That's a darn cool story, especially since that line has been my "tag" from day one since I'm a flathead guy!
We met him at the Back to the Beach show in Ventura. My son recognized him and said "hey dad,it's that guy from American Graffitti!" We walked up and talked to him. My son asked him if he would sign his car. He said sure. He walked over to the shoebox and got in and signed the dash. We got pic's for the non-believers. My son loves it. He lives that movie too.
his car, one of my favorites is in a warehouse in Alameda,ca with about 20 other cars of all kinds, restored gas pumps, etc. I had an opertunity to meet the guy and walk around. It was like a car show. Dont remember his name, but I remember where it is. This movie and the car had a big impact on me as well. I enjoyed seeing it.
Clark, You got the e-machine on. If anybody could find a body on the cheap, It would be Clark. I have a periodish 283 that needs a rebuild and has a cracked pg attached to it, But I know that the original had a t-10 in it. I'm sure that I have a 9" @ Cook's that resembles the rear that is shown in the coupe so there is a start. Who mfg's the Man-a-fre 4 carb intake. If your reading, your ***isatance may be required. Maybe a call could be placed to either Carl @ the Deuce Frame Company, Squeek Bell-Kiwi Konnection or even perhaps Roy Boy Brizio for a donation of the fabbed up ch***is with all the right ingredients,I'm sure that they'd love the ink. PPG or Sherwin Williams could be contacted & a few gals of a "Cross between or Piss Yellow or Puke Green" that could be donated. Wheels by the way of Stockton Wheel (I know some HAMBers don't dig their CS skills). I'm sure that somewhere I have the right looking bias plys for the rears, If not-Corky are you listening or I mean reading . Vintique-CW Moss, or Brookville could donate the radiator shell & perhaps Don Armstrong @ US Radiator could throw in a radiator, Bob Drake could be called upon for a set of 41 Chev Tails or perhaps a HAMBer who has a set of gennies. Jim Gordon @ Antique Ford Parts-Rosemead CA. could perhaps throw in a set of their cast headlight stands & perhaps the person who bought their PSI line could donate some of their period correct suspension pieces Fat Luckys could be tapped for a s***ch job=Great advertising! I think that I have the Covico or Grant steering wheel hanging on the wall in the garage. This is just a short beginners list of what we can give back to someone who helped shape our future all those years ago. (George Lucas could afford the original so he's out of the equasion) Hey Ryan, Wanna head up a build . You now what this feels like. "Paul would be having fun all summer long!!!!" FYI, this reply was was written while I had AG playing on media player. That was keep me inspired.
Man, that's awesome. What a pic & memory. He was here in a little podunk IL. town at a drive-in showing of AG for a Rt66 festival 2 years ago. I was busy and couldn't go, been kicking myself ever since. It's cool that he still talks about it, I can imagine how tired a guy might get of hearing it. I've always wanted to ask him about throwing that weenie Dreyfus in the pool and giving him a black eye. He played his part great and was better than anybody else.
It's kind of sad the different paths the lives of the stars of AG took. It seems like it was super success, or they fizzled out. I think of that every time I see one of them at a show. I think they all did a good job. I actually never have been a big fan of Richard Dryfus, in AG or after. Too bad it wasn't his carear that went nowhere. I'm glad Paul seems to be a good guy, as he could be rather bitter and not want to talk about it, since you know more car people probably call him John, rather than Paul!
I bumped into Dreyfus a couple of years ago at a newsstand in Studio City and the guy had a stack of **** mags and was the rudest mother- f--ker that I have met as in the acting world. I am glad that they have a different lifestyle and keep themselves secluded most of the time then all of us normal-nice folk don't have to deal with them. KNUX!
