Are you getting as excited as I am about Barrett Jackson New Orleans 2023? This will be the first ever Barrett Jackson in New Orleans. The show starts next week on Thursday the 28th and runs through Saturday 30th. As always they'll have a live stream running of all the hot bidding action. If you happen to miss the show, don't worry it will be up on YouTube later in the coming weeks. I just finished going through the docket and we are in for a treat folks. Below are our movie and tv car related picks from the upcoming show.
Our first pick is a very nice example of a 1980 SE Trans Am. Very much like the one Burt Reynolds drove in Smokey and the Bandit Part II. Complete with a 301 turbocharged V8 under the hood. According to the listing, this car has under went a complete comprehensive restoration. The real question is does it come with a Frog? *wink*
Our next pick is a 1967 Shelby GT500 Eleanor Tribute car. Note this car is not an original screen used car. However it is a licensed replica. It features panels built by Cinema Movie Services. If you recall they're the original builders of the screen used cars. Under the hood a beafy Ford FE 429 V8 backed up by a 4-speed toploader transmission. With a 9 inch Ford rear-end sending all that power to the ground. There are several other Eleanor tributes or replicas going on the block this show. This one is our favorite.
Last but certainly not least is a 1967 Cobra Re-Creation. I'm curious to see how this one goes. Factory built Shelby's bring a ton of money. This is a recreation, but built with Shelby parts. It should do well. A lovely looking build. You may remember our article from years ago about the Shelby Cobra body and frame that came up for sale on the Sharks and Cobras episode of Pawn Stars.
You got your ears on good buddy? Come on back. We're starting up a new series here on the site. Let me introduce you to "Proper Prop." A series about props and components of famous On Screen Cars. This week we're talking about the CB radio used in the hero car in movie Smokey and the Bandit. CB radio used through out the film for the drivers to communicate with each other. CB Radio was all rage in the 1970's. Everyone had one in their car or truck. Some vehicle manufactures even offered factory equipped OEM radios. Today with all the other forms of modern communication the CB radio has fallen out of favor. However truckers still use and rely on them. But what about the prop from the film?
There are actually two devices found under the dash of the famous Trans Am. On top is a 4 channel police scanner. But that's a subject for another post. Today we're focused on the Pace CB-166 unit under it. This radio was manufactured by Pathcom under the brand name Pace during the mid-70s. There are two versions of this radio. The only major difference between them is the number of channels. Early models being 23 channel and later being 40 channel models. The FCC was in the process of extending the CB radio band from 23 to 40 channels around the time of the film. You can hear Bandit and Snowman talk about jumping from channel to channel early in the film. They never reference a channel higher than 23 for this reason. Which leads me to believe the one in the car is a 23 channel model. Having a wild spectrum of channels on a CB at the time was a little bit of a luxury. Cheaper models usually only had a few channels that were "programmed" by changing out electronic component crystals.
I haven't been able to find an original price for this radio. However some pictures suggest it retailed for over $100 dollars new. Due to the popularity of the film, these radios fetch a premium on the collector market. I found one on an eBay auction listed for nearly $2000! Good luck finding one cheap for your T/A SE project car. The unit in the picture above is stated to be from Burt Reynold's estate. It was listed and sold at auction with the scanner for $25,000 dollars. Do you already have a Pace CB-166? Maybe you're an electronics geek like me. Well you're in luck. The fine folks over at CBTricks.com have posted the manual for this thing. It blew me away how much detail Pathcom put into the shop manual. Detail of all of the printed circuit boards are in manual with a complete listing of every component. Check it out! Tell next time keep the greasy side down!
Just received word from car designer Kevin Morgan that his personal 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Custom Trans Am (#0008) is now up on eBay! If you're not up to speed on Kevin's designs please refer to our previous post about them. They are out of this world! Kevin had the vision of bringing back the Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am we know and all love. But as you may know Pontiac has been shutdown. But who says you can't make a Trans Am out of a Camaro? Trans Am Depot has been doing these Kevin Morgan conversions for quite sometime. You can either buy a late model Camaro and get in line or get this car today. Check out the details below.
Custom "Turned Aluminum" Dash and Door Panel Inserts
Own a piece of history! Those of you who recognize the origin of the iconic snowflake wheel, shaker scoop and TA 6.6 insignia, no doubt remember what started it all.. Smokey and the Bandit. Who knew in 1977, the year the movie Smoky and the Bandit released, that a five year old boy entering the first grade in Canton, PA would one day provide the inspiration to keep the Trans Am namesake alive. Now, 35yr. later, the once first grader is chief designer for Trans Am Depot, makers of the exclusively licensed 2012 Trans Am. The team of Morgan and the Depot have also released a 2012 GTO, 69 style Trans Am, '70 442 and many other of the hottest retro muscle cars to prowl the American streets in recent memory. These and other Morgan designs have been featured on Discovery Channels American Choppers, Hot Rod, High Performance Pontiac, Pontiac Enthusiasts and more.
