cool idea, subscribed
CK5
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The Original Jaws Blazer Build
- Thread starter Chief Brody
- Start date
Same here. I talked to chief brody when he first signed up here about some stuff but never saw this thread until now.
Jaws Blazer is a 1974
Well, here it is straight from the horses mouth...Carl Gottlieb who wrote the screenplay for JAWS and also played the part of Meadows answered my question, and because it was a shiny new one in May of 1974 it had to be a 1974....probably...
From: jawswriter@*********.com
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 8:16 PM
To: *******@knology.net
Subject: Re: Question about original Jaws
Sorry for the delay, I rarely check this e-mail box. Rolling stock in a movie is the province of the Teamsters; they find the cars and make the sponsorship deals, in cooperation with the Production Manager. I have no idea where the Blazer came from, but since the film was shot starting in May, 1974, if Chevy came out with the "new" models in late 1973, it figures we got a shiny new one for the movie, i.e., a 1974. But I'm just guessing. If you write to me, do it on Facebook, I check that mailbox every day.
CG
Well, here it is straight from the horses mouth...Carl Gottlieb who wrote the screenplay for JAWS and also played the part of Meadows answered my question, and because it was a shiny new one in May of 1974 it had to be a 1974....probably...
From: jawswriter@*********.com
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 8:16 PM
To: *******@knology.net
Subject: Re: Question about original Jaws
Sorry for the delay, I rarely check this e-mail box. Rolling stock in a movie is the province of the Teamsters; they find the cars and make the sponsorship deals, in cooperation with the Production Manager. I have no idea where the Blazer came from, but since the film was shot starting in May, 1974, if Chevy came out with the "new" models in late 1973, it figures we got a shiny new one for the movie, i.e., a 1974. But I'm just guessing. If you write to me, do it on Facebook, I check that mailbox every day.
CG
Wow you talked to someone involved with the movie, that's kind of cool.
they've been playing the heck out of "Jaws - the inside story" on the Biography channel lately... watched it a couple times.... Shaw's U.S.S Indianapolis story is a fave movie scene for sure...
Carl is the only one that will take the time to talk to you that knows about the upper levels of making the film. He and Spielberg stayed in the same log cabin and tweaked the script on a daily basis. So Carl is a treasure trove of knowledge about the first film and is a very nice guy.
He also wrote and acted in a lot of the 1970's sitcoms like "The Odd Couple" and "All in the Family".
For a Jaws fan like me, you can't imagine how blown away I was the first time he answered an email.
Well, I couldn't really drive it very far because of the bad u-joints, and I couldn't afford to pay anyone else to do it so I did it my self today...first time I have ever messed with anything drivetrain...I didn't have proper tools, but it worked:
Looks like I will try to tackle the front drive shaft this weekend. I have never tried to take apart a double cardan joint before....
I called a transmission shop today and the guy said "Why don't you just buy a new driveshaft? It will be cheaper than me repairing that one".
I may end up removing it and taking it to a local driveshaft shop.
Any advice on that for me?
I called a transmission shop today and the guy said "Why don't you just buy a new driveshaft? It will be cheaper than me repairing that one".
I may end up removing it and taking it to a local driveshaft shop.
Any advice on that for me?
local driveshaft shop to me in my old town was price of parts and like 15-20 bucks for all installed and fst work to. so i never did the doubble cvstuff.
and trick next time put the u-joint cross in so the zerk fitting is in to the tube side. not the yoke side like you have now. it will be easyer to grease later in the rig.
and trick next time put the u-joint cross in so the zerk fitting is in to the tube side. not the yoke side like you have now. it will be easyer to grease later in the rig.
Don't feel bad, I still do that now and then. Most recently on my current Blazer about a month ago. I got it all together, bolted it up and when I went to grease it I noticed I got it backwards again. It only took a few minutes to pull the U-joint out and re-install it the right way.
