Counting the Bandit's Cars Vol 2: The Trans Am Count Mystery.

[@charger19691]

I heard that all of these Trans-Am’s were 1976 models with 1977 front clips installed on them. The 1977 models were not ready for production at the time of filming, but GM and the film production company agreed that they wanted to display the new look of the car in the film.

[@banonedotnet]

Thanks for watching! So far our research confirms that all the Trans Ams used for filming were 1976 models. We will show the details in a future video.

[@frankartale1026]

I've heard this as well. But to make it a 77. You need to change the wheels, hood, hood scoop, front cover, & grilles . That's alot of work. I see the filming was in 76 so i believe it could be true but idk. Hal said Pontiac gave him 3 Trans Am's

[@factory81ch]

i heard that too, on the behind the scenes of the dvd. Hal said 3

[@obiemichaels9675]

And in one scene you can clearly see one car is a 76 with the honeycombe wheels

[@nicholasmagers5246]

On the forums a few decades back by Pontiac fans, they served up some different information. Or should I say additional information. 6.6 Litre and T/A 6.6 was different with the automatic and manual transmission. The hero car always seems to be an auto, but several stunts it is obvious they are dumping the clutch.

[@digitalmagicAR]

Really glad to see someone dig deep into this. I noticed a lot of those details watching the show ~20 years ago on DVD (last time I saw it) since it was more clear than my VHS tapes but you pointed out things I never saw before. The magazines and interviews long ago certainly had some wrong guesses, incorrect info and even lies. You have Blu-ray, some additional info and BTS footage that will help. Thanks for doing this! One thing I noticed long ago was besides the stoplight burnout car having a roll cage, it doesn't squat when it burns rubber. This indicates some modififications and I suspected it to also have been used as a jump car. Looking forward to seeing more!!

[@TimeisReel]

Great Deep Dive. Please do one on "The Exhaust Sounds". Some say a NASCAR Motor, some say "Two Lane Blacktop 55 Chevy" was dubbed over. Thank you for your Channel...

[@motscrap]

My first new car when I turned 20 years old in January of 1977 was a Brentwood Brown Trans Am, 4 months later this movie came out. I wish I still had this car!! Thank you for your observations of the TA's used in the movie!!!

[@MikeY77z28]

Wow!I never picked up on the honey comb wheels,missing gas tank and the duel shocks even though I watched the movie a million times.Great research.

[@banonedotnet]

Thanks for the feedback. I am glad you liked it. More videos to come!

[@tomrodgers6629]

This movie sold a lot of T/As. I have owned a few 2nd gens. A black 1982 T/A ( My Nightrider car ) and a couple 4th gens. My addiction to T/As started with " Smokey and the Bandit"

[@anselpeneloperainblossom-s3489]

Mine did as well. My first was a copper 80 t top car. And my last was a non SD 73. I’ll never forgive the ex for putting me in a position where I had to sell that one.

[@mikeshort5516]

Absolutely brilliant!! All the times I've watched this film since its release and never picked any of this up! Enjoying this series. Cheers.

[@R8DRBeagle]

That's an eye for detail with the threads on the seats. I would've said that was Sally's hair.

[@googleusergp]

The headlight out is likely due to a rushed wiring job when the 1976 front header panel was removed (which would have had a round light on each side) and swapped for the 1977 quad light setup. It's well known that they were 1976 model year cars which had 1977 front ends as they didn't want the car to look dated when the film was released.

[@lonmcq7317]

Nice info... I didn't know most of this!!... Keep it coming!!

[@larrytate5605]

thanx for this great video,.i had seen some of the details but you showed me a few more.

[@imrantransam7837]

Oh man, this is toooo good to be true! I LOVE it, BanOneNet rules! Never noticed the extra shocks! Or that they removed the back window to film forwards. The level of detail you guys go into is amazing - the loose threads on the front seats!!! This is the greatest KZbin channel ever! Cannot wait for more! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@banonedotnet]

I am so glad you are enjoying it. Lots more videos to come!

[@monaabbyhamedani917]

I must have seen this movie 30 times but I swear I never noticed those loose threads or the dented door 😂

[@motodon5686]

Great insight

[@hpjunke]

The close up shots i noticed on some parts you can see on the outside door a camera holding bracket

[@banonedotnet]

Good eye!

[@dennisgallear409]

In the last scene shown the car must have had a manual transmission. And they obviously did two takes.

[@MikeY77z28]

According the Hal Needham.One of the three was a four speed.One of the reasons for that was they can get the car up to speed faster for the bridge jump.

