I’d been looking at the Banshee lately and as much as I love the body style, there was still something missing to make the car look “finished”. Aha….. I know what it is….a rear bumper! Now a lot of people would look at the car and say…”Bumper?!?....are you crazy?......you don’t need any stinking bumpers! The car looks great just the way it is! “ Now while it’s true that the car DOES look great the way it is, a rear bumper would make it even better. Why? Well since this car has the look and styling of a classic 60’s European sports car, (Ferrari, Jaguar, Lotus, etc.) the only missing ingredient that those cars had, and this one doesn’t, is a thin chrome bumper fit tight up against the body. Look up a picture of any classic sports car of that era and you’ll see they all had ‘em. The exception of course, were the race cars. They were usually bumperless and that’s how you could always tell the difference between a street car and a race car. So, after deciding that I wanted to build some bumpers for the Banshee….where to start? Well the key to building custom bumpers is to hopefully find something that is reasonably close and then just modify it to fit. That way you don’t have to completely hand fabricate the whole bumper. Well, it’s easy to say you are going to find something……not so easy to do sometimes! I looked at everything from early Mustangs, Corvettes, Camaros, Corvairs, etc and nothing was a real good fit. Then I turned my attention to the European cars and started thumbing thru the Victoria British Catalogs. MG’s, Trumphs, Austin Healey…..hmmmmmm, now we are starting to get close. Finally I settled on the front and rear bumpers from a 65-68 Trumph TR4 – 250 and figured that between the two bumpers, I could make a killer rear bumper for the Banshee. When the bumpers arrived, I started experimenting and found that if I took the front bumper and turned it upside down, it fit the contour of the rear of the Banshee PERFECTLY! The ends however, were another story, as they were too short, curved in too far, etc, etc……. so the ends were going to need some serious work. The stock rear bumper for the TR4 had the right ends….they were just too long. So by carefully cutting, splicing, and shortening the rear bumper ends so they fit the front bumper center section, I was able to create a rear bumper that fits the contour of the body perfectly, and makes a huge difference in the overall look of the car. At this point I still have to add a lower panel to the bumper and have it all re-chromed, but you get the idea how it’s going to look. The best part is, if I ever want the “bumperless” look…… all I have to do is take it off. Now, what about the front? Hmmmmm ……not quite sure…..it DOES look really, really good just the way it is! However…….if we just took this…….and then added that……and then chopped up a couple of those…… But wait, that’s for another Blog…on another day!
October 01, 2009
July 28, 2009
07.29.09: - Goodbye to Pontiac
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
In the late 20’s Pontiac joined GM, and it
was positioned between Chevrolet and Oldsmobile in price and status. Its image of value and style made it an
instant success and everybody was happy.
However, after WWII and into the 50’s, Pontiac had become stagnant and
had begun to be viewed as an “unexciting” car that appealed to “older”
buyers. You know…your GRANDMOTHERS
car! The image was totally out of
touch with the up and coming young market that wanted zip and style and power.
In the Mid-50’s top GM management realized
the problem and was seriously considering killing Pontiac and folding it into
the Oldsmobile division. But
there was a faint glimmer of hope. There was one young executive that thought he could do
something with the ailing Pontiac division. So GM brass decided to give Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen 5 years
to try and turn Pontiac around. Five
years isn’t much considering it takes a couple of years just to get anything
new out on the market! Undaunted, Knudsen immediately assembled a group
of young, aggressive hot-rodders like Pete Estes and John Delorean and they
immediately went racing with the Bonneville and the Grand Prix cars, and hooked
up with hot rod drivers like Mickey Thompson and Fireball Roberts and suddenly
Pontiac was a force to be reckoned with on any racetrack.
Then it happened, GM pulled the rug right
out from under everyone, by banning ANY motorsports involvement in 1963. The stupidity of this decision has never
been fully explained or understood, but the results were predictable. It was a HUGE blow to all of GM and
their performance and racing divisions. Pontiac was especially hard hit,
because it disconnected Pontiac from its most successful program -- racing. The guys at Pontiac (Knudsen, Delorean,
Estes) were more than a little ticked off about the GM’s decision because they
were just starting to make some real progress with Pontiac, and now it looked
like all of that was going to go down the toilet with a giant sucking sound. The
die was cast and Pontiac knew they had to do SOMETHING or they were going to
die. Little did we know, all that
high-performance racing mojo was about to spill out onto the street and create
an American original called the Muscle Car.
As fate would have it, one day John
Delorean had a new 64 Tempest on the lift and was lamenting the fact that GM
had a 330ci displacement limit on midsized cars. One of the mechanics made the comment that the 389ci engine
would drop right in the car.
