Saturday, July 28, 2012

Chevy High Performance 1999 - The Silver Screen 55












This week it's a shout out to all of my Graffiti brothers who don't suffer from "Yellow Fever" (c)R.F. as I do but who are drawn towards the dark side of American Graffiti. This article is jam packed with facts and some of the best photo's of Falfa's "Field Car" that I have ever seen.


Now for my 2c. The tunnel ram was not used on the 55 in Graffiti so how could it have been on the car when Steve Fitch bought it?? Strike 1.
 What you must remember is that Ruth delivered "A Very Wicked 55 Chevy" to the set of Two-Lane Blacktop where it was driven by a musician who was acting like a driver. The story I heard it is that the intake was swapped out early on during the filming of Two-Lane opting for a more manageable single 4bbl. I did also hear that the Graffiti 4bbl manifold had some issues so it was replaced some time in the mid 1980's and was sold off to a fan who performed some reconstructive surgery and now the original Graffiti 4bbl can be found on a 55 Clone in the Midwest.



We'll this section was accurate for the time. If you don't know the second cars complete story or ex specially If you "think you know" about the #2 Car (camera car) this is a must read.
 http://twolaneblacktop.yuku.com/  It is the coolest fully documented reconstruction of a movie car you will ever see all backed up with some awesome pictures. Thanks for sharing Walt.


Ford rear end?? I think the nice people at Oldsmobile may beg to differ. When I first saw American Graffiti it was Milner's yellow 32 Ford that turned my teenage crank. Later on I would learn what a true street sweeper the 55 was and my respect for that purpose built machine went up more than a few notches.  


 I like the way this guy tells a story and for the most part he nailed. I have not done ANY research on the bench seat story but I know the Camera car had buckets so why would the main killer 55 have a bench seat? And I had always read that they swapped the doors back to steel doors with roll up windows not just the windows??  Well now that the #1 55 has spent what feels like a millennium in Maryland it now has a new owner and resides in Texas. I have been told that "He Gets It" and he is putting the car in the time machine and setting the controls to 1973. I don't know if he stops by my little corner of cyberspace but if he does I just hope the new owner documents the story and sends me some pictures!!!! 24-7-365 JeffsAllGraffitiAllTheTime@gmail.com
Jeff   

Monday, July 23, 2012

American Graffiti Publicity Still # 5144 - 13

Ever wonder how those kids from the 70's danced like it was the 60's? Thanks to the hard work of the choreographer Toni Basil. Ya you may remember her from that 80's pop tune "Hey Mickey" but she has had a long impressive career before and after American Graffiti. Check out some of Toni's handy work in this Original Universal Pictures Publicity Still # 5144 - 13   
Jeff

Saturday, July 14, 2012

The Best Of Hot Rod Show World 1989 - American Graffiti Coupe



Look Rick Figouri has the Coupe and it has an Ansen (Man-A-Fre)!

I would like to know who fact and spell checks for these magazines?? Anyone?? Anyone?? Bueller??

Jeff

Saturday, July 7, 2012

AARP 2009 - American Graffiti's Ron Howard From Opie to Oscar














 Has it really been that long? Boy time flies when you are having fun. I remember seeing Milners Coupe and thinking back then "Wow that car is 40 plus years old" Now I am 40 plus years old! Ron Howard is on the cover of AARP and this week we lost Andy Griffith.

Nothing stays the same, Everything changes. Jeff