Terminator 2 T1000 police car build FINISHED

[t1000]

Hi everybody,

Some of you may recall back in 2016 I began a journey never seen on RPF. Well, after 4 very hard years, my T1000 police car replica has been completed. I've restored cars all my life, but THIS has been by far the most challenging thing I have ever done!

The car is screen accurate, right down to the correct door number markings, stickers and license plates. Inside is also replicated to film accuracy. I believe it is the only Terminator 2 LAPD replica in the world.

The car is a 1988 Chevrolet Caprice sedan that has been fitted with all of the original, period correct LAPD equipment, which functions as it did in service at that time of the filming of T2 (filmed in 1990).

Flashing red and blue roof lights
Flashing wig-wag head lights
100 watt siren
PA system
Functioning Motorola police radio (hear the dispatcher broadcasting real radio calls)
Re-broadcast function (police dispatch calls can be switched to the siren speaker, for working crime scenes, accidents, etc)
Police mobile data terminal computer (turns on, functions, and displays checks on John Connor)
Driver and passenger spot lights, able to be moved around from inside the patrol car
Overhead interior police map light
Antennnas
Equipment box in trunk containing: First aid kit, fire extinguisher, traffic ticket book, LAPD 'patrol sheets' folder, notebook, crime scene tape, baton, flashlight, road flares, traffic cones, equipment bag
350 V8 police pack optioned engine

Hope you guys like it. It is now parked next to my film correct Harley Davidson Fatboy motorcycle

My next projects are a full size Arnold statue standing next to my Fatboy, a T1000 statue sitting in the car, and hopefully a full size endoskeleton!!

PS: On a side note, I had great pleasure in meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2018. I met him twice actually. It was a monumental moment of my life. May I put the debate of Arnies height to rest? He IS 6 foot 2. Case closed on that one. Lol

 

[t1000]

Still shots from Terminator 2

 

[t1000]

Equipment I built for the car

 

[t1000]

And here's my Harley Davidson Fatboy. Everything is screen accurate, right down to the correct saddle bags and additional foot pegs installed for Edward Furlong at the time of filming. I've even had the T2 license plate made

 

[nick daring]

 

[breen2057]

That is very cool. you have to get the pic the T-1000 had of John Conner and put it some where in the car.

 

[t1000]

That is very cool. you have to get the pic the T-1000 had of John Conner and put it some where in the car.

Already done! Lol

 

[DeLano80]

This is the most epic prop I have ever seen. I am very impressed.

 

[The Terminator]

And here's my Harley Davidson Fatboy. Everything is screen accurate, right down to the correct saddle bags and additional foot pegs installed for Edward Furlong at the time of filming. I've even had the T2 license plate made

It's definitely not screen accurate

To start I can tell it's not a '91 Fatboy.
Wrong saddlebags, with the wrong buckles. I have the same ones for mine. A real pain in rear to try and find the correct ones.

Wrong mufflers.

Movie bike didn't have turn signals. And so on.

 

[ZeroSum]

Love it! Especially the on-bard computer - great attention to detail.

Hey, do you ever take it for a sneaky drive around the streets?

 

[t1000]

It's definitely not screen accurate

To start I can tell it's not a '91 Fatboy.
Wrong saddlebags, with the wrong buckles. I have the same ones for mine. A real pain in rear to try and find the correct ones.

Wrong mufflers.

Movie bike didn't have turn signals. And so on.

Here's a screen shot of the saddle bags in T2....vs my saddle bags. These are genuine Willie.G saddle bags as per the movie. They are the same bags.

Indicators? Lol yes of course I have indicators on it...I ride it on the road!

Mufflers?? Yep. Aftermarket pipes, but with the factory balance pipe remaining, just like the T2 bike.

 

[t1000]

It's definitely not screen accurate

To start I can tell it's not a '91 Fatboy.
Wrong saddlebags, with the wrong buckles. I have the same ones for mine. A real pain in rear to try and find the correct ones.

Wrong mufflers.

Movie bike didn't have turn signals. And so on.

Terminator: can we see your bike? Mines not a 1991 model huh? What year model is it? They remained the same from 1990 to 1999

 

[t1000]

This is the most epic prop I have ever seen. I am very impressed.

Thank you for saying

 

[t1000]

Love it! Especially the on-bard computer - great attention to detail.

Hey, do you ever take it for a sneaky drive around the streets?

Zerosum. Yes indeed. The car is street registered here in Australia!

 

[ZeroSum]

Damn, I bet all the other drivers do a double take when they see an LA cop car on the road!

 

[t1000]

Damn, I bet all the other drivers do a double take when they see an LA cop car on the road!