WHAT?!? There was a moment
of silence as those words hung in the air like a fat peach waiting to be
picked. A 389 in a TEMPEST?!? It was unheard of! it was insane! It was AGAINST THE RULES!!! All eyes were locked on Delorean as he
stared at the car…what would he do?
Delorean grinned…he was just enough of a
renegade to take the plunge, and throw his career on the line. Besides, he was still ticked off about
the racing ban. So he gave the go-ahead to load the 389 with a tri-power, stuff
a 4spd behind it, and shove it into the unsuspecting Tempest. Of course what he ended up with a
tire-shredding street machine that took his breath away. He knew he HAD to get something like
this on the market for all those young hot rodders out there!
So in one of the greatest gambles in
automotive history, Delorean dubbed the car the GTO (to give the finger to
Ferrari) and he and Estes basically “sneaked” the car past all the GM red tape
to get it on the market. By the
time GM got wind of the GTO, it was already selling like hot cakes with more
orders rolling in like waves. So instead
of firing Delorean, GM gave him a raise, and began to look for ways to get Chevrolet
into this new Muscle Car game.
All through the Muscle Car wars Pontiac was
at the leading edge. The Firebird,
GTO Judge, Trans Am, Bonneville, these were all great cars and they were
roaming the streets. Everybody
knew that you’d better be on your game and have your car tuned right if you
wanted to mix it up with a Pontiac.
As the 70’s rolled in with its fuel
shortages, and government regulations, (sound familiar?) the whole Muscle Car
movement came to a screeching halt.
In just a few short years, performance cars had all but vanished from
the scene, and Pintos, Vegas, and AMC Pacers puttered around loaded with
environmentalists pretending to save the planet. It was a dark time in automotive history, and everyone at
Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and all the others were trying to please the government and
put out those “responsible” cars. But
the old renegade spirit at Pontiac was not dead yet, and in a last act of
defiance, they stuffed a big engine into a black Trans Am, plastered a big
gaudy bird all over the hood, and gave it to a bunch of southern boys to make a
movie about running bootleg Coors beer over state lines. The result was “Smokey and the Bandit”
and the automotive world has never been the same since. That movie and that black Trans Am is
credited with not only reviving the auto industry at that time, but actually
changing the attitude of the American public from one of pessimism, fear and
worry, to one of confidence, laughter, and perseverance. What an amazing thing for a car to do!
From there on it became a slippery slope for
Pontiac, as bad designs, mismanagement, stupid ideas, and other big business BS
began to take their toll over the years.
So it really comes as no
surprise that GM is going to axe them. We all know that time marches on and nothing lasts forever
and we are OK with that. But
it’s only right to give credit where credit is due, and there is a huge amount
of credit that goes to the cars and the company that gave us so much hot
rodding history…….Thanks Pontiac……you may be gone, but your cars and legacy
will live on and on!
I definitely invite everybody to share
their Pontiac stories here.
Whether you loved ‘em, hated ‘em, owned one, never owned one,
whatever….. Let us
know what you think and have to say about them.
June 23, 2009
June 13, 2009
06-13-09: A Day with the 160th Airborne Division
Well, I just had a chance to spend the day at Ft. Campbell KY with the 160th Airborne Division known as the “NightStalkers”. This is a special ops helicopter group that flies all kinds of missions into Iraq, Afghanistan, and wherever else we need ‘em. These were the guys featured in the movie “Black Hawk Down”. As we were out there rubbing shoulders with these honest-to-goodness American Heros, it became painfully apparent of how little the American public really knows about the people that are serving in the Military, and what they are doing. The training and the commitment of these soldiers was incredible to see…. whether they were pilots, crewmen, gunners, mechanics, whatever…..these guys and girls were dedicated to doing the job right!
Why in the world is our own media not showing the American Public the truth about these heroic Americans? Are they so caught up in politics and American Idol that they think THAT is all people want to hear about?? Well, if that’s the case it’s too bad because they are missing out. Let me fill you in on some of it…….
First of all, it is a gearheads dream! The mechanical aspects of the Black Hawk and other helicopters is incredible, and these guys are every bit as proud of their helicopters as a car guy is of his restored Road Runner! It looks like I am going to have the opportunity to go in depth on some of this stuff on GEARZ so make sure you keep an eye out for that because it will blow your mind! I also got to spend some time in the simulators… “Flying” ….and it was amazing. Next we went to the shooting range and they turned me loose on a Mini-gun…..yeah that’s right…..the gun with the rotating barrels that shoots 3000 rounds a minute! The torque on the gun was awesome!....it was like having a V8 hooked up to a machine gun. Look for a feature on that down the road too!
There were many, many other things we did that I just don’t have time to go into here, but one of the most amazing things I noticed was how gracious these guys were that people had come out to support them and their fund-raiser. These were true, decorated, American Heros and here they were, thanking the public for taking the time to recognize them and spend time with them. It was amazing. The bottom line is, our military personnel need US just as much as we need THEM. So please make sure you are letting them know…..through words, actions, deeds, donations, whatever……that we have THEIR back….like they have OURS. Also when you get a chance, go rent Black Hawk Down. It’s accurate, and will give you a true perspective of the sacrifices these guys make.
