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Scott68B
Scott Costanzo
Columbus, Ohio
(561 posts)

Registered:
10/25/2007 11:30AM

Main British Car:
1968 MGB GM 5.3 LS4 V8

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Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: Scott68B
Date: October 16, 2015 01:26PM

I was playing on YouTube and came across this. Haven't seen it in a long time. I thought it was really cool when I saw it the first time and I still do!




BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

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Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: October 16, 2015 03:37PM

You sure couldn't do that today. Too much traffic.
Notice how the Charger always lands front first but the Mustang lands balanced? Car? Or driver? Steve was pretty good.
Also, anybody else see the charger drive off into the background on the left of the explosion?

Jim


Scott68B
Scott Costanzo
Columbus, Ohio
(561 posts)

Registered:
10/25/2007 11:30AM

Main British Car:
1968 MGB GM 5.3 LS4 V8

authors avatar
Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: Scott68B
Date: October 16, 2015 04:10PM

Jim,

It seems that a lot is going on in the background during the filming and editing of that scene. The Mustangs do appear to handle much better but according to Wikipedia (if you trust the info) the Charger's were much more powerful than the Mustangs.

[en.wikipedia.org]

Also, and this is discussed in the link above, it seems that the explosion was tripped too early during the filming and the editors used some tricks to fix it.

The hitmen in the Charger look delightfully evil, don't you think? :)


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

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Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: October 16, 2015 06:43PM

I was a huge Steve McQueen fan in the 60s & 70s. Plus, he raced motorcycles as well as cars.


kstevusa
kelly stevenson
Southern Middle Tennessee
(985 posts)

Registered:
10/25/2007 09:37AM

Main British Car:
2003 Jaguar XK8 Coupe 4.2L DOHC/ VVT / 6sp. AT

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Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: kstevusa
Date: October 16, 2015 07:01PM

It did not appear Bullitt Mustang had LSD due to the "one legged burn marks" ,but cornered well as in FLAT. Kinda missed the cranking sequence where the Mopar starter did its thing :-) . Seems now the gear reduction stater is a desired option, but one could all ways tell a Mopar by the starter sound. The Flathead Fords were distinct as were the GMC V6 truck engine. Don't divulge your age!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/2015 07:03PM by kstevusa.


RMO 699F
Mike Maloney
SW Ohio
(531 posts)

Registered:
12/09/2007 12:28PM

Main British Car:
1974 MGB Sebring GT, 3.9 Rover V8

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Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: RMO 699F
Date: October 16, 2015 07:09PM

I was in the theatre in 1968 when that movie first came out..never got over it. The plot of the movie is kind of hard to follow and it seems I see something new in the plot every time I see it...basically the viewer can kind of interpret it as he so desires...chuckle..There is an interesting back story....the movie was based upon a series of books written by Robert Pike (also wrote under pen name Robert Fish) about a San Francisco detective named Reardon...I believe that was the name of the first book..McQueen wanted more pizzazz in the central character name so they called him Frank Bullitt...also interesting is Pike had never before written a book in his life...he was a plant manager in Akron, Ohio for a major tire company...he was transferred to Brazil to build and run a new tire plant...construction was virtually at a halt for over a year due to heavy rains so he penned the Reardon series as he had virtually nothing else to do...remember, you heard it here first...grin...Also, the same green VW bettle appears in virtually every street scene...and of course, after watching the hub caps fly off the black Charger during the chase scene, both drivers side hub caps are on the car in the final fiery crash scene...


RMO 699F
Mike Maloney
SW Ohio
(531 posts)

Registered:
12/09/2007 12:28PM

Main British Car:
1974 MGB Sebring GT, 3.9 Rover V8

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Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: RMO 699F
Date: October 16, 2015 07:19PM

One other thing, the driver of the black charger was actually a stuntman by the name of Bill Hickman....he was a close friend of McQueen and before that taught James Dean how to drive...he was behind Dean in the station wagon with a trailer for the 550 Porsche the day Dean crashed and died....I always thought that Hickman and the white haired shotgun toting killer were two of the best cast members in the the movie..


Scott68B
Scott Costanzo
Columbus, Ohio
(561 posts)

Registered:
10/25/2007 11:30AM

Main British Car:
1968 MGB GM 5.3 LS4 V8

authors avatar
Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: Scott68B
Date: October 16, 2015 08:06PM

Quote:
I always thought that Hickman and the white haired shotgun toting killer were two of the best cast members in the the movie.

