66stepside wrote:Stuka wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 12:41 pm
I LOVE the Tremors 1 J-Truck. Seriously my favorite movie truck of all time. An interesting note is as I recall,at least three Tremors movies have had a J-Truck or AM General (The one in Mexico had a Deuce and a Half). And one had an M715.
And there was three different trucks used. Kind of easy to tell as the tires and wheels change.
But yeah, small window thrift side, one of my dream trucks.
That's the truck that started it all for me. I had the chance (30 years ago) to trade my 73 bull nosed commando for a 65 Thriftside, but did not. I've been kicking myself ever since. I still look for the truck scooting around, but only saw it once after I passed on it.
I've been researching old threads and online sources and there appears to a baby blue truck and a primer gray stepside. so I have some decisions to make!
Chubbinius wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 12:57 pm
Too cool! My son and I just watched the Tremors marathon on TV a few weeks when it was on. He liked Fred Ward's truck!
I watch it every time it comes on; USA Network will occasionally have a marathon on the weekends- it never gets old!
IIRC, the 1st movie kept two on hand, one to rob parts off of when the other one broke down on set... hahaha, classic jeep stuff! It was filmed in China Lake, CA. both trucks were sold off after filming. They regretted the decision after the movie was a mild success.
Yes, that’s what I heard as well. Based on watching the movies last night, they drove two trucks in the first movie, one of which appeared to have the wide window and the fabricated a faux panel to simulate the small window cab. Of the two trucks used in the first movie, one appeared to an a manual with a floor shift, the other appeared to be an automatic column shift (or possible a 3 on the tree set up) as in one scene Kevin Bacon’s character shifts at the column, while else where he shifts from the floor.
The main truck used in the first movie appears to be a 62-63 manual small windowed J200 as the floor shifter for the 4wd is the old school lever on the driver side as Kevin puts it into 4wd when he is “hung up” and it ends up the Graboid had grabbed on to the rear axle.
The truck in the second movie also had a faux panel on it to simulate the narrow rear window.
One of the trucks was missing the lower portion of the passenger side front fender.
I couldn’t find too many clean pics of the dash, especially the glovebox area, and the passenger side.
Where the heck did they source 4 Thriftsides!?! Why hasn’t at least one popped up for sale after all these years!?
I have some mild dilemmas: which version of the truck to try to replicate? Do I attempt to recreate an authentic replica, or create a “modern” spin on one of the trucks?
I’ve got time to figure it out, and I’m open to suggestions/ideas from the group, too.
Here are pics from the shows:
Wood paneling for the driver side door- the dash pad holes had grommets placed in them. Single circular instrument cluster- speedo only?
It looks like the truck in the second show had blocks on the front for it’s lift.
Blue interior, Mexican Blanket to cover the bench seat. But note the faux rear panel to hide the larger cab window (no legit support brackets near the window side?).
This one is a real small windowed truck.
Flat baby blue exterior with primer grey sections.
Black driver’s side door panel, or just bad lighting?
Symmetrical primer spots on front clip.
31” tire on black spoke rims? What type of tire? 3” lift?
He skidded to a stop.
Some shots show wipers, rear view mirror and green dice hanging off the minor, some shots show the truck without those items.
Shackle reverse, blocks, or lifted with springs? That tread!
Homemade tailgate of angle iron and wood.
Lol, I’ve reached my cap of pic uploads for the month! Classic.
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