[John V.]

Probably been discussed here before but I've been binge watching The Rockford Files with little to watch on TV. I used to watch it when it first ran but I don't remember getting into the Firebirds beyond the fact that they were Pontiacs, They were just new cars to me then, not anything to get excited about. And I preferred the look of the earlier 'birds anyway.

But I always liked the show, Hard to say it has held up especially well but now I watch to check out all the cars and love to identify the year of 'bird he's driving in each episode. Just started the 5th season and he's finally moved to a '78 (Sept '78 airing, so by that time the '79s were out). I've read the websites and learned he never cared for the '79 styling so kept the '78. No idea when the 5th season began filming but seemed odd to me that they waited so long to swap out the '77 for the '78.

Anyway, my question is, anybody have copies of any of the PHS docs that could be posted? Seems like more is known about the '76-'78 cars. I'd like to see any PHS record but really curious about the '74 & '75 cars.

Not sure if the scenes were added for syndication reasons or were in the originally aired episodes, but it cracks me up when they have a stock scene showing a '74 or '75 'bird and the next scene you see Rockford in a '76, '77, or '78. even in some of the earlier episodes I spotted some flip-flopping of a '74 and '75. The last episode of the 4th season, they show a scene with 2 Fire Trucks rolling out of a firehouse. The trucks are Open Cab (no roof) as they roll out. But the next moment they are showing up at the scene of the crime and they are Closed Cab. I suppose they could have been Retractable Hardtop Fire Trucks.

[unruhjonny]

Smoke Signals recently did a multi-issue article on these cars;
as I recal, few are known to be left in existance;
I think starting with 1975, they were all Formula 400's with a flat hood, made to ook like Esprit's.

I actually got into the show in the mid 1990's when living at my grandmothers place the year after high school;
I have heard that several eppisodes like the pilot that you see today are cut up versions of the origibal show - where the original version has been lost with time... too bad really;
This is one of the reasons why you observed cars ect occasionally changing during an eppisode;
As I recall these changes often had to do with the original broadcast length, abd when it went into syndication some shows had the original tapes cut (much like the pilot) to fit the new smaller time slot, and scenes were changed around to keep the story line.

There are some made for tv movies, none of which I recall seeing, but I'll probably get them off amazon at some point.

[Lightfoot]

Originally Posted by unruhjonny;

There are some made for tv movies, none of which I recall seeing, but I'll probably get them off amazon at some point.

I think at least one of those has Rockford driving a 79-81 Firebird.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by unruhjonny

I have heard that several episodes like the pilot that you see today are cut up versions of the original show - where the original version has been lost with time... too bad really;
This is one of the reasons why you observed cars ect occasionally changing during an episode

They sometimes mixed up stock shots of previous year cars in the original episodes, I remember noticing it when they first aired. Later versions of the show may have been edited from multiple original episodes but I don't know about that.

[Aaron65]

I'm a big fan of Rockford for the same reason Jonny is; I watched them on reruns after school when I was a kid. I now own a '74 Esprit, which may or may not be coincidental. Anyway, from what I've gathered by being a fan of the show and the car, the '74 was the only actual Esprit, and apparently, they had to upgrade the suspension part way through the season. After that first season, all the cars were Formulas made to look like regular Firebirds. In the second season ('75-'76), you can even see the "Formula 400" badges that they left on the fenders in some shots.

[Keith Seymore]

I've always liked James Garner. Seemed like a good guy, at least based on the characters he portrayed and those Polaroid commercials.

And, of course, he was a racer, having been turned on to that after filming "Grand Prix".

K

[John V.]

So nobody knows of any PHS docs for any of them?

Keith, in '67 on a family visit to NYC to visit relatives, my grandma took my 2 sisters and me to the movies.

My sisters remember that we saw the recently released Thoroughly Modern Millie.

My recollection is that I saw Grand Prix on a theater marquee (had been released a few months earlier) and wanted to see that instead. Maybe if I had had 2 brothers instead....

I was as always out-voted. I thoroughly don't remember the movie we saw.

Garner was a good guy as Hollywood types go. He and his wife endured some separations but was married just shy of 58 years at his death. Pretty rare in the movie business it seems and worthy of a mention. I have noticed how awkwardly he runs in Rockford. I wondered if he was severely uncoordinated or unathletic! Reading at Wiki it seems he had very bad knees and had a number of surgeries on them during the Rockford production and eventually had to have both replaced.

Not sure about reedited episodes. The episode list is on-line and the shows I'm watching have followed that list and plot description. They have very little commercials and my understanding some of the stock scenes are filler to fit the time slot when it went into syndication. But I think the rest of it is untouched from what was originally aired. I am sure some of the continuity issues with the model year of the Firebird was as originally aired, like when they show a shot of the Firebird parked by the trailer, I think it is often the '75 from a stock scene.

Jonny, I will check out the articles. I am woefully behind on my reading, have several Smokes still in the plastic.

[Ed Fitzgerald]

I remember reading 20 some years ago how he was robbed of all his gold jewelery along one of the canyon highways. As a kid i wouldnt have thought you would mess with him. Ed

[Scarebird]

Originally Posted by Lightfoot

I think at least one of those has Rockford driving a 79-81 Firebird.

Unlikely, he disliked the looks of the 79-81's.

[John V.]

I believe I likely watched the 1st movie when it aired in ‘94, I remember the plot line, at least the part where Rockford is looking to sell the trailer.

There were 8 made for TV movies between 1994 and 1999. Garner was born in 1928 so he was getting a bit old when the TV show wrapped up. By the time the movies were made he was a senior citizen on Medicare and a lot of the earlier magic was probably just gone. Also, Beery (Rocky) had died in ‘94 so wasn’t in the movies. He was a very big part of the dynamic of the TV shows. The guy who played the role in the 1974 pilot episode was not nearly as good. I’m guessing the absence of Rocky in the movies really weakened them.

