OK, opening a can of worms, but, What is so Great about the General Lee?

[johnnyseville]

First, I watched the showed regularly, not because of the Charger, but because of Catherine Bach   The Charger was OK, but I never caught on to wanting to make my Charger a replica of that.  So someone please explain to me what was I missing?  Why did you want one?  Maybe you can convert me and I will end up making one next time  around.

[Ghoste]

Is it February already?

[PocketThunder]

Is it February already?

No kidding..   

But, here goes, I grew up watching DoH every Friday night when I was a kid.  If there was one car I was going to have in my lifetime, it was a '69 Charger, purely because of watching the General on the Dukes.  Those early years were the influential time in a kids life.  Just like music has its own timeslot in a kids life, generally speaking, most people like their music from the decade of when they were 15~25 years old.   

[Ghoste]

We all just like different things thats all.  Some people like it, some don't, its the same as some people like like four speeds and some hate green, some want air conditioning and others like hot sauce on their taco.  No big deal.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

General Lees are just a waste of good parts cars.     

[hawkeye]

i wanted a charger way before the doh.  i think the general lee is a nice looking car but why would you want a car that was exactly like 500 others ?  i thought about making my 70 500 into a r/t clone but most of the cars you see are r/ts.  how many really nice 500s do you see?   

[Homerr]

I grew up watching DoH and there's no way I'd own a GL.  As a kid I thought the GL was a cool car, as an adult I like the Charger for being a Charger.

Not to mention I now cringe at the thought of how many Chargers have been destroyed (and a few are still being destroyed) by the DoH.  However, it's cool if someone wants a GL and it results in a Charger being fixed up/maintained/preserved.

[F8-4life]

In my humble opinion, I think its kinda reversed. I mean the begining the dukes was a neat show and probably alot better then whatever else was on at the time... The show was cool cause the cars+girls+chases and general mischif.
But everyone knows the 1969 CHARGER made the show, not general lee. The general lee was awosome BECUASE it was a charger, and not the other way around. Teh way some go nuts over the gl, one would think that now these cars are getting built as more of a tribute/function of the show itsself. I mean it was cool for a "TV" show, but the '69 charger means is so much more then just a stupid tv program. It is kinda anoying when most people relate it to the dukes liek the charger owes some of its greatness too that. But us mopar guys know better lol.

[Chargen69]

no need to convert anybody, the show has been gone for decades, if you dont get it move on, it's a free country if people want a general lee thats up to them and their money

i am not upset, I'm just saying

[rebby]

I'm building a General Lee for my kids. Simply put, my kids (9, 6, & 2) LOVE the General Lee. They love the idea that we have a GL project in the garage. They love the idea that they get to help work on the car and build it into a GL. Building one of my 69's into a GL has excited my kids and motivated them to become part of the restoration process. That alone has justified every penny that goes into the project.

[areibel]

General Lees are just a waste of good parts cars.     

+1
My uncle had a 69 440 4 sp when I was little- that's what did it for me!  Red with a white stripe and a white interior- I can still see it!  Of course I can still feel gettting my finger pinched in the console lid and hoinking the horn until someone came out to free me!

I can't stand the DOH crap.  I liked the car at the time, but I didn't watch the show for that.. When I found out they had trashed 200+ cars it was the end.   All the GL owners say it wasn't really that many cars, but if they were still on the market it might make it easier for me to find another (yeah, I want two or three, I'm a greedy bastard!)  And the sorry guys that have to enhance their manhood by jumping them, I sure wish the pills had worked for you.

[Cooter]

General Lees are just a waste of good parts cars.      

Yeah, a buddy of mine thought that too when we both went to the car show together. He just knew his Hemi Charger was just gonna CRUSH my GL in "Attention getting"...Kept saying things like "I bet you don't stand a chance once they get a load of this thing!"


At the end of the day, I happened to look over and he was gone. Left on me. I called him a few minutes later to ask WTF, he replied, "I can't believe people kept asking me if I was gonna paint mine like the GL"....


And my friends, THAT'S what's so great about the General Lee. The really sad part? Icing on the cake was I spent about a THIRD of what he had in his badass, super correct, Hemi car and was having more fun!?

[John_Kunkel]

The show sucked, the wannabe clones reflect a lack of imagination.

[Lennard]

  for and    

Atleast once a month someone on this forum thinks it's necessary to provoke General Lee owners / get opinions about The Dukes of Hazzard or the General Lee.

GIVE IT A REST!

[TheGhost]

I'm building a General Lee for my kids. Simply put, my kids (9, 6, & 2) LOVE the General Lee. They love the idea that we have a GL project in the garage. They love the idea that they get to help work on the car and build it into a GL. Building one of my 69's into a GL has excited my kids and motivated them to become part of the restoration process. That alone has justified every penny that goes into the project.