Me too Mike. I like when he puts the seat belt on just before the chase. I was reading that he drove the car in the French Connection chase scene too. Sounds like an interesting character.


TR6-6SPD
Ken Hiebert
Toronto Ontario
(255 posts)

Registered:
04/23/2008 11:43AM

Main British Car:
1972 TR6 1994 5.7 L GM LT1

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Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: TR6-6SPD
Date: October 17, 2015 02:05AM

For our generation, it's got to be the most loved chase scene.
I still get a chill up my spine watching it, mostly at the point when they put the hammer down.
Before YouTube came along, I had a VHS tape with just that segment recorded.
If I was a serious car collector, some sort of a copy of the Mustang would be in it.
Of course, the internet is a source for all the information you want on the chase including google maps for the route.
Timeless.


HealeyRick
Rick Neville

(489 posts)

Registered:
12/19/2007 05:01PM

Main British Car:
1963 Austin-Healey 3000 Ford 5.0L

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Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: HealeyRick
Date: October 17, 2015 12:52PM

I always think that people who didn't get to see it on the big screen missed the impact of the chase scene. You could feel your stomach drop cresting the hills. Went to see it with a buddy who drove his 68 Dodge R/T and decided he wanted to do his best to reenact the movie afterwards. At least we didn't go up in a ball of flame.

Cool story, the Bullitt Healey still exists. Here it is in the movie:

http://i62.tinypic.com/2lwbq0.jpg

http://i60.tinypic.com/2isfw9k.jpg

Here's what it looks like now:

http://i60.tinypic.com/218qow.jpg

Here's the story:
[stevesaustinhealey.com]

And take a look at Steve Thomton's beautiful build:

[stevesaustinhealey.com]


roverman
Art Gertz
Winchester, CA.
(3188 posts)

Registered:
04/24/2009 11:02AM

Main British Car:
74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L

Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: roverman
Date: October 19, 2015 04:27PM

I like "Gone in 60 Seconds", for runner-up.


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

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Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: October 19, 2015 08:38PM

Which one, the original?


roverman
Art Gertz
Winchester, CA.
(3188 posts)

Registered:
04/24/2009 11:02AM

Main British Car:
74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L

Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: roverman
Date: October 20, 2015 06:27PM

I'm Old School-yes


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: October 21, 2015 09:05AM

I knew that. ;) Guess I am, too. I saw the original "Gone in 60 Seconds" at the movie theater when it fist came out.


tbo
Tim Body
St Thomas Ontario
(221 posts)

Registered:
01/27/2013 06:47PM

Main British Car:
1954 Triumph TR2 stock 2 litre

Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: tbo
Date: October 21, 2015 10:05PM

Hey Carl . I used to be good friends with an English guy who workde in a mortercycle shop in England. One day his boss said Steve Mcqueen had phoned and orderd a bike to ride around on the set of The Great Escape that they were making at the time. They put the bike together just the way McQueen wanted it and when it was done my friend was given the job of riding it out to the location where they were filming.So he did that and got to meet Steve McQuenn and spent a good half hour or so talking bikes with the famous actor. He said the actor really knew his bikes and as we know he could ride them.My friend said it was a great experience.Its a nice story to tell once in a while,,hope you enjoyed it .Tim


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: October 22, 2015 08:37AM

Great story, thanks!


lawnvett
PJ Lenihan
Winston-Salem, NC
(477 posts)

Registered:
04/29/2009 11:37AM

Main British Car:
74 MGB-GT 3.4 V-6 crate, 5 spd

Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: lawnvett
Date: November 12, 2015 09:46AM

At the end of the Rally to Reno we drove much of the chase scene route led by some local San Fran MG owners Club members. It's not a continuos route; a bit here another bit there then some more a few miles away
lombard st sfo.jpg


RMO 699F
Mike Maloney
SW Ohio
(531 posts)

Registered:
12/09/2007 12:28PM

Main British Car:
1974 MGB Sebring GT, 3.9 Rover V8

authors avatar
Re: Bullitt Chase Scene
Posted by: RMO 699F
Date: November 12, 2015 10:22AM

Very interesting PJ


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