Fast & Furious Set Visit
Kicking off Fast & Furious week here at Latinoreview, with a set visit report from the newest nitrous boosting installment in the popular car racing franchise. The Fast & Furious series has grossed over $600 million worldwide. The combination of hot cars, hot dudes and hot chicks have made the popular tire burning series into favorites among car enthusiasts. While most are fans of the first, I personally found the stunt driving in Tokyo Drift to be the most impressive, with some of the best driving performances I had ever seen on screen. (Seriously, that 350z drifting up the ramp in the garage was fucking awesome. No, it wasn't on rails either.) But the third in the series was missing the one thing that had made the first two so much money, and that was star power.
But lucky for fans of the first, the original cast returns in Fast & Furious, the 4th chapter and what some in the cast consider to be the true sequel to The Fast & the Furious. Last spring, the awesome folks at Universal invited myself and a few other journos to Stevenson Ranch, a small community that's just a few miles away from Six Flags Magic Mountain. A short drive from Los Angeles, Stevenson Ranch was one of the locations used for the upcoming sequel that stars Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster.
According to Paul Walker the sequel takes place in real time, with Brian being released from prison and finding a partner in his old “buddy” Dominic Toretto as they try and infiltrate a drug smuggling operation by scowling, flexing their muscles and living life a quarter mile at a time. Fast & Furious is being directed by Justin Lin, who also did Tokyo Drift.
We drove out to the set that was located out in the middle of nowhere. After conducting interviews with Paul Walker, Justin Lin, car coordinator Dennis McCarthy and Laz Alonso, we were taken to a hilltop to check out a scene being shot at night. We were all standing around on one end, and on the opposite end of the hilltop were four cars lined up in a row (a Nissan Skyline driven by Walker, a Ford Mustang GT, a Subaru and a Chevy Chevelle driven by Vin) facing Laz Alonso's 1972 green Ford Gran Torino.
Everyone, including Laz, gets out of their cars and starts walking towards each other. Laz and Vin exchange words but we were too far away to hear what they were saying as they got in each other's faces. This scene took forever to shoot. They must have done it around eight times. I guess they were trying to work on the dialogue between Vin and Laz because Justin kept talking to Vin about the scene. It was freezing outside so this couldn't have been fun for the actors. However, I'm hard pressed feeling sorry for people who play pretend and get paid tons of money doing so.
The cars were all pretty cool. I was digging the Chevelle and the Gran Torino. Both classic muscle cars and each one was in really good condition. Unfortunately we went on a day when they weren't blowing shit up which would have been fun to watch. There were I think about 3 giant cameras on cranes for the shot, but after a couple of hours was beginning to wonder why they were having such difficulty with it. I guess this is a big scene between Vin's Dominic character and Laz's Fenix.
It was pretty cool seeing the original characters again. The first Fast & Furious film is a guilty pleasure and for some reason, I kind of enjoy watching them. Ya, it's silly, but the cars are cool and the stunt driving is pretty badass, if you're into cars like I am.
According to Universal, there are quite a few cars in this one, including the return of a familiar vehicle from the first movie. Here's a complete rundown of the vehicles:
Vin Diesel's Rides
1970 Charger
(Hopefully he doesn't flip it like he did in the first.)
Character name: Dominic Toretto
(Vin Diesel)
Concept: Fast & Furious 1
Engine: 426 HEMI
Intake: BDS
Injection: BDS
Ignition: MSD
Supercharger: BDS 8-71
Fuel: Sunoco Racing Fuel
Lubricant: Castrol
Drivetrain:
Transmission: 727
Converter: Cone
Shifter: Winters
Driveshaft: General
Brake Systems:
Front & Rear: Wilwood
Slide Brake: Wilwood CNC
Exhaust System:
Headers: Headman
Mufflers: Flowmaster
3” System: Morse
Suspension: Hotchkis
Air Filter: None
Fuel System
Pump & Regulator: Holley
Plumbing: Earl’s
Fuel Cell: JAZ
Interior Modifications
Seats: Beard
Seat Belts: DJ Safety
Rollcage: Matt Sweeney
Interior Panels: Matt Sweeney
Steering Wheel: Grant Le Mans
