Street Rodder March 1986 - Steve Kimmel's Little Deuce Coupe

Once again we join Mr Peabody and Sherman

Return to 1986. One day stopping by a buddies house as I hit the door he yells from the other room as I am walking in "Hey there's a blue Graffiti Coupe in the New Street Rodder Magazine on the kitchen table" I am thinking what?? So I grab the book pop it open and shore enough there it was. I must admit the first thing that came to mind was If I owned it I would paint it. (Sorry Steve) I told my friend save that for me when you are done reading it. He didn't.
Several Years later as I try to find all the Graffiti Coupe facts I can. I remember that article. I hunt and hunt but cant find what issue the blue deuce was in. Then it hits me Marth Quinn the MTV VJ was in the pictures of the coupe she would know. Now what do you think the odds are of me contacting Marth Quinn and her remembering a picture she had been in over 20 years ago??????.......We'll let me tell you Martha is a total sweet heart. She didn't remember the issue but did me one better by putting me in contact to the guy who owned the car back then.

Let me tell you it's a tad odd calling someone and asking "Hey did you ever own a blue 1932 Ford?" But when the somewhat surprised voice on the other end says "Yes". Me and Steve have been talking Coupe ever since.

Bonus section

A few of Steve's personal pictures along with quotes from the 1986 article.

"I found the car in Pennsylvania, an ex-drag car that had raced all over the east coast,with an Olds motor and trans, in the early 60's" he continues "When I bought it, it had no drive train, but was a fairly solid, full-fendered car with almost all of the parts and hardware. I paid $2500 for it, but after selling off fenders, hood, gas tank, etc I had about $800 in it" SK

Steve carried out almost all of the construction himself designing, building and installing all the chassis cross members, boxing plates and all shock, motor, trans, and spring cup brackets and mounts.

He also pulled the internally stock 300-horse 327 out of a wrecked, 33,000-mile '67 Chevelle.

"I have wanted a five-window coupe since I first saw the American Graffiti car" SK

Wow pretty cool story huh? Well unfortunately Steve sold the coupe years ago. He says he still talks to the present owner and that the car looks just the same as it did back then but the little deuce hasn't seen the light of day for a long time. Steve said that he never intended to build a clone of the Milner Coupe he just wanted that same look the American Graffiti Coupe had.

Now for the kicker. After dozens of phone calls, countless Emails I forward a link to a 1932 Ford 5 window for sale over on Steve's side of the country....... He bought it !!!!! and is now in the process of building another killer (don't tell his wife I had anything to do with it) Steve is still in the same mind-set as he was for his first build to the point he has not even picked a color yet. I made a photo for Steve to print out for his kids so they could show Daddy their color choices.

Feel free to download this paint shop it up and email it back to me and I will forward it to Steve.

Hey Steve can I just make one suggestion....... To quote

.................................................................It's not easy being green.

Jeff