"General Lee" Questions

[Jim B]

So, on a whim, I picked up the MPC "General Lee" Dodge Charger, and I've been trying to find some good information on detailing this kit. One site I found said that the engine was a 383 & should be Turquois while the body should be "Hemi Orange". Another site said the engine was a 440 and should be painted Chrysler Engine Red while the body should be Competition Orange. Both sites did agree that the interior should be tan. Any info you guys might have to impart to a "truck guy" would be appreciated.

Here are the sites I found:

http://www.di-namix.com/ModelCarFiles/howto.htm

http://www.di-namix.com/ModelCarFiles/GeneralLee.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Lee_(car)

[Daddyfink]

This is a pretty basic build. Orange body, tan interior and the engine can be anything you like. The "hero" car ran 440 Magnum and it was orange in color. Most of the other cars ran either 383's or whatever it had to move it until they wrecked them.

My only attempt at accuracy would be the push bar and the CB Antenna

Have fun!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Lee_(car)

[Joe Handley]

IIRC, you could take a '70 318 powered car, put '68 fenders on it with a '69 grill and an interior that is a mix of all three years with some sort of roll bar or cage and still have it be correct so long as it's painted bright orange, has a tan interior with CB gear, and then put 01 on the doors and a Confederate Flag on the roof with the words GENERAL LEE.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Joe Handley

[Joe Handley]

and if you open the trunk, pour some plaster in there so it looks like it has some concrete to ballast it out as a jump car.

[RodneyBad]

IIRC, you could take a '70 318 powered car, put '68 fenders on it with a '69 grill and an interior that is a mix of all three years with some sort of roll bar or cage and still have it be correct so long as it's painted bright orange, has a tan interior with CB gear, and then put 01 on the doors and a Confederate Flag on the roof with the words GENERAL LEE.

Best Answer EVER..

[CJ1971]

The guys are pretty much correct, there is No one true GL replica other than it be as stated, because Warner Bros used nearly 300 Dodge Chargers 68-69 & I've heard even 70 models. Your only mistake.... buying/using that rubbish mpc/amt kit. Get yourself either of Revell's 68 or 69 Charger kit... If you really want to,make a better/correct GL charger.

Cheers Cliff

Edited August 6, 2013 by CJ1971

[JasonC]

For your 69 engine colors, 318=red, 383 2bbl=turquoise, 383 magnum=street hemi orange, 426 Hemi=street hemi orange, 440 magnum= street hemi orange

[Jim B]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I appreciate the help. I'll have to look into finding the Revell Charger kit; I don't even know if it's still available.

If I might ask, what's wrong with the AMT/MPC kit? Besides the fact it's an AMT kit, and it probably doesn't fit well.

[JasonC]

The AMT kit is kind of cheap/lacks detail. I seen the 69 Revell kit at Wal-Mart the other day...

[Joe Handley]

The MPC/AMT kit was originally a '68 annual kit that was updated to a '69, '69 500, then a '70.........and I think it also was the F&F Charger too besides being a GL for the last 30+ years. Not so much that it is a "bad" as that it is 45 years old vs the Revell's '68 and '69 that is only 15 or so years old.

[Daddyfink]

MPC/AMT has tried to upgrade the kit a bit here and there over the years, but, it is still basically the same. The last version before it became the Duke's car was a Stock Car and thus, it did not have much street car detail left. It had the Charger 500 flush rear window instead of the tunnel style that is normal on the Charger. I think it has been corrected since.

Trust me, when I got my hands on it back then, I did not care or know what was wrong with it. All I knew is that it was going to be doing some knarly jumping over my other models as soon as I got it built! Which was an hour later! LOL!

[Greg Myers]

If you want really good information DANNO is the on to ask.

Seriously, I've pondered the premiss of the car in the show. Have you looked into what the story line says ? Supposedly the car is an ex-race car (NASCAR, local dirt tracker, they don't say). Whats up with the push bar? The Revell / Monogram kit is definitely the way to go, but now you have to round up some bits and pieces, decals,push bar, wheels, etc.

Here's another one for you, headers,I don't think I've ever seen or heard mention of them in the show or on the car.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Greg Myers

[Greg Myers]

Trust me, when I got my hands on it back then, I did not care or know what was wrong with it. All I knew is that it was going to be doing some knarly jumping over my other models as soon as I got it built! Which was an hour later! LOL!

