Home from the Salt

[av8]

This handsome "prop" greeted us at the end of the pavement.  We were quick and persistent in pointing out what a nice gesture it would be for the production company of "World's Fastest Indian" to donate this to BLM, SCTA-BNI, USFRA et al as a permanent display. The sign is a beauty, heavy-duty construction just like the real thing. Let's hope.

I'll work up a report tomorrow. Lots of nifty stuff going on in both worlds, make-believe and the World Finals.

[HotRodLadyCrusr]

What a GREAT shot.  Your one lucky guy to be involved in something like that movie set.  I'll be waiting patiently by my computer for the whole story from you, including cool photos.

Welcome back, I missed you.  xoxoxo

[Roadstar]

Awsome Pics Mike. Can't wait to hear all the details.

Yes, Let's hope they can find a way to let the sign stay. It is very cool.

[KustomLincolnLady]

This handsome "prop" greeted us at the end of the pavement.  We were quick and persistent in pointing out what a nice gesture it would be for the production company of "World's Fastest Indian" to donate this to BLM, SCTA-BNI, USFRA et al as a permanent display. The sign is a beauty, heavy-duty construction just like the real thing. Let's hope.

I'll work up a report tomorrow. Lots of nifty stuff going on in both worlds, make-believe and the World Finals.

Wow    How cool!!!  Can't wait for more....hurry hurry  
Debb

[av8]

This handsome "prop" greeted us at the end of the pavement.  We were quick and persistent in pointing out what a nice gesture it would be for the production company of "World's Fastest Indian" to donate this to BLM, SCTA-BNI, USFRA et al as a permanent display. The sign is a beauty, heavy-duty construction just like the real thing. Let's hope.

I'll work up a report tomorrow. Lots of nifty stuff going on in both worlds, make-believe and the World Finals.

Wow    How cool!!!  Can't wait for more....hurry hurry  
Debb

Sorry I haven't followed up as promised. I posted a report with pictures on the HAMB earlier today and had hoped to duplicate it here but haven't been able to import all the pictures so far. I'll try tomorrow after I've caught up on some more sleep.

Mike

[Cword]

Mike
I saw a picture of that sign on the SCTA-BNI site last week.  It looks even better with your truck parked infront of it.

mike

[mrloboy]

Great photo! rj

[av8]

Sorry it's taken almost a week for me to post this here, but here is my view of the Shoot on the Salt '04. I shot most photos wide, with lots of sky and salt, much as the movie was shot, to give a feeling of the vastness of Bonneville.
. . . . .

The movie biography of Kiwi motorcycle racer and New Zealand national hero Burt Munro concluded its location shooting at Bonneville on Saturday. It was all quite trouble-free, as these things go. Shooting ran a couple of days longer than planned, thanks in part to a requisite Bonneville afternoon breeze which knocked the pit location flat Saturday before last. The movie lads worked Sunday to put it all right and our small crew of car wranglers headed for SLC and a tour of Temple Square (which included an organ recital in the Mormon Tabernacle that had our ears ringing for hours afterward), and an afternoon spent at Stan Wanlass's house near Alta, talking hot rods and checking out his incredible sculptures.

The vehicular star of the movie is Burt's 1920 Indian. The original is owned by a collector in New Zealand and is far too valuable to be subjected to the rigors of filming, so a replica was built to take its place. Actually, there are three replicas – a complete version of the original, a second that is just a chassis and body and was used for camera-car action shots, and a third that's powered with a Ducati twin and was used for stand-alone action sequences.

The complete replica as it arrived at Bonneville . . .



. . . and partially "aged" by a patina pro!



The motor-less camera-car version . . .



. . . and the Duc-powered runner, parked . . .



. . . being pushed off . . .



. . . and underway.



The camera-car with the scooter attached . . .



. . . and Anthony Hopkins (who plays Burt) about to climb in for an action closeup.



And speaking of cameras, here's the primary "battery" of picture-takin' machines, monitors, sound-recording gear, and generally busy folk. There were easily a couple dozen workers in this pod most of the time.



