General Lee

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

Just a question about Dodge Charger RT.
Was the engine of this car a Ford one?...i just remember it was (maybe) a 7400, but dunno much more (think in that period ford supplied many many cars with engines).

thank u guys
Paul

[John W]

Dodge is/was part of the Chrysler group, so I'd be surprised if it was a Ford engine.

I think it was a Hemi engine.

.
.
.
Just did a google out of interest :
http://www.musclecarclub.com/musclec...-history.shtml

Described as a 'Mopar' engine. Not sure how this differs from a chevy one to be honest.
I'm sure someone else will be along any minute to fill us both in though [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[John W]

This looks like an interesting link :
http://www.allpar.com/mopar/hemi/chrysler-hemi.html

not had time to read it all yet, but looks like the dodge engine was based on a chrysler engine, but built in the Dodge plant.

[Ron Earp]

That'd be a 440 Hemi and Dodge/Chrysler is the same thing. No Ford engines found in MOPAR muscle.

[Peter Olliviere]

Movie cars are a strange breed. As an example the Austin Martin and Jag in the last James Bond flim were tube chassie with Ford small block power. Aside from the glass body panels the only thing owed to the real cars was the engine location. Movie work in action films uses up quite a few cars so what you see on the film might not be real life.

As for the General Lee, I don't see a lot of R/T's around, especially to have the frame bend doing jumps.I have no facts but would bet money that the cars were creations of the F/X Dept of the studio.

As an aside the flying sequences in the Avaitor were giant size R/C models including the 8 engine flying boat.

Peter

[Chris K]

Ron, I believe that would be a 426 Hemi or a 440 Wedge, maybe even a 383

[Mike Dozier]

I don't recall the exact number of Chargers consumed
during the filming of the current Dukes of Hazzard re-make.
Seem to recall it was something like 20....only 1 or 2
of which were original RT models (440 power).
They've become too valuable to wreck...even for a movie.

MikeD

[Ron Earp]

Chris, think you are correct. I'm not a MOPAR man, just know I like them better than Chebbies, but both a long ways behind Ford power. I do remember the same as you Mike, all those cars were simply painted up tarts to do the jumps and skids, too valuable, even in the late 70s/early 80s to tear up.

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

I love all the infos i get here... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Btw here in italy that tv serie was deeply loved and until some years ago i remember people in the streets with old Audi 80s and alfa romeo..painted in general lee scheme..LOL.
Only in the last years something moved and we also have here in Milano 2 or 3 replicas of the General (also a veri nice Ford Tornino...in movie scheme).
It is easy today to found a good Charger in US?...what can be the value of this car?.

...if i am not wrong that car has been also a good Nascar(but maybe i am wrong)

Paul

[Mike Dozier]

Paul

Chrysler re-designed the Charger body in 1968 and it was
very successful in NASCAR..mostly due to the power
of the 426 HEMI. Ford responded with a HEMI engine of their
own (Boss 429) which was also very successful.
Chevrolets during this time were at a distinct HP
disadvantage during the years before HEMIs were outlawed.

Anyway....in 1969 and 1970 the Charger body pretty much
stayed the same...Chrysler sold a LOT of them...mostly
with standard engines. You can still purchase decent
1968-1970 Chargers for a reasonable price EXCEPT for
Charger RT models...which came with the 440 or HEMI.

Prices on RT models (Road and Track) vary basis engine and vehicle condition....nice 440 cars
range from $ 20-$ 50k....HEMIs range from $ 100k - $ 200k.
Chrysler also made 500 Daytona Chargers (pointy nose/large wing) which sell for $ 50k (basket case) up to $ 300k
for a restored HEMI.

The General Lee is a 1969 model...
but it was easy enough to swap sheet metal on a 1968 or 1970
model for movie studios to build the number of cars
needed to make the movie.


MikeD

[Ian K]

Just for your amusement -

When I first moved to Sacramento, there was a gen 3 Firebird
painted to look like the General Lee, and down the street
was a restaurant named "Boss Hog's". I always wanted to
ask the guy who owned the Firebird to park it in "Boss Hog's"
parking lot for a picture - I'm sure he had heard that a
million times [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Ian

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

One of the producers (Ralph Riskin) of the TV show was a customer of mine in the 80's (bought an AC MK IV) He told me they shot all stunts and jumps from multiple angles so they could use them in different episodes and save cars, thus money. Slow down most any jump stunt and you will notice the front end fold upwards upon landing...they then cutaway and insert footage of a very SMALL jump landing and the car driving away. Because they folded so many Chargers they needed evey jump to be useful in 4 or 5 episodes, not to mention that they re-ran some stunts in different episodes.
Rick

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

I anyway think too many cars were destroyed in making the serie.Also I noted the terrific damages on car front when those rollers land to ground...honestly that jumps were the most interesting part of the entire episode (including Daisy Duke bottom).

Even Daisy was one of the nicest part of all that serie. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

does anybody have an idea of how many chargers were destroyed in the serie? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
We can search the generl lees cemetery [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Paul

[Tommy]

The current Daisy!
John Force did have a Mopar Motor in his Mustang when he broke 200MPH.

[Lee]

TV series in currently showing weekday evenings at 18.00 on Bravo

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

i am still curious about this car.
Think she is wonderful...
My question is...this picture car..is maybe even a Charger?...why so different in body?..
Thanks
paul

[Keith Hardy]

Plymouth Superbird

or

Dodge Daytona

Both Chrsyler products.

Not terribly sure which but one of they anyway.

Built for superspeedways. Worth a lot of money today if you can find one... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

(PS friend of mine owned a Superbird here in the UK and sold it on when he got bored with it in 1982 for £5,000. Ouch.)

[RobBeddington]

It's definitely a Daytona - different doors/rear spoiler and a slightly shorter nose than a Superbird. On both cars the spoiler was higher than the Nascar race cars they were homologated for - because at Nascar height you couldn't open the boot/trunk ... wild! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Mike Dozier]

Chrysler had to build 500 Daytonas to homolgate the Dodge
for NASCAR in 1969. These were instantly recognized as collectors items and all were quickly sold by the dealers.

Richard Petty always drove a Plymouth and was upset that
Plymouth did not build a winged car in 1969...so he jumped
ship and signed on to drive a Ford in 1969.
He didn't do so well in 1969...and when Plymouth promised
to make a winged car for him in 1970, he returned to Plymouth.

However in 1970...NASCAR required (1) car for every dealership a company had in the US...so Plymouth was forced
to make 2,500 Superbirds to homologate the car for racing.
Unfortunately the market for people wanting to drive
winged/pointy nose cars on the street was too small...
so most Superbirds remained unsold for a long long time.

Most dealers sold them at a big loss...some dealers removed the wings and installed standard Road Runner noses on the cars in an effort to make them more saleable.
Shortly thereafter the first energy crisis hit, and then
all muscle cars...especially oversize/overweight cars
like the Superbird became very unpopular....selling for
next to nothing or getting scrapped.

Of course the muscle cars are now highly collectible/valuable...and those few that kept their
Daytonas or Superbirds are now sitting pretty.
I sold mine in 1979 for $ 2,500....now worth $ 100k.

MikeD

[RobBeddington]

Go on - treat yourself... life's too short not to. And bidding's only up to £27.01

Errr ... General Lee for sale [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]