What would the cars be like if they filmed American Graffiti today? George Lucas picked some great stars and machinery for his classic film about car-crazy teenagers in the '60s. Although Suzanne Sommers in her T-Bird was the object of Richard Dreyfus' attention, and Harrison Ford's '55 Chevy looked ready for action, the motorized star was undoubtedly Paul Le Mat's bitchin' '32 Ford coupe. Resplendent in chrome yellow, it summed up everything that hot rods and cruising had come to mean to thousands of American kids.
But today, the only thing Detroit turns out that feels half right is the Plymouth Prowler. Yeah, it looks great, but what happens when Harrison Ford shows up with a nasty black Z-28 itchin' for a race? Time to swap CDs? Peck on the cell phone? What we need here is a car that has the retro-rod look, but is capable of defending itself when needed. Look no more--it's here.
Yeah, we know what it looks like. But it's not. In fact, the only thing in common between the new Growler kit from Lone Star Classics and that well-known Plymouth product is the grille. Since the Prowler was "inspired" by hot rods of yore, it seems only fitting that it, in turn, inspire others to build modern interpretations of the hot rod genre. Indeed, most of Boyd Coddington's prized creations have a similar retro look. So if the Growler isn't a replica, what is it?
For starters, it's not an all-new car. There are elements of Lone Star's '32 Ford roadster in the rear end. Designer and custom painter David Braddy built the prototype by eye, foregoing drawings and scale models. He started with a '32 Ford body and a Prowler grille, and sort of filled in the rest. The fenders were pulled in at the back with cycle fenders added at the front. He mocked up the shape with foam and plywood before pulling the first body. The windshield and side windows are from a Mazda Miata, and the headlight pods contain late-model Camaro lamp assemblies.
Once the body was ready, it was mounted on a custom ladder frame, designed by Troy Hudson, with 2x6-inch side rails on a 117-inch wheelbase. One-inch square steel tube was used to reinforce the chassis around the engine and transmission tunnel. It has a wider track than a typical '32 Ford kit, and the front suspension--although similar to the Lone Star Cobra replica setup--was redesigned for correct bumpsteer with the wider track. Once the body was mounted, the staff at Lone Star looked the new body over, and changed and finalized some details. The dashboard was borrowed from the Lone Star LS-40 (GT-40 replica), and the bumpers were modified from the ones used on the company's Mercedes 300 replica.
Hot rods are about power, and with all due respect to Plymouth's ability to get a respectable amount from a V-6, everyone knows it needs a V-8. Ever since the first dead-broke teenager bolted a flathead Ford eight-pot into a stripped-down Model T, there has been no substitute. The Growler lives up to its hot-rod heritage with mounts for Chevy or Chrysler small-block V-8s. And being hot rodders, Growler owners are unlikely to leave them stock. Currently, Growlers are only set up for automatic transmissions, but manual transmissions will be adapted if there is sufficient demand. Cooling is provided by a Griffin radiator, and block hugger headers help keep a slim profile. Brakes are 11-inch discs, with GM pickup parts up front and Ford Explorer units out back. A Tilton dual master cylinder brake assembly is used with a bias bar for front-to-rear adjustment. Rack-and-pinion steering is from a late-model Mustang, but it has been modified for the wider track. The rear axle is the hot-rodders standard--the 9-inch Ford--although other rearends could be substituted.
A great looking set of wheels can make or break a street rod, and this prototype has Center Lines for a good first impression. Wheel sizes are 8x15-inch diameter up front and 10x17-inch diameter out back. Recommended tire sizes are 225/50 front and 275/50 rear. These are smaller in diameter than the Prowler's, which are 17-inch wheels in front and 20-inch wheels in back.
The Growler is sold only in kit form, with prices starting at about $9,000 for a basic kit and around $20,000 for a rolling chassis, depending on options. If you want a turnkey car, Lone Star can recommend assemblers to finish it for you. The prototype shown here uses '92 Thunderbird full-power seats and an ididit steering column. A Grant carbon-fiber steering wheel completes the high-tech look. Options include a removable hardtop based on Miata parts, and hidden headlights that fold out from the body.
As this Growler kit attests, you can make John Milner's bad ride live again in modernized form. Just pop that Grafitti soundtrack into the CD changer and fire up your throaty V-8. The '60s may be gone, but they're certainly not forgotten!