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39-411: Thunder Road may refer to: Film [ edit ] Thunder Road (1958 film) , a moonshine bootlegger crime film starring Robert Mitchum Thunder Road (2016 film) , a short comedy-drama film by Jim Cummings Thunder Road (2018 film) , a comedy-drama film directed by and starring Jim Cummings, based on his short of the same name. Thunder Road,

78-463: A "machine-gunner's mentality" they feel he brought home from the Korean War, which pervades his every doing. Only with nightclub singer Francie Wymore (Keely Smith) can he drop his guard, as far as he is able. At the same time, he steadfastly resists the attentions of the belle of the mountain girls, innocent Roxanna Ledbetter (Sandra Knight), who has a crush on him and fears for his life. When

117-479: A Ford or Mercury flathead, with an Edelbrock intake manifold , Harman and Collins magneto , and Halibrand quick-change differential . Front suspension hairpins were adapted from sprint cars , such as the Kurtis Krafts . As hot rodding became more popular, magazines and associations catering to hot rodders were started, such as the magazine Hot Rod , founded in 1948. As automobiles offered by

156-465: A camera mounted on a pickup tailgate . Many city scenes were filmed in Asheville, North Carolina , including the explosion of Doolin's car. The stunt coordinator was Carey Loftin , with a stunt team of Hollywood's most accomplished stunt drivers, Ray Austin , Neil Castes Sr., Robert Hoy , and Dale Van Sickel . The film's theme song, "The Whippoorwill", was sung by Keely Smith in her role as

195-475: A fatalist, he is concerned that his teen-aged younger brother Robin (James Mitchum), who is also his mechanic, will be tempted into following in his footsteps. An aggressive urban gangster, Carl Kogan (Jacques Aubuchon), is trying to gain control of the independent local moonshine producers and their distribution points. Dead shiners strewn along Thunder Road prove he is willing to kill anyone who stands in his way. Determined Treasury agent Troy Barrett ( Gene Barry )

234-573: A fictional spaceship in Explorers , 1985 Thunder Road Films , a film and television production company Music [ edit ] " The Ballad of Thunder Road ", a 1957 song co-written and performed by Robert Mitchum for the 1958 film "Thunder Road" (song) , a 1975 song by Bruce Springsteen Thunder Road, a 1980s Canadian band led by David Thompson "Thunder Road", a 2001 song by Judas Priest from Point of Entry Sports and games [ edit ] Thunder Road (board game) ,

273-471: A hot rod as any motorized vehicle that has a replacement engine differing from the factory original. The forerunners to the hotrod were the modified cars used in the Prohibition era by bootleggers to evade revenue agents and other law enforcement. Hot rods first appeared in the late 1930s in southern California , where people raced modified cars on dry lake beds northeast of Los Angeles , under

312-600: A local boy was taken out by Kogan's men early in the conflict. As the glows draw closer Robin and Roxanne approach one another slowly. Without a word they clasp hands and walk away together into the dark. The film was a production of Mitchum's own company, DRM, but no producer was credited. The film was based loosely on an incident in which a driver transporting moonshine was said to have crashed to his death on Kingston Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee , between Bearden Hill and Morrell Road. Per Metro Pulse writer Jack Renfro,

351-408: A long-running tradition they have with viewing Robert Mitchum movies. Hot rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimized for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and made to go much faster." However, there is no definition of the term that

390-448: A nightclub singer, and a different studio rendition by her was released as a 45 rpm single on Capitol Records . Mitchum wrote the music with lyrics by Don Raye . The film's opening song, also co-written by Mitchum, is "The Ballad of Thunder Road", sung by Randy Sparks , a different arrangement of which was recorded by Mitchum and released as a popular 45 rpm single, also on Capitol. A contemporary review by "Whit." of Variety said it

429-403: A particular purpose, such as "hot-rodded amplifier ". There are various theories about the origin of the term "hot rod". The common theme is that "hot" related to "hotting up" a car, which means modifying it for greater performance. With regards to the word "rod", one theory is that it means roadster , a lightweight 2-door car which was often used as the basis for early hot rods. Another theory

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468-845: A racing game published by Milton Bradley Thunder Road Handicap , an annual American Thoroughbred horse race at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California Thunder Road International SpeedBowl , a short-track speedway in Barre, Vermont Thunder Road Marathon , an annual marathon in Charlotte, North Carolina Other uses [ edit ] Thunder Road (roller coaster) , a former wooden roller coaster at Carowinds in North and South Carolina Georgia State Route 9 , used by moonshiners during Prohibition Georgia Highway 197 , used by moonshiners during Prohibition Tennessee State Route 33 , part of

507-425: A series of government raids destroy local moonshiners' hidden stills, Lucas's father and the others shut down production "for a spell" to let the government deal with Kogan in its own time. In spite of this, Lucas is forced by circumstances and his own code of honor to make one final run of his dad's shine. Kogan's men successfully trick Robin into agreeing to drive for them, infuriating Lucas, who sends Robin home on