I'd say this is the best answer on this subject I have ever read.

When I was 4, I was inseperable from my General Lee toy.  Didn't know it was from a tv show.  Didn't even find out it was a Charger until years later.  Just knew it was cool.  That being said, I don't want a real one.  Too many others out there.

[Back N Black]

The General Lee looks better on Chevy!

[nvrbdn]

i wanted a charger way before the doh.  i think the general lee is a nice looking car but why would you want a car that was exactly like 500 others ?  i thought about making my 70 500 into a r/t clone but most of the cars you see are r/ts.  how many really nice 500s do you see?   

yep, a nice clean 70 500 looks great.

[paironines]

Mom had an A4 69 Charger and uncle had a pale yell/white? 68 before the show was ever around. I thought the GL was cool and wanted to own one when the show was on, but have been more interested in factory colors since buying my first one.

[440]

I grew up on the tail end of the show and when it finished I watched the re-runs on TV. I've always liked the General Lee and wanted one as a kid, and as I got older it never really went away. I could never afford one but believe I wanted one when they weren't very popular. I grew up in the bay area and have seen 3 Generals. Only one that was a good example, the other two were too rough.

As life went on I ended up in a position where I was able to buy a car. I think most General owners would have a similar story, kids like myself that have always wanted one and are finally able to afford one.

The moral of the show was quite good and if you compare it to what's on the TV now I know what I'd rather have my kids watch.

[JB400]

What is so great about the General Lee?

I can't complain about this topic, I'm still new enough.  I think it's not just the General Lee, but the whole show.  It was  an all around good family show.  Today's shows can't say the same thing.  But, it is one way for the average Joe or Jane to be a car guy.  They may not know where their dipstick is or change their oil, but they know about ther General Lee.  It is a piece of Americana, or pop culture.  It sits right beside a baseball and apple pie.  It wouldn't matter what car was used, but just the site of seeing a car fly and drove the heck out of it amazes people.  Pretty girls and some action sequents helped make for an entertaining show.  Best part of it was, there was also some morals to the story, something new shows lack.  It is one show that will entertain the whole family.  The GL is the one car at the car show that everyone can relate to.  Not everyone can relate to a model T or a 57 Chevy





As far as for me, I was one year old when I seen this flying orange car.  I always thought of it as the 10 car with the blue x on top.  I never forgot about it.  It wasn't until I was in 6th grade that I knew it was on DoH and the actual name of the car.  At the time, I was spending my allowance on CarCraft and HotRod magazines idolizing 69 Camaros.  When my dad asked me what car I wanted, I said 69 Camaro.  It wasn't until I seen DoH on TNN that I changed my mind.  I seen it racing along the countryside.  I was amazed again.  I didn't know what kind of car it was, all I know was it was beautiful. The combination of diamondesque body lines and flowing curves had me hooked solid.  Unfortunately, no one else was.  It isn't until now, that I'm able to do anything to mine.  Whether I paint mine a GL, I don't know.  I get asked a lot.  If I do, it will be so everyone else will be able to enjoy it as much as I do.

[kikgas01]

This thread sucks as bad as ads saying "no lowballers or tire kickers." It is as old ad that too.Should we do a thread search and fill a full page with these worthless links? Who the F cares?

[skip68]

It's like asking why would anyone want a popular known around the world toy?   Do you really not know the answer to that question?        
  Jesus guys, it's just a toy for fun.   

[JT01]

I grew up in a chevy family mom and dad allways had camaros which I have owned several and still do but the Dukes is what got me into Chargers I loved the General lee and new I had to have one and it would b one of the nicest anybody has ever seen. Ive been working on mine since 2007 and it will b done in the spring and Ive allready got plans for another 69 so I will have one of each

[Brock Lee]

"Dukies" are a sensitive lot.

[Mike DC]

          
Guys like Star Wars toys because of their inner child.  

Guys like hot rods & stunt cars because of their inner teenager.  

Guys like car restorations and knowing some history about cars because of their inner mature adult.  


The General Lee is a rare case:  Something that can hold appeal on all those different levels at once.  




It's the same story with most "cult" franchises.  It's easy for the average person to understand why it was popular enough to stay on the air for a few years and have fans.  But it's hard for the average person to understand why the appeal has been so strong and lasting.

I think it helped DOH's appeal that the show changed a bit.  People's memory of the first few realistic shows made it easier to swallow the make-believe world of the later ones.  The end result probably had more appeal than either version of the show would have had by itself.