Now, you can own one of designer, Kevin Morgans 2010 Trans Ams from his personal collection. Morgan is releasing car #8 to the public. This is only the second time that a new styled and licensed Trans Am has made it to the secondary market. The first one sold in excess of $115k. There is currently a two month waiting list just to get on the schedule to have one of these cars built. Spring is muscle car weather and you dont want to miss this years opportunity to show and shine. As the saying goes. Enjoy life, you only live once.
I can't think of a better song or video to describe growing up in the '70s and '80s. Mark Willis talks about a number of things throughout the song. Everything from peeling stickers off his Rubrix Cube to his parent's first microwave. I was a child of the '80s and '90s, but I'm well aware of the references! But let's not get too side tracked, what about the cars in the song and video?
The first part of the video shows Mark driving a clone of the General Lee, a 1969 Dodge Charger from Dukes of Hazzard. The song references the show, by saying Daisy Duke was his first love. Later the song talks about another classic auto from Smokey and the Bandit, 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. The lyrics from the song hint "...black trans ams..." In the video there are a few kids hanging out some where, sitting on a parked Bandit Edition Trans Am. The car is later seen in the video along side the General Lee.
That's all for now. Enjoy the video. Don't forget to checkout our store for some great stuff from Dukes of Hazzard and Smokey and the Bandit. You might even find a Mark Wills album too! For those who would like to read the lyrics, see our reference information below!
The March 2010 cover of Hot Rod Magazine features an exciting concept vehicle inspired by the movie Smokey and the Bandit. It's creator Kevin Morgan came up with the concept nearly as soon as the 5th Generation Camaro concept was introduced. He started out drawing up some Trans Am concepts based off the Camaro. He presented and sold prints at car shows and they became an instant success. His first big break came when he displayed and sold the prints at the 2007 Bandit Run event.
At the Bandit Run event, Kevin caught the attention of legendary car designer Chip Foose. He also got an interview with the producers from the DIY Network (Do It Yourself Network). DIY did a special about the Burt Reynolds, Year One Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am. Kevin got to be part of the show! Later at the Bandit Run, he made contacts with the editors of Hot Rod Magazine at the Bandit Run dinner. He describes the experience that day, like being on "Cloud Nine". This event followed by a chain of other events later, lead to the production of the Kevin Morgan Concept Trans Am.
Concept Car
In 2009 the first car was built out of collaboration between Kevin Morgan Designs and Otto Body. The car is referred as the "Phoenix." The Phoenix was on display by the group at the 2009 SEMA show in Las Vegas, NV. An official announcement has been made by Trans Am Depot and Otto Body that cars will be available for sale. However no word has been said about an official conversion kit. But the parts included in the covered product are listed on their website. I would imagine there is a lengthy waiting list for these cars.
Features [from Otto Body's Website]
Exterior
1' - 1.5' Lowering Kit w/sway bar handling upgrade
Wheels & Tires
Front: 20x9.5x120 CB-66.9 Gold or Silver Machined Face Snowflake Wheels. PIRELLI PZERO 275/45ZR20
Rear: 20x11.5x120 CB-66.9 Gold or Silver Machined Face Snowflake Wheels. PIRELLI PZERO 305/35ZR20
Hood
Shaker Scoop
Fender Extractors
Exhaust Conversion w/ splitter tips
Rear Fascia Clip w/tail lamp lenses and bulbs
Rear Spoiler
TA Graphic Package
Interior
Embroidered Head Rest and Console Lid - KM Graphic Punch
Turned Aluminum Door Panel
Turned Aluminum Dash Inserts
Turned Aluminum Instrument Cluster
Door Panel Badges
T/A SN Badge and Designation
Check out our Store for some great Smokey and the Bandit stuff!
Final Thoughts
What does this mean for Smokey and the Bandit fans? Well there may not be another Smokey and the Bandit movie coming out. But here's an opportunity to own a cool retro version of the movie car. Using the modern F-Body platform, the Kevin Morgan Trans Am Concept gives owners a blend of modern automotive technology with classic Trans Am styling. It will also excite a new generation of Smokey and the Bandit fans. Who knows it might even persuade GM to bring back the Trans Am. I wouldn't mind seeing a "Chevrolet Phoenix." What ever happens, let it be known it all started with our friend Kevin Morgan! Here's to you Kevin, from all of us at OnScreenCars.com! Till next time, "keep the pedal to the metal." We're working on the next On Screen Cars post! 10-4 Good Buddy!
