Whatever you buy/build, please keep the oranges away from it Sorry for the hijack, funny where familiar names from the long ago turn up though
The car's in Peculiar MO. along with Jake's Coupe, and for the time being, the Super Bell Coupe. I saw all three of them two weeks ago. Here's a video of it being driven to a TV interview yesterday. And yes it's Ford powered, and not a Flathead.
Time to dig that dvd out of the drawer and play it again. Fat *** whitewalls we are going to give you a lot of hits on that clip this weekend. I may run the score up more than a little bit myself.
I was at Jakes not too long ago and he still has the door hinges from his coupe sitting on a shelf from when he chopped it. Not on display but just thrown up out of the way.
Some trivia here. The sheriff in the chase scene was actor Vic Morrow from the old WWII series "Combat" ( showing my age here). I think he was killed in a filming accident. Got too close to helicopter blades. Lost his head.
The p I totally agree with thirtytwo. Barris never "built" a car that wasn't garish. There was no end to how much **** George ordered to be put on his builds.
Vic Morrow was killed in a tragic movie filming accident. He didn't get too close to helicopter blades, the helicopter crashed and he was killed by one of the blades. The blade did hit his head, but the way you tell it makes it sound like it was his fault for not keeping his head down.
I met jake a couple times, I like his style ... He's a hoodlum , but in a good way! Being behind him on one of Morty's reliability runs was a riot, I never seen a 39 box being abused so much in one day!
Hell, what's the weather doing up your way guys as it is ******* down down here so I found readiing all the comments very satisfying and some darn funny. Eg. the poor man lost his head, yeah, I can imagine the reaction of his family to hear it put that way. And as for the comments on the " Kid " being the best '33/34 around, well I will say only that it does have one of those funny back to front engines where the distributor is at the wrong end due to on going maintenance issues so one can get to it all the time. And then some have comment and had the cheek to compare it to the fabulously famous non other than one yellow '32 5 window Ford Coupe fitted with a proper engine which has 4 deuces crowning it. Heck, what is becoming of this site...
Twilight zone movie. The California kid looks way better with Halibrands/Real wheels than the steelies. IMHO.
Tell me why a SBC isn't period correct?? Let's see, the SBC was introduced in 1955. Almost overnight, guys were swapping out their flatheads and sixes and dropping a SBC. So again, why isn't SBC period correct??
Regardless of people's opinions regarding the California Coupe, it is one of the mile markers in how Hot Rodders view their past; and at the time it was built, it certainly changed how many who were 'car-nuts' viewed their future. That it became a movie prop and visually expressed the machismo of the owner/driver was no accident; it looked the part. Ditto for the Deuce five-window built for American Graffiti. Milner was meant to be as cool as his car. Regardless of which you prefer, both cars, because of their 'moments-in-the-Sun aka 15 minutes of fame', caused future builders to reconsider the more compe***ion aspects of the history of Hot Rods, that is more about racing and going fast, than being co****ed in the more genteel comfort of a Street Rod. The Film-Makers who crafted both films used visual short-hand to suggest that those at the wheel (of both Hot Rods) have 'a little something extra under the hood'; a valuable tool in shaping subtext and back story. As is obvious, neither car is a Street Rod. Each leans heavily toward performance, as opposed to the 'You meet the nicest people driving Street Rods' mentality that had made many complacent in how they viewed our hobby. Personally, I am of the opinion that because Pete Chapouris built his car, (a gentle way of saying he oversaw the construction of it when expert help was needed) as opposed to the Milner Coupe that was built by a group of quite talented people following instructions of George Lucas, the film's director, --- those of us who believe in 'building what you drive' should give a little more weight to The California Coupe because it represents the kind of artistic vision those who spend their lives around Hot Rods bring to bear when using personal ideas, plans and visions on whatever project they see through to completion. Perhaps my ****ysis is a little overboard, for some; but due respect should be given to those who create icons. And, if the lowered, louvered, flamed and pin-striped rumbling warhorse doesn't say something to you on a gut level, even in a co-starring role in a movie, then it doesn't matter if your blood tends toward blue or red, you have strayed from the gospel and are too caught up arguing about things as they should be --- as opposed to grooving on things as they are.
Hold your horses! SBC can be era correct, but you have to work for it!! A 265, 283, 301 and 327 are a hard core down to earth era-perfect powerhouse. But it's the nomaclure about if you want it to drive, the only mill that will ever work is a SBC, that's wrong, not the SBC! But a dislike the look of a 355 with billet valvecovers, it's just plain ugly to me. But they do work. But not in an open hood Hot Rod, and never call at traditional! But if you choose to run it, it fine with me, but at least make it look like a 283 b
I had no idea that I had been driving right by the car on my way to the HAMB drags for years! So I had to stop and get a shot or two
I never was impressed by "The Califa. Kid",it was just to me a rippoff copy of a car here in Miami form the early 60s called "Wild Thing",same year ,colors and very close to the same flame job. But I guess cuz it was in the movies in like around 70s this TCK gets the press. Yes its nicely done. Trend setter it was not,at lest to me an others in Florida car nuts from before it got built even
I was 9 or 10 years old and my dad took me to the very 1st Goodguys event in Indy. My dad was a dealer for Pete and Jakes and became good friends with Jerry and his son. Jerry took me for a ride around the fairgrounds in "the Kid." I felt like a king! At that time throughout all the years the car had been around it had never been trailered or hauled I am told. It was always driven to the events and shows. It was loaded on an airplane and shipped overseas one time but that's it. That memory has always stuck with me.
Guys, it's not that a SBC is not period correct. Alex is a FORD guy! And FORD guys don't like Chevy's! I know he mentioned a Buick nailhead, but it's still not a Chevy.
Forty nut said it all! The car is iconic and helped bring Hot Rodding out when Street Rodding was in. Seeing the movie caused me to eventually buy a 34 Coupe. This and Amer Graf. stimulated a lot of others to get into Hot Rods... Pete: "Tires squared off from sliding, dented grille from a fallen klieg light, both windows shattered from doors being slammed, Jake showed up to the set one day to see 12 guys riding on it hanging all over it, blown tire and bent rim". Hell, even Sheen dis'd the car. Look at the pic of him with his *** parked on the front fender. [QUOTE=why does everyone in this photo look gay? my homophob slip is showing... Tight clothes. [QUOTE=The California kid looks way better with Halibrands/Real wheels than the steelies. IMHO. The original Halibrands maybe, but the Real Wheels with knockoffs look too 80's Street Roddy for the car.
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