Project Cars--You Get to Vote on "Hold 'em or Fold 'em"

25732 messages,  Last post on Jun 17, 2013 at 11:51 AM

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What is this discussion about? Classic Cars

#24467 of 25732 Re: Rat Rod? [toomanyfumes] by gsemike

Jun 24, 2012 (5:33 am)

Replying to: toomanyfumes (Jun 24, 2012 4:55 am)
I was wondering about the interior too. He's got the Alero dash but the beltline is so much higher from the truck. I wonder how you can see out at all

#24468 of 25732 . by fintail

Jun 24, 2012 (5:42 pm)

Had the old beast out today, first time in maybe 5 weeks. Started on the first turn of the key and ran pretty sweetly, as well as anyone can hope from an unrestored car of its age. The longer I have it, my enjoyment only grows:
 

 
Turned a few heads, too...I especially an old man who turned and watched me go by, probably not having seen such a car for 40 years.
 
It'll be going in next month to have the cooling system hiccup examined and hopefully fixed.

#24469 of 25732 Re: Rat Rod? [fintail] by lemko

Jun 25, 2012 (6:51 am)

Replying to: fintail (Jun 22, 2012 2:43 pm)

 
"Duel" exhaust.

#24470 of 25732 Re: Rat Rod? [lemko] by stickguy

Jun 25, 2012 (6:53 am)

Replying to: lemko (Jun 25, 2012 6:51 am)
that's the old Peterbuilt (Pretty sure there is a specific name for that style cab) from Duel (hence your quotes at the bottom).
 
Recreated at Disneyworld in the movie park.

#24471 of 25732 Re: Rat Rod? [stickguy] by andre1969

Jun 25, 2012 (7:17 am)

Replying to: stickguy (Jun 25, 2012 6:53 am)
that's the old Peterbuilt (Pretty sure there is a specific name for that style cab) from Duel (hence your quotes at the bottom).
 
I think that style of Peterbilt was called the "Needle-Nose", and made from 1955-61, or something like that.
 
IIRC, there were actually three trucks purchased for the movie "Duel". One of them was destroyed at the end of the movie. A second one was bought to use as a backup truck, but it kept stalling out and causing problems, so I don't think it actually got any screen time. That's the one that's still around, and shows up at shows and tours from time to time. It ended up on eBay once, a few years back. It was also in a movie called "Torque" or "Biker Boys" or something like that a few years back. It actually had a cameo chasing an orange-red Valiant! I think it also made a biker wipe out.
 
A third truck was bought a couple years later to shoot some additional scenes to pad the movie out to feature length. Originally "Duel" was a tv movie meant to fit into a 90-min time slot, including commercials, so it was only around 75 minutes long. It proved popular, and they wanted to release it in theaters, but had to shoot another 10-15 mins to puff it up to feature length. I think the extra scenes are where Dennis Weaver stops to help a school bus driver who overheated and the truck turns around and comes back, and the scene where he's at a railroad crossing and the truck suddenly comes up from behind and starts pushing him towards the train. And I think the scene at the gas station, towards the beginning, was lengthened as well.
 
I've heard that this second truck was blown up in the late 70's, in another movie.
 
There was yet another truck purchased for use in an episode of the Incredible Hulk called "Never give a Trucker an Even Break". This episode used a lot of stock footage from Duel, but they had to buy a truck, and a Valiant, to shoot some new scenes with Bill Bixby and the other characters. At some point in that episode, David Banner, a lady truck driver, AND one of the bad guys ends up driving the Valiant, so they had to put all three actors in a light blue shirt, as that's what Dennis Weaver wore in the original movie.
 
It's been a long time since I've seen it, but I think there was a Peterbilt Needle-Nose in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" for a brief moment at the end. It runs over one of the cannibals, in a scene that's quite graphic, even by today's standards. And I remember Leatherface hitting the driver's door of it with his chainsaw.

#24472 of 25732 Re: Rat Rod? [andre1969] by stickguy

Jun 25, 2012 (7:39 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jun 25, 2012 7:17 am)
If old dennis had just let the (lady?) at the gas station put on the new fan belt, he might have gotten away with his car and briefcase!

#24473 of 25732 Re: Rat Rod? [stickguy] by andre1969

Jun 25, 2012 (8:22 am)

Replying to: stickguy (Jun 25, 2012 7:39 am)
Yeah, it was a lady. Lucille Benson. "Take a look at mah snakes, if ya have time!" There was a run-down '58 Plymouth parked behind her gas station...
 

 
Good Lord, I watch too much tv!
 
BTW, here's the Texas Chainsaw Massacre truck...

 
IMCDB lists the Duel truck as a Peterbilt 281 and the Texas Chainsaw truck as a Peterbilt 351. I'm not truck-savvy enough to know what the differences are. When I was a kid, I always thought the Duel truck was an Autocar!
 
Some Autocar trucks did have a strong resemblance to the Duel truck...

 
Apparently this one is from a Charles Bronson movie called "Messenger of Death". Never heard of it before, but after seeing that truck, I'm kinda curious now.

#24474 of 25732 Re: Rat Rod? [andre1969] by stickguy

Jun 25, 2012 (7:58 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jun 25, 2012 8:22 am)
same picture both times. And looks like a '59(?) Caddy next to the plymouth.
 
and usually with trucks, at least with the IHs that I spent a lot of time with, they looked the same and the numbers related to the engine or chassis parts.

#24475 of 25732 Re: Rat Rod? [stickguy] by andre1969

Jun 25, 2012 (8:23 am)

Replying to: stickguy (Jun 25, 2012 7:58 am)
Oops...just went back and fixed it, so the Texas Chainsaw truck should show up now.

#24476 of 25732 Re: Rat Rod? [andre1969] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jun 25, 2012 (8:51 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jun 25, 2012 8:23 am)
Mr. Peterman, a lumber baron of sorts, purchased Fageol Motors of Oakland, California, a truck builder, in 1938, and started making his own trucks for the public in 1939.
 
So the first Peterbilts are pretty much Fageols.
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