TRANS AMS CAN NOT DO THOSE THINGS IN THIS MOVIE

The car had a 455 c.i. big block in it. They got a whopping 200 hp out of the motor from the factory, however, any competent gearhead could easily more than double that. He was a racer, so I'm sure he knew engines. Since Bandit wasn't going to be pulling over for any emissions tests during his trip, we can assume that some mods were done to the car. Just the sound when he first starts it up should be a clue that it aint stock. Could a car stand up to all that abuse? Of course not, but it's not a documentary is it.

"Jump Me."

The cars used for all the driving and stunts did have beefier engines installed. The sounds of the Trans Am when it was accelerating were dubbed in. They supposedly were from a Chevy with a 454 and a manual transmission.

If Bandit would have had more time he could have taken the T/A and had the engine built up,plus mods to the suspension,brakes,ect. Thus adding to the "believability" of the Trans Am doing the things that it did. But as everyone else has said this movie is to just be enjoyed for the fun that it is.

Snort! Get back to 1985, Marty! Another classic "car movie."

"You made a time machine...out of a Delorean?"

"The "General Lee" couldn't do all the things it did in the Dukes of Hazzard and survive. No matter how you equip them"

Actually, I thought that I recall hearing that the Dodge Charger in the Dukes of Hazard did quite well for itself . . .

LOL, exactly. Movies have required suspension of disbelief to one extent or another from the very beginning of silent shorts, even the ones depicting "everyday" life. How else could we enjoy the great musicals-who knows people who sing their conversation or declarations of love to other people? Much less dance them? Good golly, no wonder some young women get messed-up body images, they don't seem to realise how much of that perfection to which they compare themselves isn't even real for the women (actresses) being portrayed. Who could live real life always under flattering lighting, with a make-up artist constantly at their elbow, being seen all their lives from their "best angles" and through camera effects designed to flatter? You suspend your disbelief, to a reasonable extent as the movie calls for, to enjoy the movie, then you return to real life knowing but not worrying about the fact that that suspension was required (unless the film asks for too much suspension for the tacitly agreed-upon terms, depending upon what kind of movie it is). I thought people figured this out while fairly young as movie goers.

In the case of S&TB, without suspension of disbelief, who would believe that not one kid got hurt after Frog crashed through the middle of a football game? But it's a fun action movie, so that much suspension is a reasonable request of the viewer, as is the presumption that no LEO were hurt in all the crashes, spills, etc, during the course of the chase. For a lightweight, fun, action movie, it's a reasonable request to suspend one's belief that no one gets hurt, the heroes don't get caught.

Now, if it had been a more serious movie, or a documentary, that wouldn't be such a reasobnable request of the viewers by the film makers. But in either of those cases, most of those crashes wouldn't be happening in the first place, because Bandit and Snowman would be busted before they got too far, driving like they did, but then, there'd be no movie as we know and love it, and that would be a bad thing, as it's one of my all-time favorites on its own terms ;)

I liked that response

High Performance Pontiac Magazine took a stock 77 4spd,rejetted the carb,installed 2.25 duals and ran a 13.20.I bought a 2001 T/A with a 6speed added a Ls1 motorsports lid,gmpp 85mm maf and a 3"Dynomax cat back with a hypertech programmer and ran a 13.20 with a fresh clutch.The ls car would have posted a better time with drag radials and a higher launch rpm,but then again so would the 77.