Gauges: Auto Meter
Exterior Modifications
Body Kit: R/T
Hood: Hannaman
Paint/Graphics: Jack’s Auto Body
Wheels
Manufacturer/Model: Coys C-5
Front Wheel Size: 18X8
Rear Wheel Size: 18X9.5
Tires
Manufacturer/Model: General
Front Tire Size: 255/45R18
Rear Tire Size: 2850R18
1970 Primer Chevrolet Chevelle
Character name: Dominic Toretto
(Vin Diesel)
Concept: Michael Mann
Engine: 502 GM Performance
Intake: Weiand
Carburetor: Holley
Ignition: MSD
Water Pump: Weiand Electric Water Pump
Nitrous System: NOS
Supercharger: Pro Charger
Drivetrain:
Transmission: Richmond 4-Speed
Bellhousing: Lakewood
Shifter: Hurst
Driveshaft: General Driveshaft
Rear Differential: Drivetrain Direct 9” W/
4.56 Gears & Detroit Locker
Brake Systems:
Front & Rear: Wilwood
Slide Brake: Wilwood CNC
Exhaust System:
Headers: Hooker
Mufflers: Afterburner
3” System: Morse Muffler
Suspension: Hotchkis
Air Filter: K&N
Fuel System
Pump & Regular: Holley
Plumbing: Earl’s
Fuel Cell: JAZ
Interior Modifications:
Seats: Beard
Seat Belts: Crow
Rollcage: Matt Sweeney
Interior Panels: Matt Sweeney
Steering Wheel: Grant Le Mans
Gauges: Auto Meter
Exterior Modifications:
Body & Trim: Year-One
Hood: Hannaman
Paint/Graphics: 5140 Customs Primer Grey
Wheels
Manufacturer/Model: Coys C-55 Gun Metal
Front Wheel Size: 17X8
Rear Wheel Size: 17X9.5
Tires
Manufacturer/Model: General Exclaim
Front Tire Size: 235/50R17
Rear Tire Size: 275/55R17
1987 Buick Grand National GNX
Character Name: Dominic Toretto
(Vin Diesel)
Concept: Buick NASCAR
Engine:
Intake: 3.8 Turbo V6
Injection: T/A Performance
Ignition: MSD
Intercooler: Spearco
Turbo: Turbonetics
Cylinder Heads: T/A Performance
Drivetrain:
Transmission: Kilgore 200
Converter: B&M
Shifter: Winters
Driveshaft: Wenco
Rear Differential: 9” 3.73 Detroit Locker
Brake Systems:
Front & Rear: Wilwood
Slide Brake: Wilwood CNC
Exhaust System:
Headers: Hooker
Mufflers: Flowmaster
3” System: Morse
Suspension: Hotchkis
Air Filter: K&N
Fuel System:
Pump & Regulator: Bosch
Plumbing: Earl’s
Fuel Cell: JAZ
Interior Modifications:
Seats: Beard
Seat Belts: D.J. Safety
Rollcage: Matt Sweeney
Interior Panels: Matt Sweeney
Steering Wheel: Grant
Gauges: Auto Meter
Exterior Modifications:
Body Kit: GNX
Hood: GNX
Paint/Graphics: Jack’s Auto Body Gloss Black
Wheels:
Manufacturer/Model: Cragar Soft 8 Black
Front Wheel Size: 15X8
Rear Wheel Size: 15X8
Tires:
Manufacturer/Model: General Grabber HP
Front Tire Size: 235/60R15
Rear Tire Size: 275/60R215
(No Pic)
1973 Chevrolet F-Bomb Camaro
Character Name: Dominic Toretto
(Vin Diesel)
Concept: David Freiburger
Engine: 406ci Small Block Chevy
Engine Design: Nelson Racing Engines
Intake: Nelson
Ignition: MSD
Injection System: Electromotive EFI
Horsepower: 1550 HP at 28 PSI Boost
Drivetrain:
Transmission: Richmond 5-Speed
Bellhousing: Lakewood
Clutch: McLeod
Shifter: Hurst V-Gate
Driveshaft: Wenco
Rear Differential: Strange Engineering 9”
with Spool & 3.20:1 Gears
Brake Systems:
Front & Rear: Wilwood
Slide Brake: N/A
Exhaust System:
Headers: Brodix
Mufflers: Flowmasters
3” System: Morse
Suspension: D.S.E. W/ Caltracs Bars
Air Filter: K&N
Fuel System:
Pump & Regulator: Aeromotive
Plumbing: Bent
Fuel Cell:
Interior Modifications:
Seats: Kirkey
Rollcage: Red Line Race Fab
Interior Panels: Red Line Race Fab
Steering Wheel: Lecarra Mark-8
Gauges: Auto Meter
Exterior Modifications:
Body Kit: Chevrolet & Red Line Race Fab
Hood: Factory
Wheels:
Manufacturer/Model: Mickey Thompson
Tires: Manufacturer/Model: Mickey
Thompson
Paint/Graphics: Anarchy Graphics
Laz Alonzo's ride
1972 Ford Gran Torino
Character Name: Fenix (Laz Alonso)
Engine: 429 CJ
Carburetor: Holley
Ignition: MSD
Intake: Weiand
Valvetrain: JESEL
Drivetrain:
Transmission: Top 4 Loader
Bellhousing: Factory
Clutch: Hays
Shifter: Hurst
Driveshaft: General
Rear Differential: 9” W/ 4.56 Gears & Detroit
Locker
Brake Systems:
Front & Rear: Wilwood
Slide Brake: Wilwood CNC
Exhaust System:
Headers: Hooker
Mufflers: Afterburner
2.5” System: Morse
Suspension:
Air Filter: K&N
Fuel System:
Pump & Regulator: Holley
Plumbing: Earl’s
Fuel Cell: JAZ
Interior Modifications:
Seats: Sparco
Seat Belts: Takata
Rollcage: Matt Sweeney
Interior Panels: Matt Sweeney
Steering Wheel: Grant Collector’s Edition
Gauges: Factory
Exterior Modifications:
Body Kit: Factory
Hood: Factory
Paint/Graphics: Jack’s Auto Body Green with White Stripe
Wheels
Manufacturer/Model: Coys C-67 Gun Metal
Front Wheel Size: 18X9
Rear Wheel Size: 18X9
Tires:
