Author Topic: The Vanishing Point Challenger  (Read 2571 times)

Offline AK Eric

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The Vanishing Point Challenger
« on: June 20, 2015 - 04:17:52 AM »
I'm afraid to even mention this, But,
A friend of mine claims to own one of the actual picture car challengers from Vanishing Point.
I'm in the film business, I'm currently in New Mexico working on some shows being shot down here (Longmire, Manhattan, Independence Day 2), and I'm running around today with my buddy, who's a real connected kinda guy, in the film business. We start talking cars, because I know he owns a ton of "picture cars" and I own some cool cars as well (73 and 78 Trans Am's and a 70 RS/SS 396 Camaro), and he mentions off hand that he owns "one of the Vanishing Point Challengers".
I say "BS" that's an easy $500K car. My buddy is worth A LOT of money, but I don't think he has any $500K cars. He says "naw V.P. was never that big of a movie, it's a  cult movie, it's only worth maybe $50,000". He then tells me about his warehouse full of Picture cars down in ABQ, (which I believe because this is a guy who owns like 10 Airstreams that he rents out to shows) and how he has a General Lee too (from the Movie, not the TV show). He tells me about his partner who is a picture car provider from the late 60's, who worked on the movie. My buddy knows all about the movie, and where and how it was filmed ect...
And if you know anything about the film business in the South West, Colorado (where VP was filmed) does not have much infrastructure. When a show is shot in CO, the infrastructure almost all comes out of NM.
My buddy controls a good chunk of the Picture Car business, as well as the Craft Services Business, as well as a bunch of other stuff in the Film Business in this area.
My buddy says he has the invoices and documentation to prove it's a VP Challenger. He also has the guy who worked on the show, working for him, so he has a Legitimate Trail back to VP. BTW, it's been repainted Green.

Is there any way possible that he might have one of THE cars? was it proven that they were all destroyed?
And I told him "not a car from a soundgarden video, not a car from a Quentin Tarentino movie, not a car from some VP reboot tv show that didn't air, but a real honest to god authentic VP Challenger???"
He says "ya!"
What would that car be worth if it were proven real?

And I'm a Trans Am guy, and every knuckle head thinks they have a real "Bandit" car even though those were all crushed/destroyed. So I get it.  Is there ANY plausible way that he could have one of the VP Challengers???

BTW no pix yet, but I have a couple days off, so I may run down to ABQ from Santa Fe where I am at, to get some pix of this "car".




Offline AK Eric

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Re: The Vanishing Point Challenger
« Reply #1 on: June 20, 2015 - 04:24:25 AM »
Here's a couple of Pix of me working on Breaking Bad, to just so you know I may be a noob, but I am not full of lies.



« Last Edit: June 20, 2015 - 04:28:57 AM by AK Eric »

Offline ChallengerHK

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Re: The Vanishing Point Challenger
« Reply #2 on: June 20, 2015 - 09:45:50 AM »
I read up on this years ago. I think that in the intervening years new info has come out, but I haven't really followed it. That being said, from what I recall, the problem would be one of documentation. Chrysler was famous for not keeping records to the level of detail that Ford and GM did, and lots of other records were lost (I keep seeing "warehouse fire", but I've never been able to verify if there really was a fire involved). Anyway, the point is that as far as I know, Chrysler kept no records of the VINs of the cars that were lent for the shoot. Given that, I think the issues would be establishing the legitimacy of the documentation that he has.

As for value, you're in the rarefied area where there are no comparisons. When something is that rare (1 of 5 ever, quite possible 1 of 1 left if his story is true) then it's worth whatever the right collector would pay for it.


"She'll make point five past light speed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, and I've made a lot of special modifications myself."

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Advice Thread - Taking Pictures Of Cars

Offline JS27N0B

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Re: The Vanishing Point Challenger
« Reply #3 on: June 20, 2015 - 10:04:54 AM »
Looking forward to pics and more of the story. There were supposed to be 8 cars used if memory serves me correctly. The camera car was supposed to be a 383 car with the others all 440's.
1970 Challenger R/T Convertible 383/auto 1 of 516 *now sold after owning for 18yrs
2007 Chrysler Aspen Limited AWD
2013 Tige' RZR 343hp
2016 PCP Challenger SRT Hellcat


Offline drewcrane

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Re: The Vanishing Point Challenger
« Reply #4 on: June 20, 2015 - 10:48:03 AM »
Great story , I have been to several locations where they filmed the movie, I live here in Denver and drive by alot of the areas used for shots on a regular basis , Cisco Utah , was the end crash scene ,and Austin Nevada was one of the towns that they used for lodging, care of the cars,and filming , the folks that live there, one is the son who owned a garage there and it and his skills were used to keep the cars running,they used hiway 50 for alot of shots too.


Hope you can get some info, but not much out there to prove it is one of the cars. good luck

Offline CHL2T

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Re: The Vanishing Point Challenger
« Reply #5 on: June 20, 2015 - 12:05:33 PM »
 :popcorn:

Offline soundcontrol

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Re: The Vanishing Point Challenger
« Reply #6 on: June 20, 2015 - 04:58:41 PM »
Cool story! Even cooler, working on Breaking Bad! Best TV series ever made.
I'm in the film biz also, re-recording mixer.
/ Ken
Restoration thread: http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=102525.0
topic=108917.new#new

Offline purple1

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Re: The Vanishing Point Challenger
« Reply #7 on: June 20, 2015 - 06:27:55 PM »
Are you talking about the original VP movie? Or the 1997 remake? The story is all the cars from the original film were returned to Chrysler. I could believe this car may be from the remake. Ask him when the movie was made.
« Last Edit: June 20, 2015 - 06:52:30 PM by purple1 »

Dave


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Offline 'Cuda Hunter

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Re: The Vanishing Point Challenger
« Reply #8 on: June 20, 2015 - 07:24:33 PM »
 :popcorn: sounds awesome !!  Love a good mystery !  :popcorn:
"All riches begin as a state of mind and you have complete control of your mind"  -- B. Lee

Offline Mpdlawdog

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Re: The Vanishing Point Challenger
« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2015 - 10:33:51 AM »
 :popcorn: