General Lee - Love 'em hate em,.. or indifferent?..

[Brock Samson]

I tried to be fair with this,.. if you have suggestions post them and I'll make a revision.
picture by my buddy Zach!

[az69rtcharger]

I had my Charger before the Dukes of Hazard was on tv and always hated it when people came up to me and said it was a Duke's of Hazard Car. Personally I respect that it had a big influence on people, but the thing that made me most upset was that people who owned Chargers were "Rednecks" and the question everyone asks me is am I going to make it into a Duke's Car, my answer is NEVER!!!!!

I did enjoy the remake and thought it was so much better and more funny than the original series and the cast was great, gotta love Willie as Uncle Jessie

[Brock Samson]

 Well,.. that's interesting cause i think most fans of the original series hate the movie, if their posts here are any indication. 

[jb666]

The show WAS (is) dumb. But it's funny...

Do I like the GL because they destroyed so many? No, I like it because it's what I grew up loving, and wanting.. And now have.

I hated the movie.. Thought it sucked, and totally jumped the shark.

As for Zach... He's a pretty damn cool kid 

Did I used to drive my Black T/A around like a bat outa Hell cause of Smokey & The Bandit? You better believe it!! 

[ChgrSteve67]

I like the origional DOH show but did not care for the updated movie.

The orioional DOH show is right there with, The A team, knight rider, Air Wolfe, Buck Rodgers, Emergency 51 and a few more.

Watching them today they all seem corney but when they were first aired they were cool and I could not wait to watch.

I like TV and movie cars and its great to see them at car shows.  I would love to have a mad max interceptor.

Every now and then I like to pull the chain of some of the second gen guys asking them when they are going to paint it Orange and put a 01 on the side and then step back to watch the reaction.  Its a great Ice Breaker.

[skip68]

You guys hate them because you're old !.  Hahaha.  For me, it was my dream car when I first saw it on DOH.  I was 9 yrs old at the time.  My son got hooked on the show on CMT when he was 9 and my car was a blue project.  Well, we had to make a jenny lee now and we did.  It will get a new look somedday (yellow & white combo) and complete my dream.  As far as DOH goes, it was the thing that really made me want a charger.  I bet most around my age will have the same story.  I love my car and others (jenney lee's or not) all the same.  Well, I'd rather see other cars look normal without the 01 and orange paint.   Chuck.

[Ghoste]

I don't hate them, (it's a 69 Charger after all) but I definitely don't love them either.  The show was amusing but I would never have watched it without the car chases.  The "paint it orange" comments from people who aren't into cars are more than annoying.  And as for the fame of the car, the same people who aren't into Chargers but know the GL and drive this "most fmaous car in the world" thing I keep hearing about over and over and over and over are the same "heretics" who paint lawnmowers and Ladas orange and put a rebel flag and 01 on them.  So I would suggest that it isn't the orange 69 Charger that is famous, it's just the orange.
I think it's the crusade that leaves me cold and wanting to make the hater statements.  Not unlike the 06 Charger, if I didn't keep hearing how I'm supposed to like it just because then I would likely rant and rave a lot less.
In the end much ado about nothing on both parts.  Each side on this forum is into because of the car so who really cares what it looks like.  If it makes us happy and we enjoy the drive then gas up and lets go.

[928007]

watched the show when i was younger only for the car and the girl. i do think there are to many look alike gl cars.

[RECHRGD]

Well I'm one of the old guys that bought a new Charger back in the day.  I never got into the show except for a few extended looks at Daisy.  When the second generation Chargers came out they were viewed as a classy looking gentleman's hot rod.  As others have stated, the show kind of erased that image and turned it into a hillbilly car.  For that reason, I just have never been much of a fan of the GL replicas.  To each his own though.  Bob

[Ghoste]

RECHRGD makes an interesting point about the classy hot rod.  It's notable that 2nd generation Chargers ran a lot of print ads in Playboy (which was as much a sophisticated gentlemans guide as it was a boobie mag at the time) and not so many in the hot rod mags.  Image projection for prospective buyers and all that.

[Bobby41909]

As a builder of a part-time General I fit in the "it's why I am here" category but definitely don't live and breath it.  Loved the show when I was younger.  Watching it now it looses my interest until they jump the General.  I thought the new movie was awesome.  It's not for kids but who cares it's funny and Jessica Simpson did an amazing Daisy.  Plus the car stumps were awesome....love the General drifting....

[WB General Lee]

I am also an older owner of many Mopar muscle cars and the wing cars were always my favorite. What it was for me is after I owned several and wanted something different. I always liked Mopar movie cars now I have four, I think its a sickness LOL.

[jb666]

watched the show when i was younger only for the car and the girl. i do think there are to many look alike gl cars.

That's because this is a Charger site and we all come out of the woodwork.  But, at local shows/cruises you're hard pressed to find one.

Last summer, I went to a large show. There were THREE triple Black '69 Chargers lined up. Are there too many of those? Not in a million years...

As others have said, to each their own... There are probably 10 of us here, living across the US, that have GL's... If this was a section for New England Charger Owners there would be one.. Maybe two.

[Brock Samson]

I think your wrong about that JB - look up the threads - there's at least 20 or more... and there are a lot of Black chargers too.
Mine used to be black, and I not only got tired of the up keep as they get so dirty... but i was tired of seeing them at shows...  seemed the numbers of black chargers kept growing.

[jb666]

I think your wrong about that JB - look up the threads - there's at least 20 or more... and there are a lot of Black chargers too.
Mine used to be black, and I not only got tired of the up keep as they get so dirty... but i was tired of seeing them at shows...  seemed the numbers of black chargers kept growing.

