HossC Posted September 27, 2010 Report Share Posted September 27, 2010 I took MaryAnne's suggestion as a challenge. Due to the fact that only 250 of these were made, reference photos were, as predicted, hard to find. The conversions were done by National Coach Engineering of Michigan - you can see some of the survivors here:http://www.firebirdgallery.com/national_coachlot1.htmI had to guess the interior a little, and I gave it a manual gearbox as I couldn't remember what the real car had. I've also omitted the gaffer tape that covered the Trans Am logo on the trunk - if you've never noticed it, there's a picture of it in The Official Dukes of Hazzard Trivia Thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Coltrane Posted September 27, 2010 Report Share Posted September 27, 2010 Beautiful work. S' funny you happen to post that. I found an obscure TV pilot that involved a car kinda like this ( not sure it was the exact same color) and it was basically a Dukes of Hazzard ripoff. Thankfully, the series never got the green light, but it's interesting that this car has been around. Roger, if you're paying any attention, do you know what TV movie I'm talkin' about, circa 1980? Ah, I should put this on the trivia board or something... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Coltrane Posted September 27, 2010 Report Share Posted September 27, 2010 Beautiful work. S' funny you happen to post that. I found an obscure TV pilot that involved a car kinda like this ( not sure it was the exact same color) and it was basically a Dukes of Hazzard ripoff. Thankfully, the series never got the green light, but it's interesting that this car has been around. Roger, if you're paying any attention, do you know what TV movie I'm talkin' about, circa 1980? Ah, I should put this on the trivia board or something...I just looked at the you tube clip, and this car's kinda similar! I apologize for the vid quality but it gets a little better as the vid warms up. This was a Dukes-alike pilot, starring Dirk Benedict and Tanya Tucker. Originally titled "The Georgia Peaches" it was later renamed "Follow That Car." Warning, contains a "hot damn" and blatant Dukes like stunts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerDuke Posted September 28, 2010 Report Share Posted September 28, 2010 Nice job Hoss. I would have never gotten that as a trivia question Brian but when you posted the answer, I do remember. The only reason I remember it is because I liked Tanya. Later, Dirk played Face on A-Team right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HossC Posted September 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2010 Thanks for posting the video Brian. Looks like Dirk is driving a 1980 Turbo Trans Am (4.9 litre), as far as I know, Mason Dixon's is a 1979 non-turbo (6.6 litre). The 'screaming chicken' faces the other way on the turbos, and the hood bulge replaces the shaker hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Coltrane Posted September 28, 2010 Report Share Posted September 28, 2010 Roger, you are correct. Hoss, you are the authority on car details. I never got that the screaming chicken faced the other way on the turbos. Now I can impress my Pontiac friends with my newfound incredible knowledge. It's a damn shame they quit making cars like this, ya know? With the old school look to the new Camaro and Mustang, I would have loved to see the renewal of the Trans Am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HossC Posted September 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2010 It's a damn shame they quit making cars like this, ya know? With the old school look to the new Camaro and Mustang, I would have loved to see the renewal of the Trans Am.Like this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Coltrane Posted September 28, 2010 Report Share Posted September 28, 2010 Like this one?YES! Like that one. Sweet. Where's my checkbook.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryAnne Posted September 28, 2010 Report Share Posted September 28, 2010 Awesome, Hoss! I love the screamin' chicken on the hood. Khee! (I did know the bird faced one way or the other depending on the car). I guess I never noticed in the episode that the Trans Am decal was covered with gaffers tape. ROFL. I reckon this was done for the same reason they pulled the "Plymouth" letters off the front grill of the patrol cars (or covered 'em up). I do know, now that I look my few (three) screen caps of the T/A, they also removed the Pontiac emblem from the nose of the car. I guess product placement was frowned on back then. LOL But, really, how much more product placement blatant can you get than a car with a big screaming bird on the hood?! ROFL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryAnne Posted September 28, 2010 Report Share Posted September 28, 2010 YES! Like that one. Sweet. Where's my checkbook....I'll take one too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadowmufn Posted September 28, 2010 Report Share Posted September 28, 2010 Like this one?There goes my savings... I've been waiting 12 years for this. LOL. Think I can convince Buford I should keep the '98 AND get the '10?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Coltrane Posted September 28, 2010 Report Share Posted September 28, 2010 There goes my savings... I've been waiting 12 years for this. LOL. Think I can convince Buford I should keep the '98 AND get the '10??Convince, hell. The '98 is paid for, what's to debate? The more the merrier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadowmufn Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 Convince, hell. The '98 is paid for, what's to debate? The more the merrier.That's very true! LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Coltrane Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 On an aside for anyone following this thread who might give a rip about the movie I mentioned a few posts back. I recently bought the movie and found out Jerry Rushing was in it. Holy Dukes tie-in! "Follow That Car" aka "The Georgia Peaches" ain't Masterpiece Theater, but if you like Trans-Am's, senseless car chases, shallow plots, brawling, goofy cops, explosions, and complete overkill in an ending, you'll enjoy this movie. Good luck finding it though, I might have bought the last copy on Earth. Which could be a problem 'cause I gotta get MaryAnne a copy of this thang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HossC Posted October 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 ... if you like Trans-Am's, senseless car chases, shallow plots, brawling, goofy cops, explosions, and complete overkill in an ending, you'll enjoy this movie.Doesn't sound like my kind of movie, Brian. Where can I get a copy . Skipper Duke 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaneyDuke Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 That movie does sound interesting. Great job, Hoss! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryAnne Posted October 2, 2010 Report Share Posted October 2, 2010 Yes, I'm curious about this movie.... ...more or less because I'm sure it's proof positive that Faceman shoulda been driving a T/A on A-Team! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HossC Posted February 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 New member jacobsoj74 is building a scale model of Mason Dixon's Trans Am and wants help identifying the wheels. Here is one of the reference screengrabs I used for the artwork - can anyone name the wheels?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNH-320 Posted February 18, 2012 Report Share Posted February 18, 2012 They look like wire wheels with a '3 pointed' knock of wheel nut. In a similar style as a Jaguar E-type. Sorry no idea what brand they are though. Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryAnne Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 The Mason Dixon TA has always fascinated me because it's very much an aftermarket customized car. Pontiac didn't produce/sell convertible TAs after 1969 (not again until 1991) and the wire wheels like this I'm pretty sure were never an option for TAs from the factory. The only wheels I've ever seen for this vintage was either snowflake rims (which can be seen here) or the alloy rims like the ones below....Occasionally you'll see Rally IIs but them wire wheels... that's different. LOL The only brand I know of wire wheels is Dayton (only from Googling this afternoon. LOL).There was a company called National Coach Engineering that converted several '79-81 Trans Ams. This article from Motor Trend in 1979 shows a TA....with the same wire wheels which makes me wonder if the wheels were an NCE addition?? (Still can't tell what brand they are tho'..)I also wonder if the Mason Dixon TA survived at all after it's short lived screen moments... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HossC Posted February 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 I should have re-read my original post. I posted a link to a site about the NCE convertibles (to save you going back, it's here), and about 1/3 of the way down the page is a piece about car #2 of 250. The site claims that this may be the car that featured in the Motor Trend article that MaryAnne posted:When it was listed on ebay it was said to come with "the original Zenith wire wheels". A quick Google image search suggests they may well be Zenith wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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