COB : cop in Illinois (Aykroyd interview)

[sigmfsk]

I see Steam posted:

> Dan has contradicted himself on this topic, I don't think he knows. If he
> does ... he's doing an excellent job of keeping it a secret. Dan himself has
> told board member Huey that he doesn't know of any survivors. Then in
> another article Dan will say he thinks a cop in Illinois has the surviving
> movie Bluesmobile.
www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/topic/6237-original-bluesmobiles/#entry86629

Allright, where's the info on this Illinois cop blumo?

[sigmfsk]

I found the info in an interview with Dan:
aslittleaspossible.blogspot.com/2008/10/ghostbusters-25-and-lost-dan-aykroyd.html
from
www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/topic/4944-short-2005-interview-with-dan/#entry82842


[interviewer] So how much of the stunt driving did you do on Blues Brothers?

[Dan] Blues Brothers I did...I would say...probably 30 percent of it. You know, some spins and stuff. I didn't do the jumps. But a lot of driving. And just a lot of driving behind the camera car.

[interviewer] That car's not in a museum anywhere, is it?

[Dan] I think the original one is owned by -- well, the original one where we shot most of the interior scenes like where we're together in the car, which I think would be the one that if you'd want to own the car, it would be the one that John and I spent the most time in -- that one is owned by a police officer in Illinois.

[sigmfsk]

Here's the reference for Dan saying he knew of no cars saved from the first movie:

Regarding the Roy Dixon car #55
www.bluesmobiles.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=rumors&action=display&thread=1086
in his post poking holes in the seller's claims www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/topic/5328-sold-1976-monaco-jump-car-bluesmobile-virginia/#entry74997
Huey wrote:
> Mr. Ayroyd told me that no cars to his knowledge were saved
> from the first movie.

[ti4438]

On Dan's FB page,he's says some Illinois cop bought the 'Insert Car',which was used for filming interior scenes.

[sigmfsk]

Jun 14, 2013 9:32:30 GMT -5 ti4438 said:

On Dan's FB page,he's says some Illinois cop bought the 'Insert Car',which was used for filming interior scenes.

ooh, that's interesting. Can you post a link to his facebook page? Is there a way to know if it's really his page?

[Steam McQueen]

-

"Blue-Mos"

There's at least half a dozen Dan Aykroyd's on facebook but it would appear this one is indeed Dan's official page.

www.facebook.com/DanAykroyd

I can't confirm that it's official but it does seem legit. The entry above is from October 3, 2012. Why that picture was chosen is beyond me.

[sigmfsk]

Jun 14, 2013 12:06:00 GMT -5 Steam McQueen said:

There's at least half a dozen Dan Aykroyd's on facebook but it would appear this one is indeed Dan's official page.

www.facebook.com/DanAykroyd

I can't confirm that it's official but it does seem legit.

It's legit, or the account has a lot of people fooled. I see that facebook page linked from here:
myparanormal.tumblr.com/post/9687071634/myparanormal-aykroydnetworks

And Crystal Head Vodka
www.facebook.com/crystalheadvodka
likes that Dan Aykroyd page
And you wouldn't think they'd like the wrong page. And you wouldn't think the vodka page would be fake, or Crystal Head would be all over them.

So let's say that it is indeed Dan's page.

Jun 14, 2013 12:06:00 GMT -5 Steam McQueen said:

The entry above is from October 3, 2012. Why that picture was chosen is beyond me.

Thanks for the reference. It seems weird to me that he'd write "BLU-MO" on TI's dash, and write "Blue Mo" on his facebook page.

Now maybe he doesn't pay much attention to spelling, or he's change his preference over the years.

Or maybe the person writing the facebook post isn't Dan. Remember how someone else answered as Elwood on the House of Blues Radio Hour:
www.bluesmobiles.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=gotopost&board=rumors&thread=1075&post=7271

From Shotgun Blues 2007:
> I asked Elwood through his forum on the House of Blues Radio Hour. He
> said that if anyone ever asked him if he had one of the original
> Bluesmobiles, he'd deny it. Now, I have no idea if Danny answered this
> email or if it was somebody else, but it sure was a cryptic answer.

and Scott added:
> E-mails to Elwood on the HOB Radio hour web site are answered by a
> guy named Brian who works for Ben Manilla Productions. When Brian
> doesn't already know the answer, he asks Ben. Ben and Dan are good
> friends. In some rare situations, they may ask Dan, but only if they
> don't know the answer and think it's worth asking Dan about. Brian's
> answer is a little cryptic, but I think he means to say that Dan doesn't
> own one of the originals, at least not anymore.

It also seems weird that Dan told Huey that he knew of no blumos, and then later said that an Illinois ex-cop owned one.

