!! I would love to see the real car someday. Great pictures. I never get tired of looking at it. The movie had a profound affect on me as well. I have been in love with the car for a long time. I was 12 years old when it came out and was just really getting onto cars. We had a local drag strip in the area and I spent a lot of weekends there as a kid. So glad I could finally build one like it. Thanks for sharing!!!

 

Several guys have said that rodding was all but dead when AG came out---I could not agree more. I had sold my 56 Nomad in 68/69 or so and kinda got over it. Then comes AG and I caught the bug real bad again. Here we are in 2015. Who knew??

 

Heard that AG breathed new life into the old music as well.

 

The Pharaohs Merc rekindled my interest to some day own a Merc. Not a clone per say but I think I own an example of a car that would've been around in 62.

 

Just my personal experience ; then girlfriend (38 years wife) and I went to see AG when it 1st came out ,driving the coupe seen here and rocking out to Sha na na...ah the good ol' days!!

 

Attn Graffiti fans I just posted a good article on the 1956 T-Bird from American Graffiti If your intrested. Jeff

http://jeffsallgraffitiallthetime.blogspot.com/2015/05/thunderbird-illustrated-fall-1974.html

 

Finally got the interior in!

 

At the time it was...why build a hot rod when you can buy a new Muscle Car from the OEMs?

I was 16 when it came out. Unaware of music that was out before the Beatles.

 

Not to mention Ron H, Harrison F, Richard D went on to moderate sucess as well as many others....

 

Might be stupid question but since all the graffiti fans are here.
What is the purpose of the two plates on the tips of the fame horns?

 

The tow bar attached to those plates.. I towed a number of my cars to the track that way back in the late sixties, early seventies.

 

Tow bar

 

Saw the movie when it first came out back in the day and yes, was dazzled by the blonde in the T-Bird. Fast-forward to June 1986 and I've just met my present wife. She has the identical car to the one in the movie. White '56 with the porthole windows, continental kit, the whole nine yards. We're off to a T-Bird club party and I'm driving it with her in the passenger seat and she's done up like a million bucks and looking drop dead gorgeous! And yes, she's a blonde! Dreams DO come true!

 

For all you Millionaire American Graffiti Fans Steve Bowlanders 58 Impala is up for sale.

http://jeffsallgraffitiallthetime.b...fine-machine-is-looking-for.html#comment-form

 

Here's my 32 Ford 5 window after a 4.0 inch chop.

 

Sorry I have not posting on here much.... "I've been busy" Ya for more that three weeks!?!?!
Well I'm still doing it!! For Free!!! Today I have been talking about Bolanders Impala from American Graffiti. Stop by and get you Graffiti fix.
http://jeffsallgraffitiallthetime.blogspot.com/

 

"Hey Professor" Stop by and brush up on your Graffiti quotes.
http://jeffsallgraffitiallthetime.blogspot.com/2016/10/empire-2004-american-graffiti-car-wars.html

 

as we say "pictures or it didn't happen"

 

I'm thinkin' we might be in that same part of that cycle RIGHT NOW!

 

I love it !!

 

Can’t begin to measure the effect AG had on me as a kid. Today Milner hangs in my garage along with autographed photos from the rest of the gang. Thanks Lucas.

 

Like many others here, I saw the movie when I was 14.
Wanted a 1932 five window coupe after that.
Searched for 4 years and knowing nothing about cars, I bought the roughest one in the country.
Only about 26 five windows in New Zealand at the time.
Looks a little better now.
Hope to have it finished one day.

Sorry it’s not yellow..........

.

 

Actually, we have been for a while now. People post threads about the fate of our hobby, well, it's kinda hard to get a young person interested in an older Hot Rod, when that 20 something can get a 600 HP Challenger with a warranty. I have a co-worker who did just that. He took it to the drags and ran low 11's on street tires. That's a bit quicker than a lot of the older Hot Rods I've seen.

However, older Hot Rods beat the hell out of the newer cars in the style department.

 

Yup, a repeat of the mid 60s Muscle car era putting the brakes on hot rods.

 

I know the game was changed when the Detroit super cars hit the market, but I do know a lot of guys like me who raised their sons as gearheads. My son and I, installed a blower on his O/T pickup, and he is also working on a 47 International pickup. He is hooked!
I remember the late sixties as a time when I could find the engine/tranny combination I wanted for a swap just by calling the insurance adjusters. I found some real jewels that way.
Bob

 

I wouldn't be too worried about the fate of the hobby. My 20 something coworker bought a new Camaro in 2016. Couple of key strokes on the laptop and some e85 had it running 10.7s in the 1/4. It's been parked for almost 4 years now. Nothing wrong with it, he just got bored with. He's still making payments! Talk to him about old hot rods or show him something with pie crust slicks and his eyes light up. Anyways.... Jeff, love the blog, but where's the updates on your amazing Pretender? Driving it yet? How bout some pics?