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02/02/2026 3:49 pm
The Batmobile, the Green Hornet "Black Beauty, and then... the "Monkeemobile". Another creation from the mind and hands of Dean Jeffries that turned a stock '66 Pontiac GTO into this muscular Phaeton for the Monkees TV series. It was curiously built like an exhibition drag car with the 389 given a 6-71 GM supercharger with a rigid and heavily weighted rear to do wheelies on the strip. The car was so hard to handle that the blower was replaced with a mock-up blower sitting over a tri-power 389 now reduced to 335 HP. It was still fast but could handle well enough for the famous chase scene in the Hollywood Hills vesus a Cobra Daytona Coupe. There was a second car Jeffries built for exhibitions and when the series was over in 1968, he was offered both cars for $2000 each, but turned the offer down figuring he could build his own cheaper. The actual TV car followed the Monkees on a world tour and for whatever reason was abandoned in Australia. It mysteriously reappeared at a hotel in Puerto Rico as a courtesy car and was sold off for $5000 when the hotel went bankrupt. Restored and frequently shown, it now resides in the Petersen Museum. Always the businessman and showman, George Barris, who had helped Jeffries to build the originals, bought the second car as a moneymaker and finally auctioned it off for a very handsome $360,000 in 2008 to a private buyer. Tenjoyed the TV series but even in the more boring episodes, I couldn't wait to see these cars in action. This ERTL model was copied from the TV car as it existed restored in 1997. This particular iteration of the model replicates the car as it was in the 1966 first season, notably missing the guitar shaped "Monkees" logos.
02/02/2026 5:00 pm
Cool history on this car, Rich.... I did know, however, that this scale version replicates the restored car and not the original TV version - which Ertl did produce, and I acquired for the convertible top.
One day (🙄 🙄 🙄) I'll finish this project of modifying the Monkee's top to fit my Mercedes German staff car. Without any mods, it's very close, as is. 😉
Topic starter
02/02/2026 8:21 pm
@chris ERTL didn't get their hands on the car until after it was pulled out of Puerto Rico. Supposedly it was still in pretty good condition. I never got that G4 although I have a 1/72 kit and this resin model in 54mm scale (~1/32) with metal figures where the figures are fantastic and the G4 is more arts and craftsy than a true replica. I got that a million years before your 1/18 made the scene.
02/02/2026 8:57 pm
"....metal figures where the figures are fantastic and the G4 is more arts and crafty than a true replica. I got that a million years before your 1/18 made the scene."
Right, but it's still pretty cool. One day, when I fab that top, I'll repaint those black rims gray, like yours. Gray is the correct color. My 1/18 Signature came with figures too, but not Hitler.
All discussions about the Monkees end with Hitler, right? LoL 😀 😀
03/02/2026 3:41 am
I had a G4 or some staff car about 54 years ago. What I had was 1/35 scale, only had a Hitler figure and was set up to be motorized. It was from a a Japanese company.
Topic starter
03/02/2026 10:28 am
@grockwood Yeah. 1/35 is proper for ground weaponry and, oddly, 1/32 for aircraft. Unusual to have the kit motorized in that scale unless it was designed as a slot car. Do you remember what company made it?
Christopher Moroni reacted
03/02/2026 6:18 pm
Rich, I remember it was Japanese, it was'nt a brand I remember. It wasn't a slot track vehicle. It was motorized like early Tamiya kits. I looked on Ebay and found a Revell kit and another another company but neither were motorized
This post was modified 3 months ago by grockwood
Christopher Moroni reacted