It's a sight to behold, that's for sure!! Everyone does the whole mouth open, WTF look on their face

 

[The Terminator]

Terminator: can we see your bike? Mines not a 1991 model huh? What year model is it? They remained the same from 1990 to 1999

When I'm satisfied with it, I will post a crap load of photos.
Mine's a '95. And no, they definitely did not remain the same between 90 and 99. They *mostly* remained the same between 1990 and 1997.

To start the first year edition were only grey.
The versions made between 90 an 92 have this oil line:

You tell me, what model it is. I just said it's not a 91, it seems.

 

[The Terminator]

Here's a screen shot of the saddle bags in T2....vs my saddle bags. These are genuine Willie.G saddle bags as per the movie. They are the same bags.

Indicators? Lol yes of course I have indicators on it...I ride it on the road!

Mufflers?? Yep. Aftermarket pipes, but with the factory balance pipe remaining, just like the T2 bike.

That's a good comparison, proving my point. Not the same saddle bags. Like I said, the buckles.
In T2 the bags have the older bigger buckles, and the ones you and I both have are the newer/smaller buckle. Further more, the older buckles don't fit the newer bags. I would know, I tried to swap mine.

Mine also have indicators. I just said the movie bikes didn't.

Yeah, a specific brand of aftermarket mufflers, with a very visible logo.... Which yours are missing. Those are the stock mufflers.

 

[t1000]

Hi The Terminator. Thanks for your reply...

Well, mine aren't stock mufflers. I've owned several Harleys over 25 years, and I know that stock factory Harley pipes sounded like a Vespa scooter! They were visibly thicker in the circumference of the muffler too, and heavier than aftermarket ones. Mine are not stock that's for sure. Sure, there's no writing on mine, but they are straight through pipes, no baffles. Not stock! Nobody keeps stock mufflers on Harleys. Nobody I know anyway, and I actually haven't seen genuine original factory pipes on a 90s Fatboy for many years. Not since my old one anyway. My very first Fatboy I ever owned (I've owned a few) still had stock pipes on it when I picked it up, and I'm not kidding you, it was VERY quite. They were original Harley Davidson factory pipes, just so they complied with noise and road rules when sold around the world. I removed them and put aftermarket ones on, then sold it a few years later. There were 5 bikes used in total in T2, with one being slightly worked to make it a little faster for the truck canal scene (carburetor work, aftermarket pipes, etc), otherwise the other 4 Fatboys were standard. I know this, as I have had direct discussions with the stunt people from the set about the most trivial details. I even know the VIN number of the last one sold at auction in 2018 for $480,000 USD!

Yes I know that Fatboy in 1990 only came in one colour. They were not grey though as you stated. They were silver. Silver and orange markings to be precise. Rare and collectable today. I wasn't really referring to colour availability however, I was just simply stating that the Fatboy remained basically unchanged during the 1990s. That's all I meant.

Regarding the saddlebags. Forget the buckles for a moment, Willie G released TWO VERY VERY similar bags back in the day (I'm STILL talking about the bags here, not the buckles on them). They were called Willie G slant bags (slanted, so they cleared the high pipe. ONE version was for Fatboys. A SECOND version were for Heritage Softails. These were chrome studded, and didn't have the perforated leather insert in the lid like the Fatboy ones. Essentially though, they were the same bag. The buckles ap appear to have been slimmed down, but they were the only changes. That's all I can tell you.

Indicators. Yes, I need those to get my bike registered. I have left my original Harley Davidson ones on there. Its law here. To be technical, they also disconnected the tail light (or just took the bulb out) during filming. Not ONCE do you see the rear brake light come on when he's hitting the brakes. So should we disconnect ours too, to make it movie correct? Not wise.

That small oil pipe near the air cleaner? Yeah early models had a re-breather going into the air cleaner from memory. They've obviously rectified the oiling issue after 92.

Anyways...I really only posted up my full story of my T1000 cop car project for all to see and enjoy, I didn't want RPF to turn into a motorcycle forum. The cop car was my main thread post here. It was only my bike however that must have caught your eye huh? I only threw the bike pics up just in addition to the car. Kinda didn't expect chat about buckles and a chrome tube.....but I guess to be fair, thats RPF, and thats what we are all here for.

Lastly, please let us know when your own bike is ready, and you are prepared to post up photos of it so we can all see it. I mean absoulutely no sarcasm here whatsoever, but I have a very sharp eye for motorcycles and movies, so I look forward to seeing your efforts with your Fatboy.

Cheers and thanks for the message

T1000

 

[Richard Baker]

Very impressive recreation of that patrol car!- when I saw the thread title I figured it would be a model kit with perhaps some action damage. Seeing a full sized prop I can only imagine the effort and expense it took to do it so well.