This was an era where a lot of movies were of the "existential" genre. They are somewhat philosophical and are about what it means to be alive........sort of living in the moment, or for the moment. Two Lane blacktop, racing was living in the moment. Vanishing Point was another film like this. Anyone ever see "Girl on a Motorcycle"? Kind of like Vanishing Point on a bike! I remember seeing Two Lane Blacktop at the Drive In. Everyone went nuts at the ending, not realizing the burning film was the end. Given the era, and some of the other films like it, Two Lane is OK.
I got my wife to watch it with me , when it was over she just turned to me and said " that's it? what happened?" ....hahaha I know
Ok, so it's been eating at me about this question of whether or not the '55 is a 10 second car or not. So first, let me say I am not a drag racer. I have never built a drag car. So I am truly not qualified to be a technical expert on the subject, but someone posted earlier how hard it was to get into the 10's in '71. So that got me curious. I saw that Stone, Woods & Cook's Swindler II (the B/Gas version), which was a blown Olds with smaller displacement than a 454 was able to run deep into the 10's in 1961. A full ten years earlier with all the lesser tires and technology that brings. Also, due to class rules it had to have working head lights, tail lights, lic. plate lights, interior and other stuff, making it basically street legal. It also weighed over 3800 lbs. due to class rules for weight/cubic inch. I bet that glass '55 weighed less than that. So can someone shed more light on this for me?
two lane fans check this out http://www.desertclassics.com/DiaT49tlb.html a car from two lane black top for sale.. how bout that?
Way back then car craft did a complete writeup on the 55.The wholebody was fiberglass. It had plexi windows it did not weigh anything close to a real 55. It was the same car in ag that is why it had a tarp over the rear seat area.It ran 10s .
I watched TLBT for the first time in '72 I believe, from the back of a pick-up truck filled with idiots and beer, as part of a Thursday night special 3 shows for 2 bucks drive-in in Baldwin Park CA.We loved it because it was partially "US", we were boring and didn't talk much and lived to street race. I saw it a year or so ago and still watched it with glee. As far as 10.80, hell yes it was possible. You could see a couple run that at squirrel night at the old Irwindale. We ran a 57 Chevy post that clicked 11.20 with a small block. it weighed only 2500 pounds. easy to cut weight out of a tri-five to go fast without it falling apart and run Caldwell re-caps made of compound 2 rubber, lots of hook, no long wear.
I have a 57' Chevy 2 door wagon.....It has full interior, glass, no fiberglass anywhere.....It weighs 3540 lbs......It does not have a front bumper though.
Last weekend at the York Reunion, I had a chance to chat with the current owner of the only car left from the movie. My good friend, Jay Wheatley, was the "Technical Advisor" for the movie. Jay kept the cars tuned and did the driving for the race scenes. Here are photos from the weekend.
Ok, so TMcCrea, you seem like the perfect person to settle this once and for all. So, what does Wheatley say about the 1/4 mi ETs? BTW, cool pics.
You have no idea how badly I wish I could ask Jay the question. He suffered a boating accident in 1987 and is no longer with us. I'll check with Walt Bailey, he has a ton of info on the car.
We have one here in Denison, Eddie's Exxon on main. Eddie is a hell of a nice guy.he has free air, hooked to a huge compressor. and yes I buy my gas there to support the little guy.
Agreed. Depending on your views as a driver one with your car, this movie will capture you. If your car is your appliance, then this movie will bore you to tears. Then ending, very fitting. You may not 'get it' the first time you view it, but my second viewing looking at it more from a mental perspective and getting absorbed into it, it all fell together. Alex.
You might want to check again on that. The main body was metal. Trunk,front end and doors were glass. In my research I have found that the 1 car for sure (not all 3 were the same engine wise) was an 11 second car . But that is still fast for the street in my book. If you look at the movie when they pull in to the gas station and ask about a race and the guys there say that their panel truck is broke ,when they are pulling into that station there is only on carb on the motor or should I say stuck there with brackets. That car used to do interior shots was not even tunnel rammed. The cars were built by Ruth for the movie. Tim
Uh, no. The chase scene is not in real time. Certain parts have been sped up to make it more exciting and it was cut and edited in several places. I think the Charger ends up losing close to seven hub caps throughout the chase! Don't get me wrong, it is fun to watch, but, it is Hollywood Magic!
$35 dollars???!!!!! Damn where did you get it? I got mine from Barnes & Noble for $10. I thought it was real cool. The ending sucked ass tho but the movie as a whole was really cool. I mean seriously.....James Taylor as a hotroddin hippie??? Way cool!
I saw TLB at the theater when it first came out. Maybe the plot was weak (For Sure), The acting was poor, and the filming was rough.........BUT, I had a '55 2dr post, Primer Gray, Black Vinyl Top with N50-15 MT's on the back and radiused wheel wells. I still like this movie today..........It was a different time
Boy, no cinephiles here. The movie is quite interesting as an existential excercise in the aimlessness of 'the car culture'. As far as sex is concerned most of it relates to the automobile as an extension of your penis. The bigger and faster the car, you know. And, the ending is like life itself, no one actually knows how their life is going to end, or would really care to know. And, for those not in the know, the car was built for the flick. One of the car mags did a long article on it. One piece hood and blah blah blah. Most of the director's other movies up until that time were moody westerns. The best with Jack Nicholson. And not a word about how well Dennis Wilson did his job, or how wonderful Warren Oates is. Smucks!
Agree, watch it again... It's the same chase done one time, but filmed from 4 different angles when they are jumping down the hills. One of my favorite chase scenes of all time is the opening chase in Mad Max. I can watch that scene over and over again... As far as Two Lane goes... I love it, and wished I lived then... wonderful movie and I probably will try and watch it tonight in the garage while I clean! Ax
The amount of guys hating on Two Lane Blacktop makes me weep for humanity. it does, however, explain the astonishing amount of mid 60's 4 door throwaway car "Kustoms" popping up these days.....
Nearly right! But there is this ugly f....'n hippy girl, that I like to kill! The first time 25 years ago as a kid I hated her, and I will in 25 when I'm a old guy. I have to go fast forward not to crash my TV in anger. So do my buddies. When she says "What car is that anyway" with her dumb voice I can hardly control myself. A dumb ass bitch! But there is this reality to it. Always when life could be good, there's a bitch that destroys everything. We are workin' on a "viewers cut", with most of her censored. So we can enjoy this movie as a piece of our dreamland without bullshit goin on. Warren Goats should shut the fuck up also. The Duel truck should've rolled him over in his actual really cool Judge. Realism is here too. So many assholes out there, that go on u'r nerves it's devasting. All I wanna see is that car, just little talk, and the hippie girl gets thrown out of the car in the desert after bitchin' too much. The Diry Mary girl I woulda have liked. She was stupid too, but also hot she coulda stayed for a few more miles in the car. Dennis Wilson has the coolest style and sideburns. Not a ridicolusly tattooed greasehead that is so hip today. Just a guy with his buddy, that do not care about "what is in today" and they are who they are. And look just cool without all this fashion stuff. They have the best Hot Rod ever built! So what? So if u don't like that movie, kiss my ..., get another Hot Rod tattoo, some piercings, put some "cool" beanie or skater cap on u'r greasy head and watch Fast and Furious. Two Lane is still maybe the best movie of all time.
Two Lane Blacktop had 3 cars built for the movie. And Yes the Graffiti car was one of them. The car that Walt owns is the camera car that was used in Two Lane Blacktop
I liked it. Just as a movie. Entertainment. But so many people out there today and Even on Hamb never lived in the 60's or 70's. A lot of them were not born till the 80's
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