the REAL American Graffiti '58 Impala

I third that motion.

 

Yea the tranny can be put back. But still leaves the question. Why would you take the manual out to start with. I really am having trouble with that one. Leave it alone.
Thanks for the pics. I always thought I would like to build a clone of it someday. Now I have good photos of it to go by, If I live long enough.

 

I don't remember the red highlights along the stainless trim in the movie. I'll have to go back and check it out.

 

Thats exactly what i was thinking...

 

I've seen guy's remove stick's in favor of auto's just because they physically can't drive one anymore. I had a 63 Impala that was swapped for that reason..could be the reason for this one too..who know's..
This car would have no transmission in it at all and i'd still love to have it

 

The story goes once the movie was released he realized what car he had and would cruise the theater when it was letting out in vallejo

 

It's still better than Darryl Starbird's "Super-Flex Moon Bird"!

 

Thanks!! This is one of my favorite cars ever and there are not too many detail pictures of it around.

I noticed that it doesn't have actual tuck and roll at all. It looks like the pleats are that heat pressed vinyl. Who knew? Still a waaaaay cool car I wish was in my garage!

 

Go ahead and watch the movie again, it is a great one. Probably one of the first experiences in my life where I got really excited about cars (three years old and I remember it)

But yes, the Impala had fogged paint in the movie. I thought it was scallops until I looked closely at this still!

 

when i saw the movie i knew i needed the car, living in the UK made it very hard but when I was 20 I made one. Here is a pic the year 1978

 

This car was at the Northwest Motor Fest in Boise, ID this summer with the American Graffiti cars and stars display. The paint has great patina with cracks and hazing visible, the interior also has the well worn look and looks like it was stitched 40 years ago, which it probably was. If I'm not mistaken, this same guy also owns the Merc that was used in the film and it was there, also. Boy, it's a good thing all the Merc scenes were filmed at night, because it's actually kinda rough, but still interesting as hell to see. When all the cars from this show cruised downtown Boise, the owner of these two cruised with these two cars on that old car hauler that's in the one pic, one on the truck and one on a trailer. I thought that was pretty neat, that he would get them out like that for people to see even though they didn't really wanna drive 'em.

 

A friend of his owns that Merc, and its a clone.

 

Are you Milt Homan?

 

The 58 had a 348 and a stick when the movie was filmed,(people did notice the tired engine) upon the sale of this car to its current owner, "he wanted to drive it, the engine was tired so a a transplant was in order".

That quote came from Pat Ganahl when he worked for Street Rodder and hunted down the cars,(Feature shown in an above post).

When Pat spoke with builders/(transportation captian) of the cars-Henry Travers. He said that all were placed in the local paper and that the Edsel sold 1st,Which really suprised themThe others followed suit. There were no takers for the 32 5W. It was $1500.00LARGE! Pretty good chunk back in fall of 1972.

I may be wrong here, but in 1979 Steve Fitch of KS, got invited to bid in a closed auction @ Universal Studios for the coupe since he had purchased the 55 earlier and won the auction, he had it till Rick Figari got it in the late 80's. (Can you imagine having em both and selling em)

I am glad that the (32) car ended up back in San Fran. It just seems to be a good fit. Rick takes good care of it.

The 58 was one of may faves as well, I built a model of it in 1977, I have no idea where it ended up though????

Have the complete set of die casts down the t-bird. This post brings back loads of memories.

 

yes who,s this

 

When that movie came out I was in my late teens but had a 56 Caddy conjvertible as my daily driver. Dark green with a white leather interior and a tan canvass top. I went with my girl to see the movie and when I got to the theater I was looking for a place to park. The manager came out and told me I could park on the sidewalk right under the marque! So I did, thinking he was kind of weird. Then when I saw the movie I knew why he wanted me to park there. When we came out of the theatre my car was right there on the sidewalk and everyone was gathered around it looking at it. Top was down and we hoped in and pulled away slowly to people cheering. Felt like we were in the movie! My girl at the time dug it too. Fun times.

 

Who currently owns the Citroen?
Or toad's motor scooter?

 

Citroen bought it . Its on display in Paris, set on the XERB clearing station display... normally when I go to the lobby for a piss..........you know the message bit with the popsicles (lollies)......

 

Any chance there's more than one movie car?

Lotta times they have several versions of a particular car.
Backups, destined to be destroyed etc.

I do realize the 55 that rolled is different from the car used throughout the movie.

Once upon a time they filmed a Knight Rider sequence in the industrial park near the big power station where I worked.
(Across I-5 from 6 Flags Magic Mountain.)

Four cars as I remember.
A couple for action shots, one cherry for close-ups and a total POS for jumps, rollovers etc.
I couldn't believe how poorly this last one was built.

Seems like I read somewhere that there were two Pharoah Mercs.

Anyway, cool find.

 

Can you still get these?

I got the 55 and the Merc sometime back, but never saw the 32 or Impala in the toy stores.
I didn't realize the T-Bird was part of the series.

 

There was more than one 55. I think there were three. Don't know about the others.

 

i think the 55 was the only one that had multiples. low budget for the time, remember, and the 55 was gettin wrecked.

 

there,s one 58

Brian setzer owns the orig merc

the 32 is well documented

the 55 not sure

t,bird don,t know

esdel anybodies guess

Citroen in Paris

toads scooter wrecked

 

The T-Bird is still owned by the same lady that owned it during the filming. It was also in Boise this summer.

 

I heard that Bo Hopkins bought the Merc and was having it restored.

 

Man, I hope that is true, that would be awesome.

 

I'm nobody, I used to read about you in Custom Car and Street Machine in the 70s and early 80s, I always thought you were the coolest dude in England.

 

sometimes I tell people this is the real skull from the 55 (no it's not). Not to say this isn't the real Impala.

 

My pops had two 58's in his day, a convertable, and a 2 door hardtop he wrapped around a traffic light control box broadside doin 80 mileanhour. Just a few too many cold ones that day.