American Graffiti question? Experts needed.

nail in the tire???

 

I like this answer!


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I read this whole thread.. JEESUS! I gotta get a life!

 

Every time AG comes up in a thread it goes like 5 pages....damn we are all pathetic Junkies....

BTW...I threw in AG and watched it instead of yard work that I have been puting off all MONTH....ah hell the neighbors never really liked me anyways,,,,guess they will have to stare at weeds for a few more days...i

It's all your fault TINGLER!!

 

Finally a post that I can claim to dispense expert knowledge on! I have done quite a bit of research on the movie, and read just about every interview ever written on the movie. I even wrote a term paper in college on it (I know, I'm a dork). It seems that George Lucas was very picky when it came to selecting the main cars for the movie. For Milner's coupe, he chose the car from about a dozen potential cars. He then painted it bright yellow, changed the headers to a more racy looking set, and made sure that it had the multiple carbureters on it. He wanted it to look sort of rough, more like a teenager's hotrod. As far as the sparks from Falfa's car, it is likely that they were an attempt by Lucas to make the scene more racy, especially since they occur at the exact same time as the sound of the tires breaking loose.

 

Title : 41 Hits From the Soundtrack of American Graffiti ©1973

Publisher : MCA Records / Double LP : MCA2-8001 (CD : MCAD2-8001)


Side 1 of 4 (Record 1)

1. (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock : Bill Haley and His Comets (2:08)
2. Sixteen Candles : The Crests (2:48)
3. Runaway : Del Shannon (2:18)
4. Why Do Fools Fall in Love : Frankie Lyman and the Teenagers (2:14)
5. That'll Be the Day : Buddy Holly (2:14)
6. Fanny Mae : Buster Brown (2:52)
7. At the Hop : Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids (2:25)
8. She's So Fine : Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids (2:18)
9. The Stroll : The Diamonds (2:26)
10. See You in September : The Tempos (2:03)

Side 2 of 4 (Record 2)

1. Surfin' Safari : The Beach Boys (2:05)
2. He's the The Great Imposter : The Fleetwoods (1:33)
3. Almost Grown : Chuck Barry (2:09)
4. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes : The Platters (2:37)
5. Little Darlin' : The Diamonds(2:04)
6. Peppermint Twist : Joey Dee and the Starlighters(1:58)
7. Barbara Ann : The Regents(2:14)
8. Book of Love : The Monotones(2:17)
9. Maybe Baby : Buddy Holly(2:01)
10. Ya Ya : Lee Dorsey(2:22)
11. The Great Pretender : The Platters(2:35)

Side 3 of 4 (Record 2)

1. Ain't That a Shame : Fats Domino (2:31)
2. Johnny B. Goode : Chuck Berry (2:38)
3. I Only Have Eyes for You : The Flamingos (3:09)
4. Get A Job : The Silhouettes (2:37)
5. To The Aisle : The Five Satins (2:44)
6. Do You Wanna Dance : Bobby Freeman (2:35)
7. Party Doll : Buddy Knox (1:54)
8. Come Go With Me : The Del-Vikings (2:37)
9. You're Sixteen-You're Beautiful (And You're Mine) : Johnny Burnette (1:56)
10. Love Potion No. 9 : The Clovers (1:53)

Side 4 of 4 (Record 1)

1. Since I Don't Have You : The Skyliners (2:35)
2. Chantilly Lace : The Big Bopper (2:21)
3. Teen Angel : Mark Dinning (2:35)
4. Crying in the Chapel : Sonny Till and the Orioles (3:04)
5. A Thousand Miles Away : The Heartbeats (2:25)
6. Heart and Soul : The Cleftones(1:49)
7. Green Onions : Booker T. and the M.G.'s (2:25)
8. Only You (And You Alone) : The Platters (2:35)
9. Goodnight, Well It's Time to Go : The Spaniels (2:43)
10. All Summer Long : The Beach Boys (2:05)

As far as the sparks comin from the 55 I would say it was studded snow tires.You know he was new to town so maybe he rolled in from wear they had snow and forgot to take the studded tires off.


