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Sun May 16, 2010 4:36 pm

Wouldn't some restorer that knows what they're doing be proud of this? They don't seem to just have some paint slapped on them with similar sets of rims.

So the guesses are Shriners or a Movie? I really hope they are Shriners cars.

Sun May 16, 2010 5:59 pm

onefastbeetle99 wrote: My dad just called me and they were about 40 miles outside of Memphis on HWY 78 at 5 pm CST tonight heading east.

Perhaps someone could do the PETA thing by hijacking the truck and releasing the Things back into their native habitat before they can be harmed by the moviemakers.

Just kidding, of course...

Movie companies are pretty close-mouthed about upcoming productions and the people who supply vehicles to them are equally close-mouthed. If they are movie cars there will be one or two "beauty cars" for close-ups while the rest are for more distant shots and stunts..

Mon May 17, 2010 9:27 am

Special effects people are good at illusions. It could very well be that most of those cars are inoperable rust buckets that have been dolled up to look good for an explosion.

Looks like some of the cars have glass windows and some have plastic. It doesn't look like any of them have glass sliders. The plastic ones are bending badly in the wind. This certainly doesn't sound like a collector spending big bucks.

Hopefully whatever movie it is will be a good movie (I'm looking at you Overnight Delivery!) and will portray the Thing in a good light.

Mon May 17, 2010 10:46 am

Ian Epperson wrote:

Hopefully whatever movie it is will be a good movie (I'm looking at you Overnight Delivery!) and will portray the Thing in a good light.

Bullock meets Barrymore ?

Wed May 19, 2010 8:17 am

It would have to be a huge production movie like Transformers 3. Most of the time 2-3 cars are used max.

I betcha the Thing shop would know about these cars, they would supply critical parts.

Wed May 19, 2010 9:29 am

FreakCitySF wrote: It would have to be a huge production movie like Transformers 3. Most of the time 2-3 cars are used max.

I betcha the Thing shop would know about these cars, they would supply critical parts.

The last time I saw transporters full of movie cars it was for The Dukes of Hazzard. They built hundreds of those things and pretty much exhausted the country of '68 and '69 Dodge Chargers. Hopefully this won't happen in the case of these Things.

Wed May 19, 2010 7:27 pm

GeorgeL wrote: FreakCitySF wrote: It would have to be a huge production movie like Transformers 3. Most of the time 2-3 cars are used max.

I betcha the Thing shop would know about these cars, they would supply critical parts.

The last time I saw transporters full of movie cars it was for The Dukes of Hazzard. They built hundreds of those things and pretty much exhausted the country of '68 and '69 Dodge Chargers. Hopefully this won't happen in the case of these Things.

that would just make ours more valuable :P

Wed May 19, 2010 9:07 pm

There is some unusual uniformity in the picture, like all the gas caps appear to be yellow, but there are little differences that tell me that it is not photoshopped. For one not all the windows on the front doors are the same, some are solid units and some have the flap. Can't imagine that these cars have very many miles on them. Might be a great chance to buy a low mileage unit if they end up on the market.

Mon May 24, 2010 1:17 pm

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=919761

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=924641

wasn't the truck full of 73's heading southeast?

Mon May 24, 2010 2:37 pm

In the OPs fotos, it sure does look like some of those (if not all) have some sort of diamond plate aluminum running boards.

Mon May 24, 2010 3:59 pm

J.Glo wrote: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=919761

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=924641

wasn't the truck full of 73's heading southeast?
I don't think those are the same cars - the ads were posted in February and many of the details are different. It's not impossible, but it seems unlikely.

Mon May 24, 2010 6:20 pm

When they restored that Thing to 'new' condition, they put the wrong new wheels and drums on it.

Mon May 24, 2010 7:15 pm

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=919761[/url]

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=924641

You wonder they go thru a pretty nice resotration like that, and then put the wrong Muffler on it?

G

Mon May 24, 2010 7:23 pm

EODinert wrote: When they restored that Thing to 'new' condition, they put the wrong new wheels and drums on it.

And neither one has thru the bumper exhaust.

Tue Jun 01, 2010 8:50 am

This wasn't exactly on the interstate...though I-90 isn't too far away :D ...but coming East through Newcastle, Wyo. yesterday afternoon, I was looking at the trackside neighborhoods. It's uphill, wide open throttle, so there is time to check out the scenery. On the South side of the tracks, I noticed an Orange vehicle. As I got closer, it turned out to be a Thing :o It was parked in the driveway of one of the houses. I didn't get a good enough look at the plate to see if it was local or not, but I know which house to keep an eye on now :)

BNMike

Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:47 pm

They gotta be shriners cars. Those guys spend ridiculous amounts of money getting matching cars for their parades. And they keep them in great shape for years.

Tue Jun 29, 2010 11:16 am

A lot of them have chrome wheels but they don't all match exactly. Some have original hubcaps and some are just chromed wheels. I'd guess some sort of club (e.g. Shriners, etc). If it were a movie, they ALL have to have the exact same wheels. And getting completely matching rims and tires is just so easy to do. My $0.02.

Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:43 pm

they are shriners cars

Tue Jun 29, 2010 2:36 pm

Finally tracked 'em down! They are the Olive Branch Yellow Dogs motor corps from Olive Branch Mississippi. They're a unit of the Wahabi Shrine Temple. Here's a reference, scroll all the way down to the bottom:

http://www.wahabishriners.org/DesertSandsArchive/DesertSands3rdQuarter09

Here's the obituary for Gene Freeman, who was mentioned in the original post and died in 2005:

http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2005/may/09/obituaries-for-april-27-2005/

The group has been mentioned on TS:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw//forum/viewtopic.php?p=3124098

Apparently "Yellow Dog" is a club-within-a-club for Masons, with its own rituals, etc.

Tue Jun 29, 2010 5:58 pm

I saw these cars driving down the highway in Mississippi on my way back home to Texas from Chicago. They were going the opposite direction than me but if I wasn't so pressed for time I definitely would have tried to chase them down.