Rockford Files

[caryc]

I always like that show so I watch some of the reruns. A few days ago Rockford's gold Firebird was blown to smithereens while attempting to kill him. The insurance company paid him off, seventeen hundred something, I think.

But now he is back driving the gold Firebird again with no explanation. Are they just plain stupid or what? Don't they usually run reruns in the order that they made them?

I can't really remember back that far now. Does anybody remember him driving a different car in the show?

 

[6gun]

I like that show also, all I could figure is his local dealer must have lots of gold firebirds. :lol:

 

[caryc]

I liked his attorney too. Gretchen Corbett, a little cutey with those big doe eyes. She was always frustrated with him but always stuck by him.

 

[gmartinnc]

I think I remember him driving a 4x4 Chevy or GMC pickup. It might have belonged to his father, I don't know. There has been too much water under the bridge since then.
Check out this link:
http://jalopnik.com/5928402/this-is-the-largest-collection-of-rockford-files-cars-in-the-universe

 

[Beartracks]

The episodes are not always shown in the order they were made. He did drive a pickup, but it was his Dad's (Rocky). Oh yeah... Beth was Hot!

 

[gmartinnc]

The episodes are not always shown in the order they were made. He did drive a pickup, but it was his Dad's (Rocky). Oh yeah... Beth was Hot!

I can almost hear the back end of that ole Quadrajet suckin in the air!

 

[Cholo]

The Rockford Files is my favorite TV show of all time. I was so broke, I watched it in B&W for years. In the early 90's, AMC played every episode in order and I recorded them all on VHS tape. Late last year I finally bought the entire DVD set, but it was missing the pilot "Backlash of the Hunter". Oh well, I still have it on tape.

His ride was always a Firebird, unless he borrowed Rocky's GMC PU or had to drive a rental, or borrowed car, for whatever reason. Some said "Esprit" on them and others didn't. Some also had "400" on the front fenders, and it would change from episode to episode. It's TV for crying out loud! :wink:

I did notice 2 very odd things in the DVD set. They weren't played in the original order, and this one really threw me: It was maybe in some '74 and '75 episodes, yet someone inserted some scenes of a '77 or '78 that was used several times before the '77 Batmobile front end was even thought of. That had to be edited after the fact, but I can't see why.

The show still holds the test of time. Good stuff!

PS: In the 90's I even bought the book titled "The Rockford Files". Great behind the scenes read.

 

[caryc]

The Rockford Files is my favorite TV show of all time. I was so broke, I watched it in B&W for years. In the early 90's, AMC played every episode in order and I recorded them all on VHS tape. Late last year I finally bought the entire DVD set, but it was missing the pilot "Backlash of the Hunter". Oh well, I still have it on tape.

His ride was always a Firebird, unless he borrowed Rocky's GMC PU or had to drive a rental, or borrowed car, for whatever reason. Some said "Esprit" on them and others didn't. Some also had "400" on the front fenders, and it would change from episode to episode. It's TV for crying out loud! :wink:

I did notice 2 very odd things in the DVD set. They weren't played in the original order, and this one really threw me: It was maybe in some '74 and '75 episodes, yet someone inserted some scenes of a '77 or '78 that was used several times before the '77 Batmobile front end was even thought of. That had to be edited after the fact, but I can't see why.

The show still holds the test of time. Good stuff!

PS: In the 90's I even bought the book titled "The Rockford Files". Great behind the scenes read.

OK, you've seen every episode so, how did his Firebird get totally blown up and he still continued to drive a gold Firebird? There was no explanation written into the show?

 

[SAJohn]

I always wonder where, in Southern California, you could get a permit to site a mobile home on ocean front property.

 

[graygun]

The episodes are not always shown in the order they were made. He did drive a pickup, but it was his Dad's (Rocky). Oh yeah... Beth was Hot!

I can almost hear the back end of that ole Quadrajet suckin in the air!

I rebuilt a Q-jet a few years ago from a '69 Buick Skylark with a 350. It's the only one I've worked on. I'm out of touch with the car's owner and don't know how it performed as he'd put a Holley 600 on it in the interim.

I guess the truck had a "tree fiddy" in it.

 

[caryc]

I always wonder where, in Southern California, you could get a permit to site a mobile home on ocean front property.

I can't remember exactly now, but his trailer was in the parking lot of that restaurant. I think he had some kind of deal going and it was more or less just "parked" there.

 

[Cholo]

OK, you've seen every episode so, how did his Firebird get totally blown up and he still continued to drive a gold Firebird? There was no explanation written into the show?

I don't know. He bought a new one? He was always buying new ones. Do you have the title of the episode? I havn't even turned my TV on in 3 months, but I'll watch it tonight.

 

[coach]

If you are watching on MeTV, they do show them in order in order they were made.

 

[caryc]

If you are watching on MeTV, they do show them in order in order they were made.