546-571: Is coming to kill him for trying to set up his brother. Meanwhile, Roxanna spills all she knows about Lucas's intended final moonshine run – for now, anyway, till things sort out – to agent Barrett's wife when she can't contact Barrett directly. He deploys a sweeping dragnet of Bureau men and state police in an attempt to intercept Lucas before he gets caught, or killed, in Kogan's trap. Kogan sends his top henchman after Lucas just before Barrett and his officers arrive and arrest Kogan for murder. Lucas turns

585-457: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Thunder Road (1958 film) Lucas Doolin (Robert Mitchum) works in the family moonshine business, running liquor his father distills to clandestine distribution points throughout the South in his hot rod . However, Lucas has more problems than evading government "revenuers". Both a hothead and

624-458: Is drawn in to stop the bloodshed, and its cause. Barrett's attempt to engage Lucas are thrown right back in his face. The stakes rise when an attempt by Kogan to kill Lucas results in the deaths of another moonshine driver, Jed Moultrie ( Mitchell Ryan ), and Treasury Agent Mike Williams ( Dale Van Sickel ) mistaken for him and one of Barrett's men. Still, Lucas does not back off, a stubbornness and strike-first hostility attributed by townsfolk to

663-569: Is that "rod" refers to camshaft , a part of the engine which was often upgraded in order to increase power output. In the early days, a car modified for increased performance was called a "gow job". This term morphed into the hot rod in the early to late 1940s. The term "hot rod" has had various uses in relation to performance cars. For example, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment in its vehicle emissions regulations refers to

702-473: Is universally accepted and the term is attached to a wide range of vehicles. Most often they are individually designed and constructed using components from many makes of old or new cars, and are most prevalent in the United States and Canada. Many are intended for exhibition rather than for racing or everyday driving. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. Some say that the term "hot" refers to

741-515: Is very little "vintage tin", the hot rods in Sweden are generally made with a home-made chassis (usually a Model T or A replica), with a Jaguar (or Volvo 240 ) rear axle, a small-block V8 , and fiberglass tub, but some have been built using for instance a Volvo Duett chassis. Because Swedish regulations required a crash test even for custom-built passenger cars between 1969 and 1982, the Duett option

780-661: The Ford flathead V8 engine (known as the "flatty") into a different car, for example, the common practice in the 1940s of installing the "60 horse" version into a Jeep chassis. Typical modifications were removal of convertible tops , hoods , bumpers , windshields , and/or fenders ; channeling the body; and modifying the engine by tuning and/or replacing with a more powerful type. Wheels and tires were changed for improved traction and handling. Hot rods built before 1945 commonly used '35 Ford wire-spoke wheels . After World War II , many small military airports throughout

819-449: The greaser lifestyle. Magazines like Ol' Skool Rodz , Gears and Gals , and Rat-Rods and Rust Queens cover events and people. There are magazines that feature traditional hot rods, including Hot Rod , Car Craft , Rod and Custom , and Popular Hot Rodding . There are also television shows such as My Classic Car , Horsepower TV , American Hot Rod , Fast and Loud , and Chop Cut Rebuild . Particularly during

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858-558: The bus. Barrett tries to enlist Robin's help in convincing Lucas it's Kogan his Bureau is after, not his brother, but is rebuffed. In the exchange Barrett reveals Lucas never left the States in the Army and implies he may have spent his hitch in its stockade instead, explaining his pent-up anger and seeming death wish. After Lucas meets with Francie and forebodingly gives her a large sum of money to hold for him, he calls Kogan to let him know he

897-424: The country were either abandoned or rarely used, allowing hot rodders across the country to race on marked courses. Originally, drag racing had tracks as long as 1 mi (1.6 km) or more, and included up to four lanes of racing simultaneously. As some hot rodders also raced on the street, a need arose for an organization to promote safety, and to provide venues for safe racing. The National Hot Rod Association

936-628: The decade passed. Hot rods were used as the theme of Lightning Rod , a Rocky Mountain Construction roller coaster at Dollywood . Locals in Sweden and Finland , influenced by American culture, have created a vibrant local hot rod culture where enthusiasts gather at meetings such as Power Big Meet in Linköping and clubs like Wheels and Wings in Varberg , both located in Sweden. Since there

975-465: The early 1960s, a genre of "hot rod music" rose to mainstream popularity. Hot rod music was largely a product of a number of surf music groups running out of ideas for new surfing songs and simultaneously shifting their lyrical focus toward hot rods. Hot rod music would prove to be the second phase in a progression known as the California Sound , which would mature into more complex topics as

