Cars in Movies/TV - What mistakes have you spotted?

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Cars in Movies/TV - What mistakes have you spotted?

poncho62 · Poncho Master!

Cars in Movies/TV - What mistakes have you spotted

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I have always enjoyed catching mistakes in films. I have seen literally countless scenes in films where it is suppose to be a certain year and yet there are later wheel covers or even mags on the cars. Also scenes where the hood is open and you can see either a more modern engine or a more modern carburetor. I remember the "The California Kid" (1974) that was set in 1958 had the 34 Ford with custom valve covers from the 1970's on it. In a "Happy Day's" days episode, the Fonz proclaims "The Greatest Car Ever Made" and pulls the cover off while saying "The 1955 Chevy". The only problem is that the car was a 1953 Chevy not a 1955. I will think of more as time goes on. Todd, excellent thread. Cheers.

mike667 · Poncho Master!

What about a big one, Vanishing Point? Whole movie with the challenger, and then wasnt the end crash substituted with a Camaro?

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

I've been watching a series on Amazon Prime called "Tin Star". I just finished watching an episode and sure enough one of the bad guys breaks into some guy's house, steals his car keys and when he walks out he hits the remote and that classic 1980's "CHIRP CHIRP" alarm "deactivates" on a late model Chevy truck.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

mike667 wrote:
What about a big one, Vanishing Point? Whole movie with the challenger, and then wasnt the end crash substituted with a Camaro?

You betcha, if I remember right the Challenger turned into a 69 Camaro just before it crashed!

bigdreams · Poncho Master!

RE: Cars in Movies/TV - What mistakes have you spotted?

Prefectca · Poncho Master!

In the film American Graffiti it wasnt the same 55 Chevy that rolled during the race that Harrison Ford drove earlier.

Paul

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I remember hearing that. It seems to me I read that they rolled a hardtop with a post installed to make it look like the one Harrison Ford was driving?

As I recall when it rolled it had an auto trans visible?

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Major oops in this scene......(other than destroying what appears to be a bona fide 67 SS396/TH400 car...)

rebelrouser · Poncho Master!

In the movie Christine when the Plymouth crashes into that Camaro at the gas station, if you look closely the Camaro doesn't have any engine/tranny in it! I notice lots of stuff and it drives my wife crazy. "Why can't you just "watch" a movie without looking deeper into it?" she says to me all the time.

In the movie Two-lane Blacktop when James Taylor and Brian Wilson are sitting on a picnic table and Brian has the car jacked up, if you look closely you'll notice 4 piston calipers for brakes on the rear end. Looks like a JL-8 set up from a Camaro. Go figure for that time frame/era.

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Prefectca wrote:
In the film American Graffiti it wasnt the same 55 Chevy that rolled during the race that Harrison Ford drove earlier.

Paul

Yes, just a beater with single exhaust and silver painted steel rims. George Lucas was on a shoe string budget with that classic movie and to this day, still one of my all time favorites. I will forever love "American Graffiti" (1973).

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

rebelrouser wrote:
In the movie Christine when the Plymouth crashes into that Camaro at the gas station, if you look closely the Camaro doesn't have any engine/tranny in it! I notice lots of stuff and it drives my wife crazy. "Why can't you just "watch" a movie without looking deeper into it?" she says to me all the time.

In the movie Two-lane Blacktop when James Taylor and Brian Wilson are sitting on a picnic table and Brian has the car jacked up, if you look closely you'll notice 4 piston calipers for brakes on the rear end. Looks like a JL-8 set up from a Camaro. Go figure for that time frame/era.

I get the same grief from my lady as well, especially when we are in a theater. I must say though that i whisper in her ear and not blab into the theater. The mechanic in Two Lane Black top was Dennis Wilson, not his brother Brian. As far as the disc brakes go, keep in mind that the film was set in 1970 and released in 1971. Drag cars in 1970-1971 were using this brake set up. Cheers.

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Canadian Poncho wrote:
In the "The Irishman" thread we talked about some of the automotive related goofs we saw in that movie. I thought I'd start a thread to talk about other goofs we have seen on the tube. Here's some general goofs I see in a lot of "big budget" movies:
Brand new vehicles that make that 1980's car alarm sound when the owner uses the key fob (CHIRP CHIRP)
Brand new vehicles that have that 1980's car alarm go off when a bomb explodes nearby..
Most police cars have the same stupid sounding siren and of course if the police car crashes or comes to a quick stop the siren does that stupid dying woweewoweewrrrrrrr... In my opinion the best sounding police car siren bar none was used in Starsky and Hutch:
(check out the fancy clutch pedal action the Mustang driver does in the above video! )
What goofs in movies/TV grinds your gears?

I had forgotten how bad this show really was and to be driving a slug like that Torino. How could an over weight smog motored Torino keep up with an early Mustang with a four gear. Cheers. biggrin

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

4SPEED427 wrote:
Major oops in this scene......(other than destroying what appears to be a bona fide 67 SS396/TH400 car...)

Did anyone watch this clip and catch the faux pas?

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

4SPEED427 wrote:
4SPEED427 wrote:
Major oops in this scene......(other than destroying what appears to be a bona fide 67 SS396/TH400 car...)
Did anyone watch this clip and catch the faux pas?

It looks like a Pontiac Tempest/GTO from the rear, not the typical Chevelle rear end tail lights.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I think it's actually a Firebird, with a black vinyl top! Sure is painful to watch that SS hood fold in half, wow...

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

4SPEED427 wrote:
I think it's actually a Firebird, with a black vinyl top! Sure is painful to watch that SS hood fold in half, wow...

Carl, i have now looked at it eight times and it looks like a Pontiac Tempest/GTO from the rear and it does have a black vinyl roof, then the rest of the car looks like a typical Chevelle SS without a black vinyl roof. Cheers.

-- Edited by long stroke on Thursday 5th of December 2019 08:12:14 PM

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Well, that's sure not impossible. What year Tempest/GTO are you thinking? I can't picture it yet. To me the wheel wells/quarter panels looked like Firebird.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

4SPEED427 wrote:

1966-1967 era Pontiac Tempest/GTO. I am trying to see a Fire Bird but i can not see it. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me. Any one else have any ideas on this very subject. Cheers. confuse

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Not sure if this helps. 67 GTO/67 Firebird.

Poconova · Addicted!

According to GOOGLE, Travolta's character drives a 67 Chevelle in the movie.
The wreck looks like a full size car.
The bumper in the above photo looks like a Firebird's.

LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A BONIFIDE MYSTERY ON OUR HANDS.

SCOOBY DOO!!! WHERE ARE YOU??????

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

No doubt they rolled a 67 SS396 Chevelle.

I still vote Firebird as it approaches though, but I've been wrong before!

MC · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I would have to agree with Carl. Looks like 3 or 4 separate stunts with 2 different cars were done to make the scene. 1. Back end of car with vinyl roof - Firebird. 2. Car with lights on and no vinyl roof swerves around girl - Chevelle. 3. Car with lights on and visible center chrime split in grille starts roll - Firebird. 4. Car with no lights on rolls - Chevelle. Proportions visible are clear - the Firebird is narrower than the Chevelle - you can really see it in the spread of the headlights and the width/height ratio in the rear. Plus, notice the Coke bottle quarters of the Firebird. At least thats how I see it.