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Location: Lost in the K hole
Registered: May 2002
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Re: TA22 and the battle for the stupidest doors ever made
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Sat, 18 January 2003 01:30
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Popular Hot Rodding Magazine - Oct. 1982, pp.32-35. The article is titled "Inside Scoop on the 'Dukes of Hazzard' Dodge Charger", and is written by Cam Benty.
There were two types of General used for the series:
1. "First Unit" cars - prepared for close-up shots with the actors and are included in most of the still photography
-outfitted with 440 Magnum engines with 727 TorqueFlight transmissions and 3.23-to-1 rear end gearing with limited slip.
-heavy duty shocks were installed (coil-over style in the rear) accompanied by B.F. Goodrich T/A radial tires and cast aluminum turbo wheels.
-each engine was tuned up with a new 750/780 Holley carbuerator, special distributor, and new plug wires
- if not a total engine rebuild to begin with.
- treated to a full chrome job under the hood to add to engine appearance.
2. "Second Unit" cars - the workhorses used for a variety of different activities from 180-degree "bootlegger" turns and two-wheel driving, to jumps. They received all of the aforementioned equipment (except for the chrome work) and were tuned for their appointed duties.
-"Bootleg turn" cars - had the ratcheting mechanism on the emergency brake pedal removed to allow the rear brakes to be applied and released without need to pull the locking handle. This allowed the stunt man to jam on the brakes, turn the car 180 degrees and then release the pedal accelerating the car back in the opposite position.
-"Jumping Generals" - outfitted with full six-point NASCAR-style five-gallon fuel cells.
- to keep the cars flying straight once in the air, a weight box was cabled into the trunk, holding it tightly to the rear frame section. The weight boxes carried from 100 to 600 pounds to counterbalance the engine. Without the weight, the Chargers would fall nose first into the ground every time.
- Engines for the Second Unit cars varied depending on the size of the jump. The 273 and 318 engines were used on the shorter jumps, while the 383 and 440 engines were used when more speed was necessary.
- Damage to the jumped cars was generally so severe that the cars were never used again in the show for any action; just for parts to build another Second Unit General Lee.
- According to Warner Bros., an average of three General Lees were destroyed per episode, thus the reason for the constant building of Second Unit General Lees.
Chrysler Power magazine in 1985. The article was called "Return to Hazzard County", by Bill Holder.
- The frame of the General was weighted at four strategic points and were fitted with gas-type shock absorbers to keep them level during impact landings and 180-degree turns.
- The cars also carried 30-inch Glass Pak mufflers and Shelby rims that held new radial tires (B.F. Goodrich) with special inner tubes inserted.
- "Tom Wopat has some fond memories about the orange fleet of Dodges. 'Boy, we wrecked a bunch of them during the years of the show,' he said. 'I think that we went through more than one per episode. There were a lot of them driving around California, and there were a bunch backed up in reserve when we needed them.' Tom said that the skilled stunt drivers did most of the wild tricks, but both he and co-star John Schneider also did their share of the less dangerous tricks. 'I did my share,' says Wopat. 'Both John and I knew how to slide the cars around. We did a lot of those dust-raising stops and screaching exits. I did smack into a semi truck one time, and John ran into a couple of buildings too.'"
- "Sonny Shroyer also said that he wheeled the Hazzard County Police cars on occasion when chasing the General Lee. 'One time I lost control of the car, ran over a fence and into a ravine. It wasn't planned, but they got it on film and used it,' Sonny explained."
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