Graffiti pharaohs merc???

What happened to the merc that was in american graffiti and who built it. If Any one has any pictures post them on this thread Thanks

 

Loved the movie, but the merc was a real POS. I don't think it's around anymore, but a very authentic clone is out there, I think it was in the Sac. Autorama Merc display.

Do a search, I think this has been covered. AG is most everyone's favorite flick on here.

 

as far as i know, bo hopkins owns it.

 

im with you on there it did have a nice chop but it sat sky high and needed white walls. But being in the movie and a bad *** drove it i still love the car.

 

I know where the 51 Merc is now. It was sold in the 80's to a guy from Long Island, who died young as a result of an accident. His younger brother owns the car and the business they were partners in. The car has been put in storage for years and I'm not sure we will ever see it again. It may have been a famous movie car once, but to this guy it was his brother's car. I don't know if he would ever part with it.

 

...and yes. It is supposed to be a POS. Lol. It was built in a big hurry for the movie

 

at one point brian setzer of the stray cats owned the original but i believe it's been sold since.

 

here's the clone:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkH1YW9MG2g

 

Really no **** what was the name of the bussines

 

I really didn't even like the chop. Instead of laying the rear window forward, the stock rear gl*** rests on the package shelf..

 

I talked to "Joe the pharoh" at a car show in Oregon before the Sacremento show. he said the one he owns, that was in the car shows is the original movie car, only redone to Bo Hopkin's specs.

 

wait so the real one isnt in this storage container? Its still being showed

 

Setzer sold the merc in 1987 to Robert Saueressig of Plainview, New York.

 

The clone was at the Autorama.The owner's name is Glenn.I can't remember his last name.I talked to him quite awhile about all the research he did in building his car,he even put all the flaws in it.He tryed to build it as original as the real car.His is the one thats at all the car shows.

 

Most movie cars are built for looks... not quality. Who gives rip if the rear window was cut or just slid into the package tray. Many cars of the era were done like that... it was actually better to lay down the backgl*** and slide it into the rood...then caulk it up with dum-dum so it wouldn't leak.

And by '62, wide whites were out in most places. Narrow whites may have looked better but AG was a budget movie... no $$$ for stuff that didn't matter.

 

Mid-late 70's it was on display at Universal Studios in N. Hollywood, so the studio held onto it for awhile after the completion of the movie.

(Somewhere I have a photo of it I took during my visit there as a teen/fan of the movie.)

Anyone know when it was first by Universal and to whom?

 

**** if you find that picture post it on here. I would love to see it.

 

Here is the one that was at the Motorfest last year in Boise. The Merc, the T Bird and the 58 came out of Washington state.

 

here is the one attastude is talking about

 

Okay, not to highjack this thread, but the story on the 58 is cool! The guy that bought it from the movie company still owns it and it has been virtually untouched since filming..

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Wasn't there a pic on here about 2 years ago of it sitting in someone's back yard? Either Street Rodder or Rod and Custom did an article years ago on all the AG cars. They were all pretty much thrown together from what I remember.

 

Flyin-T has the name right. Robert bought the car from Brian Setzer. He has since p***ed away. I want to respect the privacy of his little bro. I know the car is in a storage warehouse in Farmingdale NY, but I'm not sure of the exact location.

 

That is pretty neat how that one is still going around and staying untouched.

 

Setzer was quoted as saying he bought it from Ed Roth sight unseen, and sold it as soon as he saw it because it was a piece of ****.

 

I just noticed that there were two different graffiti Mercs there. They switched them on the second day. If you notice one has the painted flippers with no spot lights and the other has chrome flippers with spots and skirts. Hmmmm!

 

Those two mercs are not the same car?
Which one is the AG car?

.

 

Setzer bought it from Universal, had the body work re-done and painted it metallic maroon. He also re-did the interior.

I was working at Universal in '81 and there use to be big quansen hut style of buildings on the back lot. The merc was there then as was the AG coupe and dozens of other cars. Flat tires, and covered with dust. They all looked exactly like what they were, props. Hell, if I had even half a brain back then and thought they would sell them, I would have tried to buy them.

 

Now there's a great question! 2 cars....maybe. Hmmmmmm. Well I know where one of them is

 

it would be cool to own that merc in storage due to its probably un touched and would be a great conversation piece and to cruise around in.

 

I'm scared to talk to him about it. I knew him back in high school but we werent too friendly. Actually, we kind of rub each other the wrong way. Its such a touchy subject because of his brother's tragic death. I know a girl who is still close to him. I'll see if she can find out what his future plans for the Merc might be.