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Mel Miller Bio?
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 12:51 am
by RonGlowczewski
I just picked up a set of Roadster body wood plans drawn up by Mel Miller and would love to know more about him. He is going to be saving me quite a bit of money and headache from beyond the grave.
Anybody have a biography of this guy? How old was he when he passed? What did he do for a living? What motivated him to make these plans? Did he make plans for every Model T body style? Was he the first to draw up wood restoration plans? Anyone have a picture of him?
Re: Mel Miller Bio?
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 9:47 am
by John kuehn
I bought a set of Mel Millers T Roadster body plans in the 70’s when he was still alive. He drew up plans for Model T Roadster and Touring body wood for the 14-25 T open cars. Others may know for sure but he only did open cars and no closed cars.
Over time Leon Parker followed up or improved his plans and sold them at swap meets.
At Mr Parker’s death all the plans he had supposedly were sold and pretty much have disappeared from the public. Attempts have been made to find out who bought them and if they would be sold to restorers and still remains to be a “supposed mystery”.
The truth is out there somewhere!
Others may add to this conversation I’m sure!
Re: Mel Miller Bio?
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 10:04 am
by Scott_Conger
Quite possibly residing in a barn in Iowa with every other part for a T which can no longer be purchased.
Re: Mel Miller Bio?
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 10:50 am
by Atomic Amish
I've been trying to find a set for a 15-23 style roadster off and on for a couple years, but always dead ends.
We have all the sheet metal, but only 1 or two pieces of wood, like the sill rails. Pretty much need to start from scratch, and those plans would be the bee's knees! Congrats on scoring a set!
v/r,
jason
Re: Mel Miller Bio?
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 11:53 am
by Dan Hatch
For while Mel’s daughter was selling his plans. That was a few years ago.
Re: Mel Miller Bio?
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 1:02 pm
by Will_Vanderburg
The wood kits sold by Classic Wood in Greensboro are very close to Miller plans. At least my touring kit was.
Re: Mel Miller Bio?
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 1:07 pm
by RajoRacer
I'll take a look-see Jason - I have some of his plans just not sure which ones.
Re: Mel Miller Bio?
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 4:11 pm
by John kuehn
http://www.cimorelli.com/mtdl/default.htm
Go to the cimorelli website and you can see some of Mel Millers wood plans. Also there is other information about restoring Model T’s.
Classic wood And Fordwood has T wood kits. Fordwood has online drawings of the body structure to give you an idea of how the body wood would look besides information about wood body details.
Re: Mel Miller Bio?
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2022 11:09 am
by Altair
Mel Miller spent some time in the movie industry he was in Hawaii 50 as Dano's double, whenever there was a fight scene or rolling in the mud that was Mel not Dano. He was also in a movie with Elliot Gould and Candice Bergen in GETTING STRAIGHT, he was a bartender and said about a dozen words in the movie. He lived in Albany Oregon until the end of his life. I had visited Mel several times and we talked for hours, and he would tell me about his movie parts in Hawaii where he lived and drove his Model T to the studio. I have a copy of the home video GETTING STRAIGHT. Dano was James Mc Arthur and he was a twin to Mel. Unfortunately, alcohol was Mel's weakness, and it took his life. At the time of the movie Mel was headlines in the local Albany newspaper having a speaking part in the movie. I spoke with his daughter, and she was going to have some prints made from the masters however it did not materialize.
Re: Mel Miller Bio?
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2022 11:21 am
by RonGlowczewski
Altair wrote: ↑Sun Oct 02, 2022 11:09 am
Mel Miller spent some time in the movie industry he was in Hawaii 50 as Dano's double, whenever there was a fight scene or rolling in the mud that was Mel not Dano. He was also in a movie with Elliot Gould and Candice Bergen in GETTING STRAIGHT, he was a bartender and said about a dozen words in the movie. He lived in Albany Oregon until the end of his life. I had visited Mel several times and we talked for hours, and he would tell me about his movie parts in Hawaii where he lived and drove his Model T to the studio. I have a copy of the home video GETTING STRAIGHT. Dano was James Mc Arthur and he was a twin to Mel. Unfortunately, alcohol was Mel's weakness, and it took his life. At the time of the movie Mel was headlines in the local Albany newspaper having a speaking part in the movie. I spoke with his daughter, and she was going to have some prints made from the masters however it did not materialize.
Thank you very much for the information!