[sloan]

For some reason , I was thinking about trak-loc and open differentials this morning, and was like "That was the factoid that Marisa Tomei used to get the Karate Kid off the hook for murder in 'My Cousin Vinny'".

Anyone remember which cars they were? (A Ford and Mercury, almost the same?).

And anyone know if her knowledge of traction-loc was accurate?

..

 

[kketell]

Pontiac Tempest and LeMans, IIRC.

 

[rooeng]

1963 Pontiac Tempest metallic mint green with an IRS and LSD.

I love that movie.

 

[olddustyrelics]

Got a crush on her from that movie! The car that they were driving was a 64 Skylark convertible with an open rear. The car that supposedly made the skid marks was a 64 pontiac tempest, but they never actually showed that car. I helped them find the three 62 Caddies that they used for that movie. They didn't use the skylark I found.

 

[johnpro]

You're not even close :lol:. The cars in question in My Cousin Vinnie were a '63 Pontiac Tempest and a Buick Skylark. Also, it wasn't a traction-lok, it was a posi-traction (GM locker).

But, yes, what she said about the 2 marks requiring a locking rear end and the flatness of one mark as it went over the curb requiring IRS is pretty accurate, IMHO.

Now whether a '63 Pontiac Tempest really came with an option of a posi-traction rear with independant rear suspension, I have no idea.

 

[sloan]

Crap, you're right, I'm not even close. :no:

My nostalgic Ford mind must have kicked in, and overcompensated, and rewrote the script.

Man, there has to have been a Ford/Mercury combination that might have fitted the scenario.

Anyway, thanks for clearing that up.

..

 

[fast500xl1]

the 63 pontiac tempest had an independant TRANSAXLE rear. the engine was in front, a "torque tube" went from the bellhousing to the transaxle and they had a "swing arm" independant rear similiar to the corvettes first IRS. very rare and I know of only ONE restored example. its near me in austin, IN. yellow w/black top 'vert 326-4V. kinda fugly and neat all at the same time :biggrin:

 

[7_Hubcaps]

The '63 Tempest was a disaster. To make a 4 cylinder engine they took a 389 V8 and sliced the block in half, producing a slant 4 with terrible inbalance problems. Quelling the vibrations was why they had to use the "torque tube," which was essentially a piece of rope inside a metal tube.

Last car show I went to I was parked next to a black vert. The owner said it was one of about 2,000, which is not very many in any year but particularly in that era when Impalas and Galaxies were selling 400,000 per year.

 

[VictorII]

The particular model used in the movie was a V8 I think? If so, the ones I've seen have a conventional drive shaft and live axle rear end. Putting in posi was a typical rodder trick. IIRC, the 4 cyl. had that funky transaxle and it was driven by a sort of flexible shaft from the engine. Had a friend who had one. Great gas mileage but if he was in a hurry, he was faster on foot....I think they were only made for one year due to the flexible shaft breakage problem. I think it was sort of like a large diameter speedo cable. I remember my friend complaining of it slapping the floor pan sometimes, though I never heard it.

 

[JohnZ]

My first car was a Pontiac Tempest, slant 4, trans axle IRS. Thing would eat a clutch about every 1000 miles because the pilot bearing hole in the crank shaft was screwed up. The car was basically a piece of junk, but I did learn alot about working on cars.