Love...Japanese Style

American Graffiti has a huge fan base in Japan as evidenced by the mad respect and love shown for the Milner Coupe at last years Yokohama Mooneyes show. And the fascination doesn't stop with the cars. Check out this link for www.americangraffiti.jp . That's the Japanese language version. You can access the English version here.

The translations have to be automated because they are strange at best and hilarious at times. But what comes through is their obvious love for our favorite film by the research they've done and the terrific resources they have provided. Lots of pictures, pages and links to sift through. Have fun and Arigatou gozaimasu to the Facebook friend who turned me on to this.

Aloha.

Instant Karma

I knew it was too good to last. We're taking my Dad's nice bone stock '38 Ford and souping it up. Do they still say that? I guess so 'cause I just did. Anyway, the engine is tired and we're getting tired of messing with the distributor. It's impossible to reach and we can't keep the s.o.b. timed. We considered running a more recent distributor and upgrading to a 12 volt system. But if we were gonna do that, why not just change the damn engine? It's either stock or it's not. You can't be a little bit stock, pregnant or dead. You is or you ain't.

After the Graffiti Coupe project (okay, there's never really an 'after' with that never ending dream/nightmare project), I was ready to fore-go the whole custom thing for a while and try to face the challenge of restoring something the way God and Henry Ford intended it to be. But this isn't my car, it's my Dad's. And with a gorgeous rebuilt flattie sitting in my office (It's art, baby!), I was losing the argument. And if the truth be known, it's just not in my father's DNA to leave a car alone. If it isn't brand new, it's a project. Who am I to argue after the Naked Milner? And besides, who doesn't need another hot rod... I'm in.

But dropping this motor in isn't going to be without it's own problems. It's sporting dual carburetors on a Fenton manifold. The carbs sit too close to leave the generator in the stock position, so it's offset. But now we have to figure how to mount a mechanical fan on it without getting too goofy. You'd think Fenton would have made a matching adaptor because they put bolt holes on the front, but I haven't been able to find one. Someone must make something that works. We're going to try our damnedest to not run an electrical fan. That would be gay (Oh no! I'll never direct the Oscars now...).

So if you know how this is done, please give a holler. I'll be up. Aloha.

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Talking Shop With Paul LeMat

Sam Weisberg over at the Hidden Films website had a terrific chat with our favorite actor recently. Sam was kind enough to post the transcript and even took the time to let us know about it. Check it out. Aloha.

Harold Johnson's 1934 Ford

The car my Dad was driving when he met my Mom (and subsequently made her drive to work after they were married and he bought a Cadillac) was a 1934 Ford 5W Coupe. He took off the running boards, mounted motorcycle/spare tire cover fenders on the front and dropped an Olds Rocket 88 in it for power.

He can't remember what the headlights or back bumper were off of but the rest of the car was pretty much stock. He kept it until I came along then traded up for something my Mom wouldn't be embarrassed in. What was wrong with her?

Blurry picture of Barbie wondering why she has to drive this 'ol noisy thing to work.

Sure wish they had kept it, but that wasn't his way.. Like most hot rodders, he loved getting new toys, but also like most car guys, money was tight and to get something new you had to get rid of something old. These pictures were taken in Westchester, CA in 1955.

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The Milner Coupe 2011 - Hot August Nights

Cousin JP was in Reno last month during a hot August day and found the Graffiti Bunch alive and well and the Coupe looking spanky clean.

The real Milner Coupe

Pretty awesome site. Looks like a Paradise Road re-dux!

Rick Figari's Falfa tribute is probably alot nicer than the real deal. Haven't heard it run yetthough.

Candy Clark is way too popular to get a proper lunch break.

Paul LeMat looking fit and ready to race. He's always accomodating to Graffiti fans.

Popular Bo Hopkins is always a blur at these fan functions.

Aloha!

'da Hui Rocks!

This Graffiti Coupe project is like the mob, just when I thought I was out...it pulls me back in.And just when you think there is no more to learn, that there's no more parts to find, nothing to make it more accurate, nothing more to make this thing jump off the big screen into your driveway, nothing more, nothing more... Wham! 'da Hui raises it's head again. RG, you are the man.

And that's all I have to say about that.

 Except   'da Hui no ka oi

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Where Were You In '62?

Riverdale evidently. This is Archie Graffiti drawn by Jeff Shultz & colored by Hedvig Haggman-Sund.

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