Rene
Rene
I hate to think about redoing them...I think I'll wait and upgrade to spicer u-joints
How often do you need to re-grease anyway? Are they impossible to get to?
Yeah, pretty much impossible...unless you undo the straps and drop the shaft out of the yoke to grease it. Grease every 6 months is fine if it sees regular use. More often if it's being wheeled, really wet environment etc. To be honest I'd bet most U-joints get greased at install, and then never see another shot.
Rene
Rene
I have heard that most Oil and Lube shops never grease the u-joints....
I like doing things the right way but that was pretty rough considering I don't have the proper tools and I got a rotator cuff thing going on..
Ok...found a set of wheels like Artzner's...at least I think they are...I won't receive them until Tuesday...I am told that they are 15x8 and that they are extremely rare in that they were offered as commercial option only in 1973 and 1974. They are NOT the military wheels...these are supposed to look exactly like the stock steel 15x6 wheels except they are 15x8 and they have the outer lip to accept the whole big hubcap that covers the entire rim.
I will know more about them when I get them. I drove to Pull-a-Part this weekend because somebody saw some 15x6 wheels there...I got them back home and took the tires off and what I have is one 15x6 and three 15x6.5 wheels.
I am not sure which ones I want...I am thinking of putting a 31 or 32 or 33" tire on them...maybe with a 9.5 ratio...maybe a 31-10.50 or a 32-11.00
Anyway, I don't know how many here have looked for steel wheels in the last year or so, but I can report to you that they are getting rare...very rare...they are being melted down for the steel. Almost every parts around me for 100 miles has turned in scrap metal buyer/sellers and have cleared their yards.
This has proliferated in the last 2 years.
That said...I took my driver's seat out and took these pivtures...can somebody tell me what is missing? Springs...rods..etc
I will know more about them when I get them. I drove to Pull-a-Part this weekend because somebody saw some 15x6 wheels there...I got them back home and took the tires off and what I have is one 15x6 and three 15x6.5 wheels.
I am not sure which ones I want...I am thinking of putting a 31 or 32 or 33" tire on them...maybe with a 9.5 ratio...maybe a 31-10.50 or a 32-11.00
Anyway, I don't know how many here have looked for steel wheels in the last year or so, but I can report to you that they are getting rare...very rare...they are being melted down for the steel. Almost every parts around me for 100 miles has turned in scrap metal buyer/sellers and have cleared their yards.
This has proliferated in the last 2 years.
That said...I took my driver's seat out and took these pivtures...can somebody tell me what is missing? Springs...rods..etc
I could be wrong, I always thought the wheels on the CUCV military Blazers were identical to the ones on my Blazer, just painted black (?). Mine came off a '74 military Blazer (so I was told), and I've seen a few '80s CUCVs for sale that have the same wheels as well (from what I could see from the pic).
If you're using a 15x8 wheel and larger tires for your Chief Brody replica, that won't be exactly correct, I'm 99% sure his blazer has the skinny 15x6s on little tires like the ones that came on mine.
Don't get me wrong though, larger tires will almost always look better.
If I were going to be 100% correct I would have to get bias ply tire or maybe tube tires...anyway..I can't get the kind of tires he has on his...
The tires and wheels may be an issue I have to compromise on.
After I see the 15x8's I may want to put the 15x6's on there...not sure yet, I don't want the wheel wells full of tire....
I'll send a pic when I get the wheels unboxed.
What do 31 - 10.50 tires look like on 15x6 rims? I wish I could see a 360 degree of that.
The tires and wheels may be an issue I have to compromise on.
After I see the 15x8's I may want to put the 15x6's on there...not sure yet, I don't want the wheel wells full of tire....
I'll send a pic when I get the wheels unboxed.
What do 31 - 10.50 tires look like on 15x6 rims? I wish I could see a 360 degree of that.
OK...now I am just plain confused 
How do you measure the width of a wheel? From outside to outside or from inside to inside?
How do you measure the width of a wheel? From outside to outside or from inside to inside?