Manufacturer/Model: Continental
Front Tire Size: Sport Contact 255/45R18
Rear Tire Size: Cross Contact UHP 285/50T18
Paul Walker's rides
1998 Nissan Skyline ER34
or is it a
2007 Kaiso Nissan Skyline GT-R?
(I'm not sure what year this car is because of conflicting car spec sheets from Universal. I'm wondering if the 2007 GT-R is a car we don't see until the end of the movie. I thought Nissan had dropped the “Skyline” badge for its 2007 GT-R vehicle. If any readers can help me out with this, I'd appreciate it. I'm totally confused on what the correct year and model is for this vehicle. According to Wikipedia, the new GT-R is in this movie, but I don't know how prominent its presence will be.)
Character Name: Brian O’Conner
(Paul Walker)
Concept: Kaiso
Engine: PB26
Drivetrain:
Transmission: Factory
Clutch: Factory
Shifter: Veilside
Driveshaft: Factory
Rear Differential: Factory
Brake Systems: Rotora
Exhaust System:
Headers: Factory
Mufflers: Factory
3” System: Cobb
Suspension: Kaiso
Air Filter: K&N
Fuel System:
Pump & Regulator: Factory
Plumbing: Factory
Fuel Cell: Factory
Interior Modifications:
Seats: O.M.P.
Seat Belts: O.M.P.
Rollcage: Matt Sweeney
Interior Panels: Factory
Steering Wheel: MOMO
Gauges: Magden
Exterior Modifications:
Body Kit: C-West
Hood: C-West
Paint/Graphics: Jack’s Auto Body Black &
Silver W/ Red Pinstriping
Wheels:
Manufacturer/Model: Rays Volk RE30
Front Wheel Size: 19X11
Rear Wheel Size: 19X11
Tires:
Manufacturer/Model: Continental Sport
Contact 2
Front Tire Size: 285/35R19
Rear Tire Size: 285/35R19
2009 Subaru WRX STI
(Universal claims this is a 2002 Subaru WRX STI in the captions but this looks nothing like the 2002, so I'm going with this being the 2008-2009 Impreza WRX STI.)
Character Name: Brian O’Conner
(Paul Walker)
Concept: Subaru World Rally Car
Engine:
Intake: Perrin
Ignition: Cobb Tuning
Fuel: Sunoco Racing Fuel
Lubricant: Mobile One
Drivetrain:
Transmission: Factory
Bellhousing: Factory
Clutch: Twin Plate
Shifter: Veilside
Driveshaft: Factory
Rear Differential: Factory
Brake Systems:
Front & Rear: Factory
Slide Brake: Factory
Exhaust System:
Headers: Remus Racing
Mufflers: Remus Racing
3” System: Remus Racing
Suspension: Factory
Air Filter: Perrin
Fuel System:
Pump & Regulator: Factory
Plumbing: Factory
Fuel Cell: Factory
Interior Modifications:
Seats: Veilside
Seat Belts: Takata
Rollcage: Matt Sweeney
Interior Panels: Factory
Steering Wheel: Veilside
Gauges: Factory
Exterior Modifications:
Body Kit: Veilside
Hood: Veilside
Paint/Graphics: Jacks Auto Body Black &
Silver W/ Red Pinstriping
Wheels:
Manufacturer/Model: Enkei NT03+M
Front Wheel Size: 18X8.5
Rear Wheel Size: 18X8.5
Tires:
Manufacturer/Model: Continental Sport
Contact 2
Front Tire Size: 285X40 R18
Rear Tire Size: 285X40 R18
I'm also trying to get the specs on what the other characters drive. I know there's a BMW in the movie (not sure which one. M3?) and a Ford Mustang GT and there seems to be a grip of other European, import and domestic vehicles as well.
I want to personally thank Universal Studios for the great set visit. As a car fan, it was really awesome to check out these vehicles. And don't miss out on today's other article that has a ton of pictures from the movie, including new pictures that are being shown to the public for the first time ever!
Latinoreview's Fast & Furious week will be sitting in the garage over the weekend, but starts right back up on Monday with a great interview from car coordinator Dennis McCarthy, and continues almost everyday with even more interviews with Paul Walker, Laz Alonso and director Justin Lin!
Kickin' it with Devin from CHUD on the set, keeping the chairs
warm for Vin and Paul's beefy asses.
Burn rubber when you
