Anyone owned a Christine?!
Anyone owned a Christine?!
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Discussion

vrsmxtb

Original Poster:

2,003 posts

179 months

Thursday 29th September 2011
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Just watched John Carpenter's Christine! Got me thinking has anyone owned a real "Christine"? Perhaps not a homicidal, possessive Plymouth, but a car that's had just that extra bit of bad luck attached to it... any stories?!

vrsmxtb

Original Poster:

2,003 posts

179 months

Friday 30th September 2011
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Hmm ok seems all the Christine's have silenced their owners...

Zp

15,859 posts

212 months

Friday 30th September 2011
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1959 Plymouth Fury...

From the first time I saw the film I've wanted one.

Anyway, I had a 1982 Escort van back in 1987 which was always breaking down.
I remember one wet winters morning - it wouldn't start AGAIN and in a hissy fit I slammed the door shut, only to watch the window shatter...

Edited by Zp on Friday 30th September 08:28

Hugo a Gogo

23,424 posts

256 months

durbster

11,783 posts

245 months

Friday 30th September 2011
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DanielC4GP

2,792 posts

174 months

Friday 30th September 2011
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Great film and I'd love to own a replics Fury too. A lot of the cars in the film were dressed up Belvedere's and Savoy's though. Plymouth only made 5303 1958 Fury's and 21 Belvedere's were destroyed during filming.

Have gotten quite attached to come of my cars in the past but never as much as to call one a Christine. I did once nickname my computer christine though as it used to turn itself on in the middle of the night sometimes.

R0G

5,032 posts

178 months

Friday 30th September 2011
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My daughter is called christine - does that count as 'owning' ?

Denis O

2,141 posts

266 months

Friday 30th September 2011
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And here she is




lodgy

142 posts

218 months

Friday 30th September 2011
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^^^^^^^^ Stunning, absolutly beautifull. Another for the lottery win garage

Hugo a Gogo

23,424 posts

256 months

Friday 30th September 2011
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Wacky Racer said:
I think PH's "Cazzer" had one IIRC......scratchchin
blimey, you might be right

how ever did you remember that?

Major Fallout

5,278 posts

254 months

Friday 30th September 2011
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EVIL Porsches!

There was an evil 917.

And the most evil "Little bd" Porsche Spyder.

It killed James Dean. A mechanic had both of his legs broken, unloading it. The Little bd’s next victims were two doctors taking part in a race in October, 1956. Troy McHenry was driving a car powered by the Porsche’s engine. Rival William Eschrid’s car also contained parts from Dean’s car.
McHenry was killed when his car suddenly skidded out of control and hit a tree. Eschrid’s car turned over and he suffered serious injuries. He later said the car suddenly “locked up”.
Immediately after the race, a youngster slipped and injured his arm while trying to steal the Porsche’s steering wheel.
Two of the Spyder’s tyres were sold. A few days later, both tyres blew out at the same time.
The garage in which it was stored burned to the ground. Every vehicle in the garage was destroyed with the exception of "Little bd".
Another fatality when the driver of a truck hauling the car died. He was thrown from the truck in an accident and the Little bd fell on him.


spoodler

2,272 posts

178 months

Friday 30th September 2011
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I don't think James Dean had a 917...wasn't it a 550 Spyder? Sorry, misread that.

vetrof

2,826 posts

196 months

Friday 30th September 2011
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Great movie, beautiful cars.

Didn't realise they were so valuable.

http://www.volocars.com/1958-plymouth-fury--c-388....

Laird

26,140 posts

237 months

Friday 30th September 2011
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vrsmxtb said:
Got me thinking has anyone owned a real "Christine"? Perhaps not a homicidal, possessive Plymouth, but a car that's had just that extra bit of bad luck attached to it... any stories?!
Every car I've ever owned has been one of these.