Now that's funny Jesse

[MoparWoman Jamie]

I have one of the original's 1:1 . The color orange is the biggest debate of them all. Back in the day, after season 2 they mostly used what ever orange they had on hand AND even at times mixed all the oranges they had together to get enough paint to paint afew of the cars if they was running real low on the orange colors. 1975 Corvett Flame Red is the most used color BUT not the only orange used though. The interiors are different as well. First season had a Buckskin tan color, and in some shots LOOKED black when it wasn't. Then in afew episodes the interior was a more darker buckskin to a chestnut color brown. Where the later season cars had the pal light tan interiors due to camera lighting on the actors as the darker colors was hard for the camera's to see.

The push bars change as well in the 2nd season point from a small push bar to a full wider one that fasten to the front bumber and also under the car to it's frame. Reason of the change was because the small push bar was damaging the charger grill all the time during filming of hitting scenes. The wider one protected the grill a lot more better then what the smaller one did.

Most of the chargers on the show ran 318's, the small jump cars had the 383's in and the big jump cars had both 383's & 440's in them. The roll cages was different as well as there was at least 4 kinds on the series. The dummy 3 point one was used for the close up cars.

The decals on the chargers also changed during the show run too. The flag also changed size and colors too right down to the stars also changed sizes. The General Lee roof text also changed size and color during the run.

The cb's was different through the run as well as they also change brands and makes in the General.

The cb antenna's was 3 types used. The Tear Drop, the Avantie, and one other one that the name escapes my mind right now.

NO 1970's was ever used at all during the show run. 1968 & 1969's was the only years used.

Now there was two units used,

1st Unit Close up cars

2nd Unit Stunt Cars

2nd Unit cars was more rougher then what the 1st units was. 2nd unit cars didn't have no interior in the jump cars, just one jump seat and a full cage.

The side markers was on the cars during the firs few earlier seasons even though they was painted over orange including the wheel trim LOL. During the 3rd season when the studio took and took the building process of the cars in there own hands, they removed the side markers, and also the back up lights as well and also the wheel well trim and all badging off the chargers.

Here is something, did you know some of the 2nd unit cars paint was not even dry when the cars did there jumps. Plus the bottom arms on the wide push bars was cut off under the bumper line for clearance issues with the ramps.

The Styixk River jump 300 foot

Granny Annie Train jump 274 foot

Withness Jesse Duke Train jump (?)

32 Park Cars jump 100 foot

Lee1 jump over Rosco in pilot episode, 84 feet on a Saturday morning 6AM 1978

Lee2 first car jumped down Elm-street in pilot episode (142 foot) on a Wednesday 3PM 1978 (Lee1 that Saturday) .

Edited August 6, 2013 by M0par Jim

[MoparWoman Jamie]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I appreciate the help. I'll have to look into finding the Revell Charger kit; I don't even know if it's still available.

If I might ask, what's wrong with the AMT/MPC kit? Besides the fact it's an AMT kit, and it probably doesn't fit well.

The amt kit lacks alot of detail. The revell kit might be incorrect in some place but it sure the heck beats the amt kit by all means. I would go with the revell one. BUT you might get a shell with no side markers though but that would also make it correct too for a General Lee build as the General Lee on the show had both no markers and markers. markers in the earlier part of the series and 3rd Season they was done away with.

[MoparWoman Jamie]

If you want really good information DANNO is the on to ask.

Seriously, I've pondered the premiss of the car in the show. Have you looked into what the story line says ? Supposedly the car is an ex-race car (NASCAR, local dirt tracker, they don't say). Whats up with the push bar? The Revell / Monogram kit is definitely the way to go, but now you have to round up some bits and pieces, decals,push bar, wheels, etc.

Here's another one for you, headers,I don't think I've ever seen or heard mention of them in the show or on the car.

The push bar was for the dirt track era. If you look back in the history of dirt track racing you will see those cars had push bumpers on them. That is where the idea came from for on the ol General.

About the 1/24/ 1/25 scale parts. I make them.

[Harry P.]

Seriously, I've pondered the premiss of the car in the show.

