What's your stance on cloning?

The sport is about ideas. Some themes like DeSoto teeth in a 50 Merc become classic. It was improving on a theme that gave us Classic Greek architecture. Let's be honest here. The majority of cars in my little pages mags left a lot to be desired from an aesthetic viewpoint. The truly pleasing designs we admire (Bob Hirohata Merc, Duane Steck Moonglow, Lyle Lake Blue Danube, Norm Grabowski's T, SoCal Coupe, et al.) struck an artistic chord in all of us.

Big bucks aside, the overall quality of todays rods and customs has never been higher from an engineering and artistic execution standpoint.

So, YES - I say clone the truly classic designs. It's an homage to the originality of the original builders who were ahead of their time.

 

Its sorta like why did the Siamese twins vacation in England?
So the other would have a chance to drive Right??

 

I'm for it, especially if it's clones of the cars that no longer exist like Larry Watson's "Grapevine" Chevy. I've always wanted to clone that one myself, but maybe use different colors like a bronze/beige scallop combo.

 

I have thought about this several times, mostly about the 58 Impala from American Graffiti. That's the car that got me out of Mustangs and into more traditional customs & rods. Like chopolds said, I'd build one HEAVILY INFLUENCED by the original, but I gotta do my own thing. My version wouldn't be white... probably a golden bronze candy deal.

On the hot rod side, I'd love to do something very close to Lynn Yakel's deuce 5w. Mine would probably run an early Cad or Olds OHV, and probably a different color (but still dark)... but I love the proportions on that thing.

 

Alot of times the cloned car is gone. Not really HAMB material but I ran into a guy who cloned the Gapp & Roush Pinto.

It was as cool as all get out. As noted though, it can get overdone and then it no longer really becomes interesting.

 

Well. . . aren't we in a way?

 

The clone is definitely a lot more work than completely doing your own design. Maybe if you're bored and need an extra challenge, a clone would be a fun project because of the added level of finding proper parts and nailing the lines of the original. On the other hand, it just seems kind of like building a full-scale model, doesn't it?

I prefer to "borrow" a variety of concepts from different cars that I think are cool and meld it into my own thing. Personally, I would have a much bigger "Holy Shit!" moment when I saw something radically new versus seeing a clone of something that has already been done.

So, my vote is that clones are OK if that's your thing, but I prefer to see something original. I'd rather spend my time and effort trying to build something that someone else will want to clone later!

 

I once cloned a clone ! Does that go on forever ? Kinda like watching a tv show on or through another tv... Some cars are just inspirational to others and they want to copy that style, someone once said that coping another is the best form of flattery...

 

I think building a car with inspiration from others is cool, but a dead nuts repop of a car that is still in existence kind of sucks to me.
Doing clones of cars that have definately been lost or crushed is a nice way for them to live again. I think Mr. Walker kind of hosed himself and Mr. McNeil by doing a clone of the Hirohata merc. Same with the Polynesian. Just because it hasn't been restored now, doesn't mean it won't someday.
I think I'd be more PO'ed than flattered if I saw a duplicate of my car.

 

I don't know that it is that big a deal I mean its just a car right?

Personally I don't have the patience to clone a car any more than I have the patience to restore one. There are a few HAMB cars that I like right now but I don't know where I'll stand on the subject in 50 years I suppose I'll be about 103 and if you guys are still around you won't remember me anyway.

That said I really like the Doan Spencer roadster never been cloned and if I were going to bang out a clone that is the one I would like to try. The cost on it would be astronomical even if you did all your own work but it is a very nice duece. That says a lot I'm not real big on roadsters or dueces.

 

heres a grape vine clone called lavender lady from northern mn/nd

 

I'm building a milner coupe, ive always loved that coupe and just want to see what its like to drive. The fun part has been all the hours studying, and looking at hundreds of pics, and trying to find the correct parts. This coupe (if done correct)! is very difficult, you'll pull your hair out trying to find all the little correct pieces, which a lot of them are not even made anymore and you cannot buy them aftermarket. A lot This coupe is a junkyard dog! I said once before i could build a roadster or coupe a whole lot cheaper than build a correct milners coupe. Theres a lot more to it than just painting a 32 yellow and p+utting chrome wheels on. I have spent money like a mad man buying parts just to find out they were not what was on this coupe. Hell i love playing this game, maybe i'm just to picky.

 

Here's a perfect example of not knowing "history" and not having a good opinion, due to misinformation!
The Hirohata Merc clone was debuted in Springfield, MO in 1986. At the time, the whereabouts of the real one was uncertain. There were rumors abounding, but no real pics, evidence or anything to prove the real one still existed. It wasn't til the early 90's when Pat Ganahl persuaded Jim McNeil to go public with his ownership of the Merc, and document it's restoration in R & C. So when Walker did it, it WAS missing, presumed lost.
Same with the Polynesian. No one had seen it, or pics of it, but it was rumored to be in hiding in a shop called the Red Lacquer Room. Nothing for sure...I believe it was Jack FLorence who built the clone...again MANY years before the real one surfaced.

Goddamn...I starting to get worried........Is the Kopper Kart REALLY lost!!!!!!!
Or will it show up 5 years after we finish ours...and make us look like jerks!

