If you’re somehow not already aware, Speedycop is just the best. His projects include many insane LeMons and road car builds; from an amphibious road-going helicopter to the sideways Tippy Hippy VW Van. Recently, however, Speedycop (otherwise known as Jeff Bloch) is going bigger. Much bigger, in fact because he recently found one of his dream machines; a 1973 GMC Sequoia motorhome.
Yes friends, this is going to turn into a Stripes EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle. But as crazy as the project will be, the actually story behind the purchase and what happened next are equally as enjoyable to read.
So rather than summarize all of the razzle dazzle for you, I’m going to let Mr Cop tell his tale… as copied and pasted from his Facebook post.
Click that SEE MORE button above to read the whole tale and see all of the photos.
Speedycop is going big with his next project; a Stripes EM-50 RV
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8 responses to “Speedycop is going big with his next project; a Stripes EM-50 RV”
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Running Chrome browser, no links showing for me.
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click the “see more” button in the Facebook post, it will take you right to the post. (The article instructs it under the picture)
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No facebook showing at all to link through. I went on FB direct to access.
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Weird, I use Chrome myself and have no issue.
Here’s a direct link for anyone else https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSpeedyCop/posts/1755012631248922
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This is an awesome idea. Always loved these things.
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I don’t have a FB account so it shows me only a few lines that are hard to scroll.
Why the hell people put stuff on facebook? Make your own blog or website, it’s not so hard.-
What happened last weekend was INSANE!!!
This is the story of our newest project. You will likely not believe it, but it’s absolutely true.
If you’ve ever seen the hit 1981 movie Stripes (with Bill Murray and John Candy), you know about the EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle. It’s an armored, rocket-equipped military RV prototype based on the rare 1973-’78 GMC motorhomes. Naturally, being both an automotive and movie enthusiast, I have always wanted to build my own EM-50. The problem is that these RV’s are hard to find (with less than 13,000 ever made), durable (with the majority of them still on the road more than 40 years later), and collectible (meaning they don’t generally sell really cheaply).
After searching for a low-buck example for many, many years, I’m pleased to announce my search has ended! A 1973 GMC Sequoia popped up last week on FB Marketplace less than two hours away, with a very optimistic asking price of $4k. Ordinarily this would be a bargain, but this particular example was pretty rough, and had not run in years. Years ago, someone had started to work on it, hoping to restore it and make it habitable again. They got as far as stripping most of the green shag carpet and installing new plugs and a fuel pump, then left without ever actually getting it running.
It’s rough. REALLY rough. But, it was the exact model I’ve been seeking all these years. Last Saturday morning, I spoke with the seller on the phone. I took a chance and made an offer of $1500, sight unseen, knowing it would pretty much need everything. The seller agreed, and said she would hold it for me. I was ECSTATIC! My quest was finally over.
This is where the story gets CRAZY.
The night before, I had agreed to work 16 hours of overtime on the Wonder Woman II movie set the following day. My shift was 2pm Saturday through 6am Sunday. I haven’t worked a security detail on a movie set since leaving S.W.A.T. in 2006, so I was looking forward to it. There were lots of cool classic cars scattered over multiple blocks on the set. Late in the evening, long after the filming was done for the day and the actors had left, I walked the length of the set, checking out the various cars. I noticed one of the younger (early 30s?) stunt coordinators from the Burbank, CA production outfit also checking out some the cars, so I asked him if he was a car guy. He assured me he most definitely was.
Naturally, I showed him some pics of my own vehicles. He was digging them. Thinking of the deal I had made that morning for the EM-50 project, I asked him if he had ever seen the movie Stripes.
He looked visibly startled.
“Dude! My dad was the stunt coordinator for that movie. He is the one who drove the EM-50 in every single scene!”
I was absolutely stunned.
Think about it.
There are almost 8 BILLION people on this rock.
I had just happened to meet Tim James, the son of Terry James, the sole driver of the EM-50 in the movie I had loved since I was a kid THE SAME FREAKING DAY I had made the deal for my very own EM-50 project!!!!!!!
Absolutely UNREAL. I simply couldn’t believe it! What are the odds?!?!?!?
I mean, first movie overtime in 12 years, on a set where dozens of people were working late at night, just by admiring the classic cars and recognizing another automotive enthusiast who was doing the same, mere hours after striking a deal for my RV, and I meet the son of Terry James?
That’s gotta be fate.
Tim was also dumbfounded. I had given him my card, and pleaded with him to put me in touch with his dad Terry. He called his dad in L.A. after he walked away, and his dad immediately said “Give him my cell number, and tell him to call me!”
My night continued to be crazy. Two days before, I had shared the Facebook video of stuntwoman Jessie Graff kicking ass on American Ninja Warrior. I’m a fan of hers, and I really want to compete myself on the show. Minutes after meeting Tim, I found myself meeting Jessie! She was working on the set as well, helping set up an insane stunt for the next day by doing practice runs while everything was dialed in.
After my 16 hour shift was over, my teammates Joshua Stephen and Alecia Snellings arrived with a couple of my older vehicles. I can’t say which ones, (non-disclosure agreement), but you will see them in the movie! The company that lines up vehicles for movies had asked me to bring them, and they remained on set all day for the filming. Meanwhile, we all left to go check out the RV.
I’ll admit, we were somewhat disheartened when we saw it. It sported dry rotted tires, stuck wheels, a rusty fuel tank, a thick coating of dust and debris, and rodent droppings galore. That was just the outside. The inside was worse! The tags expired in 1988, and the leaky, rodent-infested garage was not exactly a time capsule. It was much rougher in person than the pics had portrayed. We’re talking really, REALLY nasty. The seller understood. They really just needed it gone.
And, a thousand bucks later, it was mine.
The following day, I made the call to Terry James in California. It went to voicemail, and I left a message. I started to write this story several times this week, but I really wanted to hear back from him first. Earlier today, I tried him again. This time, he answered. He was extremely nice, and excited to talk about the EM-50 project. He also mentioned he had been a little busy all week—-he was in Hawaii, getting married, TODAY! I felt terrible having bothered him on his wedding day, but he assured me he was happy to chat. He is still doing stunt work in Hollywood after 38 years, and he’s done everything from Knightrider to Cannonball Run to Days of Our Lives.
Terry told me about his experiences driving the EM-50 in Stripes. It was almost impossible for him to see through the steel window blinds, so he made himself a periscope to use while driving. That worked in open areas, but in tight confines he couldn’t see well enough to maneuver safely, so he came up with chrome window tint and black pinstripes to replace the steel blinds for those scenes. My own plan all along had been to use chrome tint and limo tint in strips to keep it safely streetable, so I was—purely by happenstance— gonna duplicate almost exactly what he did on the movie!!! After an amazing conversation, I congratulated him again on his impending nuptials, and we agreed to talk again soon. When he gets home, he is gonna send me pics from the set of Stripes, and guide us through the build. When we finish it, he and his son will drive it!
Simply surreal.
Now I just have to find a way to get a long-dead 26′ 12,500 lb. RV the 101 miles home, without spending nearly my purchase price… -
I read it ‘around’ the See more of… pop-up box…
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