I had the same thing happen last Feb at a Rod and Custom show we were at. Him and his agent had breakfast with us and he sat in the chair beside me. He's a great guy.
eBay Motors: Ford : Coupe (item 120033470205 end time Sep-25-06 12:29:00 PDT) Above is a great start for that build I was talking about for Paul, It even has his Characters name on the front plate, If every HAMBer would donate, lets say $5 0r 10 Bucks & place it in an account thru Ryan this could become a reality that would net Paul his very own Milner coupe & with the amount of talent,that is here we could rectify all that is wrong with this verson. All of the hard parts are there. It's steel & it has a Man-A-Fre already on it. The HAMB coild make history by donating a car like this to the actor who I would say helped put us here=Ultimate Payback Ryan, are you listening???
I'm in too. That's 30 bucks if you're in Kevin, we should be able to buy a new set of lugnuts for him.... (just kidding, I think it is actually a great idea, and would make a great story for R&C- are you reading this Jim and Kevin Lee?)
What about Discovery Channel? They pay way more to Chip Foose to build cars that have no impact. Why not film the build and Paul leaving in a smokey burnout. Now that would be good TV. OCC builds bikes for all kinds of celebs, why not Paul?
That is a cool story. It always feels good when you meet people like that who have some fame to them but are right down to earth about it all.
Whoa! are you gonna build one kinda like it, are you talking just a 32 painted yellow? If you build one just like the real one it aint that easy! Everything on that coupe is a hard to find item and usually cost big bucks to get them! Believe me that aint your everyday coupe! The track bars or hand made, Get out your wallet if your gonna get the correct guages, you wont find the correct speedo, You'll never guess the correct draglink, Its a junkyard dog! The hardest you'll ever try to build! The one on Ebay now is not even close!
I don't know every exact detail but I have SW gauges that I could donate toward the project. If I remember right they were a combo of winged gauges and the big block logo gauges. I have both types. The car on ebay has the correct intake, I am sure we have enough talent on this board to fab up some pieces if need be. I think it would be great to do this. I think this topic needs it's own thread to see if there would be enough interest.
A good friend of mine was once talking about doing a full Milner reproduction while we were having coffee one day. sounds like an interesting and very intense project. Most I could offer to the task is a couple cases of PBR to fuel the fire though.
I didn't mean it cain't be done, hell if i can do it anyone can. I was just saying i love this coupe and theres a right way and a half*** way, the guages are just one little part. There are no headers out there like the real ones they have to be custom built if your gonna do it correct,. chop the radiator shell and grill, Have a radiator custom built with the correct water filler, and it goes on and on. If everyone wants to do this i'll be glad to help anyway i can.
JD, that car is about the only reason I go to Goodguys LSN. :drool: Here we certainly have the talent, but not the dollars. We just need a reality show to foot the bill. "Pimp Milner's Coupe" Ride, Whip, or whatever. It could be a season long search for correct parts, or fabrication. I would watch a show on restoring any of the iconic rods and customs.
Hey If you guys want to do it do it right build Paul a car he can drive and enjoy unlike the real coupe.
I saw the car over the weekend and got to meet Paul. The best way I can describe Mr Lemat is just like toad said "Youll allways be number one you the greatest"
You have a nice idea and I'm sure Paul LeMat would be very touched by the sentiment. But graffiti32 is right, the Coupe is a hard driver and in terrible shape. Lemat spends a lot of his time with that car. Would he really want a clone? I don't know. But if any of you grundgy little twerps are serious, and this would be a full on HAMB project guaranteed to be finished (maybe televised), I'll throw in a steel 32 5W. Not including the owner Figari, and possibly Jeff Beck, there are only three people I know of that truley know the make up of that car as it stands and as it was in the film. Quite a few people aroung the world are building "Graffiti" coupes. A few people pose as experts but are mostly posers. It's entirely possible to do a straight up copy. All the parts are known. But when you are done, you don't really have anything you can drive everyday. But then, maybe Paul LeMat would appreciate it none the less. I heard recently that he actually prefers the Camaro from Aloha Bobby & Rose. But if y'awl are in let me know. Good luck.
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