But it is a lead! And he said the same thing twice.

So we have a Thursday, October 02, 2008 article of an interview where Dan says:

> I think the original one is owned by -- well, the original one
> where we shot most of the interior scenes like where we're
> together in the car, which I think would be the one that if you'd
> want to own the car, it would be the one that John and I spent
> the most time in -- that one is owned by a police officer in Illinois.

and we have a October 3, 2012 post where Dan (or presumably an authorized helper) writes on Dan's facebook timeline:
> An ex-police officer in Illinois owned the official Blues Brothers
> ‘Insert Car’- that was the vehicle used for the internal shorts of
> Jake and Elwood driving.

So:
In 2008, the blumo 'insert car' was then owned by a cop in Illinois.
In 2012, the blumo 'insert car' was previously owned by an ex-cop in Illinois.

Well, that is probably a bit too literal reading. Who is this cop? How did he get it? How does Dan know about it?

Whoever sees Dan next at a Crystal Head event, can you try to sneak in a question about it?

[Lord Vadus]

I actually heard about such a car while searching for parts; supposedly owned by a cop and bought right after the filming. I didn't put too much stock in the story until I heard that it was partially wrecked during the filming and that the junk on the dash was glued on to prevent it from sliding around during filming.

Take that for what you will; I'm trying to arrange a viewing on the premise of being a potential buyer.

[sigmfsk]

Jun 14, 2013 13:41:08 GMT -5 Lord Vadus said:

Take that for what you will; I'm trying to arrange a viewing on the premise of being a potential buyer.

Well, holy smokes, that's awesome! If you need an assistant, or undercover photographer, or actual potential buyer, please let me know!

[Lord Vadus]

I have to tread very lightly with this guy; he's very emotionally invested in the car and understandably so. I've only spoken with him via an intermediary, as he's completely adamant about the car being 100% restored. I respect and admire that.

I'll keep you posted about being an assistant and expert on the movie car if he does become willing to sell it to me, then it would have to be after I prove that I intend to restore the car and have the means and ability. I'm afraid to jeopardize it by introducing another prospective buyer in the equation, as he will NOT deal with anyone who's looking to buy it for a quick flip. His interest in selling the car is only because he's swaying between feeling that he'll never restore the car and wanting to finish it himself; balancing, if you will, like the Bluesmobile did on that highway section. I'd essentially have to have the cash in hand at the time of viewing the car, once he comes up with a price, as I doubt there'll be more than one chance and zero chance of thinking it over and getting back to him.

I also hate to post this line, but I feel it only fair: I cannot provide any form of contact information to the owner of this car and would not be able to post pictures publicly that are of his car; much as they would be appreciated by this community if it is, in fact, the car that his friend says it is. I would make them available if I purchase the car.

If it is an original Bluesmobile and I do wind up purchasing it, I'd start a business centered around restoring it allowing anyone interested in lending a hand to turn a wrench to participate and allowing me to document every moment of it in pictures and film and then driving it across the country and making it available to as many as possible.

Sorry for the cryptic and secretive post. This guy views the car as his baby and the process to even go LOOK at it is more rigorous than a screening for adoption.

[mrroverrover]

Wow.
Watching with very much interest here!
When complete you wouldn't fancy a drive to the uk would you? Lol.

I'm having trouble finding a monaco to buy here let alone the original car!

Hopefully Sent from my phone

[sigmfsk]

Jun 15, 2013 0:00:52 GMT -5 Lord Vadus said:

I'd essentially have to have the cash in hand at the time of viewing the car, once he comes up with a price, as I doubt there'll be more than one chance and zero chance of thinking it over and getting back to him.

It sounds wise to have a solid plan going in, so it wouldn't take long to decide yeay or nay on the deal, and have a bank-wire at the ready.

I'd take a laptop with a pic of every frame in the movie of the car, sorted into categories of camera angle, and then if the car is legit, there's probably something that matches sufficiently to help prove the provenance (given that he bought the car before DVDs and wouldn't know that people would later be able to check blu-ray quality details).

Jun 15, 2013 0:00:52 GMT -5 Lord Vadus said:

This guy views the car as his baby and the process to even go LOOK at it is more rigorous than a screening for adoption.

I don't want to steal your thunder. If you get a game-plan to start a business to restore the car, that's awesome, and I'm excited to see it go, and if it turns out that you think I could assist with the inspection, I'd love to be a part of it.

But if you ever decide that it might be beneficial to change plans a bit and involve a backer that could bring some immediate restoration weight to the table and show that he's not in the deal to just flip the car, I've got my Final Offer auction friend:

from
www.bluesmobiles.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=gotopost&board=bbprops&thread=1047&post=8005

It would be cool to check out the car while wearing Jake and Elwood's movie-worn watches.