I probably am... There's a lot of them out there, that's for sure!! I was just tossing a # out there...  The funny thing is, I look at EBay every day to see what's out there.. They "build" these things and spit them out like Octo-mom does with children. No thought or care about quality, just a paint job and decals..  Very few of the "builders" selling commercially care about the finished product, they just want the paycheck.

Black Chargers are amazing... When they are clean, and like you said, keeping a Black car clean is worse than keeping Lindsay Lohan out of the tabloids.

I guess I'm a double "Black sheep". I owned a 2006 Charger AND a GL. Best save two bullets for me.

[Back N Black]

I watched the Dukes growing up but i liked Daisey's RR more than the General Lee. I bought a yellow RR in 84. No disrespect to GL owners, but i would feel kinda silly driving around in a GL.   

[tricky lugnuts]

Dukes of Hazzard was my absolute favorite show as a kid. Every Friday night I'd watch, and then fall asleep watching Dallas.

I even had a General Lee Big Wheel . . .

I've been watching episodes of the show on YouTube lately, and frankly, I still love it.

The movie that came out a few years ago was AWFUL - Jessica Simpson aside - and a complete disgrace. Bo and Luke were borderline retarded, and casting and the plot was way worse than even the worst episodes of the original show.

In my opinion, even Jessica Simpson should have just been a side bimbo, she's no Daisy Duke.

That said, I personally would never want to own or drive around a General Lee. Too much of a statement for me, and sticks out way too much.

To others who want one or have one, more power to you! It is/was an awesome, iconic car. 

[Ants]

I'm another one who grew up watching the show, but I liked the car because it was the "good guy's" car. Dirty Mary and Crazy Lary is what made me want a Charger.

Then after I got my first 69 CMT put the DOH back on and every one wanted a 69, my door bell wouldn't stop ringing. So I decided to get a 68, not that it stops all the GL comments.


But to each ther own, the GL is to 69s as black is to the 68s.

[64dartgt]

At 44 years old and gone gray already I am concerned about looking odd if I put a front spoiler, bulge hood, stripes and a wing on my 73 vs. going with perhaps just white 71 RT stripes and leaving the white half vinyl roof.  Never mind a General Lee.  Each to his/her own.  

[Brock Samson]

 It could be an age and geographic demographic thing too... I see a lot of younger (then I anyways) guys finally able to get their dream muscle-car and coming on the site, seems the love of the show is pretty much across the board... under the age of 45 with more Dukes fans coming from the southern U.S. 

[Bob T]

At age 41, I also grew up watching DOH but apart from thinking it was cool, the desire to own a Charger did not stem from that, or from that alone. Chargers are the desireable Muscle Cars of the Performance Era and in the Top Tier of Muscle Cars of all time in my humble view.

Although I hadnt given much thought to a GL as a standout above the others type of thing, a friend of mine in our Car Club ( English born and emigrated out here probably 10 years ago ) who I have only met in the last 2 years, has been building a very correct GL. Interestly enough, before the GL he had Lotus and Minis 

Now he has it on the road and drives it around with his kids, he debuted it at one of my Mopar Runs with 40 other cars, I can appreciate it for what it is - which is a great fun car that is an icon in its own right and always gets people smiling and taking pictures And him and his Family enjoy the Hell out of it everywhere it and they go, even did a local community Christmas Parade last year . And because there is only 1 other one around that I've seen only once , its not like there's many around.

But to each ther own, the GL is to 69s as black is to the 68s.

Yeah good point, it does add to it on each year I suppose

[clanton]

  "Hey you gunna make that into uhhh dukes of hazard car??"  "You gunna uhhh paint it orange?"  "You gunna make it into uhhhhh General Lee?"  ......I love my Charger because it is prolly one of the most beautiful cars ever made, and it better yet it's a Mopar. I would be totally embarassed to drive or be within a 100 yards of a DOH. 

[69bronzeT5]

I own my Charger because of the Dukes of Hazzard. I grew up watching reruns of the show and fell in love with the Charger. If it wasn't for the Dukes of Hazzard, I probally wouldn't be into Mopars and probally would own a Mustang or Camaro (grew up around GMs and Fords) My Charger isn't going to be a General Lee though, I decided there were too many and me personally, I like having something different and built to my liking. However, one day I'd love to get another '69 and build a replica of Lee #1

[BIGBLCK11]

Grew up watching the show, it does seem corny now.  Also, loved Daisy.  The movie was decent, more Charger stuff after all and more Daisy.  It is a shame they trashed any cars for both.  I also grew up going to street rod and custom car shows, but the show did start my obsession for Chargers.  It is not because of the decals or DoH directly, you got to see an awesome car and some crazy stunts on a weekly basis.  I have always wanted an orange one, but not with any decals.  I still like to see a GL, to each their own I believe.  For many years,  I only wanted a 69 too.  But since then, I have grown to like the non-split grille much more.  Let's not forget the new black iconic 70 Charger, from Fast and the Furious (minus that silly, gigantic fake blower and all the ricers).     

[clanton]

Just'a good ol' boys
Never meanin' no harm.
Beats all you never saw
Been in trouble with the law
Since the day they was born

Staightnin' the curves
Flatnin the hills
Someday the mountain might get 'em
But the law never will

Makin' their way
The only way they know how
That's just a little bit more
Than the law will allow.

Makin' their way
The only way they know how
That's just a little bit more

yeeeeeeeee..........yeeeeeeeeeee......haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwww