Watching CHiPs....dem cars...

Stumbled upon some old channel playing old reruns of CHiPs. So much 80s goodness, automotive-speaking.

So far, 10 minutes in, things of 80s-tastic interest:

- Honda CVCC

- BMW e21

- a bunch of 80s grand prix motorcycles

- bad guys stealing cases of Napalm from a military base

- bad guys stealing a truckload of explosives

- Ponch's haircut while wearing a headband that has skulls on it

- a Firebird with a gold firebird on the hood

- Starlet (I think)

- Ramcharger

- LeBaron

- AMC Eagle

- multiple Pintos

- L10 Tercel

- Ford LTD

- Mustang II (ew...)

= Some kind of Datsun pickup

"Seven Mary Three and Four..."

I watch ChiPs for the same reason!

Try Emergency and Adam-12 too. Adam-12 is extra awesome because even the cop cars are cool in the first few seasons.

"Adam-12, See the man..."

Kojak and Quincy... so many cars I wish I owned.

Rockford files is pretty good for car spotting too.

If you watch 1970s TV shows carefully, you'll sometimes see cars in the background of one show that appeared in others.  For instance, the 1970 GTO that was featured in the movie Two Lane Blacktop was used in several of those shows.

I thought that you were going to mention the green(?) VW bug that shows up about half a dozen times in the background during the car chase in Bullet. That's one effing fast bug.

kb58 said:

I thought that you were going to mention the green(?) VW bug that shows up about half a dozen times in the background during the car chase in Bullet. That's one effing fast bug.

Not just for 70s tv shows and old movies. There's a Corvette circa 1979-80 that makes multiple appearances in Joker. I'm just ashamed I couldn't pinpoint the actual year.

Still there is nothing more 80s than bad biker guys stealing fricking NAPALM, from a lonely truck driving through the countryside of Cali, no weapons used, just fists, with a single driver and no security, so they can sell it to some guy with a limo and suit for $200k. 

FBI: nah

CIA: nah

Two motorcycle cops: only ones investigating (while also participating in the Long Beach Motorcycle Grand Prix and Ponch putting the moves on a married woman while her kids are playing nearby)

Nick Comstock said:

Rockford files is pretty good for car spotting too.

My favourite. Always surprised by the number of imports in California at the time

Bewitched was sponsored by GM and they liked to show off their newest models including big block and SS cars

Cool as CHiPs and the others are, nothing will ever beat Miami Vice for car, or any other kind of, watching.

Suprf1y said:

Nick Comstock said:

Rockford files is pretty good for car spotting too.

My favourite. Always surprised by the number of imports in California at the time

Bewitched was sponsored by GM and they liked to show off their newest models including big block and SS cars

Corvairs aswell

I still remember the episode where Rosey Grier rips a Honda Z600 apart with his bare hands.

There was an episode on either Adam 12 or CHiPs where they pull over Rosie Grier driving a Mini.  

I Dream of Jeanie was all Pontiacs. 

Also, I never realized the Star Trek connection:

1. The black cop on CHiPs is Worf

2. Their boss's son is Capt. Kirk (Chris Pine)

Adrian_Thompson said:

Cool as CHiPs and the others are, nothing will ever beat Miami Vice for car, or any other kind of, watching.

 

 

 

This!  Tubs taking on a bad guy in a widebody Amg.

irish44j said:

Also, I never realized the Star Trek connection:

1. The black cop on CHiPs is Worf

2. Their boss's son is Capt. Kirk (Chris Pine)

Mind... blown! I never knew that!

stuart in mn said:

If you watch 1970s TV shows carefully, you'll sometimes see cars in the background of one show that appeared in others.  For instance, the 1970 GTO that was featured in the movie Two Lane Blacktop was used in several of those shows.

And sometimes even the sound is recycled.  If you notice in Smokey & The Bandit when Burt Reynolds first unloads the T/A and takes it for a spin with Jerry Reed, it sounds badass.  Way badass.  Not like a smog dog ‘77 T/A.  That’s because the soundtrack is overdubbed with the 454 from Richard Ruth’s ‘55 chevies (I believe there were 3 in total) that appeared in Two Lane Blacktop and later American Graffiti.  I’ve studied the minutiae of Two Lane Blacktop way too much.

Also, if you listen to any motorcycle on a 70s tv show, they either sound like Harleys or two strokes, regardless of what they look like. 

Nick Comstock said:

Rockford files is pretty good for car spotting too.

I was so sad to see it off of Netflix. 

I always drooled over Ponch’s ‘70.5 - ‘73 T/A as a kid.  His was so cool it had both a T/A’s shaker AND a Formula’s twin nostrils.  These days I’d be happy with John’s blue GMC square body.

Suprf1y said:

Nick Comstock said:

Rockford files is pretty good for car spotting too.

My favourite. Always surprised by the number of imports in California at the time

 

I was surprised CHiPs rode Kawasaki's since the only police bikes I'd ever seen as a kid were Harleys.

Wally said:

I was surprised CHiPs rode Kawasaki's since the only police bikes I'd ever seen as a kid were Harleys.

I haven't seen any for a while, but there was a period of time that old Kawasaki 900cc police bikes would occasionally show up on the used market.  I was always sorely tempted.

I always got a kick out how Ponch and Jon could casually converse with each other in normal voices while riding on a freeway at 60mph.

Jordan Rimpela said:

Nick Comstock said:

Rockford files is pretty good for car spotting too.

I was so sad to see it off of Netflix. 

Amazon Prime.

If it's shown anywhere, I will find it.

If there's ever a gold Firebird Esprit for sale, I will buy it - and be divorced for it, but that's ok.

It's plate will be 853 OKG, come hell or high water, I will wear sport coats for the rest of my life, and call my dad Rocky.  My friend even looks a little like Angel, if a bit overweight....

And you should all be just a little more afraid of what kind of person I am at this point.

Wally said:

I was surprised CHiPs rode Kawasaki's since the only police bikes I'd ever seen as a kid were Harleys.

I was surprised when they bought some Harleys, considering how expensive they are.

Supposedly they liked the BMWs much better than either of the others, though.