[@pammiller942]

I just happened to be in Smokey and the bandit one and two I didn't even know who Burt Reynolds was they paid me $100 a day for 2 weeks and I rode all the way up the road with him and didn't even know who he was but now now I realize that I'm in the bar scene with the Jerry Reed and back there behind when he's on the phone and I'm behind with this guy drinking beer and stuff at the table it was it was wonderful to know I was I was in this movie and didn't even know who Burt Reynolds was I hate that he passed away rest in peace for❤❤❤

[@joequillun7790]

Interesting video. You guys (Banone) must be total diehards. Was never a fan of the T/As after 73, but did see these SATB movies when they came out. Entertaining stunts and driving, but the cars were slugs. Sally and Burt made a good pair. Thanx.

[@kevintrapp5152]

I’m holding on to my ass, Fred, until the next installment

[@terrybangley2281]

There were 4 trans ams , and regardless of what’s been put out there all 4 were crushed after filming in front of gm people to avoid any liabilities, you know since the cars technically still belonged to gm

[@sannissansanjuan5074]

WOW

[@dtuk22]

Apologies for a non related Bandit comment but its Trans Am related . In Rocky 2 set immediately & within weeks after the events of the first movie. Rocky buys he's 1st car a Black Trans Am. But its a '79 model! However the movie is still set in '76/'77. Hows he driving that car two years early??? 🤨Hmm. In reality Rocky 2 was filmed in 1979.... its a continuity error.

[@banonedotnet]

Pretty cool, thanks for watching.

[@kavinskysmith4094]

Well best guess, judging by the stunts in the movie, you've got atleast two cars that were totaled, the jump car over the bridge, which is confirmed and one other, and they said that towards the end of filming they barely had any trans ams left running, so that insert car and its shots with the wear must have been done at the end of filming when it was being used for the driving scenes and theirs atleast one that's been badly bucked that shows up on film, from when they slam down onto the embankment under a highway overpass, it suddenly shows up with the jerked up nose when he says to Cletus I dont think we're gonna make it son so one jump car, an insert car, camera car, and a hero driver as you gotta figure they used the jump car for both the bridge and the field jump, mark that off one, the insert and the camera car with the threads and then the hero driver, which is probably the one that got bucked by that stunt, hence why the insert car shows up at 4:57 to replace it, and is probably the one the bandit pulls up with at the end

[@banonedotnet]

Very solid analysis. Thanks for the feedback. Note that the car at the end of the movie has the signature dent in the door and still has its grilles installed. The filming sequence is going to be key in unraveling all the details. We will dive into the filming schedule in the next video. You bring up an interesting point with the story of the last car "barely running in the end" and had to be "push into the scene". What was "the end"? The end of the movie? The end of filming in Georgia? The end of filming in California? There are very few scenes were the Bandit would just roll in. So it will be interesting to figure out what Hal meant by that "last scene".

[@jamesnoble3502]

​@@banonedotnetyeah I've always wondered what scene they are referring to also. Maybe it was the car rolling onto the park grass where he and Sally "get to know each other better"

[@kavinskysmith4094]

@@banonedotnet well best guess that car with the knocked off headlight and the damage on the door was possibly used as the first car they got when they tested setting up the camera rig and fitting it in the truck and the less damaging stunts were probably done first just to preserve the cars as much as possible, although they probably didnt plan on totaling that one with the nascar engine for the bridge jump but depending on how it went with filming, the way that works is you have second unit for just normal driving and distance shots and first unit for the more serious ones, so you gotta figure right there you need two cars and you can see the stand in for burt in some of these shots those could be second unit, while first has him driving and man did they really screw that one up with the field jump, that could be a total right there so you might have two totals, and the camera and the insert car that doubled as stuntcars latter on

[@banonedotnet]

Thank you for your thoughts! You're spot on with the direction we're heading. In the upcoming videos, we'll dive deep into the filming schedules and locations to piece together a comprehensive timeline for each car. This will help us understand the modifications and uses of each vehicle throughout the filming process. Stay tuned and thanks for your support!

[@dieselfueled_]

Is there a copy of the undubbed version of smokey and the bandit?

[@blackmanta8999]

One or two of them were 4 speeds big block chevy?

[@TheDatadrew]

I heard somewhere they used a 455 out of a 70 GTO to produce all the smokey burnouts.

[@87camro]

Can u Smokey and the bandit ii next?

[@Davelowe-m4i]

5

[@davidgoodrich1258]

Man the KZbin recommendation did not disappoint

[@Obizzil.]

Just drink a beer and enjoy the God damn movie.

[@Slevin_Kalevra]

This has been answered by the director. 3 Trans-Ams and 2 Bonnevilles

[@banonedotnet]

Thanks for the info. Hal Needham said "Pontiac gave them 3 Trans Ams and 2 Bonnevilles". We are counting how many Trans Ams were "used" vs "gifted". Do you think they only used 2 "Bonnevilles" or "LeMans"?

[@IBLOWN]

Its 2024 Champion... Time to stop using your Headet Mic. Get a proper Mic.