(Editor’s note: Obviously the events surrounding the Oklahoma tornado are horrible and we’re sending our best to everyone effected by the disaster. We certainly didn’t plan on referencing the movie Twister on the day after a major tornado swept through and caused the destruction that it did yesterday. We’ve had this one in the blog queue for days, please forgive the unfortunate timing.)
Yesterday it was Pontiac taking on Dodge in a fight between two rather unlikely chase heroes. Believe it or not, the battle was amazingly lop-sided in favor of one machine. Which side won? Did a band of rabid supporters rise up and the end to save the day? Let’s find out –
[box_dark]Pontiac Ventura DEFEATS Dodge Diplomat
The guy from Short Time may have lived through a horrendous wreck at the end of the chase, but he was no good enough to defeat the Pontiac![/box_dark]
So today’s battle is all Jeep trucks all the time! The first is the killer 1962 Jeep Gladiator truck from the movie Tremors. Tremors is one of those movies that no one saw in the theaters and that everyone has seen three or four HUNDRED times on television, from the video store, etc. The old Jeep plays a good role in this one serving as transport for Kevin Bacon and even saving his Bacon a time or two during the action scenes when the guys are running away from the giant worms that are tormenting the little desert town in the middle of nowhere. We dig the stepside bed with all the tool strapped to it, mild lift, decent tires, and overall attitude and patina on it. A truly neat movie truck. If the truck was stock it would have had a 3.8L inline six engine. Later trucks were available with V8 engines, but not until 1965.
In this corner we have the storm chasing 1982 Jeep J-10 from the movie Twister. The truck was a “honcho” model meaning that it got the cool paint and more muscled up looks. 1980s period add one were the light bar, smallish lift, wheels/tires, and front brush guard. It is tough to say what this truck would have had for an engine as there were several options. The inline six was part of the program as were the 360 and 401 at different points in the truck’s history. In the movie the truck was needed to get the “Dorothy” storm measuring device into position and ultimately it got smashed to bits after completing its assigned task. These were tough trucks with strong Dana axles and a pretty compact size for their engine/hp. Jeep trucks were built all the way up untill 1988.
OK THERE ARE YOUR TWO COMBATANTS!!! VOTE NOW AND TELL US WHO WINS BY COMMENTING BELOW!
I really really dig those early sixties gladiators and wagoneers
Tremors gladiator wins
62.
i mean 63. damn rented fingers.
Tremors Jeep, it survived its encounter with the evil worm
Gladiator for the win.
Roger that Burt, and congratulations. Be advised, however, that there are two more, repeat, two more motherhumpers.
tremors
Tremors flat out wins. Besides the tools it hauled a touch of weaponery which trumps the tin can aeromotors!
” Tremors ” 63 Gladiator by a country mile . Love the truck . Loved the show ( repeats now airing on G4 soon to be ‘ The Esquire ‘ channel ) and still get a total kick out of the character ‘ Burt ‘
I’ve always liked stepsides. The Gladiator.
Honcho over Gladiator but not by much.
The Tremors Gladiator is far and away cooler and more capable than the J-10…however, I would be happy to take either one as both are bitchin’
Got to go with Tremors, even though sometimes I think Kevin Bacon is a little weasel !
I actually saw Tremors in the theater. I was a Fred Ward fan.
The Gladiator by all means.
Gladiator Jeep
Coolness factor by shear brutishness.
Gladiator Jeep, a good basic stripped down real Jeep.
Gladiator!
Tremors Jeep kicks ass.
The Gladiator of course, I’ve owned both models, and both were nice. I have a 63 Gladiator, but sure wish it had the stepside bed option.