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American Graffiti diorama by Perth and Districts Model Club Western Australia


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Posted

Here in Perth our very active model club produces one giant diorama each year.  We get together at a member's home to construct and paint the baseboards and then individuals produce the cars and buildings necessary to complete the scene. We endeavour to do at least three shows a year - we debut at our own Model Car Spectacular, then WASMEX, which is an IPMS style show of all genres of building and the W.A. Hot Rod and Street Machine Spectacular. This schedule had  been interrupted somewhat by COVID but we just finished our final showing for our American Graffiti diorama.  I will include photos here of each of the three displays - you will see that it changed a bit from venue to venue.

If you are as big a fan of the movie as I am, I am sure you will recognise many of the cars and the scenes.

Cheers

Alan

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  • Like 7
Posted

Great job on this diorama. You can easily pick out each car from the movie. I admit being from that point in time and the movie had so many experiences that I remember either being involved in or knowing the accused. The movie presented this as one weekend, but the reality is it took few years to get into and out of some of these situations.  

  • Like 1
  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Thank you everyone!  We had a lot of fun putting it together.  It may not have all the fine surface detailing that many dioramas have in this forum, simply because we reuse the boards every year for a new project, but I think the overall effect is successful.

On 1/1/2023 at 2:37 PM, NOBLNG said:

That is a really awesome diorama!? But that red T-Bird should be white.?

Greg  you're right!  That red Monogram T-bird is mine and I simply polished the red plastic.  In the months leading up to the show we had a register that was e-mailed to all our club members to ensure that we had all the significant cars.  We did pretty good - hope you noticed the red VW, black 36 coupe and blue 2CV - but somehow the white T-Bird slipped through the cracks and we didn't notice until the show was set-up.  And no-one had one in their stash! Next time!

Cheers

Alan

  • Like 1
Posted

This is such a great diorama.IMO,American Graffiti is one of the best films of all time.It’s amazing how young all those superstars were in that film.Again,just incredible.I love the police car coming apart.That was one of the best scenes in the movie.I always crack up ?during that part whenever I watch that movie.”Ok Toad,we’ll take ‘em all on.”??

  • Like 1
  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...
Posted (edited)

"Where were you in '62?"  As a guy who was in eleventh grade and crusin' in CA , I agree that AG is about the only movie that is close to accurate about those golden oldie times!  Love the dedication I see here; congrats!!  "You wanna' be a Pharoah!"

I did a mini-diorama of a rear-end-ectomy that predated Officer Holstein's AG by about a decade: When Wally Cleaver and Eddie Haskell chained Lumpy Rutherford's pretty '40 Ford ragtop to a tree, and jerked out his banjo rear end and torque-tube!  Only thing that ruins it is not including figurines; I haven't got time/patience for them at age 79; sorry!  I'd just about contract them out, if someone wanted the job!

BTW, it's funny, but Wolfman Jack's XERB (and later XPRS) were not in Modesto, but across the border; "X" is a Mexican denominator, "K" and 
"W" are assigned to the USA.  "X-P-R-S, en Rosalita, Baja CaliFORnia!"  Thanks for the nostalgia trip!  Wick (and his '55 Chevy Delray 'post' rod, in '62!)

 

Edited by Wickersham Humble
error
  • Like 1
Posted

I like the Liquor store. Growing up in SoCal there was a store just like that, even the ICE machine, near my house. As 5 year olds me and my buddies would go there because it had a huge candy section. thx 

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Nice work Alan. You nailed the rear axle of the Ford police cruiser getting ripped out from underneath it. One of the classic scenes from the movie. 

Posted

I spy a '60 Plymouth wagon in there... pretty cool.. Overall fantastic diorama, all cars look period correct, and it's really cool to see them displayed in this manner. Loved the movie, too I have it and the second one on DVD.

  • Like 1
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

I graduated HS in 64 and did plenty of cruising in S. Cal. And the movie is one of my favorites. So many memories. Now you do it all justice guy, incredible Diorama. Too bad you don't have a museum space for a permanent display. Of course, the builders probably want the cars back so would not work anyway. Thanks for the pics which will last longer too. 

Now where did I put that movie...

  • 2 weeks later...

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