MovieChat Forums > Smokey and the Bandit (1977) Discussion > You ever wonder about the custom plate?

You ever wonder about the custom plate?

posted 10 years ago by MikeHunt1075
13 replies | jump to latest

How long does it take to get a customized number plate made? I just think about some weird points of movies sometimes. In this case, Bandit gets some money from the Burdettes, goes to purchase a Trans-Am, and get's it with "BAN-ONE" on the plates.

So how do the cops not think to track back where the car was purchased?... who purchased it?... and yadda yadda yadda...

Could you even get a car and customized plate in 1977 with cash only and no forwarding address? Even if the name was registered under the Burdettes, that would make them associates or accomplices in crime... what was the waiting period on a new car in 1977? Could you pay today and drive away, or was there a waiting period?

I know, it's just a movie, but this should spark some discussions up about things.

[–] LAtvGuy 10 years ago

"Georgia plates. 'BAN-ONE'.... B...A...N....d-d-d-dash O...N....E"

[–] SunCanyonRoad 10 years ago

Dude, you're way over thinking this... its an action/comedy.

Like I say in an earlier post, 400 cases of beer physically won't fill a semi truck... only about half way, yet in the movie, the truck is packed full. It's just movie making.

BTW,

In several shots the car doesn't even have a plate on it.

"I don't want your watch, man. I want your friendship!" - Lightfoot

[–] krypton_son 9 years ago

He's running blocker for a bootlegger, i'm pretty sure that he wasn't worried about registered plates. Most likely they were older plates from another vehicle.

[–] MikeHunt1075 9 years ago

That just happened to say BAN ONE?

[–] krypton_son 9 years ago

Well, he did say that it'll be just like the old days, bandit I and bandit II when he was talking to Snowman in the beginning. So yeah, I'd say that he's done it before and probably kept it.

[–] camel-wides 9 years ago

it's not that hard to believe he'd kept those plates from a former blocking vehicle.i still have the plates from my first car, and my first custom tags like these.
though the op is right, it does take several weeks to secure NEW custom tags.

[–] MindOfMookie 9 years ago

The Trans-Am was not so much the actual Bandit-1. Technically any car he chooses to drive as a blocker would be Bandit-1. Bandit-1 is a call sign, not the cars name. So he could have taken the plate from a previous blocking car.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] PillowRock 9 years ago

So how do the cops not think to track back where the car was purchased?... who purchased it?... and yadda yadda yadda...

Who says that they didn't?

It was the mid-70s.

No computerized databases; some clerk needs to physically go into actual paper files to find the car & person that go with the plate. Certainly no shared databases (even paper ones) between different states; after Justice called the plate into his office (assuming he was in police band radio range of that at the spot where Frog's car had broken down) somebody was going to have to find phone number of the Georgia DMV main office (and probably spend some time getting forwarded a couple times before getting the right person to go into the file room). No cell phones; after the initial plate ID request, the rest of Justice's communications with his office will be only when he chooses to stop and call from a phone booth.

And since it was a weekend, they probably wouldn't get answer back from the Georgia DMV until Monday.

[–] MikeHunt1075 9 years ago

All very good points! I'm satisfied with that explanation.

[–] ascappello 9 years ago

Does it ever really specify how much time elapsed from when the bet was made to when he got the car??

Can't remember the occasion the Burnette's were wanting the beer for or when it was.

[–] jnoble11 8 years ago

I've thought about that too lol

It's not as bad as in Part II where Sally trades Juniors car in on a new top of the line Turbo Trans Am (they're both worth the same amount and she held the title to someone else's car?) complete with custom "Bandit" airbrushed name on the doors AND the BAN-ONE plates. "WTF?" indeed.

[–] MikeHunt1075 8 years ago

Actually Snowman said she only helped by trading Juniors car in on it. Not it was s straight trade. They still had $200,000 from the Burdettes already they got upfront.

"If he doesn't get at least half the money (of the $400,000) he may become extreme voilent")

"Neighhhhh. I'd like to kick his ass just once"