Lee1 / Car #71

[skip68]

Forgive me guys but I'm late to the party on this and guess I missed something.   Am I hearing correctly that LEE 1 was cut to pieces and sold except for the firewall and VIN?   WTF?  I guess I need to research this as I never knew this.   This is very very sad to hear.  I remember something about the guys that found the car and bought it had some issues but never knew what it was.   Guess I've got some reading to do.  

[Mr. Lee]

Guess I've got some reading to do.  

Here's the link again as I posted on the first page of this topic; just read this....

http://www.cglfc.com/wforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13567&hilit=travis+bell

[200MPH]

Forgive me guys but I'm late to the party on this and guess I missed something.   Am I hearing correctly that LEE 1 was cut to pieces and sold except for the firewall and VIN?   WTF?  I guess I need to research this as I never knew this.   This is very very sad to hear.  I remember something about the guys that found the car and bought it had some issues but never knew what it was.   Guess I've got some reading to do.  

my thoughts exactly!  so the magazine coverage in Mcg is bogus ??

[Ghoste]

What did it say in MCG?

[Tooz 72]

Its alright guys, ive found a never seen before pic of the car after it was returned to the Duke Boys   ....





well thats probably more genuine than whats left of the original !!       

[skip68]

Guess I've got some reading to do.  

Here's the link again as I posted on the first page of this topic; just read this....

http://www.cglfc.com/wforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13567&hilit=travis+bell

  Thanks Mr. Lee.

[Cooter]

I wonder how many "Original" cars are riding around today having been "Rebuilt/Rebodied/whatever" back in the day when body shops were doing this very thing? I wonder how many think they have that "Triple black R/T" only to find out it actually used to be a plain jane /6 Charger someone rebuilt back in around 1971 due to the fact they simply liked the car....I mean, had to do what you had to do back then right? I mean still owing money on a car that was clearly "Totalled" would be a shame right?


I wonder how many, if you paid 5 prices in 2000 for that "Triple balck R/T" and found out it was a rebody, would just flip it or disclose the true car??

Kinda like those "Test Drives" I was referring to.

[200MPH]

Lee 1 rebuild was in june 2007? MCG. if i remember correctly they fixed the body by pulling and stretching and replacing as little sheet metal as possible...i could be wrong ,but it has been a while since i have read the article

[Ghoste]

Hmm, if thats how they reported it they must not have asked for much in the way of evidence.

[JB400]

I heard about the same thing about the car.  I heard it was backhalved and repaired with a donor vehicle like so many other people do, and that it was put on a frame jig and straightened, but I never heard that it ended up being a rebody until this thread.

[areibel]

This article from 07 says pretty much the same thing, but of course they're quoting Mr. Bell!
http://www.insideline.com/features/the-resurrection-of-general-lee.html

[skip68]

So they even changed the rear axle.  In my opinion he didn't try to save a chunk of TV history, he tried to recreate history.   To me LEE 1 is a Heinz 57 mutt clone with some original pieces.   That's exactly what it is.  At this point I'd even question if he did reuse the motor & tranny.   What a shame.    What a tool.   

[JB400]

At the 3:16 mark, you can see the roof skin was removed.

[lukedukem]

 

[skip68]

OK, now I'm pissed.   For God's sake, this was the first GENERAL LEE. You take your time and fix it.   You pound out every piece of metal there is no matter how long it takes.  I understand some things can't be fixed but with time most could've been saved.  This guy started the North American GENERAL LEE Fan club and claims to be a fan?   Yet he couldn't see the history and value in the holy Grail car of the show?   I don't care how long it would've took to save that car and keep it's authenticity.  Even if it wasn't a perfect show car it would be real.   After all, in the GENERAL LEE world there was only 1 first GENERAL LEE and now most of it's gone forever.  

I apologize for my rant guys but this pisses me off that this guy calls himself a GENERAL LEE fan.    I (and I'm sure most of the true GENERAL LEE fans) would rather have the real GL over a pretty and shiny mutant mutt Heinz 57 GL.  

Rant over.    

[Mike DC]

                         
MCG wasn't lying, they were just publishing the info they were told like every other car magazine would do.  But stories & pics that have surfaced since the resto tell a different story.  


The front subframe & engine of LEE#1 are in there.  Not much else.  Just about anything else that could be removed & sold off, was.  

         

[WB General Lee]

They probably sold all the original parts to use the money to rebuild. Is is a shame. I love survivor cars. I rather see some nicks and flaws in a car. It's only original once. I love custom cars especially TV and Movie and when you have an original Barris, Big Daddy Roth etc, you try to keep them untouched like a Picasso.

