Watching CHiPs....dem cars...

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. 

Youtube is your friend.

I'm always amazed at how many of those cool cars get destroyed on CHiPs. Every episode there's a scene with a car/truck ramping other cars/trucks on the highway

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.

Ya, I always thought that was weird. Even if you weren't a "car person" that was so obvious it was impossible to miss. Not really sure why they did that as it was just a back ground vehicle and they could have used anything else (multiple vehicles) to make it more realistic and mix it up little.

Highway Patrol also used Moto Guzzis for awhile. It was all about who bid to supply the bikes.

If you watch CHiPs with frequency you'll notice a lot of the same background cars used repeatedly. They used 'staff' to supply the traffic and the same cars reappear each episode. Also the 'crash' cars got used multiple times until they were no longer tenable. Sometimes you can spot the quickie repaint. One four door Thunderbird is in 3 or 4 episodes until they finally set it on fire.

I was in SoCal 6 years ago.  CHiPs

I "watched" some old Ahnold movie yesterday called Commando that had some really cool late 70's automotive-ness in it. The normal roll this whale tail Targa then flip it back up and drive a pristine car away scenes.

My nomination for best CHiPs episode ever:  "Rally Round the Bank."  A couple of guys have organized a "road rally" featuring all sorts of cool '70s cars: 240z, Dino, 450SL, an old BMW (2002 or 320i? Can't remember), and they enter a French Racing Blue MG Midget, and they use it to rob banks along the rally route.  They slap flame decals on the Midget when they're committing crimes, so when they re-enter the rally without the flames, no one has a clue it's the same car.  Ponch and Jon chase these guys several times, but keep losing them because they set up obstacles along the way that a Midget can clear but a motorcycle can't unless you lay it down, such as a half-open garage door or a parked semi trailer.  The end of the show features a chase through the LA River concrete canyons (as seen in Grease, Terminator II, and about 100 other movies/shows) in which they robbers are caught when they enter a tunnel that narrows to the point that the Midget gets stuck, but the police bikes do not.

This episode may or may not have imprinted on me so much as a kid that I bought a Mariner Blue Miata.  Haven't tried to rob any banks with it, but if I do, I'll be sure to carry flame decals so no one will know it was me.

OldGray320i said:

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

I believe it was a Formula with the Formula badging and scoops removed. It would have been a pretty fast car for the time

Even as a kid, my thought when watching Chips was "why would you chase anyone with a motorcycle"?   
 

If you use a bike to pull over the willing, fine.  But the minute a bad guy decides to make a run for it, pulling a PIT maneuver is impossible from a motorcycle.   

A 401 CJ said:

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.

Years ago I saw a behind the scenes show about the Dukes of Hazzard and all of the General's engine sounds are overdubbed. 

spitfirebill said:

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

Nope, definitely a Honda, but not an Z600, it was and N600.  Looks to be on the 210 near Pasadena, does not look like the 118 (which is where they did most of the filming while they where building the freeway)

ddavidv said:

Highway Patrol also used Moto Guzzis for awhile. It was all about who bid to supply the bikes.

One of the Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry movies featured a bunch of Guzzi police bikes (and if I remember correctly, a Triumph as well.) 

In reply to aircooled :

Good find sir!  I stand corrected.  But still a heck of a job getting him in the car.  

Suprf1y said:

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

In last nights episode (Mrs. f1y watches), Darren was driving a 68 Camaro convertible and his client a 68 Stingray.

This episode was on recently too

stuart in mn said:

ddavidv said:

Highway Patrol also used Moto Guzzis for awhile. It was all about who bid to supply the bikes.

One of the Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry movies featured a bunch of Guzzi police bikes (and if I remember correctly, a Triumph as well.) 

 

I have a feeling Clint preferred a Triumph, so one was used.  He rode Triumphs in other movies.  

MGB towing two Hobie 16s.

MG Midget jumping a drainage channel.

In reply to spitfirebill :

It was Magnum Force, and IIRC, the Triumphs were used for the stunt shots... going up/down stairs, jumps, etc.

when you live in LA these streets are still around from the "old days"

Many scenes were done out in the San Fernando Valley along San Fernando road and you always ses the railroad tracks etc.

There was an off road park called Indian dunes where they filmed many shows that had cars going down dirt roads and across a small river , 

The picture of the Station wagen cop car is in Universal studios back lot and it looks pretty much the same today !

And then we have Gone on 60 seconds that was filmed around the Harbor area.......

Used CHP BMWs roll up on auction all the time.  Tons of miles but cared for by fleet maintenance.

I like CHiPs, Rockford and a few Dirty Harry movies just for the cars too.

racerfink said:

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. 

Youtube is your friend.

But if it's on Amazon Prime, I am in luck! Now I can watch baddies in humongous Cadillacs chase after Rockford. 

"Rockfish" LOL, I loved those episodes.

bluebarchetta said:

My nomination for best CHiPs episode ever:  "Rally Round the Bank."  A couple of guys have organized a "road rally" featuring all sorts of cool '70s cars: 240z, Dino, 450SL, an old BMW (2002 or 320i? Can't remember), and they enter a French Racing Blue MG Midget, and they use it to rob banks along the rally route.  They slap flame decals on the Midget when they're committing crimes, so when they re-enter the rally without the flames, no one has a clue it's the same car.  Ponch and Jon chase these guys several times, but keep losing them because they set up obstacles along the way that a Midget can clear but a motorcycle can't unless you lay it down, such as a half-open garage door or a parked semi trailer.  The end of the show features a chase through the LA River concrete canyons (as seen in Grease, Terminator II, and about 100 other movies/shows) in which they robbers are caught when they enter a tunnel that narrows to the point that the Midget gets stuck, but the police bikes do not.

This episode may or may not have imprinted on me so much as a kid that I bought a Mariner Blue Miata.  Haven't tried to rob any banks with it, but if I do, I'll be sure to carry flame decals so no one will know it was me.

I totally remember that episode.

Jordan Rimpela said:

racerfink said:

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. 

Youtube is your friend.

But if it's on Amazon Prime, I am in luck! Now I can watch baddies in humongous Cadillacs chase after Rockford. 

I believe it's on Amazon's newer IMDb TV app/service that's free with ads.  The animated Corner Gas series shifted over there too.

I watched that show religiously in the early 90s when i was rebuilding my Vega. So many! Who's gonna do a rollover today? Why is there so little traffic on the 405?! Good times 

Best Episode 'punk rock': https://youtu.be/dLyMjIccjL4

In reply to Tom_Spangler :

That's nothing!  Reverend Jim from Taxi plays a Klingon in the movies.