AirDave's Kool Wheelz Collection

[Vermin_King]

Holy smokes, that thing is complicated (and doesn't look that much like a cab)

That was an odd movie. Story-wise, I remember it being a much better story than the first. I liked the visuals, but it definitely isn't as memorable as the first. And I think I saw this one three times...

[airdave]

another one...

This is another model subject suggested to me, and one that I found very interesting.
Since I like Motorsports of all kinds, and I liked actor James Garner, I couldn't pass this up.

James Garner is probably most well known for his role as Jim Rockford in TVs The Rockford Files.
But he was a big time actor long before that, most notable in some well known Westerns.
He was Maverick!...long before (ahem) Mel Gibson came along.

Garner was also big into Auto Racing, and had plenty of experience as a Grand Prix driver.
He also starred in the hyper-realistic racing film Grand Prix in 1965...and many people don't know that Garner did a lot of driving in that film.
But in the 1970s he faced the problems of Insurance coverage for big budget film stars.
Companies would not insure Actors who took part in dangerous stunts or high risk sports and hobbies.
In Jim's case, it was specifically the Grand Prix and Road racing.

He managed to get around this problem by switching to Off-Road racing ...lol which nobody seemed to mind, including the Insurance companies.
And he had a car built (by off-road vehicle designer Vic Hickey) so he could compete in local California and Mexican Off-Road and Baja racing series.
The year before, Garner and actor Steve McQueen helped drive Hickey's "Baja Boot" race car in the inaugural Baja 500.

If you don't know who Vic Hickey is, trust me, you better read this: Vic Hickey – Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame – ORMHOF

So, this brand new (at that time) 1970 Oldsmobile 442, sat atop a modified tubular chassis with four wheel drive.
Originally a custom built aluminum 350cid V8, the motor was replaced with a stronger 410 cubic inch, producing 500 horsepower.
With sufficient ground clearance for off road use, the car was fitted with oversized Goodyear Grabber off-road tires.
And since the main sponsor was Goodyear...the Goodyear Grabber Olds was born.



Garner campaigned the Grabber Olds in the 1969 Mexican Norra 1000, placing second in class.
He also raced it five more times in two years before switching to a newer Banshee Olds 442 in 1972.
The Grabber 442 was rebuilt by Hickey and sold to Slick Gardner, who had a bad crash in it.
It was rebuilt by Hickey and sold to Jack and Mark Mendenhall who raced it until 1974.

After that, the car disappeared for thirty four years, before it was recovered and restored
...and raced again in 2010!

The Grabber Olds is available in the KoolWheelz Racerz section (of my website)

[gotham]

The Grabber lwooks great - downloaded and can't wait to build. Don't bother re-viewing the Judge Dredd film, oh dear it's not very good ( the new one is miles better - artistic violence).

[modelnutz7]

Hi Dave
As a fan of your models please could I ask you to re consider the City Cab?

It's a favourite of mine and would love to see a card model of It. Have been planning on doing one myself but would definitely need help.

Sincerely

Tom

BTW when are you going to release the Sentinel??

[gotham]

Just found this in t'internet

[airdave]

yeah, I kind of liked the new Judge Dredd film.
wasn't really much to it, other than the one big shootout,
but I thought it was intelligent and well done.

The original Judge Dredd was okay as a comic book interpretation, but it felt like 1980s leftovers.
Too much hair and makeup.
And at the time, I was not a fan of anything Stallone.
And the Judge's outfits were ridiculous. lol

......
City Cab? I don't understand.
A normal City Cab? you mean like a Checker? or a four door sedan? or a black London Cab?
Although, it doesn't matter...I really have no interest in Taxis.
Kind of reminds me of that movie Taxi...with Queenie Fatima.
What a pathetic waste of time that was.

But...I did like Jim Ignatowski and that whole bunch.
Oh...you just made me think of Elaine.
Now I have to go to youtube.


.........
Gotham...great. another johnnycab tee shirt design.
Do you know how many there are?!
lol ...and none of them are licensed!!

[airdave]

LOL my "Cab Fares"

[Don Boose]

Accidentally posted the images of my completed Metrokab in the wrong thread: http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/592654-post96.html

Don

[airdave]

Originally Posted by Don Boose

Accidentally posted the images of my completed Metrokab in the wrong thread: http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/592654-post96.html

Don

yes, and started a discussion about Blade Runner!! lol
The one thing I could never be mad about!

[airdave]

Continuing the August KoolWheelz Extravaganza....

the next model is the unique and hilarious Johnnycab from the 1990 movie Total Recall.

Total Recall was always a favorite Sci-Fi film of mine
...sure, its very 1980s...and quite cheesy and corny in spots.
Schwarzenegger does some of his best grimacing in this one.

But its also one of the last real sci-fi films...with real physical effects.
CGI had only just begun to take hold...in fact Total Recall features one of the first uses of CGI effects* in a motion picture.
(*xray full body scanner scene)
Mostly, the movie is made up of real make-up, robotics, models and miniature effects...and real driveable vehicles.

A number of "futuristic" vehicles using fiberglass bodies, wood interiors and tubular steel subframes were built.
...many of which are fiberglass kitcars from the Robert Q. Riley Enterprises company of Phoenix Arizona.
The movie was shot in Mexico City, so I'm guessing a local car builder was used to build and outfit the cars.

Some are obvious kits sold by Riley Enterprises, but the Johnnycab appears to be a modified Riley "Phoenix Van".
The Phoenix was a fiberglass bodied, volkswagen chassis, Camper Van first produced and sold as a kitcar in the 1980s.
Rile Enterprises actually references Total Recall in its advertising.

At least half a dozen styles of vehicle were produced for backgrounds and street scenes.
Multiples of some of those vehicles too!
So quite a few functional vehicles were made.


[on the set of Total Recall 1990]

Only one however was intended for the main story , and it also had to be built large enough for Arnold to get in and ride.
That was the Johnnycab...so named because thats what is says on its side!

Johnnycab was an autonomous Taxi...with a robot "driver" modeled on actor Robert Piccardo (of Star Trek fame).
It featured a very large clamshell side door giving Schwarzenegger easier access into the vehicle.
Once inside though, Arnold was quite cramped with the lack of headroom.

Its a fun design...and the model is fairly basic and straightforward.
The roof light is small, and a bit tricky....the reason it gets a Intermediate skill rating.



I don't plan on doing anymore TR vehicles, so don't ask...but this one was suggested, and I thought it made sense
based on my own interest (and the fact that I already did a vehicle model from the Total Recall remake)

So, I give you the KoolWheelz Johnnycab!
Find it in the StarCarz section at my website.