how do i track down cars from "american graffiti"?...

Probably more of a nostalgia thing, reminder of past youth & times, than anything else. They inspired, and still inspire, a lot of guys' builds...and still can get people interested in cars again.

I'll be the first to say that the look of the coupe isn't that great, to me, because I dislike the motorcycle fenders and the chopped grill/shell....I like the rest of the coupe, though. Yep, I do know why the fenders were specified by Lucas...just don't like 'em.

 

Its different from the movie tin....two disk set, book of essays on it, screenplay book, no toy car keychain...

 

its right here!!

 

"and the featurette "Performance and Image," which chronicles the restoration of a 1955 Chevy from the film. "

Netflix, baby!

 

No,no. I get the nostalgia thing and I appreciate the historical role that the movie played in revitalizing our collective national interest. It's just that the movie was an illusion,not reality, so tracking down the real bits of cars used to create the illusion is not just that appealing-to me. Still, this hobby/life style of the HAMB is all about doing your own style, so I respect the search.

 

The coupe is a rather disjointed looking thing. I read somewhere that the original plans called for channelling the coupe, but they ran out of money/time. That would account for the chopped grille shell. When you think about it, though, its look gives an air of authenticity to it; a lot of real rods DIDN'T look like they came from the pages of Hot Rod.

 

The box it comes in is phenomenal though......definate purchase (its kind of a limited release deal, every best buy and borders around my house got 1 copy!)

 

All the same movie (rereleases).....The Criterion Collection is the Bad*** one though.....the clarity is amazing...

 

I'll have to watch E-bay.

 

I bought the 2000 release, I'd been looking for YEARS for even a VHS. I think I gave $75, but I didn't tell anyone...

 

Really hacked this thread didnt we? Anyhow, there is a real cool segment on the disc that shows the places they filmed at, and how they look now. ...
BTW, i think i paid almost that for a ****py vhs copy of "Hot Rod" about ten years ago.....so dont feel too bad...

 

I've got the same one. Outside cover looks like a juke box. It has 1 and 2. I think my 6 year old son wore it out.

 

Saw that movie when it first came out… Man what a night that was. Great Movie! That scene with Green Onion's blastin' and they’re settin’ up the climatic race still gets my Adrenaline pumpin'…

As far as trackin' down the cars (other than the big 3 "Star Cars")… this might help! I went to the San Mateo car show in 1973 &/or 1974 Wolf-Man Jack was strollin' around w/a stacked blond on each arm, and darn near every car their had a sign by it stating that "This car was in American Graffiti!" (?) So go find a good set of pictures from those 2 shows… That could be a place to start. Then start trackin' down those guys active in the scene in those day’s, who might remember who owned what, when…

 

I saw A.G. (when it came out) at a drive-in in the San Fernando Valley. My daily driver was a 55' Chevy 210 with a 350, 4 speed and 4:56's. To me, my car was just a car, but as I left, people were clapping, hollering and honking their horns.

 

I saw milners yellow coupe at the big go in 05. took one picture of it. Never saw anyone by it to ask any questions. Still looks sweet.

 

Everything has been said already and if you do a search on here you'll find alot of info too...I was fotunate to find the builder of the 55 a few years back who hooked me up with a packet of literature, magazine proof articles/test shots and autograph poster of the 55 on scene but since i've moved i havent really unpacked so its 'still secure' until i get my stuff together to put in my display case.
Also, being a HUGE Setzer fan i can 'vouch' he owned the Merc (in the early80's)from the movie cause i also have a pic with him & the car. I asked about it on his webpage a few years back and he was quoted saying 'The car was a total ****box cause something was always breaking or going wrong with it and the most embar***ingly the chop was off'...
Theres a local guy i met 2 yrs ago who is good friends with Rick and has the most impressive shots and do***entation on the Milner car. He was one of the guys behind the Project THX 138 website but i havent seen him around in awhile which kind of bums me out a little bit cause he was willing to copy some of them pics for me.

 

I only know about the '58 yes it"s owned by Mike Famalette, he lives in WA. I work with his brother, the car is not in Vallejo,Ca. anymore I saw the magazine that featured the car after they bought it . He told me him andMike used to cruise the local movie houses when the movie came out, people would trip out on them in the car just after they saw the movie.

 

more importantly THE SKULL

 

I talked to Gary Kurtz about six months ago. He was the producer of American Graffiti. He found and bought the Deuce in LA. It was already chopped and had the drivetrain you see in the film. It was sent up north to the car wrangler Henry Travers and painted and tweaked to George Lucas' specs. They chose yellow so that it would stand out at night during the cruise scenes. There was only one Coupe. Rick Figari owns it now and lives in San Francisco.

