Why all the General Lees in Burbank?

bull · July 24, 2007, 11:29:27 PM

My wife went with a friend of hers to a concert in the LA area last week and while running around the Hollywood area she spotted a bunch of General Lees that she thought I might like to see. She didn't have time to check it out (I think it was closed anyway) but the place is called Rodz I think. At least that's what the sign said above the building. http://rodz.org I assume since they are near Hollywood, they're all authentic-looking GLs and they're fairly beat up that they had something to do with one of the last few DOH projects. Anyone heard of Rodz? Any idea where these cars came from and what their fate might be?

miamivice · July 24, 2007, 11:34:18 PM

ooooohh, looks like movie cars. note the front end scuffs on the fender in the first picture (from the '05 movie). i know that a lot of those cars have been auctioned off recently, maybe they either bought them all or are selling them $:-\$

69charger2002 · July 24, 2007, 11:45:45 PM

definitely movie lees. heard they went pretty cheap. only a few people knew about the auction and it was kept hush hush.. so no one hardly got in on the deals..shame

Ghoste · July 25, 2007, 12:00:49 AM

An inside job huh? A quick check of their website doesn't turn up squat but I'm sure the cars will become more widely known soon.

JimShine · July 25, 2007, 12:08:36 AM

I had a buddy go look into the cars before the auction hoping I could get one to keep. He told me the restorable cars had the VIN tags removed. He only saw VIN tags on some of the chopped up specialty cars. I told him to forget it. Then I heard how cheap they went and I felt a ton of regret. I really thought the 'inside tips' was going to go out to alot more people.

Ghoste · July 25, 2007, 12:11:05 AM

Why would they remove the tags and why would somebody want them now?

bull · July 25, 2007, 12:18:50 AM

So how cheap is cheap?

JimShine · July 25, 2007, 12:19:30 AM

There are plenty of people that would take a VIN-less GL for display.

Why they removed the tags? I am not sure. Possibly to thwart rebuilding the cars. In the old days they did this by cutting the roof skins off the cars. Today they know that wouldn't stop people as the cars are worth so much.

69charger2002 · July 25, 2007, 12:21:05 AM

many of those cars sold under $1k

yeah i also wish some more of us had been let in on it.. instead look what happened. couple dudes got them all

Big Lebowski · July 25, 2007, 12:43:00 AM

I heard all of the quote "real" General Lees were in Burbank junkyards twenty years ago.

69bronzeT5 · July 25, 2007, 01:03:04 AM

Even if you cant drive it or register it due to the VIN thing...hell, for under 1k, Id buy it just to keep as a collectable!!

Ghoste · July 25, 2007, 01:04:49 AM

I can understand that if they were that cheap and you had space. Still, I can't help but wonder how many of those cars will mysteriously find tags?

69bronzeT5 · July 25, 2007, 01:10:02 AM

I wonder why GeneralLeeTESH's '05 GL was over 10k but those other '05 GL's sold for under 1k?

BigBlackDodge · July 25, 2007, 06:56:55 AM

They should be busted for removing the VIN's................illegal!

BBD

kikgas01 · July 25, 2007, 07:14:15 AM

If there was more BONDO it would look like HLBAGS lot.

Mike DC · July 25, 2007, 07:33:31 AM

It's all about the liability & "official" issues.
If you yank the VINs and don't sell the cars as "real WB LEEs," then you eliminate a lot of the liabilities that the cars might have.

Suppose some dork buys a real GL from WB that has been pieced together out of several Charger hulks and was never meant to be roadworthy again. Then it breaks down or just breaks in half. Then the dork sues WB for selling him an illegally "chopped" car that he claims was misrepresented to him as a whole decent car. (After all, it was bondo'd together and SEEMED to be in nice condition at the time of the sale, didn't it?) Some judge might mis-interpret shoddy prop work to fool the movie cameras, and think it was HLPAG-style deceptive work to fool the car's buyer later on.

