Anyone Like Steve McQueen?

[oldcarfan]

I came across this photo online the other day and thought it might be of interest here. Not really my style, but this might make a good build for someone. It looks to be a 1968 Camper Special. Maybe it could be done with one of Mobius' Ford trucks and the inner bed from the AMT F-350?

 

[JollySipper]

McQueen was the man........

Bruce Lee called him "one tough SOB".......

[absmiami]

The list of cars trucks and motorcycles owned by Mcqueen is long - and fabulous - I’ve been studying a certain formula II Cooper that he owned and raced before he filmed Lemans - it was sold at auction several years ago with a great on-line photo thread - every last part - makable in 24th scale by modifying one of Pinto’s resin Cooper T53 kits ….  Streadily moving up my to-make list …

[Rattlecan Dan]

Dug most all his films. Especially Tom Horn and Papillion.

[James2]

Who doesn't like Steve McQueen....

[Kenmojr]

One of my favorite actors of all time. Guys wanna be like him, chicks wanna do him...LOL

[thatz4u]

in the end he saw the light....GOD welcomed him...

[espo]

Should it be of interest to anyone, Steve McQueen used to do a lot of desert motorcycle racing around southern California and Lake Elsinore in particular. He would register under a made-up name. He is even mentioned and seen in a movie from the '60's called "On any Sunday". There is a volume 1 and 2. The movies focuses is about motorcycle desert racing at that time. Another rider talked about and even featured in an extensive segment is a rider named Skip Van Louen. I may not be spelling his name correctly, but he was a force in the Mexican 1000 race. He also is shown doing English Trials riding. 

[DustyMojave]

In the late 60s and early 70s, Steve McQueen was a regular at SoCal sports car races where I was a teenager working as a Tech Inspector, Wreck Impounds and corner flagman. He raced a Porsche 910 Spyder for a few years. I Tech Inspected his car several times during that period. Quite a highly competent driver in an area full of others.

Steve sometimes showed up at the track driving his VW Bug convertible with a Ford 351 V8 in the back seat. IIRC, That was donated to the Chafee College Automotive Engineering Program upon his death. Interesting connection since that college was founded by the father of Jim Chafee, a guy who was still racing his C/Modified Devin bodied Chevy V8 powered creation painted pink and black and known as the Pink Elephant on the course the same time as Steve with his Porsche. Jim knew his car was no match against McLarens and Lolas and the other then modern cars, but he got kicks out of it.

Steve was, unlike some of the celebrities who showed up around the SoCal road races, a pleasant guy. Fun to talk to. Never there to "show off". Just enjoying the sport and deeply involved in it. Like a few others, including Dick Smothers and Jim Garner.

I too raced desert motorcycles, later, after Steve had passed away, but encountered quite a few who had known him.

I also worked as a Tech Inspector and later racer myself in desert offroad car racing where Steve had raced the famous Baja Boot. Again, he was thought of well there too.

To build that pickup, you could use the frame and part of the bed from the 79 Ford Ford F100 4x4 Camper Special kit that has recently been on the market with Firestone markings.

John Wayne's 68 F100 in the same color has just been restored and given away with proceeds to the John Wayne Cancer Research Foundation.

[Skip]

On 11/2/2023 at 8:25 AM, thatz4u said:

in the end he saw the light....GOD welcomed him...

You must have read the late Grady Ragsdale's* book Steve McQueen, the final chapter. It's a good read and a great insight into Steve McQueen's head, he led as rough a life as he portrayed in the movies.

*Grady was my third cousin; I didn't know that he was hanging around with Steve McQueen in Santa Paula at the time though.

[TonyK]

On 11/2/2023 at 1:45 PM, espo said:

He is even mentioned and seen in a movie from the '60's called "On any Sunday".

Great movie!