So technically, I could blow my car to smithereens and drive it in my next episode? It just seems like such a huge mistake for them to make. We all know it's just TV but is there no limit? They couldn't think of any reason for him to have another gold Firebird?

OK, so your a TV writer... "Let's blow up Jim's car in this episode". "Ok but how will we explain him driving it in the next episode"? "We don't have too...no one will notice it".

I guess that's how they do it.

Hey Jim Garner...if you're reading this, please explain it to us.

 

[gmartinnc]

The episodes are not always shown in the order they were made. He did drive a pickup, but it was his Dad's (Rocky). Oh yeah... Beth was Hot!

I can almost hear the back end of that ole Quadrajet suckin in the air!

I rebuilt a Q-jet a few years ago from a '69 Buick Skylark with a 350. It's the only one I've worked on. I'm out of touch with the car's owner and don't know how it performed as he'd put a Holley 600 on it in the interim.

I guess the truck had a "tree fiddy" in it.

Many of them had small block 400's and a few had fo fifty fo's in them. I still know where there is a original 77 model C10 Silverado, with a 454. Don't remember a K10 with a big block, but there might have been some. I was a mechanic at a Chevrolet dealer from 1977 until the fall of 82 and have rebuilt so many quadrajets, that during that time, I think I could have assembled one blindfolded.
18436572 is forever, burnt into by brain.

 

[gmartinnc]

Anyone know what they did with the gas tank on this truck, or are the extra fill spouts on there just for looks? Here is a shot of the other side. Never noticed that before.
With all the car chases he got involved in, looks like those would have been knocked off. But with the firechicken getting put back together so easily from one week to the next, those wouldn't have been much of a problem.

 

[caryc]

Anyone know what they did with the gas tank on this truck, or are the extra fill spouts on there just for looks? Here is a shot of the other side. Never noticed that before.
With all the car chases he got involved in, looks like those would have been knocked off. But with the firechicken getting put back together so easily from one week to the next, those wouldn't have been much of a problem.

He had to fill up his Dad's truck with gas one time and I remember him griping about the cost because of it having two tanks. I don't think that was stock.

I always wondered about Rockford's trailer. It actually looked pretty nice on the inside but as you can see in the picture, it was pretty ratty looking on the outside.

 

[eveled]

I'm not sure on the short beds, but the full size Chevy/GMC trucks from that era came with two tanks one on each side. My dad had one. It was kind of a pain because you had to move the truck to fill the other tank. In the picture you can see the original fuel filler just above that step.

My job was to hold the pump while he turned the truck around and tell other people we weren't done with the pump yet. Usually he just filled one.

Those trucks are also the ones that were involved with the scandal about the gas tanks blowing up on side impact collisions. I wonder if the stunt drivers wanted the fuel cell in the bed to avoid explosions?

The original scandal I refered to centered around a news show that showed the trucks blowing up after a minor side impact. Later it was found that the trucks were rigged to blow up. Ed

 

[eveled]

The episodes are not always shown in the order they were made. He did drive a pickup, but it was his Dad's (Rocky). Oh yeah... Beth was Hot!

This picture shows the same added fuel filler but on the other side. Did California have weird motor vehicle laws back then like they do now?

 

[Cracker-American]

I am relying on memory here so bear with me.

I bought new, ordered it special from the factory, a 1975 Chevy 1/2 ton, Cheyenne, step side, 4WD. I then set it up for off road. Around that time I became aware of an off road magazine and I think the name was PV4. pick up van and four wheel drive.

I seem to remember an extensive article on James Garner's personal Baha running pick up that was used in some of the Rockford episodes. Garner had apparently been bit by the same off road bug I had and also had the discretionary funds to fund is hobby well.

Extra gas tanks were necessary for Baha running but also because the stock tank in mine was 16 gal and you did not go very far with 16 gal with a 350 and qudrajet.

 

[Big Old Boy]

I think mine got 12 mpg at best that's down hill with a tail wind.

 

[coach]

I think mine got 12 mpg at best that's down hill with a tail wind.

I think the price of gas was 50 or 60 cents back then. 12 mpg didn't seem so bad

 

[coach]

If you are watching on MeTV, they do show them in order in order they were made.

So technically, I could blow my car to smithereens and drive it in my next episode? It just seems like such a huge mistake for them to make. We all know it's just TV but is there no limit? They couldn't think of any reason for him to have another gold Firebird?

OK, so your a TV writer... "Let's blow up Jim's car in this episode". "Ok but how will we explain him driving it in the next episode"? "We don't have too...no one will notice it".

I guess that's how they do it.

Hey Jim Garner...if you're reading this, please explain it to us.

It's just tv. While there were continuing characters, I don't remember there was a continuing storyline like many shows today. Artistic license and the pressure of a weekly series doesn't necessarily allow for explaining everything.