Or suppose the dork buys a real GL and starts giving rides in it as an "real" WB General Lee. Then he tries to grab some 15-year-old girl's tit while giving a ride. Then the 15-year-old's parents sue WB for the guy's actions, since they thought he was officially representing WB at the time. Then the dork tells the judge that he paid money for the car because he wanted an "official" GL and he has the right to call it what it is. And WB is getting a big black eye in the local newspaper the whole time.

Or suppose the dork jumps the GL over his house & kills himself. Then the dork's wife sues WB for misrepresenting the car as being capable of doing those jumps safely. Then a judge rules that since the car was sold as a real WB item and WB profited from the way that the car was portrayed onscreen, then they should be held liable for the buyer misunderstanding its capabilities.

Get my drift? There's a lot of dorks out there.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WB could also have just destroyed the cars, like what has been done with a lot of other Hollywood cars after they're done with them.
Personally, I'll settle for the Lees getting sold with yanked VINs.

Ghoste · July 25, 2007, 08:41:32 AM

Okay, that I understand. Only I somewhat disagree with the "lot of dorks" part. There are a lot of dorks, but the difference here as I see it, is that lawyers will happily take on WB to sue the bejeebers out of them but HLPAG can do the very same and worse and because there isn't enough profit incentive for the law sharks, Hans goes free.
Other than a garage ornament, I still don't know why anyone would want one. Unless you had another motive in mind for the vin-less hulk.

Old Moparz · July 25, 2007, 08:54:53 AM

I'm sure a state issued VIN would solve the legality issue, & if they all have salvage titles, there are methods to correct it to get it back on the road. I know it wouldn't bother me, but never in a million years would a seller be able to convince me the car would be worth much. Even if they were real General Lee movie cars, or rare Hemi cars, one without an original VIN, or with a state issued VIN, is a "parts car" or a "salvage car" that's equivalent to a 318 car to me.

gordo1968charger · July 25, 2007, 10:19:59 AM

i d heard from somewhere that hlpag supplied the cars for the movie!!
maybe the flintstones movie with bo duke yelling wilma,while running with his feet out the bottom of one of hans "father and son projects",
yeah sam and chip foose!!!!!!!!!!

69charger2002 · July 25, 2007, 02:35:07 PM

i got one of the movie cars after filming. it looked much like what you see in the above pics, except that it had been jumped 3 times.. only general lee to have ever been jumped 3 times. i sold it for nearly $20k right when the movie came out back in '05. it still had it's vin, title etc. i heard it later sold for $60k! lol anyway, my car that i got came from HLPAG. they had stamped the rad support with their logo.. from what i remember they either supplied 5 or 6 of the 28 general lee's for the movie. i sold them 2 myself..

warriorbass05 · July 25, 2007, 02:59:37 PM

Quote from: 69charger2002 on July 25, 2007, 02:35:07 PM
i got one of the movie cars after filming. it looked much like what you see in the above pics, except that it had been jumped 3 times.. only general lee to have ever been jumped 3 times. i sold it for nearly $20k right when the movie came out back in '05. it still had it's vin, title etc. i heard it later sold for $60k! lol anyway, my car that i got came from HLPAG. they had stamped the rad support with their logo.. from what i remember they either supplied 5 or 6 of the 28 general lee's for the movie. i sold them 2 myself..

so how many of those cars in your signature are still hanging around for you to play with?

bull · July 25, 2007, 03:03:17 PM

Quote from: warriorbass05 on July 25, 2007, 02:59:37 PM
Quote from: 69charger2002 on July 25, 2007, 02:35:07 PM
i got one of the movie cars after filming. it looked much like what you see in the above pics, except that it had been jumped 3 times.. only general lee to have ever been jumped 3 times. i sold it for nearly $20k right when the movie came out back in '05. it still had it's vin, title etc. i heard it later sold for $60k! lol anyway, my car that i got came from HLPAG. they had stamped the rad support with their logo.. from what i remember they either supplied 5 or 6 of the 28 general lee's for the movie. i sold them 2 myself..

so how many of those cars in your signature are still hanging around for you to play with?

