Buckaroo Banzai Jet Car Help.

[John Bigboote]

Hi Folks!
I've tried to work this stuff out on my own lurking on here but, now I'm afraid I've got to ask for help.

I hope this is the correct place to post this.

My current project is to make a somewhat accurate but stylized version of Buckaroo Banzai's Jet Car in 3D.

Problem is I've found really good reference a little hard to come by and most replica attempts I've seen vary greatly from the vehicle in the film.

What I've been looking for is a copy of the blueprints I've seen show up in a few places but not been able to get a copy of myself.

The best I've found was a very low res version from the old fan newsletter but the walk through from a recent rapid prototype showed that there does seem to be a better quality version of them floating about somewhere perhaps:

What I'm also in need of is some help in identifying some of the harder to read decals. (Circled in red).
The large circle appears to read 'SW' with something just below it.
I've tried every variation I can think of to put SW automotive into google and unfortunately come up short.
I'm afraid not being very knowledgeable in relation to car culture I'm out of ideas.
I am also completely unable to read the other two rectangular decals on top of each other and the red circular one next to them.

This is unfotuantly the best image I can seem to muster:

If anyone has any idea what these may be or some really good reference images of the car, any help would be great.
Thanks!

 

[Steve Mattsson]

There are blueprints of the jet car in the extras section of the Buckaroo Banzai DVD. If those don't work for you I recently heard from a guy who is trying to sell copies of the original blueprints. He can be contacted at 1oregonjake@willamette.net

 

[ArcLight]

Without pulling the DVD and checking myself or putting it out to the Buckaroo Banzai mailing list, I think it's possible the round red decal could be the Thrush logo:

**EDIT**

Okay...had time to do some checking and here we go:

Haven't Googled up the exact decal yet but above the B&M it looks like KC Hilites.

 

[terryr]

Yep.

SW is Stewart Warner. [gauges] Between the Bell and Thrush looks like B&M. [tranmission] Above it looks familiar.

 

[John Bigboote]

Hi,
Long time no reply,
I did tap a thanks out, but I did it during the whole RPF website clone saga and accidentally chose the Ben Reilly wrong side.
Didn't want to leave you folks thinking I'm ungrateful or that I'd let you go un-thanked.
So, thanks to everyone who helped out, a couple of replies aren't here for the same reason my reply isn't, so to those whose replies have been lost to the ages, cheers!

Here's how it came out:

The undercarriage is mostly made up...

And for anyone's future reference here's my facsimile of the decals isolated:

I know I'm being kinda stingy with the pics but this is just one part of a really big project I'm planning that I think you RPF hep cats and kittens are really gonna dig.
Thanks again for all your help, I couldn't have done it without you guys!

 

[ArcLight]

Glad this project hasn't bitten the dust.

If you need anything else, I can always call up a Strike Team from the BB mailing list.

 

[megafern]

BigbooTAY!

I just stumbled on your post. Nice job! The walkthru you pulled the first pict from is the one I wrote for Popular Mechanics. If you still need any reference stuff, here's my galleries of what I collected:

Jet Car

Cockpit

Overthruster

Also here's the newest version I finished recently:

There's more pix on my site:
Charlesworth Dynamics

Keep up the good work!
Sean

 

[E=MC2]

That is so cool.

 

[John Bigboote]

BigbooTAY!

I just stumbled on your post. Nice job! The walkthru you pulled the first pict from is the one I wrote for Popular Mechanics. If you still need any reference stuff, here's my galleries of what I collected:

Jet Car

Cockpit

Overthruster

Also here's the newest version I finished recently:

There's more pix on my site:
Charlesworth Dynamics

Keep up the good work!
Sean

Oh mama, rad!
That's so completely freakin' awesome.
Now you just need to rig that sucker up with one of those super tiny laser modules, a couple of Tonka truck steel pins, to get the wheels on the bus turning, and you'll soon be having your goodself some 8th dimensional adventures in the sandpit!
Or more respectably, maybe, a watermelon themed display case with a headband, you can get them off E-bay and they're actually really well made.
I wore mine skydiving:

Buckaroo Banzai TEAM BANZAI Headband + Sticker MINT/COA | eBay

Dang, also that looks a heck of a lot more proportionately correct.
Mine comes off as kinda stocky.
Fantastic work mate.
Cheers for the references and, of course, the initial build that pointed me in the right direction.
Also having a poke around your site, I actually built the Evil Dead 2 chainsaw hand for the same thing and I had a picture of yours in my references for that as well.
Can't believe it wasn't an actual Home Lite to begin with. Good job sir!
Seems I gotta be thanking you all over the place.

 

[megafern]

Ha! Small world, right?

I know what you mean about the proportions, my first version was way off. It's hard to get them exactly right since the blueprints differ from the final version. The best I could do was use pix of a F-350 and work from there. Still have a few more tweaks to do.

Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[ArcLight]

You guys make this old Blue Blaze Irregular's heart happy. Always glad to see Team Banzai getting some love.

 

[megafern]

What I really want to build is the Overthruster complete with gyro cradle. One day....

 

[earthdog]

What I really want to build is the Overthruster complete with gyro cradle. One day....

Keep your eye on the junkyard for that overthruster. There's a new production run starting up soon.

 

[zsherman]

Ooooohhhh! Would love an overthruster!