Shoe

 

that's what I figured....

 

probably the reminants of the last ford powered rig that chevy whipped in a race after he backed over it

 

The sparks are probably put in the movie by the same dweeb that makes lead bullets spark when they hit.

 

he's the same guy that makes cars screech when they skid on dirt roads, too

 

If you notice, a great rendition of Louie Louie is missing from the soundtrak

 

Um, when was that

I like the nail in the tire that caused him to crash answer best!

The coupe had the jump off the line but then they're neck to neck. But then again, it's a movie and they weren't really racing, so don't think about it too much

 

No Johnny is right. He took off the caps before the big race, and if you look at the clip tingler posted about 24 seconds in he's revving it with exhaust coming out the back!

 

its called "HOLLYWOOD MOVIE MAGIC"

,,,its NOT real life!

here's another "wacky" thing too,,,,modesto 1962 WAS NOT the center of the hotrodding WORLD in 1962 EITHER!!!...a great MOVIE though,,,

 

SHIT!

...and I just went out and drove nails in my rear tires so I could be like Falfa.

 

OK so the nail (which caused the sparks) led to the roll over, then the nail sparked once again from the friction during the roll over, leading to the car bursting into flames....now we have the whole story....
-Dean

 

Anyone notice on the rollover that the wheels were painted silver instead of having the chrome reverse...How many 55's did they use ???

 

im thinkin steel belt like you said,,,,,,,,,,,,,,oops

 

Look closer & see that those are "skinny tires" & look at the bottom of the car to see a stock exhaust system. Gary 4T950 Chevy Guy

 

are you talking about the one the band played at the dance?

 

Forget the nails in tire, what you need is that sweet hat that he wore.

 

....SOooome ENCHANTED EEEVEENNNING....YOOOUUUUu will seeee a STTTRANGER....Yooooooooou will see a STTRANGEER....

 

Thats what I was thinkin, I've seen it for myself.

 

I've often wondered that, too. I love that Paradise Road race, of course. The tail end wide-shot, where Milner backs up his coupe, I loved the sound of that lil' scene so much I'd play the hell out of it as a teenager, crank up the TV as loud as it'd go.

 

humid night...static electricity in the air...friction ....doesnt have to be a nail...could very well be gravel in the treads...Some nights in the valley you could fart and throw sparks..

What i dont get is he read the script and knew he was gonna crash that nice car....Why didnt he lift at the end and save it?

 

?? huh? You are saying im wrong but your explanation agrees with me.

 

Remember,it's a movie...

 

Last year I had the opportunity to attend the U.S. Nationals @ Indy. They had 51 Hot Rods on display in the Mac Tools Concourse in a deal they called "Salute to the Hot Rods". I was invited to bring my 40 Ford Coupe over and the entire weekend was on the house. Sunday evening, Bruce Litton hosted a dinner for us and Paul Lamat & Cindy Williams were there. Bruce, who is a Top Fuel guy, has a building across the street from the end of IRP, has a recreation of the small city he grew up in, all kinds of collections and shops that were on his main street way back when. The theatre has the American Graffiti posters in the windows, Milner signed them for Bruce and then spent the evening hanging out with the crowd. Still cool, but I was surprised that he is very quiet and almost shy. I took the poster of the Graffiti coupe that I have with me, and they were both kind enough to sign it. Looking back over the years, American Graffiti 1 & 2 and Hollywood Knights have to be my favorites.

 

wow, that roll over on the 56 is so classic. yeah if you watch the post of the 56 on the rollover it flops around. i guess when they flipped it the car was a no post 4 door and they used a piece of wood for a post. as the car flips the post slams around and flops over. that guitar riff right after the race os over and milner turns around is the mosst bad ass thing i have ever heard.


JUNIOR

 

There are also sparks when Falfa takes off from Mel's on the way to Paradise Road.