It's written in small text right above his picture: "I live in CHARGERLAND.. visitors welcome. 116 total, 14 still around."

warriorbass05 · July 25, 2007, 03:07:20 PM

Quote from: bull on July 25, 2007, 03:03:17 PM
Quote from: warriorbass05 on July 25, 2007, 02:59:37 PM
Quote from: 69charger2002 on July 25, 2007, 02:35:07 PM
i got one of the movie cars after filming. it looked much like what you see in the above pics, except that it had been jumped 3 times.. only general lee to have ever been jumped 3 times. i sold it for nearly $20k right when the movie came out back in '05. it still had it's vin, title etc. i heard it later sold for $60k! lol anyway, my car that i got came from HLPAG. they had stamped the rad support with their logo.. from what i remember they either supplied 5 or 6 of the 28 general lee's for the movie. i sold them 2 myself..

so how many of those cars in your signature are still hanging around for you to play with?

It's written in small text right above his picture: "I live in CHARGERLAND.. visitors welcome. 116 total, 14 still around."

I read that but was not sure if that was still true...plus I thought Trav used to have a website and I can't get there either?

Mike DC · July 25, 2007, 07:37:17 PM

The HLPAG/movie GL issue is deceptive.

HLPAG would have you believe that they were official suppliers of WB's real GLs.

The real story is that WB's movie crew did buy half a dozen GLs from HLPAG, but you never saw a HLPAG paintjob on the movie screen.
Every single GL in that movie was redone just for that movie. Including the GLs that WB had left from the old TV series & Reunion specials, the fresh Dodge Chargers they bought off Ebay, the HLPAG cars . . . in the fall of 2004 all of them got fresh orange paint, decals, rollcages, wheels, etc to match each other. (Even the pre-overhauled ratty GL in the movie was really several matching cars sprayed with dull orange paint.)

The crew just bought the HLPAG cars as raw-material cars. They simply needed a pile of '68-69 Chargers on short notice, and HLPAG had Chargers for sale. The crew never intended to use them as "finished" GLs.

70charger_boy · July 25, 2007, 08:01:00 PM

Ghoste · July 25, 2007, 10:29:34 PM

Well HLPAG and deception pretty much go hand in hand don't they?

69charger2002 · July 25, 2007, 10:35:31 PM

mike DC is exactly right. poor generals had to be modified and redone JUST to be screen used junk general lees. that's how sick they were lol
trav

GeneralLeeTESH · July 26, 2007, 10:17:24 AM

Mine is an '05 Movie GL HLPAG car. I am STILL fixing it after all its "movie-abuse".
Since it was used, its got 2 new rear qtr-panel skins, rebuilt front end, 4 wheel DB system. My car was originally a 4 speed 440 car. HLPAG cut the tunnel shifter skin out of it before they sold it to me. Structurally-it's all restorable, but been A LOT of work and expense. (I bought it 1 day before Tony Silva warned me on a PM NOT to deal with them. By then-it was too late.)
Well-here are pics showing WHAT I got.
Trying tomake an Apple Pie outta Bad Apples since.
Yee Haw...Huh ?
-Tesh

GeneralLeeTESH · July 26, 2007, 10:28:54 AM

more of "When it arrived in Aug'06..."

Brock Samson · July 26, 2007, 10:39:53 AM

and was it dropped off in the dead of night...

Brock Samson · July 26, 2007, 10:40:28 AM

Quote from: Brock Samson on July 26, 2007, 10:39:53 AM

and was it dropped off in the dead of night?..

GeneralLeeTESH · July 26, 2007, 10:52:58 AM

Brock-check yer PM message right now, then CALL me !
-GLtesh

Obi-Wan · July 26, 2007, 01:02:51 PM

Quote from: GeneralLeeTESH on July 26, 2007, 10:17:24 AM
Mine is an '05 Movie GL HLPAG car. I am STILL fixing it after all its "movie-abuse".
HLPAG cut the tunnel shifter skin out of it before they sold it to me.
-Tesh

