Beating a dead horse: American Graffiti Question

Was the '58 Impala a floor-shift? And was it a three- or four-speed? Somebody have a picture?

 

it was a column shift... i remember him shifting after he backed into someone.

 

I guess I need to rewatch this tonight. I could have sworn that was a floor shifter. At least I was right about it being a three-speed.

 

Dude!! Its a floor shift!! COME ON!! Get With it!!

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset, but why is this important? Are you building a 58? Just wondering.

 

We take American Graffiti very serious on this board!!

 

I always liked "The Hollywood Knights" better than Graffiti. Any of you that haven't seen it, needs to go out and find a copy. I got it on DVD from ebay last week.

 

It's a column shift AUTOMATIC! That was a common mistake back in those days to rev up in neutral at the light and pull it down into drive and go too far right into reverse. Been with my dad when he repeated the old trick in his '55 Nomad.

 

The car used in the movie also had a 348 in it, not a 327 as Toad stated. It didn't run that well, either...according to an old magazine article I read years ago dealing with the star cars from that movie!

 

I'm having a debate with a friend. He says it's a column shifter. I said it was a floor-shift three-speed. I have never heard the claim that it's a Powerglide. I've always heard 348/manual.

We need a still frame from the movie.

 

All indicators say floor-shift. For review: watch the segment where the guy in the Ford hardtop tells him about Falfa taking on Milner out at Paradise Road: he rows through 'em as he pulls away.

 

I seem to recall that the article said the car had a 348 three speed, but made no mention of where the shifter was...I always just assumed it was a column shift???

 

Ha Ha...speaking of AG...I finally managed to fix the one thing about Milner's car that really bugged me...looks WAY better, don't it???

 

only question i have is ...has anyone seen Milner?

 

Brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it?

 

Nice job unchopping the grill/shell Fathack...that always kinda bugged me too.....as for the '58, I've got a buddy who's a AG nutcase (he's worn out somethin' like 9 video tapes), and he said that if you listen real close to that car when Toad revs it up, you can hear the distinct whine of a Powerglide...just my $.02...

 

are you guys retarded?? Have you watched the movie? Its a floor shift!!! Enter the scene where Toads at the light and says what do you got in there kid? More than you can handle...

 

I always thought it was column, but I read marcus's post and I just checked it out a min ago. Doesnt show anything but when the "whatddya got in there kid?" "More than you can handle" indident occurs, toad seems to be fiddling with something on the floor, and after he lunges forward at the green arrow, he backs up and looks like he puts it into gear with something lower than a column lever. Marcus is still the AG guru. Messing with Marcus is like messing with texas, you just dont do it...................................

Briggs

 

There's a scene when Debbie gets in the car that you can see the side of the column from the passenger side. There's no shifter.

Derrick

 

Yea Marcus, no one takes it more serious then me. I am from Petaluma where the movie was filmed. I raced on Frietas road(paradise) in my high school days. I think what the movie insinuates it is and what the actual car had may be two different things.

 

You can't even put AG and HK in the same catagory.

Hollywood Knights had so many Hot Rod and period piece techincal flaws (Centerline wheels, wide tires in 1965, Moroso Valve covers,and California Dreaming came out in 1967 not 1965 To name a few).

It's more fun to watch and count the mistakes then watch the movie it's self. AG captured the true essence of the glory years of early '60's hot rodding. KK

 

I remember the car as being an automatic with a column shifter. I recall Toad telling someone that is was a 327 with six dueces............in the prior post someone mentioned that it was really a 348, if so, it probably had one of those old turbo-glide automatics. One of GMs not so good ideas! Milner..............Paul Lamonte, he was at Louisville for the Street Rod Nats a few years back. Skipstitch's Dad got a picture of "Milner" sitting in his 32 5 window.

Shoe

 

"Hollywood Knights had so many Hot Rod and period piece techincal flaws (Centerline wheels, wide tires in 1965, Moroso Valve covers,and California Dreaming came out in 1967 not 1965 To name a few)."


Yes its loaded with mistakes, but I still like it better...

 

It's hard to not like Newbomb Turk and the Chicks changing tops under the shade tree!

Shoe

 

100% it's a floorshift car. Go watch the scene where Toad is hotwiring it right before the guys who stole it come beat his ass. You can't miss the shifter.

 

Just a general observation.

The majority of movies had more than one version of a particular car.
They're famous as well for plugging in a sound track that doesn't match the car in question.

Far as I know - which ain't much - there were only one of each of the four famous cars in the movie.

I do know the 55 that rolled in the final scenes was a different car from the one shown earlier, but I'm talking about cars that were used during filming whether as part of the background or actually operating.

Wouldn't be surprised to learn the sound track was dubbed in later.

 

VVOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLARE!!!!

 

Thats my point C9! Is this question asking what the movie insinuated or is it asking what the actual car had in it?

 

[ QUOTE ]
We take American Graffiti very serious on this board!!

[/ QUOTE ]

We aren't the only ones. (Someone has got way too much time on their hands). Graffiti Inconsistencies

 

C9 your right.

Remember when Toad reved the motor at Falfa, and Falfa reved back. It was the sound track of a top fuel car in the burnout box.

I have that sound bite it's on "Sounds of the Drags Winternationals'65".

Still to me AG is the best Hot Rod movie ever made.