This car immediately recalls the ’32 aka “deuce” Ford coupe driven by the John Milner character in the iconic coming-of-age movie American Grafitti (1973). The movie is set in 1962 Modesto, California, and this 1933 Plymouth hot rod may well have terrorized the byways of Sheffield, Pennsylvania where it’s being sold after a lengthy slumber. Thanks to Matt W. for spotting this nailhead-powered coupe listed here on eBay where bidding has reached nearly $14,000 without meeting the reserve.
My Dad’s 1953 Roadmaster Riviera came with the first-year nailhead V8, so-named for the unusual horizontal cylinder heads, putting the valves nearly straight up like nails. Dad’s nailhead impressed me with its silky smooth and nearly silent idle, and satisfying torque. The nailhead evolved, making more and more power as Buick’s prime mover through 1966. The seller estimates this engine hails from the 1960s, meaning it probably packs at least 300 HP (gross). With its V8 and three-speed standard transmission, this little coupe should provide plenty of entertainment.
What a classic look! Back in the day, if you pulled up next to someone and they spied those nailhead valve covers through the engine vents, they might do some quick power-to-weight calculations and decide to save their gas. The seller has included a number of undercarriage pictures that tell a pretty happy tale compared to many old cars from northwestern Pennsylvania.
This deep red color likely covered the exterior as well in 1933. I grew up about seven miles away from this car’s location and my wife graduated from Sheffield high school. A right turn out of the high school driveway puts you on the “Saybrook stretch” where US 6 parallels a railroad straightaway for 2.5 miles, and where I guarantee this car challenged anyone and everyone who had to “see what it’s got” back in the day. The plywood panels and function-forward fabrication speaks of classic hot rods. There’s an old saying that “Customs are getting women, and Hot Rods for getting away from them,” and this Plymouth fits solidly in the latter category, though it would be just as awesome helping a female gear-head get away from her problems as well. Where would you drive this Buick V8-powered ’33?
I guess if you bobbed the rear fenders, removed the running boards, put motorcycle fenders on the front, removed the hood, installed side pipes, changed the lights, chopped it, painted it yellow, threw it on some chrome reverse wheels and forgot the fact this car has suicide doors I could see the Milner coupe. I wouldn’t change it tho this is still a pretty cool car.
I like it,wouldn’t change a thing. Get her running, cleaned up,w/ some upgrades. That would be a real sleeper. That nailhead is a tourqe monster. Should really fly.
Stick and nailhead cool
Is that a traffic ticket in headliner?
“here,file this under CS….”
I like the car looks like it was built right, note the over-hung pedals and hydralic clutch. I am guessing the nailhead is a smaller cubic inch one (322?)based on the two barrel carb. BTW I always thought the nailheads were so named because the valve heads are small, they look like nails!
right
I thought it was because the valves looked like nails.
Of course, the valves are not visible with the heads assembled to the engine, so the horizontal appearance (just the valve covers) would not have inspired the “nail” reference. The valves in operation are pretty close to vertical, which made for a long reach to the combustion chamber, requiring very long stems. Removed from the heads those long stems with relatively small valve heads looked like nails, hence the name, nailhead. It has more to do with the length of the stems than the size of the valve heads.
Trust me on this, I used to do valve jobs for a living.
nope refers to valve head size
So who first called them Nailheads? Did you have a conversation with them? If not then its just an opinion. Your’s vs mine.
Boy does that bring back memories. Back about 1966 I found out our neighbors FIL had one. He drove it out to the farm every day for years, then parked it in the shed at his SIL’s place after the U-joints went bad. Rather than fix it he bought a 47 Plymouth to drive out from town. I talked Roy (the FIL) into selling it when I had a place to work on it. Got out of high school, the army and a little more, all the while I kept in touch with Roy. When I finally got a place with a garage, Roy had passed away about 6 months before, and his SIL not knowing of our deal got rid of the 33 and a Model T that was parked with it.
I spent probably a month of weekends walking a buddy’s uncles junkyard looking for a suitable frame for the car. This was after killing all the bees in the nest under the car to get the best measurements I could. I found a frame that I think would have worked, my intentions was to lift the body and pull out the original frame and slip that under it: modern suspension, modern drivetrain and brakes – I thought I had it all figures out. Then I didn’t get the car after all.
Modifications to the frame (last picture on eBay) make me nervous.
Milner would’ve blown this heap clear off Paradise Road in that yellow deuce couple! Haha! Falfa’s ’55 would have had them both, although at best that ’55 at the most would of had a 409 shoe horned in there, not the dual quad 427 that it really had. Time frame was off on that car, more like a 331 inch small block. Had to say all that just for fun.
a 401 nailhead was nothing to sneeze at ask tommy ivo but likely not the equal of a fully modified small block or a 409 which would be pretty much of a toss up. But since an 8000 rpm dual quad small block was at least 200 lb lighter than the 409 it would have been a good race.
