Cars
Big Benny
Sun Jan 13 2013 15:49:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
The vehicle used in the Ghostbusters movies was called the Ecto-1. It was a 1959 Cadillac professional chassis, built by the Miller-Meteor company. The ambulance/hearse combination was the end loader variety. Dr. Ray Stantz found the vehicle shortly after he mortgaged his mother's house to buy the Firehouse. Because of his mechanical skills, he was able to repair the vehicle, which he acquired for $4,800
Big Benny
Sun Jan 13 2013 16:09:37 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Although the estimated number of General Lees used varies from different sources, according to Ben Jones ("Cooter" in the show), as well as builders involved with the show, 256 General Lees were used to film the series. Others claim about 321 were used in the series. Approximately seventeen still exist in various states of repair. On average, more than one General Lee was used up per show. When filming a jump, anywhere from 500 to 1,000 pounds of sand bags or concrete ballast was placed in the trunk to prevent the car from nosing over. Later in the series the mechanics would raise the front end of the car to keep it from scraping against the ramp causing it to lose speed, thereby providing a cushion for the driver upon landing. Stunt drivers report enjoying the flights but hating the landings. Despite the ballast, the landing attitude of the car was somewhat unpredictable, resulting in moderate to extremely violent forces, depending on how it landed. On many of the jumps the cars bent upon impact. All cars used in large jumps were immediately retired due to structural damage.
Big Benny
Sun Jan 13 2013 16:14:38 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
During the first two seasons and two episodes from the third season, Detective Sonny Crockett drove a midnight black 1972 Ferrari Daytona Spyder 365 GTS/4 replica with a Florida license plate ZAQ178. Ferrari North America had turned down the request by Miami Vice for authentic Ferraris (they did the same with Magnum P.I., forcing that production to purchase actual 308 GTSs). Although Tom McBurnie is credited with planting the Daytona Spyder in the mind of the public, it was actually Al Mardekian, an importer of gray-market exoticars, who sold Miami Vice the two look-alike Ferraris for $49,000 each. In total two Corvette daytona replicas were used for the show, car 4 and then car 1 after the pilot which acted as the stunt car. McBurnie was hired to build the bodies for the Corvette-chassised cars. It was blown to pieces with a hand-held Stinger missile launcher during an illegal arms deal. The Ferrari used in the first two seasons were rebodied corvettes based on a 76 corvette (car 1) and a 81 (car 4) Chevrolet Corvette C3 chassis that had been modified with Pininfarina-designed body panels by specialty car manufacturer McBurnie. The first appearance of the Daytona in the pilot episode is actually a real Ferrari. It only gets about ten seconds of screen time. The car is stationary, and Sonny is sitting in the driver’s seat, reading a newspaper. It can be clearly identified as a real Daytona (American version) by the door handles, side markers, windshield rake, and side vent windows.