[Indygenerallee]

Original LEE1 roof is in Canada, doors, fenders, anything that was sold Travis Bell sold then they rebodied it the firewall and front windshield is the only thing left whole front stub and rear was clipped.

[JB400]

I doubt that he will, but I'd like to hear to Bell himself since he was there.  I know he follows what goes on here.  While I myself am disappointed about the news here, I'm going to keep an open mind.  At least send me a PM, if you don't want to post.  I want to see some pics and get an actual assessment of Lee 1 before he rebodied it.  I'll give him a chance to properly defend himself.

[lukedukem]

I doubt that he will, but I'd like to hear to Bell himself since he was there.  I know he follows what goes on here.  While I myself am disappointed about the news here, I'm going to keep an open mind.  At least send me a PM, if you don't want to post.  I want to see some pics and get an actual assessment of Lee 1 before he rebodied it.  I'll give him a chance to properly defend himself.

that's a good idea. that'd be great if he came on here and said some words. like those guys at BK auto did. still didn't justify what happened but
this might be different. maybe he has something to add

luke

[UH60L]

This is an interesting topic, jsut gonna throw my 2 cents in about the rebuilding/rebodying stuff.

I would love to own a rare original mopar...but knowing what I now know about rare mopars I would probably be too scared to drive the thing for fear of damaging it, and where's the fun in that?

So, I am glad that my car was just a mutt when I got it (originally a 318 but had a 440 auto when I got it..).  When it went in the body shop, they replaced with new parts: the quarters, the trunk floors, the trunk extensions and corner caps, the front and rear valances, the right fender, and the hood, and put a set of used replacement doors on it.

Thus, msot people tell me I have whole new car, but you know, in theory it will last a lot longer and be les prone to leaks and corrosion, and hopefulyl will survive for many years to come. 

And I can drive it when it's done and not worry about it being a one of 505 special edition etc etc.  I have no intention of ever selling my car, but if I did, I would tell the buyer exactly what it is and what I had done to it.  (because it's the right thing to do....)

[Mike DC]

I doubt that he will, but I'd like to hear to Bell himself since he was there.  I know he follows what goes on here.  While I myself am disappointed about the news here, I'm going to keep an open mind.  At least send me a PM, if you don't want to post.  I want to see some pics and get an actual assessment of Lee 1 before he rebodied it.  I'll give him a chance to properly defend himself.

that's a good idea. that'd be great if he came on here and said some words. like those guys at BK auto did. still didn't justify what happened but
this might be different. maybe he has something to add

Everyone has the right to defend themselves, but I think TB quit trying a long time ago.  

You guys gotta realize the TB controversy was a lot bigger than just the LEE#1 resto.  By the time of the LEE#1 restoration he had already lost a bunch of friends in the DOH hobby.  




Do I know more than I'm telling here?  
Yes.  

Will I say more on the public forum?  On private PM's?  
No and No.  

Do I have a personal history with TB?  
Sorta.  Not a big history but too much to call me a neutral outsider.  When the DOH hobby was splitting apart over him I didn't end up on his side.
           

[Tooz 72]

Here is a video of it all..

http://www.insideline.com/features/the-resurrection-of-general-lee.html


it was mentioned that it was restored because if the Mona Lisa was spray painted then someone would restore that !!

but i think they have basically cut out the painting, replaced it with another and replaced most of the picture frame !! 

it should of been left the way it was and put into a museum !!

basically they have destroyed 2 original cars from the DOH !!

so who now is going to make a copy of car 71 ?

[lukedukem]

I doubt that he will, but I'd like to hear to Bell himself since he was there.  I know he follows what goes on here.  While I myself am disappointed about the news here, I'm going to keep an open mind.  At least send me a PM, if you don't want to post.  I want to see some pics and get an actual assessment of Lee 1 before he rebodied it.  I'll give him a chance to properly defend himself.

that's a good idea. that'd be great if he came on here and said some words. like those guys at BK auto did. still didn't justify what happened but
this might be different. maybe he has something to add

Everyone has the right to defend themselves, but I think TB quit trying a long time ago.  

You guys gotta realize the TB controversy was a lot bigger than just the LEE#1 resto.  By the time of the LEE#1 restoration he had already lost a bunch of friends in the DOH hobby.  




Do I know more than I'm telling here?  
Yes.  

Will I say more on the public forum?  On private PM's?  
No and No.  

Do I have a personal history with TB?  
Sorta.  Not a big history but too much to call me a neutral outsider.  When the DOH hobby was splitting apart over him I didn't end up on his side.
           

then were can this info be found if curious minds want to know

[Ghoste]

You can try and dig up the really old threads I think it may have come up on here at the time but it won't change much or do anything but pull the scab off the wound really.