[Drag Star Le Mans]

The plate number of the car sitting on tracks does not match the one getting some air.
Probably the one that gets smashed near the end of the movie.

[muscle_collector]

ive always assumed they took all the trans am decals off of it to avoid any kind of royalty payments????

[REEDRACER]

A Schab has the actually car. See the thread.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=716976

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

ive always assumed they took all the trans am decals off of it to avoid any kind of royalty payments????

IIRC - appears presented as a HOOD BIRD decal delete T/A. Look closely and you can see the Small Bird decal on the nose and "Pontiac" emblem in the front drivers side grill.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

ive always assumed they took all the trans am decals off of it to avoid any kind of royalty payments????

Originally Posted by Alvin

IIRC - appears presented as a HOOD BIRD decal delete T/A. Look closely and you can see the Small Bird decal on the nose and "Pontiac" emblem in the front drivers side grill.

M_C was referring to the missing TRANS AM decals that would have been on both fenders , and the rear spoiler. Big Hood Bird was an extra cost option.

i think they removed them because Pontiac wouldn't supply the cars for free.
So they reduced the amount of free T/A publicity by yanking the decals ?
idunno

But they did the same thing to The Judge in 2 Lane Btop

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

M_C was referring to the missing TRANS AM decals that would have been on both fenders , and the rear spoiler. Big Hood Bird was an extra cost option.

i think they removed them because Pontiac wouldn't supply the cars for free.
So they reduced the amount of free T/A publicity by yanking the decals ?
idunno

But they did the same thing to The Judge in 2 Lane Btop

Got it, thxs for the clarification.
PONTIAC on the rear panel and front grill...so...
Perhaps it had something to do with licensing royalties that would have been due to the SCCA for the Trans Am name usage?

Note no shaker decals either...

[Alvin]

Alley Oop!

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

They got the cars at discount - which probably bought enough leverage to leave the small Pontiac lettering. But not enough to leave the high contrast TA decals.
Free cars would have probably been left alone - and even had big birds.

Like Bandit.
Freebies iirc - before hipo engine mods

Pontiac paid the royalty on every TA .

[gtoric]

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

ive always assumed they took all the trans am decals off of it to avoid any kind of royalty payments????

I can't imagine that the producers would have to pay any sort of royalty to any organization. Pontiac already paid the SCCA for the use of the Trans Am name when each car was built. Pontiac wouldn't care how the cars were presented, in fact leaving the hood bird on the car would have been great, free advertising for the new showy option.

Also, giving a discount on the purchase price of movie vehicles is pretty common. The car maker considers this practice a form of cheap advertising.

I think that it was a deliberate decision by the producers/director meant to fit the mode of transportation that would have fit Wayne's police detective character's personality. A bad ass car with a rollin' under the radar appearance.

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by gtoric

I can't imagine that the producers would have to pay any sort of royalty to any organization. Pontiac already paid the SCCA for the use of the Trans Am name when each car was built. Pontiac wouldn't care how the cars were presented, in fact leaving the hood bird on the car would have been great, free advertising for the new showy option.

The TA's ordered and used in the movie were not built with the optional hood bird decals. So no issue there. But they would still have had the small bumper bird decal.
I think the real reason all the other decals were removed will have to remain unanswered.

[gtoric]

Originally Posted by Transamric

The TA's ordered and used in the movie were not built with the optional hood bird decals. So no issue there. But they would still have had the small bumper bird decal.
I think the real reason all the other decals were removed will have to remain unanswered.

I'll still argue that it was a deliberate choice on the part of the producer or director to match the conservative character profile of a retirement-age SPD Lieutenant Detective.

Two observations; since '73 was the first year for the screamin' chicken hood decoration, the public was not really used to its rather bold appearance yet. The producers probably wanted a subtle look for McQ's vehicle. Plus it saved a little cash by not ordering the $55 option. Someone certainly knew what they wanted when those TAs were ordered. Not a lot was known about the delete decal option at that time.

As you stated, all of the TRANS AM callouts were also removed from the cars. This further reinforced the stealth look of the performance Pontiac ponycar McQ owned. After all, the McQ character was nearing retirement age (Wayne was 65 at the time) in this film play. A detective of that vintage probably would not have wanted the extra visibility that a fully festooned TA would have afforded on the streets of Seattle. He certainly loved the performance/handling, however.