 

Actually Jack told me the first place he showed it was in Ohio. But maybe he was mistaken.

 

I respect anyone who makes an exact clone of a car..I have been around several people that have cloned cars (Moriarity,Shutten Franco,Schliker) and its one thing to build a car of your own vision..But to figure out what these people
used and did just buy looking at pictures and researching is allot harder than people think..Dave shuttton told me he had to take a Mysterion bubble top model piece and make a 3D scan of it to get the right size for the real one,,Mark Morierity told me that it took him a long time to find the correct Stewart Warner gauge with the smaller wings insted of the one with the larger wings for the Outlaw ..John Schliker had to track down old screen doors to find the right metal for the grille on the Adonis clone...things like this is what gets my respect for the builder..These guys attention to detail is absolutly insain!!! I'm sure Franco lost lots of sleep making sure his clones are exact!! But on the other hand theres people that FAIL on the clones...take the Ala cart clone..On the back of the original there was 4 strips of rubber trim that it seen pretty easy to get ..but insted of finding it or making it the simply airbrushed it???WTF??
the Coffin Cart with Radials?? So I respect the ones that are correct and shun the ones that are not..

 

P'n'B, you're probably right...I got my Springfields mixed up! The Leadsled Spectacular was held in Springfield OH, MO, ILL, and then back in OH again in the late 80's. Weird how it was in towns of the same name for a few years.

 

the polynesian is in the new trj

Classic customizing appears in the reborn "Polynesian" 1950 Oldsmobile. We use TRJ #35 to take a look at the history of Valley Custom Shop and the excellent restoration this landmark custom received. Current owner Gene Blackford restored the car himself, almost fifty years after he first saw and fell in love with the purple, sectioned coupe.

and as for clones on this i really like the montanian clone only its a convert

 

Does anyone know the where abouts of that Gold Modified from Massachusetts? I would be interested in that car.

 

Appreciate all the input guys.

Maybe I should have titled the thread something different.

My question was "in 50 years what cars from the HAMB do you think will have been influential enough that people will be cloning them..."?

 

The only cars I'd consider cloning would be my dad's 320 buick powered '30 Ford roadster, and a couple of cars I had in my past.

I highly doubt the car exists now - at least in any form recognizable as the car it once was. After all, it was kind of a roach almost sixty years ago.

I've had the thought from time to time that I should look for parts to reproduce that car.

But as far as anyone else's car... I'm not interested in having 'so and so's car'. But that's just me.

 

Cloned or tribute cars are great in my book but.....to have a Grafitti coupe tribute car with totally wrong components makes me wanna puke.I see so many Milner coupe wanna be,s that are so far off I want to slap the owner.Go correct or go home....

 

Roger that. As a few have already mentioned, to build a correct Milner Coupe is hard. And expensive. And time consuming. Jeff Beck is close. I'm trying. I know of no Graffiti clones on the road that are even close. There are websites that have the parts wrong and quite a few sheep following them.

As close as I'm gonna get, it's a tribute not a clone. The Milner Coupe today is not as it was in the film.

I've built several original rods in my life. This tribute project has been the most challenging. The research alone has been exhausting. I won't do it again. We're almost done and I hope we got it right.

 

Not to sound like an asshole, but I have been around long enough to have followed the history of both.
As per the topic, I was giving my opinion.
Sorry if I came across as a jerk for using those 2 cars in particular. I just figured they were 2 that most were familiar with.
My reason for feeling the way I do about those 2 cars in particular is that the originals are very historically significant. I think the clones tend to steal a little of the spotlight from the originals. Those 2 are such good clones, and given the fact that the originals still exist, I would feel cheated if I saw one and thought that I was seeing the original...kind of like a celebrity impersonator...again, just my opinion.
When the question was raised as to which color Jim McNeil should paint the car, I was in agreement, that he should have painted it the color it was when he owned it. I thought this due to the fact that the Walker clone was already the original colors.
I do agree that cloning is far more difficult than it is given credit for. Especially a "dead nuts" clone, so "attaboy" to you chopolds for all the work you are putting into your "Kopper Kart Klone".

 

I agree that cloning is a lot tougher than it sounds. Me, I think building a "phantom" is more fun. Something along the lines of Billy Gibbons "Copperhead"three window fortynine ford coupe. I would like to see someone clone,copy or otherwise build a copy of Bill Cushinberry's "silhouete" bubble top . It was stolen about 68 or 69,who knows,building a clone might make the original turn up!

 

Have always liked the Doane Spencer 32 Roadster. I started a project last fall to build a roadster with some of the look of the Spencer car but not a copy. I thought it wouldn't be right to try to do such a famous car. But it had some styling tricks which I surely like, so I used them. Just my interpretation. Baaaaaaaaa

 

I have had sevral cars all done to my taste but like all you guys I have the same secret dream......I want to have a Milner coupe. Thats right you can admit it. That being said I will never do another copy of a car again mmmmm well I would like to have a black 55 to park next to my coupe.....Well I have always liked the Two Lane 55.....Maybe a Starsky & Hutch Torino..... Batmobile?? Mach5?? Project X??? Genral Lee?? Bullit Mustang?? Corvette Summer??? Macon County 57 ??? I give up! I Love movie/tv cars. Is there a 10 step program for this addiction?????