Anthony Hopkins as Burt.



Burt's Stateside traveling rig, set for a shot of his arrival on the Salt. There were three near-identical Chevys, two '54s and a '53 tarted up to look like a '54. The patina-meister did his job so well it was difficult to tell the cars apart.



Tardel-supplied cars lined up on the first morning, like a fantasy used-car lot – roadsters, coupes, pickups, panels, and a bellytank lakester.



A great deal of time was spent on the starting line . . .



. . . with racecars and push trucks . . .



. . . and some staged drama as the starters take off after Burt who has crashed the line!



A rare photo-op presented itself when four famous old Salt cars were gathered together for the first time ever – the Pumpkin Seed, the Redhead, the Challenger, and the Flying Caduceus.



The pits were cozier than we're accustomed to . . .



. . . and always busy and well populated with actors, extras, and crew . . .





. . . including extras coordinators (cat herders) . . .



. . . and wardrobe ladies.



There were some nice scoots on hand other than the featured Indian, like Jeff Decker's Triumph dirt tracker . . .



. . . his Crocker . . .







. . . Jim Travers' tasty Ariel HS . . .



. . . Fritz's vintage Triumph . . .



. . . and this gorgeous, brand-spankin'-new Indian Chief that showed up just for the hell of it!








A week and a half later, after the dust – and Salt – had settled, all the cars were given a thorough de-salting Friday evening and reloaded on the transporters, off the Salt.



It was a great 12 days! We can expect to see the finished movie, in general release in theaters, in about a year.

Mike

[Bruce Dorsi]

WOW!  ....Great pics and narration.

Thanks for taking the time to post these here, Mike!


Out of curiosity, was there any word of what the budget was for the B'ville shoot?

[purplepickup]

I saw the pics on the HAMB, Mike.  I'm glad you took the time to post them here too.

Those motorcycles are awesome.  Is Jeff Decker the motorcycle sculptor?  That Crocker is a work of art as is the Indian.   I'm assuming your comment about the Indian being brand spankin' new means it's a fresh restoration?  It appears to be a '51-'53.  My knowledge is limited but if they're making new bikes like that I might have to get on the waiting list.

Being in the presence of so much history sure made for lots of photo opportunities which you took advantage of very well.  All in all, I'll bet the experience for you was right up there with reaching the heights of orgasm with (insert your fantasy).....I know it would be for me.

Thanks for sharing.

[av8]

Those motorcycles are awesome.  Is Jeff Decker the motorcycle sculptor?  That Crocker is a work of art as is the Indian.   I'm assuming your comment about the Indian being brand spankin' new means it's a fresh restoration?  It appears to be a '51-'53.  My knowledge is limited but if they're making new bikes like that I might have to get on the waiting list.

Thanks, George. Yes, Jeff is the motorcycle sculptor who studied under Stan Wanlass.

The Indian is not a restoration; it is a brand-new 2004 model, an accurate, bolt-for-bolt copy of a 1948 Chief. They are built by Mike Tomas, a transplanted Kiwi who is located in Riverside, California. The bikes are limited production and sell for $40K.  Here's his website . . . kiwiindian.com

Being in the presence of so much history sure made for lots of photo opportunities which you took advantage of very well.  All in all, I'll bet the experience for you was right up there with reaching the heights of orgasm with (insert your fantasy).....I know it would be for me.

I tend to distinguish and separate those aspects of my life, George, so's I don't have to choose one over the other.  

[purplepickup]

The Indian is not a restoration; it is a brand-new 2004 model, an accurate, bolt-for-bolt copy of a 1948 Chief. They are built by Mike Tomas, a transplanted Kiwi who is located in Riverside, California. The bikes are limited production and sell for $40K.  Here's his website . . . kiwiindian.com

I hadn't heard about them.  Actually the '48s had springer frontends I think.  But what an awesome reproduction!  

I visited the website....nice....now if I could just find 40K laying around.... :?