Steve McQueen\'s film \'Le Mans\'
I could have continued this as a continuation of Ford F3L and David Piper but perhaps better as a new post.
Some interesting history about Steve McQueen's film Le Mans made in 1970. I did a post on this about nine months ago but as there are now many new members the story would have been missed.
The background to all this is due to my friend Bud Rossler who with his brother Ed ran Stirling Moss's racing team, Stirling Moss Automobile Racing Team (SMART) - good name, sounds like it belongs to James Bond!
Steve McQueen's Solar Productions borrowed many racing sports cars for the film and one car was a Lola T70 that Bud was to look after. During the making of the film Bud became friendly with Steve and his crew and when his obvious talent was spotted he was offered a salary four times greater than he was earning. He accepted and that move was to see him in film special effects for the next 14 years in many parts of the world. I could write a book!
Bud was asked to assist with radio controlling the full size cars for the accident sequences and as old and rather worn out Lola T70s were more expendable than original Ferraris and Porsche 917s, replica Ferrari and 917 bodies were mounted on the Lola chassis.
The first scene was set up at White House corner and two French guys were placed side by side on a high scaffold so that they could have an elevated view of the circuit. One was to radio control the throttle and the other the steering,
quite a tricky operation. The 917 with dummy at the wheel was set on its way and then the throttle man gave far too much stick. The mock-up 917 went into a wild tail slide, hit the Armco barrier and tore off the radio aerial which was taped to the tail and which also controlled the steering. The steering man was frantically trying to get the 917 on the straight and narrow but there was no response. The out of control 917 sped along the track smashing itself to bits against both sides of the Armco. More by good luck than good judgement the accident scene was so perfect that it was included in the film. Many people were under the impression that it was a genuine film about David Piper's accident.
In the next scene a mock-up radio controlled Ferrari was set off on the start and finish straight between the pits and grandstand. As it accelerated, locked in second gear, with dummy at the wheel it suddenly veered left and smashed into the Armco.Bud pondered the problem and realised that the steering column was locked solid and would only respond to radio control. He also figured out that a pair of human hands on a steering wheel would constantly make slight adjustments and movements to allow for changing conditions and surfaces. It clearly need some form of slack and then he remembered that he had once seen a computer clutch drive that could do the trick.
There is an airfield behind the grandstand at Le Mans and Solar Productions had its own plane, a Cessna or Piper, there on stand by. Bud asked Steve if his pilot could fly him to Paris and off they went. In Paris Bud found exactly what he wanted and rushed back to the circuit. He cut the steering column in half and inserted the clutch drive. For the next run he sat on the back of the next Ferrari mock-up ready to grab the steering wheel but all went well, the clutch drive was perfect.
In another scene a Ferrari was to crash into the forest over a hidden ramp. The scene was to be in the wet but it was a sunny day. A water truck sprayed water in front of the car and all over the circuit but not underneath the car. When the radio controlled throttle was activated the old Chevvy V8 got wheelspin and when the rear wheels hit the wet section the Ferrari went sideways into the Armco. Another write off!
When they finally got this scene right the Ferrari flew so far that the camera man had to run like hell to get out of the way!
One happy memory Bud has was how at the end of the day's work the film crew would often have a barbeque and how Steve would join them for a chat and jokes. He also remembers Steve's young son riding around on his Husqvarna scambler.
Sad that Steve McQueen, film star and racing driver, with so much more to give had to be taken by cancer.
If you rush off to your local friendly video shop for 'Le Mans' you'll see the scenes mentioned above.
The wail of a Ferrari V12 and the angry grunt of a stock block V8 down the Mulsanne straight were symphonies of a different kind!
Andre 40.
I could have continued this as a continuation of Ford F3L and David Piper but perhaps better as a new post.
Some interesting history about Steve McQueen's film Le Mans made in 1970. I did a post on this about nine months ago but as there are now many new members the story would have been missed.
The background to all this is due to my friend Bud Rossler who with his brother Ed ran Stirling Moss's racing team, Stirling Moss Automobile Racing Team (SMART) - good name, sounds like it belongs to James Bond!
Steve McQueen's Solar Productions borrowed many racing sports cars for the film and one car was a Lola T70 that Bud was to look after. During the making of the film Bud became friendly with Steve and his crew and when his obvious talent was spotted he was offered a salary four times greater than he was earning. He accepted and that move was to see him in film special effects for the next 14 years in many parts of the world. I could write a book!
Bud was asked to assist with radio controlling the full size cars for the accident sequences and as old and rather worn out Lola T70s were more expendable than original Ferraris and Porsche 917s, replica Ferrari and 917 bodies were mounted on the Lola chassis.
The first scene was set up at White House corner and two French guys were placed side by side on a high scaffold so that they could have an elevated view of the circuit. One was to radio control the throttle and the other the steering,
quite a tricky operation. The 917 with dummy at the wheel was set on its way and then the throttle man gave far too much stick. The mock-up 917 went into a wild tail slide, hit the Armco barrier and tore off the radio aerial which was taped to the tail and which also controlled the steering. The steering man was frantically trying to get the 917 on the straight and narrow but there was no response. The out of control 917 sped along the track smashing itself to bits against both sides of the Armco. More by good luck than good judgement the accident scene was so perfect that it was included in the film. Many people were under the impression that it was a genuine film about David Piper's accident.
In the next scene a mock-up radio controlled Ferrari was set off on the start and finish straight between the pits and grandstand. As it accelerated, locked in second gear, with dummy at the wheel it suddenly veered left and smashed into the Armco.Bud pondered the problem and realised that the steering column was locked solid and would only respond to radio control. He also figured out that a pair of human hands on a steering wheel would constantly make slight adjustments and movements to allow for changing conditions and surfaces. It clearly need some form of slack and then he remembered that he had once seen a computer clutch drive that could do the trick.
There is an airfield behind the grandstand at Le Mans and Solar Productions had its own plane, a Cessna or Piper, there on stand by. Bud asked Steve if his pilot could fly him to Paris and off they went. In Paris Bud found exactly what he wanted and rushed back to the circuit. He cut the steering column in half and inserted the clutch drive. For the next run he sat on the back of the next Ferrari mock-up ready to grab the steering wheel but all went well, the clutch drive was perfect.
In another scene a Ferrari was to crash into the forest over a hidden ramp. The scene was to be in the wet but it was a sunny day. A water truck sprayed water in front of the car and all over the circuit but not underneath the car. When the radio controlled throttle was activated the old Chevvy V8 got wheelspin and when the rear wheels hit the wet section the Ferrari went sideways into the Armco. Another write off!
When they finally got this scene right the Ferrari flew so far that the camera man had to run like hell to get out of the way!
One happy memory Bud has was how at the end of the day's work the film crew would often have a barbeque and how Steve would join them for a chat and jokes. He also remembers Steve's young son riding around on his Husqvarna scambler.
Sad that Steve McQueen, film star and racing driver, with so much more to give had to be taken by cancer.
If you rush off to your local friendly video shop for 'Le Mans' you'll see the scenes mentioned above.
The wail of a Ferrari V12 and the angry grunt of a stock block V8 down the Mulsanne straight were symphonies of a different kind!
Andre 40.
