I really like the 2nd American Graffitti movie. Maybe it was a disappointment to some people, but let's be honest.........the first one was pretty freakin' epic and one of the greatest movies ever made to a lot of people. How do you follow up on what many people consider perfection? That's some mighty big shoes to fill and some high expectations! I thought it was a great follow-up.........in the first movie, most of the characters are 17-19 years old and just living absolutely care-free lookin' for only the next good time. The second movie followed them into adulthood (if they even lived to see it, as several didn't), and showed how everything back in the Sixties WASN'T as care-free and rosey as so many like to remember. Good movie.
I agree 100%! I think the lack of George Lucas doing the directing probably is a big part of why people think it sucked. I like though seeing what happened to the main characters, even if it did end badly for our favorite Hot Rodder!
I love both films but i find MAG has a more real in touch with reality effect for me personally. I guess because i can relate to a few of the story lines in it. I grew up with a handful of John Milner's and the old dragstrips. I just cannot get enough of the old slingshot dragsters. I would love to find one to build like the one in MAG. I sure hate to hear the original car was destroyed.
There are a few other cars in the movie that resemble the car in SD, but that isn't Milner's car. Man, I love the drag racing scenes from MAG. Thanks for posting that.
If the original was destroyed then a "tribute" car would still be kool! Why not? I mean look at the TLB car and it is a regular damn cookie cutter clone process! No disrespect as I have a somewhat TLB style '55 myself, but that digger? That would be to kool,Do it! What do the masses think?
I thought this was it... built by Fuller... but after closer isnpection, it's closer, and the body is different. Sam From the movie...
After watching that video clip I'm thinking that the rail in South Dakota is the one that threw a rod and did a 180 in the movie. LOL
I also noticed something I never noticed before when i watched MAG. After watching the Iceland girl for a couple minutes my laptop tipped off my lap. I wonder if the misses is sleeping yet!
I guess since the original is gone forever, i would have to build one from scratch to replicate it. Now, can anyone give me conclusive facts about what chassis, engine, front end, rear end, wheels, etc, etc the Milner car was and some specifics that a builder would need to re-create this dragster?? I would appreciate any info. Thanks, Zack
I'll tell you what. I will go do some digging this summer and see what I can find out about the car here. In the pics you CAN see that the front tube on the cage has been added. There should be details showing if the chassis was shortened. I will also see what kind of documentation the owner of Boondocks has.
thanks for the confirmation Drew! last one of the kit's i saw built was done by Scale Models by Chris. he did a very nice job but i noticed the Hemi and wondered why it was like that, then remembered that model companies are good for slapping decals on anything even remotely similar to a movie car and selling it as a replica kit. looks like the 1:1 car is lost for good until someone can come up with some real documentation that proves otherwise. Dave
The car on the bottom is a RCE(Woody Gilmore), the clues are the double uprights behind the seat and if you look at the front axle, the radious rod mounts are fabricated for double shear along with the boomerang steering pivot. All documented "Woody Style". The body on the lower car is by Hanna. Beckwiths car has influances of a "Davis" chassie with double uprights for the roll cage, But with the way the driver is stood-up in the seat it reflects more of a "Shoemaker" chassie. There was a local casting call for cars in the area and nothing was "Made for" but did anyone notice that the flames on both the "Factory" and Milners car were Identical. The only one left from the original production that would have any clue as to what drive train was in the car would be Dave Uyehara URC racecars Yuba city Ca. because he did all the driving. The motor was built by Santos.
I have been informed that the original car was not destroyed. It was dismantled and sold off in pieces. I am glad to hear that it was not destroyed in a fire. Hopefully someone will get it put back together so we can all see the car back in the spotlight very soon. Does anyone know where i can find an original breather mask, helmet and goggles for sale? I checked EBAY but nothing showed up.
Check this out. I don't know what a that documentation said, but that dragster may have been in the movie, Just not Milner's dragster. Watch this video, pay attention near the beginning when Toad and the gang meet up with Milner in the pits. Look at the yellow dragster in the background when they are talking, it looks just like the one above.
Definitely a very cool still from the movie ... but it does illustrate one of the many goof-ups made by the film's technical advisors ... that drag racing scene was supposed to have been held at a meet on New Years Eve 1964 ... but MOROSO wasn't even in the Speed Equipment business until 1968!
Yeah ... I noticed that to ... it shows up in the scene at about the 2:11 mark (when Beckwith is giving Milner a hard time) ... and ends at the 2:39 mark (just before Toad & the gang meet up with Milner). It's pretty fuzzy ... and not enough detail to ID it as the dragster @ The Boondocks in Deadwood, SD ... but here's a close up of the car: I think HAMBer @Muttley has a copy of "More American Graffiti" on DVD ... perhaps he can capture a higher resolution still from that scene? UPDATE: I just read through all of @Muttley's American Graffiti Pictures thread ... and in post #97 he states that he doesn't own a copy of More A.G.
if you do a search on u-toobe some thoughtful person has gone to the trouble of editing all the track stuff together as a 20 minute mini feature. Nothing wrong with the original movie, I just love the track stuff....isn't that why we are all here.
So, was this the actual car at Universal Studios? Just watched the vid above again for the quadrillionth time. Paul LeMat was the best person they could have found to play John Milner. He did an awesome job in my opinion. I would sure like to meet him one of these days.
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