So then its a replica bud. There is nothing real about that car other than its a real Charger. They had NOTHING to do with the movie other than selling WB a few chargers, and like mentioned earlier, were NOT used in the condition they were bought in. And there is no truth to HL selling wb the cars, to in return get some back after filming,,,,no way.
they are a bunch of liars. for example....their supposed "REAL SERIES GL" that is for sale and getting rebiuit..........they brag about the thing all over the place that it is 100% real and screen used from the series. Wrong. that car was a "General Lee Enterprises" car..that toured with World of Wheels in the 80's. They were slammed together orange chargers with mediocre "uniforms" painted on, and were NEVER used on the series or screen in any way, shape, or form. So...this "GLE" car was sold to Hardcore Racing. This car is the one that was jumped last year in Michigan. JUMPED.......TOTALLED. so, HL buys the car, strips it down and pretty much makes a new car...sells it for 6 figures as a "authentic series WB GL"
the car itself was nice to begin with, legit RT 440 4spd with a dana 60.

my point of all this. you CANNOT, i repeat, CANNOT, trust a word out of HL's dirty lying mouths.

GeneralLeeTESH · July 26, 2007, 09:47:10 PM

I agree. Call me. I'll PM you my home #.
-Thanks
-Mark

Mike DC · July 27, 2007, 02:05:12 AM

What was up with the front fenders/wheelwells?

tan top · July 27, 2007, 02:41:08 AM

Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on July 27, 2007, 02:05:12 AM

What was up with the front fenders/wheelwells?

i think they started to modify the fenders like that to stop it tearing up the tire , after a small jump , so the car was still controlable , could be thinking of something else though........ $:-\$

Obi-Wan · July 27, 2007, 12:32:19 PM

well, i think the fenders were cut to be able to make ramp clearance for the pile of corruption HLPAG jump over on a daily basis

GeneralLeeTESH · July 27, 2007, 06:12:58 PM

Well boyz-all I can admit is- I got Fu^&%d by them.BUT...They did WRONG...watch the newspapers in the next 6 months.
In the mean time- I have been making my own lemonade outta this bad lemon, and will end up with what I want out of an old HOT-ROD anyhow.
-Call me anytime 253-770-8242. I'll fill you in on the story !

bull · July 27, 2007, 06:35:00 PM

Why not fill us in here?

70charger_boy · July 30, 2007, 06:32:22 PM

Quote from: Brock Samson on July 26, 2007, 10:39:53 AM
and was it dropped off in the dead of night...

Holy Schnikes, I guess you guys weren't kidding when you said hfag's drop off their cars at night

Anywho, look at what I found on ebay. I wonder if this was from one of the vinless generals
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/General-Lee-Roof-1969-1968_W0QQitemZ290144082067QQihZ019QQcategoryZ6199QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

bmoparmofo · July 31, 2007, 10:54:03 AM

I too am curious........

GeneralLeeTESH · July 31, 2007, 03:43:16 PM

Wa. State Patrol, FBI and Illinois AG are investigating them.

7chargers · July 31, 2007, 03:57:41 PM

I know this posting is about the General Lee's in Burbank, but for those of you who have never had the pleasure to visit HILPAG in ILL would laugh at the GL's that are sitting on the lot. Took a trip down to thier shop when looking to buy a charger and at that time not knowing the 2nd generation chargers inside and out like most of you, the shotty work that they due stod out like a sore thumb. The biggest was the thick undercoating on the underside and in the inside to hide and cover up the rusty crappy patch work on the floors. And of couse for 25K the great black overspray on the orange paint! And the sign they had residing on the outside of there building "Supplier of Cars for the Dukes of Hazzard Movie" I feel bad for the chargers that end up in thier lot!

GeneralLeeTESH · July 31, 2007, 04:42:19 PM

That ain't the half of it !
CALL ME @ 253-770-8242. I'll "share" with you...WHAT's going to happen with them !

Mike DC · July 31, 2007, 05:55:52 PM

As for the roof skin, it might well be legit.

But beware of ANY new props from the 2005 GLs as a rule. The old GLs were a lot more handmade, and the methods/paint shades/quirks are a lot less known. Not so for the new movie. The new GLs were just AMC orange paint and Phoenix Graphics GL decals.