You've wasted a portion of the time you have on this earth pondering anything regarding DOH?

[Greg Myers]

You've wasted a portion of the time you have on this earth pondering anything regarding DOH?

Did Danno put you up to this ?

[JasonC]

I have one of the original's 1:1 . The color orange is the biggest debate of them all. Back in the day, after season 2 they mostly used what ever orange they had on hand AND even at times mixed all the oranges they had together to get enough paint to paint afew of the cars if they was running real low on the orange colors. 1975 Corvett Flame Red is the most used color BUT not the only orange used though. The interiors are different as well. First season had a Buckskin tan color, and in some shots LOOKED black when it wasn't. Then in afew episodes the interior was a more darker buckskin to a chestnut color brown. Where the later season cars had the pal light tan interiors due to camera lighting on the actors as the darker colors was hard for the camera's to see.

The push bars change as well in the 2nd season point from a small push bar to a full wider one that fasten to the front bumber and also under the car to it's frame. Reason of the change was because the small push bar was damaging the charger grill all the time during filming of hitting scenes. The wider one protected the grill a lot more better then what the smaller one did.

Most of the chargers on the show ran 318's, the small jump cars had the 383's in and the big jump cars had both 383's & 440's in them. The roll cages was different as well as there was at least 4 kinds on the series. The dummy 3 point one was used for the close up cars.

The decals on the chargers also changed during the show run too. The flag also changed size and colors too right down to the stars also changed sizes. The General Lee roof text also changed size and color during the run.

The cb's was different through the run as well as they also change brands and makes in the General.

The cb antenna's was 3 types used. The Tear Drop, the Avantie, and one other one that the name escapes my mind right now.

NO 1970's was ever used at all during the show run. 1968 & 1969's was the only years used.

Now there was two units used,

1st Unit Close up cars

2nd Unit Stunt Cars

2nd Unit cars was more rougher then what the 1st units was. 2nd unit cars didn't have no interior in the jump cars, just one jump seat and a full cage.

The side markers was on the cars during the firs few earlier seasons even though they was painted over orange including the wheel trim LOL. During the 3rd season when the studio took and took the building process of the cars in there own hands, they removed the side markers, and also the back up lights as well and also the wheel well trim and all badging off the chargers.

Here is something, did you know some of the 2nd unit cars paint was not even dry when the cars did there jumps. Plus the bottom arms on the wide push bars was cut off under the bumper line for clearance issues with the ramps.

The Styixk River jump 300 foot

Granny Annie Train jump 274 foot

Withness Jesse Duke Train jump (?)

32 Park Cars jump 100 foot

Lee1 jump over Rosco in pilot episode, 84 feet on a Saturday morning 6AM 1978

Lee2 first car jumped down Elm-street in pilot episode (142 foot) on a Wednesday 3PM 1978 (Lee1 that Saturday) .

What about the vinyl top trim? I've noticed most cars on the show had it. But I seen in the first episode that there was a cross flag behind the rear window on the body infront of the trunk lid like this one below. That's the only time ive seen it on one.

[MoparWoman Jamie]

What about the vinyl top trim? I've noticed most cars on the show had it. But I seen in the first episode that there was a cross flag behind the rear window on the body infront of the trunk lid like this one below. That's the only time ive seen it on one.

The car I got didn't have any vinyl trim on it, but during the series run, the first or I should say the earlier season's did have the vinyl trim on. It wasn't unto around season 3 or 4 when they started building the cars in house was then when a lot of the trim was removed. They also reused old footage from earlier scenes shot at different angles. The vinyl trim stayed mostly as they said it broke up the contrast of the whole car.

The crossing flags, now that is a good question. They was only used in the first episode, on Lee2. That was part of the history of the Rebel Rouser race car. This decal was place on the Dutch panel on the General.

Lee2 was the only charger in the first episode that had a racing gas cap but no trim ring plate though under it! LOL

[Danno]

[Jim B]

So, Danno, you the "General Lee" expert. What's your take on all of this?

[Danno]

[Jim B]

Interesting.

[MoparWoman Jamie]

Interesting.

There is a lot more stuff I can talk about and explain about the show, to why almost jump what to how far the jumps was to how many chargers they used and how many made it after the show had ended in 1985.