Here is an interesting story about the cars used in the movies. A somewhat battered ‘78 Firebird appeared in the first movie titled I Still Love LA. Originally they expected to use a new (‘95?) Formula convertible. But after Garner drove one prepped for the movie he rejected it. They bought 2 used ‘77 Firebirds and outfitted them like the originals including installation of ‘78 interiors.

I agree, it doesn’t look like Rockford ever drove a ‘79-‘81 in the TV movies.

https://jimsuva.typepad.com/blog/201...firebirds.html

Funny to me that Garner didn’t like the ‘79 look. I never cared for the ‘74-‘78 look, I thought the ‘70-‘73 looked more aggressive and was disappointed when they introduced the ‘74.

The ‘77s and ‘78s weren’t bad and I did like the wrap around rear window and the T-Tops were cool, especially since no convertible was available.

But when the ‘79 first came out I loved the front and rear styling. I thought they finally got it right and liked it almost as well as the early style. In some ways, like the blacked out taillights, I liked it even better.

Wonder why Garner disliked it. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder so can’t really explain it.

[Held for Ransom]

Can you contact Jim Suva and see?
Surprised with the known VIN of one of the '76s no one has sent away for it.

[Formulabruce]

A couple years ago the 74 with all the tv added stuff, went to auction, I think the vintage and some docs were available at that time

[geeteeohguy]

I've posted this before, I think. Maybe not on this forum. A co-worker of mine has an older brother who was a police officer in the LA area in the early 1970's. One day, he was on Mulholland and spotted a white Ford Econoline cargo van hauling ass, road-racing down the mountain. He pulled the guy over, and it was Steve McQueen, who pulled the 'Star Card' and was basically very disrespectful. He got a speeding ticket. A short while later, a Boss 302 Mustang was hauling ass down the same road, and my co-worker's brother pulled it over. It was James Garner, and he was apologetic, respectful, and humble. He got let off with a warning. Garner and McQueen were neighbors, and McQueen liked to throw his empty beer bottles over Garner's fence. By all accounts, with James Garner, what you see on screen is what the man was actually like. A humble, respectful, classy guy.

[unruhjonny]

/\/\ I have no doubt of that.
Everything I have read, supports it, and it was James who really made the show work;
Sure his and "Rocky's" relationship helped his character, but James really made the show.
I hate to say it, but I probably would have liked it nearly as much as I do if he drove a mustang... thankfully he didn't, and his ride makes the show that much better to me.

[Scarebird]

James Garner knew his way around race cars...





link: http://phscollectorcarworld.blogspot...-olds-442.html

The 2nd 442 was shortened 14" - that would be fun as hell, a 442 the same length as a Firebird!

[John V.]

Jim Suva promptly replied to my email. But he doesn’t have info on the ‘74 or ‘75 cars and in respect to the current owners privacy, does not share PHS records for the known screen used later ‘birds. Oh well. I am most curious about the first season ‘74 Esprits.

With respect to Garner’s dislike of the ‘79, he said there was that but also, knowing it would be the final season, Garner wanted to save the money for cars and spend it for paying higher profile guest stars.

But he said Garner actually drove a blue ‘79 TA as his personal car. Wonder what became of that TA??!!

[Dar]

This show is a little before my time, but I have seen some reruns years ago but it’s a little foggy. Why didn’t they just use a Formula, or in other words why go through the trouble of making an Formula look like a Esprit which to the untrained eye looks like a plain Firebird?

I think Jim Rockford was a guy being portrayed as living paycheque to paycheque no? Didn’t he live out of a trailer? I can understand why a Trans Am may not have been realistic in appearance for a guy that didn’t have a lot of money, but if he could afford a new Firebird Esprit and drove it in a performance kind of fashion, a Formula is not that much of a stretch really?

Also did I not see a 73 Firebird in one episode? I swear I saw it once.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Dar

I think Jim Rockford was a guy being portrayed as living paycheque to paycheque no? Didn’t he live out of a trailer? I can understand why a Trans Am may not have been realistic in appearance for a guy that didn’t have a lot of money, but if he could afford a new Firebird Esprit and drove it in a performance kind of fashion, a Formula is not that much of a stretch really?

He did want it to be a base level car, to reflect that he was short on money. I suspect that initially the car chases weren't considered an essential part of the show but as time went on they realized the audience liked them, so they included them more and more in the episodes.

I did think it was funny that even though he was living in a trailer, it was on the beach in Malibu...not exactly a low rent district.

[unruhjonny]

The Esprit was used because it was a nice sporty car, but more affordable than a real performance car, and alot less flashy;
Rockford didn't need flashy.

I seem to recall reading that the original version of the pilot was all '73 Firebird;
and that the first season used a '74 (early in the first season his car gets clobbered, and if you watch closely, it's actuslly the '73).

[John V.]

In one episode a woman driving a red ‘72 is murdered and IIRC the car is pulled from the water.

In another episode Rockford’s Firebird blows up in a parking lot. The gold Firebird that blows up is a ‘70-‘73 model based on the Taillights. But Rockford didn’t drive it. It was just a stand in to get blown up.

The first season they used a ‘74 Esprit, badged accordingly. After that season, story goes that Garner wanted the suspension of the Formula to better handle the stunts they were doing but wanted to keep the less road racer look of the Esprit, he felt that aligned better with the image he wanted for Rockford.

You weren’t supposed to notice that he got a new car every year. The consistent color was intended to make it seem like it was the same car from season to season.