If you had dinosaur ranch on a remote island what vehicle would you use to get around? The Jeep Wrangler was Universal's answer as to the vehicle of choice for Jurassic Park's staff transportation. You know, the Jeep is perfect for getting up and down through terrain, transporting stolen embryos and running from dinosaurs. At least that was the case for the Wranglers in the film.
Base Jeep
The base vehicle for Jurassic Park Jeeps were 1992 Jeep Wranglers (YJ). The Jeeps were the "Sahara" trim level which included a few exterior extras such as alloyed wheels, colored fender flares, step board and front bumper mounted fog lamps. Interior options were special trail-cloth seats and removable doors with pockets. All 1992 Saharas came with the 4.0 liter 6 cylinder standard.* All the Jeeps used in the film appear to have manual transmissions. However automatic transmissions magically appear from time to time (kinda like how the General Lee switches back and forth through the Dukes of Hazzard series).*
Jeep 18
Jurassic Park Jeep
What makes the JP Jeeps special? Well let's start with the paint scheme and graphics. The paint scheme consists of a Sand Beige Poly background with two red diagonal stripes through the body.* Each Jeep is numbered on hood, on the side and on front/back license plates.* There is also a id tag hanging from the rear-view mirror. The park logo is on the doors. The windshield frame is red with light bar hoop on top. However from my research only Jeep number 12 features lights on the light bar (maybe removable?). Don't shoot me down with hate mail if I'm wrong. The rear tail lights lights have additional amber lights on the top. The wheels are alloy, however they're painted red to match the stripes. All of the JP Jeeps are equip with winches and ride on BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A tires.
Jeep 29: Very little screen time for this Jeep.
Jeep 10: Note the missing top. Used in the scene where they escape from the T-Rex. Later used to escape to the chopper.
Jeep 12: Used to by Dennis Nedry in attempt to escape the ranch with stolen embryos.
Jeep 12: Can Dennis not drive? Note the Lightbar.
Jeep 12: Final scene for Jeep 12, Dennis is killed by a Dilophosaurus.
Final Thoughts
Above is a clip from our favorite scene from the movie. In this scene the visitors are being chased by the a T-Rex. For comic relief the camera pans to the side rear view mirror. On the mirror you can see a warning label that says "Objects In Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear." The T-Rex in the mirror is looking a little too close for comfort. I still crack up when I see this scene. The Jurassic Park Jeeps are pretty neat. I think it would be a fairly easy movie car to clone. However it may not be one of the easier base vehicles to find. But they're around. If you're interested in creating one of your own, the guys at JurassicParkJeep.com forums maybe able to help ya out. It looks like a great community. Till next time, drive safe and watch out for dinos! Don't forget to register and chat with us in the forums!
* Updated: 03/05/2010 with some great info from the guys at JurassicParkJeep.com
Meet the FireBreather, a custom 2010 Chevrolet Camaro built for the up coming film Jinn. This hero car was built for Exodus Pictures by Classic Design Concepts of Novi, Michigan. The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS was used as the base car. As you see there is a wealth of body mods on the car. The front nose, styling lines and graphics look like they pay tribute to Pontiac Trans Am. Note the four headlight setup and grill design. The car features a black and red color scheme with custom wheels. The wheels have the FireBreather graphics on the center caps. Performance mods include Elbach springs and Pirelli PZero Rosso tires. In addition to the movie production cars, there will be 50 cars released for sale. Pricing will start around $60,000.
Above is another interesting vehicle from the movie hit, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Lightning Thief. Not sure of the year at the moment. But it is a Maserati 4200 GT. This car may be one of the most expensive cars seen on this site yet. The base price of a Maserati 4200 GT is around $110,000 US Dollars. But why use a Maserati for this movie?
Well some believe it maybe due to the fact the Maserati emblem is a Trident. The Trident is a three pronged spear once used in fishing and as a weapon in combat. The Trident is also the symbol for the Greek God Poseidon, God of the Sea. According to the story of Percy Jackson, Percy is the son of Poseidon. Now that makes a little more sense. Otherwise any other available vehicle would have been fine. But why not do it with style?
Spoiler Alert Below!
The car is first spotted in the The Lotus Casino scene. The car is on display for patrons to enjoy. Percy Jackson and friends later use the car to escape the evil around them and continue on their quest. They jump into the car and run it through the casino and out the front glass doors. The crash through the glass reminded me of the first scene of Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) where Kip Raines steals the Porsche. You can see the video below.
Final Thoughts
It's a very interesting and exotic car. I like the styling. However it's not a car you would send your kids out in. But it makes for an interesting story in the movie. The Greek mythology tie in with the Maserati emblem is well thought out! Very Clever! Don't forget to check out our previous entry on Percy Jackson. It's about the 1966 Ford F-100 used in other parts of the film. Tell next time, keep your seas calm while we work on the next On Screen Cars post!
OnScreenCars.com is proud to present our newest segment on our blog "Fan Created Rides." In commemoration of this event we're presenting the ECTO-1X. This custom 2008 Chevrolet HHR was modeled after the 1959 Cadillac Ambulance featured in the Ghostbusters movies. Jason Rawley of Fireblade Comics came up with the concept after seeing the HHR for the first time. He had intentions of designing a concept based on the PT Cruiser, but he quickly decided that the HHR was much better suited as a platform for the ECTO-1X. Jason also had help from his fellow Tampa Bay Ghostbusters group members. After months of planning and design, him and his crew built/constructed the modification.
The Rack
The modification includes a rack (much like the one on the original ECTOs). The rack is constructed out of PVC pipe mounted on a plastic board. It appears to be removable and very durable. Most of the contents of the rack are pieces of recycled office and home entertainment equipment, aka Ghostbusting Gear. Jason has included the key components of good Ghostbusting, a sniffer/binocs unit, a radome, directional antenna, etc. Note this stuff is very technical and are highly specialized pieces of equipment. Alright, all jokes aside. The light bar across the top is a great choice. He notes that it's held on by magnets, plugs into the cigarette lighter and has 30 different flash patterns. The light bar flashes amber, so he doesn't have to worry about getting in trouble with local law enforcement.
Graphics and Placement
Jason and his team did a great job with the graphics and placement. He spent months designing the layout and placement of all the graphics. In the first version of the design, you can see the caution strips running along side the bottom near the rocker panels. Later he revised design by moving the middle set of strips to the top. The revised version also has little reflectors on the bumper uprights as well. Of course to make it official, Jason put the famous "NO-GHOST" logo on the front doors and rear hatch.
Final Thoughts
I would love to own something like this. I think it's completely retro and new. Thumbs up to Jason and the team at Fireblade Comics and Tampa Bay Ghostbusters. Hope to see more from you guys in the future. May you inspire a whole new generation of Ghostbusters fans where ever you go! I think it would be really cool to see more modern retros of old tv and movie cars. This design is very clean and slick! This is the first of many Fan Created Rides here at OnScreenCars.com If you've got a Fan Created Ride pop over to our forums, register and tell us all about it! You're car might be the next to appear on our blog at OnScreenCars.com! See ya next time!
