In the words of Arnold Jackson you might be saying, "What you talk'n about Willis, there wasn't a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am on Diff'erent Strokes!" Believe it or not, yes there was! During a special two part episode in Season 6. Phillip and the boys travel to Hollywood to try and win back his girlfriend, Maggie. While in Hollywood he sends Arnold and Willis to a tour a film/tv production set. The two wonder away from the tour group to find the set of Knight Rider.
As they reach the Knight Rider set, David Hasselhoff drives up in KITT. The security guard doesn't let the boys go any further. However that isn't enough to stop the determined duo from running onto the set. Arnold and Willis duck into a prop cop car and are about to be blown up. This is where the first part of the two part episode ends. Different Stroke fans had to wait till the following week to find out. However you can find the second part on YouTube.
Final Thoughts
Many '80s television shows had cross-over episodes like this one from time to time. Shows on the same network would have characters from other shows pop-up on a regular bases. It seems like you don't see this quality on newer shows. In this case Arnold and Willis show up on the set of Knight Rider. How else would two shows like Different Strokes and Knight Rider come together? I think that's part of the magic of an '80s tv show. We'll be sure to bring you more On Screen Cars action from the '80s and more! Stay tuned!
This weekend teen action movie Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief debuted. My wife and I, plus some friends went and saw it. It's a must see if you're into Greek Mythology or a fan of the book series. There was a lot of sword battles and action. Not to mention a fair amount of On Screen Cars! Today I wanted to share one of the car findings from the film. Be forewarned! The text below contains some spoilers for those who have not seen the movie! Don't say I didn't warn ya!
Spoiler Alert!
During the movie the main character, Percy Jackson and friends travel across country to collect items to aid them in their quest. The team uses different vehicles along the way. One of them being a red and white, 1966 Ford F100 Pickup Truck. The truck was used at first to help take out Medusa. Whom according to Greek Mythology has the ability to turn people to stone. The team later uses the truck to drive to Nashville, then Las Vegas. I don't want to give away too many details.
Again the truck is a 1966 Ford F100. Ford produced this body style between 1961 and 1966. This era is the 4th Generation of the Ford F-Series Pickup. The front grill designs vary from year to year. The unique 1966 grill makes it really easy to determine the year of the truck. Not to mention the Twin I-Beam emblem logo as well. The Twin I-Beam suspension was only available for this body style between 1965 and 1966. The wheels are after-market. It has the stance of a 4x4 truck. But I don't see any hub locks. The two tone, red and white combination looks great on these trucks.
Final Thoughts
If you follow the story line the truck was driven at least a 1000 miles across the country by non-experienced drivers without any problems. I'm not saying that isn't possible. But with a vehicle that old and a trip that long without a hitch is a merit in itself. When you're using well maintained equipment, I guess anything is possible. Till Next time! Keep on trucking and watch out for Greek Myths! We'll keep bringing more On Screen Cars!
Update: See one of the other cars from Percy Jackson, a Maserati 4200 GT!
Happy Valentines Day! In honor of Valentines Day, I thought I would share with you the original trailer for Herbie the Love Bug. Who's car love is bigger than Herbie the sweet little Volkswagen Beetle? I don't know how many times I watched this as a kid. I always liked Herbie and other little WV Beetles and Micro-buses. Anyways. Don't forget to check out our store or try on some OnScreenCars.com gear to help promote our site! We've got some Herbie the Love Bug stuff in the store as well! Have a great day. Watch the trailer and come back for more On Screen Cars! Show us some love!
Ahh the Mirth Mobile! The sky-blue 1976 AMC Pacer that belonged to Wayne and Garth in the movie Wayne's World. The movie that gave us hours of pop cultural phrases and references that would last through most of the late '80s and early '90s. Not! (just kid'n). The movie that taught us that being weird isn't a bad thing and that it doesn't matter what kinda car you drive. It just matters that you live to party! So party on guys, as we talk about the Mirth Mobile.
All About the Pacers
What was special about the Pacer? The Pacer is a Point A to Point B, basic transportation type car. AMC produced Pacers between 1975 and 1980. The no thrills base model only had about 90 horsepower. There was a V8 option for the Pacer, however due to the fuel crisis they were not in much demand. Let's face it the Pacer was built for fuel economy. Obviously the Pacer didn't make it long, due to its styling (bubble like), lack of power and low room for cargo or passengers.
Wayne's World AMC Pacer
What's special about Wayne and Garth's AMC Pacer? Well how many Pacers have you seen with a red licorice dispenser? In the first movie it shows Garth pulling a piece of string red licorice from a dispenser mounted on the head liner. Need a drink? No problem! Their Pacer had a full bar tap installed on the dash above the glove box. Need to jam down? At first the guys just had a in dash AM/FM Cassette Deck. But later in the movie they got their big break and Wayne splurged for a portable CD player with a cassette adapter. On the outside their Pacer wasn't just a regular run of the mill pacer either. It had mis-match wheels and tires. Not to mention a sweet little flame decal! Party On!
Final Thoughts
Next to Daisy Duke's 1980 AMC Golden Eagle Jeep CJ-7, the Mirth Mobile may be the most famous AMC featured in film or tv. If nothing else it wins the award for most famous AMC Pacer ever in film or tv! Being a child of the '80s and '90s, I don't know how many times I've watched Wayne's World. Not to mention how many times I sang the Wayne's World theme song. But I can tell ya that the Mirth Mobile wasn't high on my list of vehicles to own. Till next time, keep fighting for the right to party!
Do you ever wonder where Hollywood finds movie cars? The answer is in the view above. Most tv/movie cars are provided by companies like Cinema Vehicle Services. The video above features the company who provided the Gone In 60 Seconds, 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 aka Eleanor! They have also worked on a number of other production cars as well. They do a lot of custom work to provide world class quality autos for film and tv. However they also do everyday prop cars as well. Prop cars include everything from garbage trucks to police cruisers.
If you would like to learn more about their company, check them on the web at http://www.cinemavehicles.com/. You can also find out more about Fireball Tim, the movie car designer and host of the video at his site: http://www.fireballtim.com/. See ya next time!
