Restomods At The Movies: Top 10 Badass Modded Cars In TV And Film

June 26, 2018

#2: The General Lee

If the Bullitt Mustang was the most famous film car of its era, it was a 1969 Dodge Charger that was by far the most famous TV car. Driven by the Duke Boys, the car performed in countless jumps, stunts, and chases in their battles with Boss Hogg. The show ate through Chargers like a fat kid eats cake — anywhere from 255 to 325 General Lees were used in the show’s run. At one point, the producers were running so short on Chargers that they ended up using AMC Ambassadors, relying on clever camera work to prevent the audience noticing. Just 17 of the cars survive in various states of repair.

The cars were heavily modified by the studio: famously, the doors were welded shut, but it went deeper than that. In order for the cars to make their signature handbrake turns, the cars had their tires overinflated and handbrakes rigged. The cars that had to do the jumps had their bodies heavily reinforced, and were also fitted with NASCAR-esque fuel cells to prevent leaks. Sometimes, some more temporary modifications were required. To make its longest jumps, like the 82-footer seen in the title sequence, hundreds of pounds of cement were placed in the trunk to level out its weight distribution.

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