Has anyone viewed the DVD copy of this film in the “commentary” mode? Maybe some mention of this issue was made there? Many times the director or a producer will make note of exactly why a certain vehicle was chosen for the lead character, or why its appearance was modified.

[Wareagle]

Alvin any word on what was under the Hood of McQ's T/A - One guy on Facebook who was there said one actually had a SD-455

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by Wareagle

Alvin any word on what was under the Hood of McQ's T/A - One guy on Facebook who was there said one actually had a SD-455

No Super Duties. All were built with the standard L75 455/M40 combo.
The VIN's that have been learned show May built cars, likely 05C or 05D. before SD production had started.

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by Transamric

The TA's ordered and used in the movie were not built with the optional hood bird decals. So no issue there. But they would still have had the small bumper bird decal.
I think the real reason all the other decals were removed will have to remain unanswered.

Originally Posted by Wareagle

Alvin any word on what was under the Hood of McQ's T/A - One guy on Facebook who was there said one actually had a SD-455

IIRC - Transamric (post above) owns/owned one of the movie McQ TAs, perhaps he (or others here) could post the previous alternate PY detailed thread about these McQ TA's history & restoration? IIRC2 (could be wrong - again! ) a PYr restored the TA crushed by the 2 tractors in the alley?

Originally Posted by gtoric

I'll still argue that it was a deliberate choice on the part of the producer or director to match the conservative character profile of a retirement-age SPD Lieutenant Detective.

Two observations; since '73 was the first year for the screamin' chicken hood decoration, the public was not really used to its rather bold appearance yet. The producers probably wanted a subtle look for McQ's vehicle. Plus it saved a little cash by not ordering the $55 option. Someone certainly knew what they wanted when those TAs were ordered. Not a lot was known about the delete decal option at that time.

As you stated, all of the TRANS AM callouts were also removed from the cars. This further reinforced the stealth look of the performance Pontiac ponycar McQ owned. After all, the McQ character was nearing retirement age (Wayne was 65 at the time) in this film play. A detective of that vintage probably would not have wanted the extra visibility that a fully festooned TA would have afforded on the streets of Seattle. He certainly loved the performance/handling, however.

Has anyone viewed the DVD copy of this film in the “commentary” mode? Maybe some mention of this issue was made there? Many times the director or a producer will make note of exactly why a certain vehicle was chosen for the lead character, or why its appearance was modified.

Thxs for the reminder - I'll have to break out my DVD and see if commentary is available and any info on the TA's.

[Wareagle]

Cool - didn't seem like a - 250 net hp 455

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by 2002Z4CSS

So is this TA still around?

Originally Posted by Alvin

IIRC - Transamric (post above) owns/owned one of the movie McQ TAs, perhaps he (or others here) could post the previous alternate PY detailed thread about these McQ TA's history & restoration? IIRC2 (could be wrong - again! ) a PYr restored the TA crushed by the 2 tractors in the alley?


Thxs for the reminder - I'll have to break out my DVD and see if commentary is available and any info on the TA's.

Checked last night - no TA commentary on my Warner Brothers re-released edition DVD copy of McQ.
However; the "Special Features" section does include (1) take rollover beach stunt before & after with the stunt driver commenting how he's "used to working w 4 or 5 people and how unusual it was for him to be the only stuntman" performing the stunt (image below).



Supporting actors gushing about how great John Wayne is as an actor, John commenting "how easy it looks to act, but here he is on set @ 6am" reminds me of his "Work Hard, Play Harder" reputation...good stuff, that may all soon be forgotten as time goes by.


Also; # 15 repost from this thread:

Originally Posted by REEDRACER

A(ndy) Schab has the actually car. See the thread.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=716976

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by Drag Star Le Mans

The plate number of the car sitting on tracks does not match the one getting some air.
Probably the one that gets smashed near the end of the movie.

Some sources say that three TA's were used (up) in the filming, all ordered with identical equipment. As is mentioned elsewhere, one of the three still resides here in WA. & no, at last check, not for sale.