If you want an iconic movie car you don't have to spend 100K+.....

I was talking with some people the other day about legendary movie cars and I was amazed at how literal and nit-picky these people were. They were lamenting that if you wanted an iconic movie car replica it would cost you 100 grand to buy and or build one. I disagree-you could build almost anything for under 25 or 30 grand-as long as your not trying to copy it down to the nth degree. Here's some of my favorites that could be very easily done. # 1. The "California Kid." Yes, it would cost a mint to hot rod an original '34 like Pete Chapouris' classic. But Factory Five racing offers their '33 Ford Hot Rod kit for $19,995 turn-key with everything except the engine and transmission. You can have the frame and crossmember set up to accept any small-block Chevy or LS engine,or any small-block Ford or Coyote and matching tranny. You could buy a 345 hp SVT 302 crate engine and a B&M or TCI C4 for less than 6 grand. So for 25K you've got a car that runs low 12s or high 11s in the 1/4 ( they only weigh about 2,400 lbs-about 800 less than a Fox Mustang ) handles like a slot car and looks cool as hell. Even if you spent another 5 grand on a black pearl and red,yellow and orange flamed paint job you've still got only 30K in the whole shebang. Or if your a mechanic / bodyman-get the basic kit for $12,995, buy an '83-2004 V8 Mustang and pirate the running gear, suspension and electronics and probably get it done for under 20K. Now that's a bargain. # 2. "Thunder Road" '50 Ford. Again-hunting down and building a for-real '50 Ford Coupe would cost a mint. Check the internet-I can't remember the company name off the top of my head but their still in business. They offered body kits that bolt onto an '89-'97 Ford T-Bird body and look exactly like a '50 Coupe. If you got a '91-95 "5.0" V8 model-or a '96-97 4.6 V8-virtually any speed parts that fit a Mustang fit these cars-you'd have unlimited performance potential. If I remember correctly-I think the kits are $5,995 and I have seen '89 and later T-birds as low as $1999 on used car lots. If you could do the labor yourself, you could build a stompin' '50 replica for like 10 grand. # 3. American Graffiti / Two-Lane Blacktop '55 Chevy. We all know this was the same car with minor body and trim changes for each film. And no-I'm not suggesting you cut up and "Gasserize" an original '55. Hot Rod magazine did an article and so did Street Rodder-there's a company called Woody's Hot Rods-under liscence from GM-that is selling brand-new '55-57 Chevy bodies and chassis. Hot Rod built theirs with a 396 Rat Motor and a 4-speed for 25K. Street Rodder did theirs with a 350 and a TH350 for under 25K. That's what an original '55 that needs another 30 grand worth of resto work would cost!!  Purists might think it blaspehemy-but another guy built one for under 20 with a  straight front axle,radiused rear wheelwells and a stompin' 400 Pontiac / TH400 that he had in his garage out of a wrecked Tempest race car!  It's not original anyway so who cares?  A badass Tri-Five Chevy for under 25 grand?  You can't go wrong.  # 4. Burt Reynolds' "White Lightning" LTD. There's been a lot of debate about these cars. At least one was supposed to be a 429 / 4-speed.  In some scenes they show the Hurst shifter and him shifting it. It others you clearly see him or Jennifer Billingsley operating an automatic column shifter. No matter-nobody's asking a King's Ransom for '71-72 Ford Galaxie or LTD 4-door sedans. Get some black wheels with chrome lug nuts ala'-Super Bee style and white-letter tires. Most will have 351 or 400C motivation which isn't bad. Headers and loud exhausts with glasspacks will give you the sound and an Edelbrock Perfomer intake and matching carb and cam will give you the torque to do smoky burnouts. Paint it Chesterfield Brown and your there. Cheaply. Since Ford didn't offer a manual transmission in these models those of you who "Gotta Have " a 4-speed are in for a rough go. You'd either have to find Mustang / Torino Clutch linkage and pedals or F100 Truck Linkage and pedals and adapt that. Plus you'd have to find the proper bellhousing and Find a T10 or Top-Loader 4-speed and trans and figure out which disc, pressure plate and Throw-Out bearing to use-because Fords are all different-a 351 is going to need different stuff than a 390, which is going to need different stuff than a 429,-see what I'm saying. Finding all the parts and converting it would be expensive and a nightmare. Just live with the C6 or FMX auto and get a Hurst Auto Stick 1 or Mr Gasket or B&M shifter that LOOKS like a 4-speed shifter. You'll be happier and have a lot less grief and more cash in your wallet. # 5. Mad Max / Road Warrior Interceptor. Mel Gibson's Iconic ride was actually an Australian 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT coupe. No I'm not suggesting you have a '73-76 Falcon shipped from Australia. ( Although there is a company called "Aussie Coupes" that will custom-build you one and ship it to America if you have the cash. ) No there's two ways to do this cheaply. Like I said in an earlier post when I first saw the movie I thought it was '71-73 Mustang fastback. After looking closer,-especially at the taillights-I thought it might be a '70-71 Torino.  Either car will be close enough after you de-chrome it and black out the trim. You can graft van flares onto the wheelwells and get some wide black wheels and fat tires and there's several companies on the internet that sell Top-Fuel style "Zoomie" upswept side exhausts. Depending on if you want to look badass-or actually be badass-there's companies that sell fake GMC blowers. Or you could actually put a Weiand blower on your 302 or 351 Ford V8. # 6. "Ramrod" Bronco. This 1981 Cult-Classic "Vice Squad" starred Season Hubly as a Hooker / Police informant trying to help Cop Gary Swanson nail a killer pimp / drug dealer named "RamRod" played with wicked glee by Wings Hauser-who also sang the opening title song- "Neon Slime". Ramrod was a mean MoFo-and he drove a sinister black '78 or '79 Bronco with Center Line wheels, huge tires,loud exhaust and the "Nite" flourescent stripe package that Ford offered back then. He also had a cool spare tire cover on the back that said "Ramrod" in big letters. I thought that was the coolest looking truck when I saw the movie in '81-and It still looks cool on DVD or late-night cable today-34 years later. I know it's technically a truck...But still.....Which brings up  # 7...."Lone Wolf McQuade" Ramcharger. This movie is where CBS got the Idea for "Walker: Texas Ranger"  Chuck Norris was a duh-Texas Ranger who kicked a lot of ass. He also had some cool sex scenes with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model turned actress Barbara Carrera and he drove a wicked, Supercharged '79 Dodge Ramcharger. A Ramcharger with a Roots-Type blower? If it's good enough for Chuck, it's good enough for me.  Any of these cars could be built cheaply and would be way to cool to show off in. Mastermind