Smokey & the Bandit Trivia

[veritech-z]

There's only ONE trilogy, and it doesn't have any hobbits in it....

"you sounded taller on the radio..."

[TomoHawk]

Trilogy...

1- Smokey & the Bandit

2- Smokey & the Bandit II

3- Sroker Ace?

[veritech-z]

Wasn't there a third Smokey? Actually, that was a reference to Clerks II when one of the cashiers gets into an argument with some kids that are obsessed with Lord of the Rings, while he is an old school Star Wars nerd. Really funny scene, only mildly relevant to the topic at hand.

Here is a link to the video, but watch out for the language (it's pretty bad at the end there....)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewr5Ady6Wow

-quick trip to www.imdb.com turned up this:

[TomoHawk]

Maybe I'll look into that Bandit III thing someday.

On the part ofthe original question, if you've ever seen the movie, the beginning has a song about the Bandit that says he was some kind of an extraordinary truck driver.

So I think that's the answer, but there are no details about what extraordinary things he did.

thx

[daddz]

As a sidebar there ar eplans to have a Smokey and the Bandit run this May which will end at Year One's facility in Ga. Burt Reynolds has signed on to consult with regard to amking Trans Am copies if you can believe that.

BTW,

There was a third installment and it was released to an unsuspecting public in 1983.

Here's a link to the event:

http://www.motortopia.com/groups/view/id/210/i/bandit_run

The Star Wars stuff actually relates to this thread because both films are nearing their 30th anniversaries. For all of us old enough to remember the questions is:

What were you doing in May of 1977 when these films came out? Driving or owning a Z? I was not old enough to drive so I was driven to the movie theater by my dad in the black and gold '76 Mustang Cobra II. The 280Z wouldn't arrive in the driveway until February of 1978.

Here's a pic of that horrible Mustang (at least his had the 302 and a 4 speed) for anyone that remembers these cars:

[daddz]

Just to be fair here is the Trans Am:

In comparing the Mustang and the T/A you could guess what was happening? A lot of tape stripes to cover up the lack of HP under the hood.

[veritech-z]

In one of the Bandit movies, isn't he actually RACING big rigs in the beginning? So Tomohawk, you didn't actually know the answer? I was kind of hoping that somebody would post the big reveal...

Here's some local to me trivia about smokey and the bandit...anybody out there familiar with XAT performance? They built an S13 240sx hatchback with a Bandit style front clip, right down to the gold snowflakes...I think it looks a bit goofy, but it takes all kinds, right?

[TomoHawk]

A lot of tape stripes to cover up the lack of HP under the hood.

No way! The stripes on the Mustang (which had a V-8 under the hood) was to mimic the Shelby cars. The Mustang II was a great car for the time, and there are Mustang II clubs all over.

[daddz]

The old Cobra II with a V8 only made 139hp and the torque value was I about 180 lb/ft. which is similar to the 280Z at 149bhp and

170lb/ft. The Trans Am with "the standard (RPO L78) Pontiac 400 (engine code XA ) was mostly carryover from '76, producing 180hp @ 3600 rpm and 325 lb/ft of torque at 1600 rpm".

Pretty interesting when you think about it. This might explain why there were alot of wild stories from the '70's concerning instances when Z cars were able to win stop light grand prixs against Corvettes and the like. I heard alot of these urban myths while growing up and now I know why.

Here's a good link to the Trans Am specs.

http://www.iwaynet.net/~gl&lisk/1977ta.html

[TomoHawk]

veritech-

No, I didn't knowthe answer. I though that maybe somebody read the book (if there is one) and knew the answer. Usually books give more details that aren't included in the movie.

FYI: Did you know Burt Reynolds is 1/2 Cherokee? His mom was full-blooded Cherokee (from a reservation and everything.)

Also, after Bandit picks up the girl, and after she changes clothes, she says, "Did you know we're going 110? We're going 110! And then they have a shot of the speedometer ( from a crazy angle so you can barely see it. The needle really was on 110 (kmh) or 70 MPH. I don't think you could actually go 110MPH on those limited-access highways. Remember, it was the mid-1970s and the push to convert to metric was on, and the inflated numbers added to the drama.

Just before they left Cledus's house, Bandit tells Cledus to "Keep it wound up to a round 90" or about 80MPH which was is more believeable, but I'm still wondering how that big rig could make those sharp turns I saw at 80 MPH:surprised

thx

[daddz]

I like the part where Cledus loses a bar fight and then drives over the motorcycles in the parking lot while the gas station attendant days" far out".

There are so many great one liners in that movie and Jackie Gleason is defninitely at this prime.

[TomoHawk]

Jackie Gleason was given credit for inventing the phrase "Sum-bitch," but I also heard him say "sum-a-bitch" once ( furneral procession scene.)

once

Except for Star Wars, Smokie & the Bandit was the highest-grossing movie that year ($200 Million) and the most almost wasn't made because the film company didn'tlike it ( just another car chase movie.)

the theme behind the Bandit III movie was a bet that Sheriff Justice couldn't ferry a giant stuffed fish from Miami to Big & Little Enos's ranch in TX in so many hours.

It looks like this movie will air!

Sun. Feb. 18 10:30pm CMTV

Mon. Feb. 19 8:00pm CMTV