1014-410: The entire budget for the movie, which ended negotiations. Mitchum's elder son, James, who strongly resembled his father, got the part instead. It was his first credited film role. In the film, Mitchum drove a souped-up black 1950 Ford two-door sedan (which was later repainted gray) with a custom tank in the back for moonshine liquor and a newer OHV Ford V8 with three two-barrel carburetors, but after it

1053-486: The incident occurred in 1952 and may have been witnessed by James Agee , who passed the story on to Mitchum. The part of Lucas's younger brother, Robin, was originally written for Elvis Presley per Mitchum's request. Mitchum personally submitted the script to Elvis in Los Angeles. The singer was eager to play the role, but his manager, Colonel Tom Parker , demanded Elvis be paid a ridiculous sum of money, more than

1092-406: The major automakers began increasing performance, the lure of hot rods began to wane. With the advent of the muscle car , it was now possible to purchase a high-performance car straight from the showroom. However, the 1973 Oil Crisis caused car manufacturers to focus on fuel efficiency over performance, which led to a resurgence of interest in hot rodding. As the focus shifted away from racing,

1131-593: The modified cars became known as "street rods". The National Street Rod Association (NSRA) was formed and began hosting events. By the 1970s, the 350 cu in (5.7 L) small-block Chevy V8 was the most common choice of engine for hot rods. Another popular engine choice is the Ford Windsor engine . During the 1980s, many car manufacturers were reducing the displacements of their engines, thus making it harder for hot rod builders to obtain large displacement engines. Instead, engine builders had to modify

1170-535: The route inspiring the moonshine song, "The Ballad of Thunder Road" Thunder Road, a former turbo-simulator ride at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee Thunder Road , the first original mobile comic , by Steven Sanders National Route 13 (Vietnam) , a nickname given by US forces during the Vietnam War See also [ edit ] Thunder Alley (disambiguation) Topics referred to by

1209-574: The rules of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), among other groups. This gained popularity after World War II , particularly in California, because many returning soldiers had received technical training. The first hot rods were old cars (most often Fords , typically 1910s-1920s Model Ts , 1928–31 Model As , or 1932-34 Model Bs ), modified to reduce weight. Engine swaps often involved fitting

Thunder Road - Misplaced Pages Continue

1248-421: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Thunder Road . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thunder_Road&oldid=1026707935 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

1287-459: The smaller engines (such as using non-standard crankshafts and pistons ) to obtain larger displacement. While current production V8s tended to be the most frequent candidates, this also applied to others. In the mid-1980s, as stock engine sizes diminished, rodders discovered the 215 cu in (3.5 L) aluminum-block Buick or Oldsmobile V8 could be modified for substantially greater displacement, with mainly wrecking yard parts. This trend

1326-430: The tables on Kogan's driver and runs him off the road. Kogan's men then set spike strips to blow out Lucas's tires, which send his car careening down an embankment into an arcing electrical transformer. Barrett arrives too late to help with anything. As a snake of headlights winds up the lonely mountain road back home, Robin and Roxanna stand alone in silence. The same cortege of mourners bring their own back home as when

1365-530: The vehicle's being stolen. Other origin stories include replacing the engine's camshaft or "rod" with a higher performance version. According to the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA), the term changes in meaning over the years, but "hot rodding has less to do with the vehicle and more to do with an attitude and lifestyle". For example, hot rods were favorites for greasers . The term has broadened to apply to other items that are modified for

1404-399: Was "Burdened with an overage of dialog and an abundance of uneventful footage", but it had "plenty of fast auto action". Bruce Springsteen said at a 1978 concert that the name of his song " Thunder Road " had been inspired by seeing a poster of the movie, but he had not seen the movie. In the episode of Cheers titled "And Coachie Makes Three", Sam and Coach watch the movie as part of

1443-581: Was blown up by Kogan's men, it was replaced with a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 two-door sedan. Most of the scenes were filmed in Woodfin, North Carolina , along U.S. Route 19 and others at Lake Lure . Some scenes were filmed in Beech, east of Weaverville . Scenes include Reems Creek Road, Sugar Creek Road, and the Beech Community Center. Some scenes were actual local moonshine drivers shot with

1482-551: Was founded in 1951, to take drag racing off the streets and into controlled environments. In the '50s and '60s, the Ford flathead V8 was supplanted by the Chrysler FirePower engine (known as the "early hemi"). Many hot rods would upgrade the brakes from mechanical to hydraulic ("juice") and headlights from bulb to sealed-beam. A typical mid-1950s to early 1960s custom Deuce was fenderless and steeply chopped, powered by

1521-550: Was not limited to American cars; Volkswagen enthusiasts similarly stretched stock 1600cc engines to over two liters. The hot rod community has now been subdivided into two main groups: street rodders and hot rodders. There is a contemporary movement of traditional hot rod builders, car clubs and artists who have returned to the roots of hot rodding as a lifestyle. This includes a new breed of traditional hot rod builders, artists, and styles, as well as classic style car clubs. Events like GreaseOrama feature traditional hot rods and

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