Major Fallout

5,278 posts

254 months

Friday 30th September 2011
quotequote all
spoodler said:
I don't think James Dean had a 917...wasn't it a 550 Spyder?
I was on about 2 cars, an evil 917 and James Dean's 550 Spyder.

I cant remember a lot about the 917, I think it was the one David Piper lost part of his lower leg in a crash during the shooting of Le Mans.

Zp

15,859 posts

212 months

Friday 30th September 2011
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Denis O said:
And here she is

Oh...oh Lordy.


cazzer

8,883 posts

271 months

Sunday 15th January 2012
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B'stard Child

30,797 posts

269 months

Sunday 15th January 2012
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Hmmmm maybe depends on how you view it........

In 1979 A factory in Germany made an Opel Monza like the one below



It was shipped to Southern Ireland to find a happy new owner registered on "99 GZJ"

However very very early in it's life it was involved in an accident that resulted in damage that could not be repaired to a std suitable for sale through the Opel Dealership. The resulted in it being sold as damaged thro the trade

A dealer Frank O'Rourke who liked his motorsport purchased it and repaired it for his own use on sprints, hill climbs and the odd bit of circuit racing

Picture below is when used as course car on a rally



Now any motorsport is dangerous to both drivers, marshalls, spectators and the cars

And "99 GZJ" got into it's far share of scrapes but the last one was a hard front impact into a stone wall on a hill climb and it was then left damaged for a while untill a rally driver named Austin Mchale was without a car in 1987 for the Manx Rally (His Manta suffering the ban associated with group B) He bought it and his team prepped the car for the Manx putting in all the hard earned knowledge with Manta preparation

Manx 87 proved a tough start retiring on stage 6 with a blown head gasket

Next event was the Circuit Of Ireland 87 and here it faired better finishing 5th overall



Unfortunately during the rally it got into a few more scrapes





And the car became slightly famous for some slight dubious weight saving measures



So after the COI the car was repaired and sold to a UK Buyer and subsequently resurfaced as this



It's in this guise becuase it got rolled in the McHale livery on a track day apparently and judging by the filler currently in the roof it needed plenty

Then it dissappeared for a while to eventually surface in scotland looking even worse for wear

Barn burnt down around it





Managed to get it from scotland to Norfolk with the help and assistance of many people



So in summary Built in 1979

Crashed same year (too badly to be sold on thro dealer network)
Repaired by Frank O'Rourke

Crashed by Frank on a hill climb
Left for dead for a while

Bought by Austin McHale - repaired
Rallied for two events

Crashed on one - rear 3/4 damage (Circuit of Ireland)

Repaired and sold

Bought by Ken Lark - rolled it

Repaired and sold

Most recently involved in a barn fire

Yeah I reckon it's certainly not the luckiest car in the world

Now the story doesn't end there but that's not really for this thread

Animal101

221 posts

175 months

Tuesday 17th January 2012
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On the 28th June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo, effectively kick-starting World War I. They were riding in a Gräf und Stift automobile leant to them by a General of the Austrian army.

Speculation about the car being cursed began to circulate in the 1950s after rumours spread of violent accidents befalling those who’d owned it after the unfortunate Duke. One ended his life in an insane asylum; one lost his arm after a series of collisions. It was sold on to a level-headed doctor, who rolled it on a deserted strip of road six months later and was crushed to death.

Eventually it was put on display in a local museum. The superstitious docent there refused the public’s requests to touch or sit in the car, saying it had claimed 20 million lives in WWI and was hungry for more. The story goes that the museum was bombed by the allies in the 1940s and all that was found of the Gräf und Stift were a pair of smouldering hands clutching the steering wheel. Someone – perhaps the docent himself – had succumbed to the urge to ride in the Duke’s death car.

JAHetfield

443 posts

172 months

Tuesday 17th January 2012
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I used to work for a restorer, had one lying in the back of the shed for 20 years with a siezed engine. Sadly, he was killed a few months ago when a car fell on him but the Fury is still sitting there and probably will be for a long time.