Figari tours the Coupe to shows with Paul LeMat from time to time. However LeMat will sometimes appear at shows with look-a-like yellow 32s. If Figari isn't there, it is not the Coupe from the film.

Kurtz had previously done Two Lane Blacktop. Hence the easy connection to Falfa's 55. You know most of that story. Figari has a good clone of the '55 that was built by the builder of the original.

The white T-Bird is still owned by the same family that lent it to the film. It was hit a couple years ago and repaired in Escondido, CA. He brings it out to shows occasionally as well.

Steve's 58 is in Colville, WA. The gentleman that owns it bought it from the studio after the film. He claims the tires have the same air in them. He is a nice guy and will answer your questions if you can contact him.

The whereabouts of the Merc is anyone's guess. Brian Setzer did sell it and it seems to have vanished. Some say it's sitting in the backyard of a grieving father who claims his son shot himself in it and he will never sell it. Some say Bo Hopkins has it. He says he's building a copy to tour with.

Don't know about Laurie's Edsel or the Toad's Vespa either.

The dude who runs the "Kip Pullman's American Graffiti website" is not the guy who played Kip Pullman in the film. He just likes the name. He knows more about the movie than is probably healthy. He's a great resource for info.

Hope this helps.

 

ok so now that was solved, about that two lane blacktop dvd, the critierion issue is the one to have? i have a pirated dvd of the standard release but would love the one with the extra extras...somone lemme know and its as good as bought tonight!

 

Then hit the back ****on on your browser and find a thread that appeals to you...

 

That's Jeff Becks clone.

 

You sound like you've got the skinny. So I'm somewhat embarr***ed to tell this tall tale...but I tell it on the off chance that it may be true.

A buddy of mine, who made lots of what seemed like extremely doubtful statements but which were proven true, said he inherited a deuce coupe from his uncle that was used in AG. This statement was made in about 1977. The car was stored in Jackson, MS. He was a musclecar guy and was not interested in hot rods like that. At the time he made the statement, I p***ed it off as total BS.

However, several other nearly equally unbelievable statements that he made during the same time frame proved out to be true.

Example:

Me: What I want is a '69 GTO Judge.

Him: You want one? I've got one about 15 miles from here behind my sister's house. You can have it if you want it.

I followed his directions, and drove out there. Sure enough there it was, and I took it home on a roll-back tow truck.

Another.

Me: I sure wish I could find a Buick GSX to go with my Judge.

Him: **** has a white one, and he'll sell it cheap. Its in a garage behind his dad's speed shop.

Well, off I go again...and sure enough, there it was (Apollo white) AND another one too (Saturn yellow)...and cheaply priced, too. I didn't buy it though. I'm still kicking myself for that one.

And yet another.

Me: That Judge would be killer with a Ram Air V.

Him: I've got one back there in the shed.

We walk back there, and there it was! He wouldn't let that one go, though.

There's more examples, but that gives you the picture.

Sooo, over the years I've come to think maybe he really did have a car used in the movie...but maybe not the primary car. Maybe a totally different deuce from Milner's...like maybe a background car?

 

Oh, I do. But it's also important to be irritating every once in a while-HAMB tradition don't you think?

 

Not too far off the subject, but a few years back I decided to collect the four main players when Ertl started putting them out.

Got the 55 Chevy and the chopped Merc - which I thought would be the tough ones to find - and after that, the only Milners coupe and Steves 58 Impala I saw were at March Meet one year and priced stupid-high.

Oh well....

 

I gots em all!! So neener neener!! Just meesin with ya man.

Got the metal model kits too and the 1/25th scale diecasts with the figures that go with em.

Snagged the Bullitt 'Stang and Charger metal model kits near the same time.

I'm such a jerk sometimes.

 

The star cars of American Graffiti are OK, but check out some of the cars in the back ground like Tom Hocker's '40 Ford Coupe.... some cool stuff there!

 

I remember that haha. Awesome. Real wierd looking car, but I remember the dudes sitting way down low in it right? Just p***ed by the camera?

 

My favorite American Graffitti back ground car is only visible on the screen for a second or two, I have to freeze frame the DVD to get a decent look at it. It's a yellow '57 Chevy 150 two door wagon with a high stance, chrome reverse wheels with black walls and no front bumper or grill bar. It p***es in front of the camera as John and Carol pull up next to the '60 Caddy at the intersection with the search lights.

 

My personal favorite was Kurt's Citroen