I would agree it was built in the 60’s’ allot of typical things from that era, including the car. It is obvious it was a pretty decent car, when the project was started, and in the 60’s, a Plymouth was not the most sought after car. This car was probably allot cheaper, than the Fords at that time, and in very good shape, so way not make a hot rod out of it. It’s obvious the builder didn’t have any preference’s, a Plymouth car , Buick engine and Chevrolet running gear, whatever was available and not too pricey. If you like the Mo-Par platform this car would be a good choice, but I would be prepared for some surprises, and not a cheap build.
this car needs a 413 max wedge 4 speed stuffed in it and a dodge shure grip rear end! or a easy swap a 225 slant six with a 4 barrel cab and daul exhaust, and have fun with it! mopar or no car!
My first experience with 120 mph was when I was 6 or 7 years old in a ’32 Ford convertible. I believed that was the same carJonn Milnors car in Am. Grafitti was . Am I wrong all this time?
In high school, my art teacher, Mr. McGrath, had a 392 Hemi powered 1933 Plymouth Coupe. Today, it would be referred to as a ‘rat rod’. Back then, it was what he could afford to put together on a teacher’s budget. One time, he told me that the (drum) brakes were so bad, that driving it to work scared him. I thought it was one of the coolest cars I had ever seen.
Other notables in my high school parking lot were: Stu Searing’s 1968 Shelby GT500; a lady English teacher (whose name escapes me) traded her 1968 L-88 Corvette for a white 1969 Hemi Daytona; Shari Kuka’s 1969 396 Camaro convertible (white, with a black and white houndstooth interior); Ginny Lincoln’s boyfriend met her every day in the parking lot in his 1963 Metalflake Lime Green Split Window Corvette; and Bob Hitchen’s 1968 Camaro (the engine was so radical, that he ended up selling it to a guy who put it in his Jr. Gas Dragster – at least that was the rumor).
That was when parking lots (and used car lots) were interesting.
Hat’s off to the lady English teacher for having enough nerve to drive an L-88 Corvette, Yikes!!
One of my elementary school science teachers drove a 70 BOSS 302 daily. He also had a 69 Ranchero with a 428 SCJ and 4 speed (original?).
When I got to high school it was during the early 80’s and muscle cars were “old gas guzzler” cars. There was a guy that had an LS-6 Chevelle, another guy that had a 340 Duster, another had a SD Firebird, I had a 440-6 Super Bee and a 429 SCJ Torino. There was a 62 Chevy truck with a 360 hp Fuelie 327, a 66 Dodge truck with a 440, several 1st gen Camaros, several hot Mustangs, a 70 Cobra with a 429, and a 455 GTO. These are just the ones that popped into my head. Our parking lot was interesting to say the least.
Now you go by a high school and it’s full of Hondas, Toyotas and a few 4×4 trucks.
Mike R- Yes you are wrong the Milner Coupe was a 32 5-window (does not have suicide doors) There is no such thing as a 32 convertible. There was a Sport Coupe ,soft top, doesn’t go down. a 32 Cabriolet, roll up windows, top goes down, a convertible today , but they were not convertible’s at that time. A roadster, no windows, only top and side curtains. 5-wndow coupe, considered the std. model, and the 3-window coupe ( suicide doors), the deluxe model. Plus 2 and 4 door sedans and the 4-door Phaeton, no windows, only side curtains.
Wow…a coupe with a motor swap, which wasn’t a SBC…someone shake that man’s hand. TV Tom would love this!
I remember in 1968, my Dad wouldn’t let me buy a running ’33 Plymouth coupe for $120 because he said it was just way too much money to spend. Ended up buying a ’48 Chevy sedan delivery for $20 that had a rod knock.
Hey this is my friends old car
He built it in 59-60 when he was 15
He got kick out the fact it is still around
And pretty much the way he built it.
Still even has his initials on the doors.
Told me that nailhead was unstoppable.
Sold! for US $16,600. In my opinion finding something like this beats finding an all-original car any day.
Todd,
Do you have the seller’s contact info? I’d like to reach out.
Thanks,
Dustin
Hello Dustin W. Sorry – it’s too long gone on eBay to show up in Sold Items. Like most of our feature cars, this one came in as a reader tip. We usually have no contact with the seller. Good luck in your search! This was one of my favorite “finds” and we’d love to write up the next chapter of its story.