Movie lovers delight

[rog8732]

I just read an article about the McQueen movie, Bullitt.
Likely related to the fact this year is the 50th anniversary of Ford's Mustang. The article stated the Bullitt car was a 68' "Shelby"with a 390CI engine.
Now,a 1968 it was, judging from the hood indentations ,and Ford did start putting the 390 engine in the 1968 GT style Mustang, but, "Shelby" it was not. The man Carroll Shelby may well have advised on some aspect of the car, but I doubt it.

Further into the article the chase scene is described as the best in a movie, as said many times by many writers.
I would like to nominate the first Monte Walsh movie with Lee Marvin and Jack Palance, among many other fine character actors, (the back bone of all good movies) as having the best western horse chase/wreck scene of any movie.
I refer to the town scene when Monte "rides down" the grey. The action nearly devastates the little town, tearing down the water tank, balconies, saloon walls and all.

 

[OFT II]

I would like to know what kind of transmission was in that Mustang. He shifted gears a dozen times in each scene. Most semis don't have that many gears.

 

[Alpo]

I looked it up. It was a 68 390 GT. Actually, it was TWO 68 390 GTs.

As for the transmission, maybe this will help.

>The sounds emitted by the Mustang suggest a lot of double-clutching -- something that would not have been needed with a '68 Ford transmission. McQueen confirmed that the sweet racket of the car's engine and transmission were overdubbed recordings of a Ford GT40 driven at full tilt.<

HowStuffWorks "Mustang Stars in Bullitt"

 

[gdnagle]

And for those that have never seen it or forgot here is the whole 9 minuets of it.

Bullitt - Steve McQueen Famous Car Chase - YouTube

At about 2:52 the charger hits the camera lots of wheel hop on the Mustang which was common just after that,

I guess the Mustang was a lot slower then the Charger, they had time to stop and put their wheel covers back on twice as at the end of the chase all 4 wheel covers are still on the Charger. All in all one of my favorite chase scenes reminds me of my day with my 65 2+2. There has always been a rumor about the lost Mustang, a guy down south on the EC bought it and it's still sitting in his barn. I know McQueen's son has been trying to find it with no luck. For some info on where it's supposedly at now try this.

Bullitt Mustang in a Kentucky barn

And how about that Winchester Model 1897.

 

[george minze]

And for those that have never seen it or forgot here is the whole 9 minuets of it.

Bullitt - Steve McQueen Famous Car Chase - YouTube

At about 2:52 the charger hits the camera lots of wheel hop on the Mustang which was common just after that,

I guess the Mustang was a lot slower then the Charger, they had time to stop and put their wheel covers back on twice as at the end of the chase all 4 wheel covers are still on the Charger. All in all one of my favorite chase scenes reminds me of my day with my 65 2+2. There has always been a rumor about the lost Mustang, a guy down south on the EC bought it and it's still sitting in his barn. I know McQueen's son has been trying to find it with no luck. For some info on where it's supposedly at now try this.

Bullitt Mustang in a Kentucky barn

And how about that Winchester Model 1897.

Thanks for posting...I remember that chase like everybody else...I was a young Cincinnati cop then. Everybody loved that movie for more than one reason....Now I'm a old putt and I still love that movie.....The story about the missing GT is very interesting also...What a find that would be if you could get it rebuilt...Maybe the Count in Las Vegas...More money than I got...or will get.....That was a long time ago....

 

[P&R Fan]

That scene is a classic.
Just watched the movie recently. I have read articles that say just the presence of guns makes people aggressive. Apparently if you are in the room with one it will raise your aggression to scary levels. Uh, huh.

But watching that chase scene has an effect on me I will admit. I want to drive REALLY fast around corners, in a really cool car.....and shift my own gears. Using heel-and-toe tactics on downshifts.

Unfortunately my Ford Crown Vic is an automatic.

I DO have my Dad's M97 Winchester though.
Jim

 

[gdnagle]

Way back when we use to know what time the chase scene played at the Drive-in. We use to sit outside and watch the chase scene every night it played then go out looking for a race. Man those were the good Ol' days fast cars, cheap gas and few worries except getting drafted. Oh to live them again.

 

[wuluf]

Ever notice how many times they pass that same green VW Beetle? Just sayin....

 

[perrazi]

they actually started putting 390 motors in 1967 gt mustangs.

 

[Cyrano]

I want to drive REALLY fast around corners, in a really cool car.....and shift my own gears. Using heel-and-toe tactics on downshifts.
Jim

Years ago I had the fun of driving a Bugatti Type 39; a 1500cc straight 8, blown, from about 1935. It had a tank type body, and right hand drive. It also had a crash box, which you had to shift with the left hand. Great fun, 'heel and toe'ing it while you tried to shift with the left hand and not have too much of a gear crunch. Ugly car but wish I'd bought it and still had it

 

[Old 44 Guy]

I loved the sound of that 390 winding up. Reminds me of my hot rod days years ago. I went to Bonneville in 1952 as a pit man. All I did was change oil & tires.Sure was exciting.

 

[Straightshooter2]

Ever notice how many times they pass that same green VW Beetle? Just sayin....

If anybody saw that season finale of "Alcatraz" with the Bullit chase scene homage, they had an identical green VW bug in it. I remember watching it that night. When the Charger driver saw her in his rear view and buckled up I said, "This is right out of Bullit." It was.

CW

 

[cougar14]

Anyone remember "The 7 UPS" With Roy Scheider?

The chase scene was stolen from "Bullitt". Even the "Driver" was the same dude.

 

[Frank237]

I loved the chase scene in Bullitt after seeing it in the movies all those years ago. It came to mind during my first real "pursuit" as a young cop in NJ chasing a kid in a fairly tired 1967 GTO. With me in a new 75 Plymouth with a 383 or possibly 440.

A few minutes into the chase I lost a wheel cover on a hard corner. I remember thinking of Bullitt as that cover passed me!

Luckily I was able to find it after I had caught the guy. Saved me from typing a "Dear Chief" letter explaining the loss.

FN in MT

 

[rog8732]

they actually started putting 390 motors in 1967 gt mustangs.

You are correct perrazi. Ford did put the 390 in some 67 GTs.
I had a 67 GT with the more commonplace 289.

I always thought the Bullitt mustang sounded like a small block 289, until I recently learned there was an over-dubbed sound track from a GT 40 going through the gears.

 

[perrazi]

rog8732- I always maintained the sound was not a big block. I had a 66fairlane gt with the hi-po 390 and it sounded nothing like the bullitt car. my 67 mustang with a k-code 289 sounded almost the same as the bullitt car. we had several 67 mustang with 390 motors around our small town back then.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Best by far car chase ever filmed. Lots of follow on chases modeled after the Bullitt chase.

 

[george minze]

Those killers in the dodge were real cold duds. Older guys but you got the impression that they were Pro's....Great Movie..Great car, and great McQueen....He left way to soon.....

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

If you carefully watch the chase scene in Bullit you will notice that it occurred over a VERY short stretch and was filmed from several angles. They then spliced it together to make it seem like a much longer chase but in reality was the same shot over and over again just from a different angle and then spliced together to make the long scene. Once I figured that out, it lost a lot of allure.
Sorry to break it to you guys.

 

[PatAz]

Still, at the time it came out, there had never been a movie chase anywhere near that well done.