1958 B&W Movie featuring '57s when they were new

[BBoswell]

Cool . . . now the mystery is down to a choice of two color combinations but both include green. That's progress.

I haven't seen the movie in years but my dad had a movie theater back then I watched the movie several times . . . and I have a faint recollection of a scene in the movie where the 50 crashes thru a road block. If my memory hasn't completely gone south I remember the car coming out on the other side of the crash-thru was a 57 and not the 50. Now I have to try Netflix and watch the movie again.

[Ecode70D]

   I was told that the 50 did get wrecked in the movie and they pinned the nose of a 50 onto a 51. In the explosion scene scene where it is parked next to the gas station it is very obvious that it has a 51 dash when the left door is open.   Notice also that the 49 gets a color change during one of the scenes.   The clone car has a Y block with triples and is running my old Borg Warner that was in my 58 during the late 50's and early 60's.   When they were all done with the movie, they just pushed a lot of the cars over a dirt road hill that is paved now.  Can't remember the name of that famous road.   

    I just found this piece over on the fordbarn.
   
   There were several 50 Fords used in Thunder Road. The most prominent one is the black one used in the speed shop scene and used in the roll over scene (bumper snatcher scene); however, the one actually rolled in the first scene is a 51 with a 50 front clip and a 55 T-Bird y block engine with three 94 carbs. The roll over was not intended and when it occurred it delayed filming for a week while repairs were made. The color was changed from black to light gray and later scenes even show over spray paint on the left rear wheel. The 51 that was blown up in the gas station scene along with the 49 Mercury were procured from a local junk yard, stripped of running gear and interior and rigged with explosives for the scene which was staged in a set built to look like a local gas station. If you will look closely you can see in the scene just before the explosion a cable attached to the Mercury which was used to pull it over into the gas pumps at the point of the explosion. The gray 51 with 50 front clip was returned to California and used by Jim Mitchum for a while and then sold to another high school kid who supposedly cut out the fender wells, and added a blower to the engine and then drove the hell out of it. More than likely it wound up in a junk yard, sadly to say.
    

[sprink88]

That is awesome knowledge Jay! Thanks for that information!

[Ecode70D]

   Here is more information on the color and no super charger  Jay

Jay:
Here are a couple of shots of the 57 as clipped from the movie. I would be on off white or beige and clearly there is an air cleaner as opposed to a super charger.

[enthusiastm]

   This is the answer to the color question. Note also that I had mentioned earlier on another post about Mitchum's  57 having a Lincoln engine.   It was mentioned again in this email that I just received about the color.   The 50 that he's talking about is the clone to the one that got blown up in the film .  Somewhere I have pics of Jim pouring out a cup of shine from the rear of the clone car.

     
Jay:
It's good to hear from you. Yes, the summer is slipping away but with the hot weather we have had down South I am ready for some fall weather. I have not driven my 50 much this summer and don't have any set plans for the fall; however, Oct. is the best month for tours and car shows down here. The distillery in Tennessee is up and running.   As for the Lucas Doolin 57, I have heard Jim say that as he recalls the Ford was either beige and green or light green and darker green. He said that his dad had a deal with Ford Motor Co. to furnish cars for the movie and the 57 supposedly had a Lincoln Y block engine that made it a real runner. If you can find Ford's paint chips used in 1957 you may be able to figure out the two tone combination. Take care and keep the wheels on the ground!

Well, that statement certainly supports my conclusion that the Mitchum's '57 was light green with dark green since beige and green were not offered together.

[enthusiastm]

Here are a couple screen shots from the movie with color images converted to black and white for reference.

[Ecode70D]

Well, that statement certainly supports my conclusion that the Mitchum's '57 was light green with dark green since beige and green were not offered together.

enthusiastm
    I clicked on that link which somehow got me into how people on Facebook were wondering what color RM's 57 Ford was. It also brought me into the accessories that were available for  the 57's.  Those $1.85 seatbelt belt brackets bring crazy prices these days.   
    I like the way that you put that color on the picture of RM's car.
    Light green and dark green sounds good to me.  Jay
 

[MT]

"The 57 Ford was white and kinda avocado green. I lived in Asheville and watched some of the filming. I remember the car."

This quote was found in the message board in the movie link at the start of this thread.

[JPotter57]

Lou, if you're interested in a 312 supercharger setup, send me an email  I have most of a setup, only missing the air cleaner assemby.  I might be inclined to sell it.