[sigmfsk]

Jun 15, 2013 0:00:52 GMT -5 Lord Vadus said:

he's completely adamant about the car being 100% restored.
...
he will NOT deal with anyone who's looking to buy it for a quick flip.
...
I'd essentially have to have the cash in hand at the time of viewing the car, once he comes up with a price

Instead of examining the car, and then making an offer, I suggest the way to go is to submit a solid proposal and offer, pending verification of the car.

This would help in two ways:
- if the car is for real, it lets the seller know you're serious
- if the car isn't for real, you don't spend the rest of your life waiting around

The proposal could include things to help ensure to the owner that he's making a deal that's right for him.
For example: the contract could provide that he has first right of refusal for $1 for any sale of the car prior to his death. This alleviates his concern that the buyer is a flipper.

The contract could provide that he'll approve all restorations on the car (or approve an approver). This second part could be tricky to fine-tune to the satisfaction of both parties, but I think it could be done. The proposal would likely be received well with it in there, so he knows that he has the opportunity to be an ongoing factor in the car's future.

The contract could provide for a finders-fee for the intermediary based on closing the deal. The owner might like that you were taking care of his friend, and it would certainly help to align the intermediary's interests with your own (to pass along the info to the owner, and maybe also put in a good word for you).

If you submitted all the above to the intermediary, and you don't get any response from the owner, it would seem nothing would entice the owner, or the intermediary didn't know him, or the car didn't exist.

For verification of the car, if the owner had solid documentation showing he purchased it from Universal after the end of filming, and had a good story on how he had access to it after filming, and there were a few interior details that matched the movie (like tears in the CHP upper door panels, or stains in the night scenes that only are visible in the blu-ray when you turn up the brightness), then I'd say it's a go. It would seem unlikely that someone would have an ongoing business scamming people on fake blumos. But it still would be good to check. From the media blasting of my Monaco, we know where the VIN numbers are stamped all over the car.

Sometimes longshots pay off. When Jamie first posted about Marin County being for sale, but I couldn't reach him via regular e-mail, I ended up getting the car after sending a fax to his sister's husband's work.

your friend, the eternal optimist on blumo rumors,
arthur

[Steam McQueen]

How many insert cars do you think there were? Glancing through the Morphing Bluesmobile thread it would seem there's a bare minimum of three. At one point, based on the steering wheel, Arthur identified three possible candidates ...


That's just the steering wheels. There's insert cars with different mirrors, door panels, ticket light/no ticket light etc. etc..

Where has this alleged survivor been hiding for 33 years? Why buy a Bluesmobile just to hide it for over three decades and then act like it's the recovered alien from the Roswell UFO crash?

I hope something comes of it. I mean I really hope LV can get a look at this Bluesmobile one day. Anything's possible I suppose but it sure seems weird. Provenance will be paramount with this one. Best of luck, LV.

[tk826]

I wish LV the best of luck, but honestly I believe it is wild goose chase.

The "Former cop now own the last Bluesmobile" story has been around for a long time and comes in many different forms.
He was supposedly located in Chicago, then Mt.Prospect... and now Florida.

For Example, I was told by Rich Shields that Mr.Tony Hallichoulis was on duty the same day that there was an auction, in Mt.Prospect (Which I'm sure did not happen), to sell pieces from the movie set and that some mystery person bought the last remaining original Bluesmobile.

Supposedly, while this "person" was driving away from the auction, T.H. spotted him and pulled the car over to talk to them, thus resulting in him being the last person to ever see an original Bluesmobile.

Funny thing is, I've talked to T.H. quite extensively about his involvement with the MPPD Monaco restoration (not sure if you remember me posting about it on BBC) and even suggested that he join the forums there, which he did.

He never once mentioned that story to me, or on the forums.

At the same time, I have the complete audio from the Johnny B radio show when D.Aykroyd was in town to attended the Blackhawks game.
In that interview Aykroyd claimed that the Bluesmobile attending with him is an original (which we know is not true) ... not only an original, but that he wasn't sure "which one they pulled out of moth balls to appear at the event", suggestion that there are in fact several remaining original BluMo's. (which again we know is not true).

So, not even DA knows what he is talking about.

There are basically three stories that go around...

1) D.Aykroyd owns the last one and it is hidden away
(contradicted by D.A's own words)

2) D.Aykroyd gave the last one to his Brother-in-law.
(which was dispelled by us)

3) A "mystery police officer" owns the last one.
(Not yet "proven" false but seems even less likely than the first two
and details change in each re-telling)

These stories get mashed up, recirculated and distorted every time I read about them.

Perhaps LV has stumbled onto the ultimate find, but I believe the chance of this car being THEE one is one in a million.