 

[6gun]

I am relying on memory here so bear with me.

I bought new, ordered it special from the factory, a 1975 Chevy 1/2 ton, Cheyenne, step side, 4WD. I then set it up for off road. Around that time I became aware of an off road magazine and I think the name was PV4. pick up van and four wheel drive.

I seem to remember an extensive article on James Garner's personal Baha running pick up that was used in some of the Rockford episodes. Garner had apparently been bit by the same off road bug I had and also had the discretionary funds to fund is hobby well.

Extra gas tanks were necessary for Baha running but also because the stock tank in mine was 16 gal and you did not go very far with 16 gal with a 350 and qudrajet.

Wow 16 gal. ? that's a small tank for a truck, my 1975 GMC 1/2 long bed fleetside with a 454 engine came stock with two 22 gal. tanks and still couldn't pass a gas station without stopping :lol: (I tossed the qudrajet and put on a Holly 650 carb. and headers)
It was a very fast truck and very fun to drive, seems like I could fill both tanks for under $30 back then.

 

[Jim Puke]

Wow 16 gal. ? that's a small tank for a truck, my 1975 GMC 1/2 long bed fleetside with a 454 engine came stock with two 22 gal. tanks and still couldn't pass a gas station without stopping :lol:
It was a very fast truck and very fun to drive, seems like I could fill both tanks for under $30 back then.

My friend had a mid 70's GMC reg cab long wheelbase fleetside that came from the factory with a 455 Pontiac/Olds engine.

 

[6gun]

Wow 16 gal. ? that's a small tank for a truck, my 1975 GMC 1/2 long bed fleetside with a 454 engine came stock with two 22 gal. tanks and still couldn't pass a gas station without stopping :lol:
It was a very fast truck and very fun to drive, seems like I could fill both tanks for under $30 back then.

My friend had a mid 70's GMC reg cab long wheelbase fleetside that came from the factory with a 455 Pontiac/Olds engine.

Special order?, 70's GM pickups were 350, 400, 454, my 1978 TransAm had a Olds 405 but it was common for them to use that engine or the 400 Pontiac engine.

 

[snowman2]

The episodes are not always shown in the order they were made. He did drive a pickup, but it was his Dad's (Rocky). Oh yeah... Beth was Hot!

This picture shows the same added fuel filler but on the other side. Did California have weird motor vehicle laws back then like they do now?

If you look at this picture the truck is a blazer or a jimmy not a halfton

 

[Jim Puke]

Wow 16 gal. ? that's a small tank for a truck, my 1975 GMC 1/2 long bed fleetside with a 454 engine came stock with two 22 gal. tanks and still couldn't pass a gas station without stopping :lol:
It was a very fast truck and very fun to drive, seems like I could fill both tanks for under $30 back then.

My friend had a mid 70's GMC reg cab long wheelbase fleetside that came from the factory with a 455 Pontiac/Olds engine.

Special order?, 70's GM pickups were 350, 400, 454, my 1978 TransAm had a Olds 405 but it was common for them to use that engine or the 400 Pontiac engine.

According to what we found out back then, the 455 was indeed used in some of the trucks coming off the line. It may have been a supply thing, if they were short on the 454...the 455 was used. I am not sure, other than his truck was factory equipped with the 455 and positive traction.

And, the info that you posted about the usual lot of engines is true as there were a lot them around in those configurations. Byron's truck was the only one in town that had the 455...but I have seen at least one other equipped like that in the intervening nearly 40yrs :shock: ...My GOD, I am getting old.

 

[caryc]

If you are watching on MeTV, they do show them in order in order they were made.

So technically, I could blow my car to smithereens and drive it in my next episode? It just seems like such a huge mistake for them to make. We all know it's just TV but is there no limit? They couldn't think of any reason for him to have another gold Firebird?

OK, so your a TV writer... "Let's blow up Jim's car in this episode". "Ok but how will we explain him driving it in the next episode"? "We don't have too...no one will notice it".

I guess that's how they do it.

Hey Jim Garner...if you're reading this, please explain it to us.

It's just tv. While there were continuing characters, I don't remember there was a continuing storyline like many shows today. Artistic license and the pressure of a weekly series doesn't necessarily allow for explaining everything.

So they could have killed off Rocky or Rockford in one episode and have him just magically appear in the next episode? Sorry, I'm not buying that one bit. Ok, it wasn't a continuing story line but you have to assume that his life did continue on in a normal day to day fashion.

To blow up the car and have it appear in the next episode is just stupid not artistic license.

 

[ronto]

As far as running shows in order of production, Mash is run in order if there is a part II otherwise it seems to jump around with one episode with Lt. Col. Blake as the CO and the next with the Bird Col. as CO. I've seen Magnum PI reruns with part I being shown and the part II showing up several episodes later. BTW, my favorite character on The Rockford Files is Angel.