Two Lane Blacktop, COUPE Where is it now?

This car?

 

man,,i remeber seeing the car there,but had no clue it was BIG WILLIE's

what a trip!

much respect for BIG WILLIE!

 

The thread starter here, Gary, has known Willie for a long time, he was a club member, a huge fan of his since childhood and a true friend. Willie needed money to try to re-open Brotherhood Raceway, so he agreed to sell the car to Gary and only Gary, although I'm sure there was a looooooong list of people who would have given up there first born for the car. Gary dug the car out of Willie's backyard in 2004. Gary sold the car last year for $250K, and from what I understand is being restored to proper 'street race' trim, as it should be. Probably one of my all time favorite cars, with a real wicked history behind it.

 

Sorry for this thread turning into a Daytona thread, but good luck finding the coupe Gary!

 

Heres a cool read...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=131898&showall=1

 

The song is "Moonlight Drive" by "The Doors"". The movie may be low buck but it ranks high in my car movie collection!

 

Yes that is it...........

 

Anyone check the movie credits to see the guys name? It was a low budget movie so I wouldn't be surprised if the guy in the movie was the owner of the car.

 

The credits list Rudy Wurlitzer as the hot rod driver. He appears to have been a bit actor and later a director in a few films. I don't think he was the owner of the coupe. Also, it appears as though only a very small portion of the film was done in California. Most of the shooting appears to have been done in New Mexico and Arizona. Which makes sence considering the small budget of the film. A possible search of the history of the car would be there.

 

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I thought you guys might want to see the Coupe now.

The owner of it is a neighbor of mine ( in Santa Fe) and has owned the car since the movie. At the time of the movie it was a solid 10 second car. He drove the car in the movie and was told not to beat the 55 ( I don't know if it was faster or not). I always thought it was a 32 because that is what they called it, but it appears to be a 31 with a 34 chevy grill.
He also owns a cool 32-33 ? chevy truck from the movie that is unchanged. I am working on getting pictures of this.

The 31 has been repainted, new interior, chrome wheels, and tweed interior. I don't believe he would want to sell it nor change it back to what it was.
There has been many assumptions about this car,
I hope this sheds some light on the story. I will try and get some more info from him.






you can see his chevy truck in this shot

 

The HAMB rules!

I am sure the majority opinion of fellow HAMBer's (including me) is that the car looked better back in the movie. But it is cool that the same guy owns the car years later. Looks like he's has a nice early Vette there too.

Mike

 

Wow!!!!

 

Very cool car, wheels... not so much! Nice to see it is still around however.

 

Thank gosh all it got was ugly wheels! Glad it survives though.

 

Wow very cool info on the car and nice pictures of how it looks currently

 

when I read there was new wheels, I was not expecting to see dubs..

 

So where do i sign the petition to put it back how it was..

 

+1:d

 

Me too.

 

I would sign my John Hancock!

 

I thought the same thing when they called it a '32 in the movie...
I couldn't really make out the grill...
I also wondered how a big block in a 2000 lb car could get so spanked by a '55...then I remembered it was Hollywood!

Oh, yeah...and somebody please, PLEASE for the love of all that is sacred, and good in this world....save that poor coupe from the shame-riddled burden of those wheels!

I see that while I was typing, a small, but organized, anti-dub movement has formed!
I'll sign, too!

 

i had to edit, its his not mine but i will pitch 100 bucks towards a set of cool wheels

 

Remember guys....regardless of how FUCKING GAY those wheels are....its his car, not ours.

 

awsome thread Big Willie is a folk law legend worldwide.

I had heard of him in the back streets of south london in the 70,s....

 

Should have sold it to someone who was going to keep the way it was. Then built another car with 22 in wheels. I know its his car, but!!!!!!!!!
That car helped spawn one of, if not the coolest lines from a movie. Good for him for still having it.

 

those wheels give me a headache...but it is his car...along with all of those others!

 

Yeah, it is his car and he can do anything he wants, but in most everyone here's opinion, those wheels still ruin the car!

 

In Feb. of 1970 a small group of NHRA Div. 1, including Brad Watkins, Wheatley Bros. and Tony Pizzi headed west for Pomona. The stopped in Phoenix where the Wheatleys ran GT 1 at the AHRA Winternationals. Jay drove the car and either beat, or was runner-up to Gary Kimball.

Some guy approached Jay in the pits and asked if he would like to work on a drag race movie. Jay said yes and they talked while the Wheatleys were at Pomona. The result of the talks was Jay getting a job as "Technical Advisor" in "Two Lane Blacktop". Jay's responsibility was to maintain the two 55's and drive in the race scenes. The one track scene was filmed at Bill Heilscher's track in Texas. Jay and Bill can be seen for a few seconds during the trace scene.

After Jay returned he took a job driving the 18 wheeler for James Taylor carrying all the stuff to concerts. Later he drove for Kenny Rogers. Sadly, Jay drowned in a boating accident about twenty years ago. He was a friend and lots of fun to be around.

 

Found this on the KC craigs list. Not a bad deal.

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/pts/914772948.html

 

Cool story....Not my choices of 'fixes' for the coupe, but would like to see more if the car...and maybe the truck?