Ghoste · August 01, 2007, 03:54:23 AM

I hope you're right Tesh and somebody finally puts a stop to those crooks but Hans has been pretty good so far at dodging any actual charges.

GeneralLeeTESH · August 01, 2007, 08:54:58 AM

Call me-letz "Share"...
-TESH

zerfetzen · August 01, 2007, 08:50:57 PM

Good thing I saw this, I've switched lately from Cuda's to Chargers, and was really thinking about HLPAQ's General Lee's. It just seemed enticing because the ones up now are 4-speeds, they have financing, and national shipping. But if they're held together with rust and bondo, no thanks, I'd rather get a project and build it up myself.

As a newbie here, is there any place else besides HLPAQ that specializes in GL's...and I guess unlike the first post here, actually sells them to the public? Thanks.

bull · August 01, 2007, 09:05:02 PM

Quote from: zerfetzen on August 01, 2007, 08:50:57 PM
Good thing I saw this, I've switched lately from Cuda's to Chargers, and was really thinking about HLPAQ's General Lee's. It just seemed enticing because the ones up now are 4-speeds, they have financing, and national shipping. But if they're held together with rust and bondo, no thanks, I'd rather get a project and build it up myself.

As a newbie here, is there any place else besides HLPAQ that specializes in GL's...and I guess unlike the first post here, actually sells them to the public? Thanks.

There are some other places that are reputible for sure. The first one that comes to my mind is Smith Bros. in Wash state.

warriorbass05 · August 01, 2007, 09:11:38 PM

www.scotleaidolrods.com

Mike DC · August 02, 2007, 01:55:04 AM

"Smith Brothers Restorations" and "ScotleaIdolRods" are the yin & yang of GL builders right now.
They both build great driveable LEEs, and from 15 feet away they both look more accurate to the TV-series than any of the GL toys & merchandise you'll find.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Smiths really build deal-nuts accurate clones of the TV cars. They're good friends with the original mechanics from the Dukes TV series, and it shows. Their GLs show a lot of the weird quirks of the TV cars that nobody else would even be aware of. The fit & finish isn't raggedy and they're more suited to street-driving than the TV cars, but they look & feel very accurate in just about every other way.

Scotlea Idol Rods does GLs that are slightly more like what a car-shop would build rather than a movie-prop shop. They're still basically building big orange '69 General Lees, but the details are a little more geared at just being nice & fun & usable cruisers. (Better radiators than stock Chargers, more dressed-up engine bays, modern white-faced guages, etc.) They usually do their LEEs a little more featured-up & polished than the real ones from TV ever were.

zerfetzen · August 02, 2007, 07:06:27 AM

Thanks guys, these recommendations look great. Now to just get the money

bmoparmofo · August 03, 2007, 12:52:00 AM

Quote from: GeneralLeeTESH on July 31, 2007, 03:43:16 PM
Wa. State Patrol, FBI and Illinois AG are investigating them.

can you post any pics of it or mention it on here?

Obi-Wan · August 06, 2007, 02:41:03 PM

Quote from: zerfetzen on August 02, 2007, 07:06:27 AM
Thanks guys, these recommendations look great. Now to just get the money

you can get car loans for muscle cars from capitol one. If you email Patrick (scotlea) he can send you a link to where some customers of his got financing. I was approved with a pretty decent rate for 35k. No, i dont plan on getting a loan for a car like that, my soon-to-be general will feel complete when i can say i built it. but if you are in the market, and have the money to spend,,,,,,go for it! just stay away from Villa Lake. I dont think they can flip shoddy General Lee's while sitting in Joliet

jmeekins33 · August 07, 2007, 02:16:59 PM

Great, it looks like only a couple people bought all the movie General Lees. In stead of being in the hands of real Dukes fans they are no doubt going to be turned into cash cows. I wish they would have made the auctions more visible to give other people a chance. I'm gettying sick of businessmen monopolizing the hobby.

-Jason M

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Why all the General Lees in Burbank?