Silvercreeker

Easily my favorite movie ever. Saw it in the theaters when it came out with my parents. My dad was a motor head too.

The American Graffiti Milner Tribute is done. (3 months to complete this build) This is a tribute to the Milner Chopped 32 Ford 5 window coupe in American Graffiti. It’s a Drag City Castings Chopped 32 body, firewall and windshield on a Revell 32 Roadster frame with the Revell SBC block and headers. It features a Model Car Garage chopped 32 Ford Grill. The motor is the kit block and has a VCG Resins hotrod manifold, carburetors, air scoops fan, distributor and coil. ProTech sparkplug wires, looms and boots. Wheels and tires are from Jay’s Resin with Iceman Collections valve stems. Other items are a rear leaf spring from the AMT Fruit Wagon kit, front wishbone was part ’29 Revel pickup and part scratch built. Ladder bars are from Atlantis Yellow Fever kit. Correct master cylinder is from ’60 AMT Chevy pickup, and upper firewall was made from .020 aluminum. Fuel lines are Larva Lace fly tying tubing. Color is 10 coats of decanted Testors Yellow Enamel. All chrome was stripped and repainted with Alclad. Other details are VCG Resins steering wheel and piston shifter and Detail Masters fittings. All other details were scratch built, or parts box related. Best Model Car Parts American Graffiti correct license plates (THX 138). One of the coolest Hot Rods ever. This will debut at the Buffalo NNL show September 6th. Enjoy.

All done!!! Full write up in the Under Glass section! Enjoy and thanks for following along!!!

Everything in the front of the coupe is done. Enough for today. Tomorrow I will attack the rear bumper. Closer

Brake lines from master cylinder done, coil done, Steering shaft installed and grill in and all squared up. Grill supports and radiator hoses tomorrow night

Milner’s coupe had a pretty unique fuel block and fuel lines, but after 2 nights work on just that part, pretty happy with the results. The fuel lines are from my fly tying stuff and I’d rubber midge fly hollow tubing. The amber was spot on. Finished the throttle linkage too. Still a few nights of detail work and the unique Fiat rear bumper. Enjoy.

Finally on her own feet! Tires and wheels mounted, sitting level and squared up. Body on frame and fenders installed. Tail lights and license plate on back. 66 Chevy master cylinder on the firewall, still needs brake lines ran to it. But down to one page on the to-do list. Should be done for NNL Buffalo on September 6th. This has been a long build.

"No sir, no no, it's twelve and a half inches, regulations height. You can check it if you like, sir"

Productive evening. Yellow is all done. Sprayed another coat of MCW vinyl roof to get the right texture. Headlights installed and got the framework for the throttle linkage installed. Eyes are as tired as Lucy. Tomorrow I’ll install the hardware on the linkage. Starting to look like Milner’s!

Got a mock up after lunch today. Back on track

I grabbed these on eBay, his products are great

Long evening and morning. Just laid down the last coat. Love enamel and it’s forgiving, but curing is all about patience. Even with the dehydrator.

And then there are moments when you just question why we do this😂. Paint was all done and waxed, installing the interior and I must have got a bit of superglue on my finger with gloves on. I unknowingly touched the door…. Well, wet sanding all evening and a lot of masking and today the body was back in paint. This one may still make it to NNL Buffalo in 15 days for its debut.

Milner’s car in the movie had a light green tint on the back side windows, so I used a bit of Tamiya clear green to get the effect. And as you can see, can’t tell😂. But I know it’s there. Really love the Model Car Garage 4” chopped 32 grill with etched stainless insert. Lastly brake lines ran in front. Time to get ready for the Bills game! Home stretch!

Paint is all buffed and waxed. Panel lines done and aluminum upper firewall installed. Love the way enamel buffs out. Very scale look when done.

Love the statement about patience!

Paint is finally done! Always a moment of stress when painting the vinyl roof insert, but complete and no bleed over. Can’t beat using Bare Metal Foil to mask off. Didn’t like the exact shape of the aluminum upper firewall, so made a third and I think that’s the one. Finally able to start the assembly process. It will be done for the Buffalo NNL show in a couple weeks. Whew!

Exhaust is weathered and installed . Like the way it looks. Had to give one more coat after wet sanding down to 8k. My shop helper, Lucy left a “cat glitter” hair in the paint😂. The things a builder deals with!

It’s a bit slower than a candle or lighter, but not controlled. Mark Baston (hobbydude007) on YouTube did a video on the lighter a few months ago. That’s why I ordered mine

That is a non flame candle lighter. It heats up the styrene slowly and avoids the "melt" that the lighter causes.

Paint is done after 3 days of paint, sand, paint and sanding. Final coats down and in the dehydrator for another 24 hrs to cure. I do love Enamel, but patience is key. Scratch built the exhaust with mufflers, from VCG Resins. They look great. 8 weeks into this build, and the end is in sight!

That’s the block, heads and valve covers from the 33 Willys from AMT. I love when people say AMT messed up the valve covers on the Falcon , not knowing the early ones had the plugs on the bottom. (Non-Ford people 😂)

Love that kit and Falcons! Your build looks fantastic! I built this a while ago. That kit is great when builders give it the time it deserves.

All evening on a new firewall. The full aluminum didn’t look right. After looking at more reference photos, thanks Ed. Milner’s was the bottom 1/2 factory and a top half aluminum skin. So, that’s what I did. And, yes I haven’t started cleaning up the windshield frame

The first mock up with body on the frame and wheels in place. Like the stance. Interior is done, and started on some body work. Basement is nice and cool, enjoyable to be down here.