June 02, 2009
06-02-09: American Graffiti
This past weekend I had the privilege of spending some time at the 10th annual, Gasoline Alley Birthday Bash, in Las Vegas Nevada. This event raises money for the Lilly Claire Foundation, that helps children with neurological disorders like autism, Downs syndrome, etc. Mike Kinney is the guy that puts this all together, and the resulting car show is one of the most diverse you’ll ever see. There were all kinds of Hot Rods and Muscle cars. But there was also some killer custom VW’s and Dune Buggies……Lifted 4x4’s,……original restored cars……full on customs……race cars……you name it, it was probably there!
The highlight of the event for me though, was being able to spend some time with actors Bo Hopkins and Paul LeMatt from the movie “American Graffiti” Bo owns a chopped, lead-sled 50’ Merc’ that is just like the one he drove in the movie, and he had this car at the show and we were shooting some footage of us cruising it around. As we were goofing around on the shoot, and I am sitting and cracking jokes in this slammed Merc’ with Bo…… a guy that has been in more movies than he can even remember. I was once again struck with how HUGE of an impact that American Graffiti had…..and continues to have on our culture.
Matter-of-fact, the movie and the popularity of the characters and cars continues to grow every year, and it’s great to see the people that played the parts in the movie, taking part of this cultural groundswell. Because after all….Paul LeMatt will always be John Milner…..Bo Hopkins will always be Joe the Pharoh….. Candy Clark will be Debbie….. and Harrison Ford will always be the sneering Texan in the nasty 55’ Chev that gets his butt kicked by Milner.
But beyond all that, The thing that really is the secret of the success of American Graffiti is the story and it’s accuracy. The story was real, and it was something we all can relate to, no matter what era you grew up in. I did most of my early hot rodding in the 80’s and yet I KNEW every one of those characters. Heck, from time to time I WAS one of those characters! The music was different, the cars were different, the language was different, but the story was the SAME.
Because of it’s accuracy, Graffiti also serves as a history lesson about the roots of Hot Rodding, Drag Racing, Rock and Roll, and a lot of other things that influenced our culture
Rumor has it that George Lucas pulled from his own memories growing in California when he wrote and put this story together, and hopefully one day I will be able to sit down with George and do a story on him for GEARZ. Most people don’t realize it, but George Lucas is a huge car guy and it is evident in his movies. For example, in Star Wars, what was the Millennium Falcon? You guessed it!.....the “fastest car in the valley”! …..a futuristic, ’32 five window that was always falling apart. If that’s not a Hot Rod, I don’t know what is!
Anyway, we’d love to hear your stories about American Graffiti and how it influenced or affected you. I also invite you to share some stories with us about your hot rodding history, or the era YOU grew up in, because it’s all good stuff!
Also, if you get a chance to go to a show where Bo or Paul or Candy, or any of the other American Graffiti alumni are appearing,…..make sure you do it. It’s a great way to get a first-hand connection to a truly legendary piece of film-making.
June 01, 2009
06-01-09: HOT WHEELS
Well, we just finished up shooting a show, and a major part of this show was the history of Hot Wheels cars. As I brought in cars from the collection that I have cultivated over the years, I could not believe the reaction of the people that saw them. I mean young, old, male, female, white, black, whatever……they all had a story to tell about those little metal cars and the fun they had with them. The funny thing is, most people think Hot Wheels were just for boys. Now while it’s true that virtually EVERY boy loved ‘em….. a lot of girls liked ‘em too. A prime example of that is a story that happened to me when I was growing up…………
The year was about 1971 or ’72 and I was about 7 years old and I had just gotten the Snake and Mongoose Hot Wheels drag race set. Every kid in the neighborhood was determined to have the fastest Hot Wheels car. There was a Hot Wheels cartoon on every Saturday morning, and that just fed the flames of our Hot Wheels passion. Of course, NOBODY was more serious about their Hot Wheels than me. I had special cars that I NEVER played with because they were for RACE only and I didn’t want to take a chance of bending the wheels up.(did you do this too?) So they sat in the drawer, waiting for their chance to rip down the track and win. And win they did……my cars rarely ever lost.
Now in the cartoon, the hero’s name was Jack Wheeler, and the car he drove was called the Jack Rabbit Special. NOBODY in the neighborhood had the Jack Rabbit Special or had even seen one in real life,….. to own THAT car would be the equivalent to owning Excalibur!...... or at least a switchblade with genuine mother-of-pearl handles.
