Those Checkers were used practically everywhere. They were specifically built as cabs. All body panels bolted on, and they were as easy to service as was possible.
Is that a 66? @Fred Hickey What dealer? Looks like my Grandpa's old car. https://www.v8buick.com/index.php?media/1966-buick-special-window-sticker.2522/
If you ever have a chance to rent your really nice collector car to a movie production crew, think really hard first. The pay is good, but you need to remember that all they care about is getting the best shot. Other then being a necessary prop, they could care less about your car. I'm not saying that they would intentionally do anything horrible to your car - it's just the nature of the business.
I have heard of instances where they painted a vehicle with a roller to satisfy the color they were looking for. Sometimes MANY times. BEWARE!!! Tom T.
I have recently heard of something similar. Someone rented their older car to a movie production, and without even checking with the owner they did a cheapie spray job because they wanted a different color. The comment may even have been on this forum.
I have rented three different cars to productions local to me. (Each time I was also hired as ‘background’ and all the cars were moved, placed and driven by their owners.) My GS once (‘Candy’), didn’t make it into the finished show, my son’s first gen 4Runner (‘Hysteria’, not out yet) and my El Camino (‘Just Mercy,’ ‘Hysteria’, some movie about a Disney animator, and multiple times on ‘Stranger Things’). The productions were insured and all the PAs were very respectful, nice and always asked ‘would you be willing to drive..’ or ‘would you mind putting up the top?’. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but all the people I’ve done this with are very positive about the experience. Usually it’s a long day but easy work, decent pay, plenty of snacks, two or three (mostly good, sometimes awesome) meals and fun. You hang out with a cross section of car people and see how the sausage gets made. It would really surprise me if someone’s car was modified or damaged without there being some unread paperwork signed. Heck, they ask background ‘would you be ok with trimming your sideburns?’ and will pay extra for shaving beards and mustaches. A few shots from my times on set:
A friend of mine who used to find and acquire nice old police cars through auctions would rent out to movies often. A few times he was asked by the production if they could repaint the cars, and he agreed with the stipulation that they had to paint it back to a color of his choosing after. While he always seemed to find lightly used police cars (ie. not general duty) the paint condition was never great, so he welcomed the repaint. Never happened without his consent though. A lot of us have heard the horror stories of what could happen, but whether they are true or not, it's always best to ask questions and get things in writing when doing this sort of thing.