Of course a major part of the allure of the Jack Rabbit Special was the fact that it never lost a race in the cartoon, so naturally the Jack Rabbit Special was assumed to be unbeatable on the track…. every body knew THAT.
Now the girl character in the cartoon drove a car called the Sand Crab and it was a cool little dune buggy, but nobody wanted it because it was a GIRLS car. Well one day my older sister,(about 10 or 11 years old) came in with a nice, bright green Sand Crab and said she would like to race with us. Of course there was a lot of snickering and laughing before we decided to let her race with us. Finally, we said she could play and she set that little car on the track and low and behold, she promptly proceeded to kick all of our butts! That stinkin’ little car was FAST!!! Especially thru the loops! My dad thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen! I wasn’t laughing!
After that, my sister would leave the Sand Crab on her mantle in her room for all of us to see, and despite all my efforts to trade for it, she would only bring it out when we were racing….and the car was virtually unbeatable! I was determined to have it!
Then one day it happened…..I was in the store with Mom and I saw it…..The Jack Rabbit Special!......and there was only one! I then proceeded to beg and plead and generally promise to do every chore around the house for the next 10 years if she would buy me the “Special”. Fortunately, Mom caved in and soon we were driving home with the Jack Rabbit Special tucked away in my hot little hands…….oh man, was sister in for a big surprise!!!!
Once I got home, I thru together a make-shift track, because I couldn’t wait to see the JRS rip down the track. I figured it was going to be so fast it would probably go right thru the wall, so I made sure to put some of mom’s best pillows off the couch at the end of track to keep from damaging the wall. However, as I ran the car down the track, I wasn’t too impressed…….Matter of fact, some of my other cars were beating it. CARS THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN BEATEN BY MY SISTERS SAND CRAB!!!! AAAAAAAAA……!!!! What’s up with this?!?
Of course remember I had no idea about the concepts of weight and balance and how those things affect the performance of a car like Hot Wheels. I was “test” racing down a straight track and my heavier cars were naturally beating the Jack Rabbit Special, just like they would beat the Sand Crab. However, when we had our “official” races the cars had to travel through a loop too, and this is where the heavier cars lost it, and the lighter cars like the Sand Crab were really hard to beat.
Anyway, now I had a dilemma….I finally had the Jack Rabbit Special (Excalibur) but was dismayed at it’s performance. My sister wanted the Jack Rabbit Special in the worst way and had offered up the SAND CRAB as a trade. Of course my sister was very shrewd and kept working on me until finally…..somehow….she talked me into trading the ‘Special” for the Sand Crab.
A few days latter, we set up the track for the big Hot Wheels races and I confidently brought out my unbeaten Sand Crab and put it on the track against the Jack Rabbit Special. When we pushed the button I stared in disbelief as my sister’s Jack Rabbit Special promptly proceeded to smoke my Sand Crab. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!!!!! THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING!!!!!!
After that humiliating defeat, my sister retired Excalibur to her mantle piece….and left me holding the Sand Crab…..A GIRLS CAR!!!!!
Fortunately this story has a happy ending, because a few weeks later I was able to trade my sister something else and get the Jack Rabbit Special back where it belonged……beside the Sand Crab in MY Hot Wheels drawer!.........ah childhood…..it’s a wonder any of us made it out alive!
May 18, 2009
05-17-09: A Tribute to Jerry Reed
Every once in a while, someone comes along that completely transcends fads, trends, and styles and is so uniquely original that they end up influencing our very culture without even realizing it. What they do for a living is not important…what is important is they are not afraid to be themselves and walk to the beat of a different drummer. Jerry Reed was such a person.
Jerry’s unique guitar style influenced virtually every country, rock, blues, and classical musician that has ever picked up a guitar. His songs like “Amos Moses”, “When You’re Hot You’re Hot”, “East Bound and Down”, and “Guitar Man” are now legendary in the music world. When you heard a Jerry Reed song, there was no doubt it was Jerry Reed. He was totally unique.
On top of that, his unique humor and southern coolness influenced entire generations and it continues to this day. When he hit the screen as Cletus Snow a.k.a. “the snowman” in Smokey and the Bandit, there was no doubt Jerry was the real thing. The others were acting, but Jerry……ah, Jerry was just being himself.
Last year, when we were shooting the “Smoky and the Bandit” show, I had the privilege of sitting down with Jerry for a few hours and talking about his life and career. He laughed when I told him about my attempts to learn his guitar riffs when I was just a kid and about seeing him on Scooby Doo. Most of this stuff never ended up in the show, and we didn’t realize at the time but this was to be Jerry’s last interview with anyone. Since this interview was so much fun, and Jerry was so open about sharing his experiences, we’ve decided to post some of it on the site so you can enjoy some cool, off-the-cuff moments with an entertainment legend…..Jerry Reed…..the Georgia Wildman.
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