Shaker Run Car Chase Scene

[Steve Holmes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jCIWNXHG8c

In early 1975, an impressive looking Ford Capri, fitted with a small block 302ci Ford V8, debuted at Manfeild Raceway, New Zealand, for the penultimate round of the 1974/75 NZ Saloon Car Championship, driven by its owner/builder, Brent Bullivant. The Capri itself was impressive enough, but perhaps more astonishing was Bullivant himself. He was just 19 years old.

The rowdy little Capri showed impressive form on debut, but clearly would have benefitted from some development, and a new set of tyres. While extremely well built, and potentially a front running car, Bullivant was an apprentice mechanic, and lacked the finances to run the car at the front of the field, where t should have been.

The next couple of seasons saw some positive development, including ditching the Ford motor for a small block Chevy, but Bullivants financial situation never improved. However, his engineering skills impressed ex-pat New Zealander Jim Richards, who hired the young Kiwi to prepare his own race car in Australia. Richards also drove the Capri on a couple of occasions while visiting New Zealand, and stated the obvious to Bullivant, that a decent set of tyres would transform it. The newest tyres ever used on the Capri were three year old worn off-casts from other teams.

Bullivant eventually sold the Capri, in 1980, to long-time racer Graham Baker, and finally the cars potential was realized. With a decent running budget, and Bakers skills behind the wheel, the Capri proved the equal of any racing sedan in New Zealand.

Following the 1980/81 season, Baker sold the Capri to Bob Cullinane, who owned it for two years, before it was sold to Brian Friend. And it was Friend who rented the car out to a production company who were putting together a B-grade movie, filmed in New Zealand, starring Cliff Robertson and former heart-throb Leif Garrett.

Released in 1986, Shaker Run was created around a story line involving a lethal bio-agent, government espionage, and several car chase scenes, the most memorable of which involves the films leading car, a fiberglass replica Pontiac Trans-Am, driven by Robertson, and the old Brent Bullivant Capri, and takes place through the streets of New Zealands capital city, Wellington, and then up the steep and winding Rimutaka Hill, around 40 minutes north of the capital.

The Capri makes its appearance around the 2 minute mark, so crank up the volume, because it sounds fantastic.

[Bruce302]

That's neat, I never saw the movie only stills in publicity material. Wellington hasn't changed.
They sure didn't waste too much money getting the "Firebird" looking sharp. Still better than the HQ 1 tonne ute it was probably built on.
Any idea who drove the car in the movie scenes ?
The burning question now is, where is that Capri ?

Thanks Steve,
Bruce.

[Steve Holmes]

Its owned and raced now by Graham Barnes: http://www.kiwisportssedans.co.nz/photogallery/Graham001.JPG

[Jizim]

Brian Friend actually raffled off this car and the winner is a well known offshore power boat man whos name just escapes me at present but he offered to the stunt company for a price for them to own it and they were to give it back to him afterwards.. I was given the driving chore in this movie for my mate Peter Bell but work committments keep me away from it...I gave the job to Lance Johnson ex NZ speedway Champion and a rally driver who was upcoming on the day. I supplied Peter Bell half a dozen cars for this movie. They ended up running out of cars and Lance asked the receptionist if they could use her Commodore 4 cylinder to just shoot the last scene on a day with him driving it across a paddock and thru a farm gate. Lance misjudged the gate and tee boned the Commodore writing it off and putting himself in hospital. They used this scene in the movie. The Capri was a great Sports Sedan and I am wrapt to hear that it is the hands of someone who appreciates it.....may recall more of this later... Regards,
Tony Rutherford.

[thunder427]

....the Pontiac 'Trans-Am' was the creation of a very talented ,Tom Morland,from Christchurch,a builder by trade who had this ability to create replica cars, he firstly created the 'CORVETTE', that fitted on a HQ chassie,then came the 'FIREBIRD' that fitted over a 'cut-down' HQ 4/door car,then Tom 'replicated his own 'DETAMASO PANTARA (Pantstearer!!) a couple became racecars I believe,then the there was the TESTA ROSA replica,....I believe he may have dabbled in boats as well, for a carpenter this guy was a 'WIZARD' with Fibreglass ,a respected business associate and to me a good friend!!!..had a McLaren Chev in his Pantera...only way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...it was like driving a F5000 with a roof!!.....regards thunder427/MJ:cool:

[Steve Holmes]

Thats good info there you guys! Tony, I haven't seen the movie in its entirety for many years, but I do remember the scene where the Commodore nailed the fence post. Wasn't it painted black, like all the cars the bad guys drove? Were they going to return it to its original colour after filming (had they not wrecked it)?

[Rod Grimwood]

Dave Borrie was the lad who won the raffle, and then raced the car after a rebuild when the movie boys had finished. This is Dave at Puke club day and he has just upset one of the old boys by dusting him up after a fairly close passing move. When old boy approached the car after the race and started, he stopped real quick and walked off after Dave extracated himself from the car, he was fairly big and a fit bugger. I real nice guy and easy go lucky. I see him a bit as he lives north of me on a little life style block with big pit full of foam and ramps which his young fellow practices on for his bit with the Rusty Demons and Red Bull Demo Team, mum loves it.

[Rod Grimwood]

This is car as I last seen it with Mr Barnes. He goes alright as well. I think his brother or some one has another Capri V8 as well.

[Jizim]

Yes it was a black Commodore. All the cars I supplied were painted in a dull kahkee colour....something about making them look ok on film....very odd I thought...but hey. Thats the guy Rod. He used to turn up on a Harley. Neat guy that took no prisoners. Till next time...Regards, Tony Rutherfotrd.

[Rod Grimwood]

Still got a Harley and also has a part restored Monaro 4 door in his little shed.

[Steve Holmes]

Here is a better video of the chase scene:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jCIWNXHG8c

[John McKechnie]

And Gaeme Barnes will be driving it in the Historic Sports Sedans , Hampton Downs this weekend.
Watch the video, see the car............

[275 GTB]

Loved going over the Rimutakas...might have to get a copy out on DVD again...although AFAIR it was fairly corny and cheesey...

[duncan fox]

Brian Friend actually raffled off this car and the winner is a well known offshore power boat man whos name just escapes me at present but he offered to the stunt company for a price for them to own it and they were to give it back to him afterwards.. I was given the driving chore in this movie for my mate Peter Bell but work committments keep me away from it...I gave the job to Lance Johnson ex NZ speedway Champion and a rally driver who was upcoming on the day. I supplied Peter Bell half a dozen cars for this movie. They ended up running out of cars and Lance asked the receptionist if they could use her Commodore 4 cylinder to just shoot the last scene on a day with him driving it across a paddock and thru a farm gate. Lance misjudged the gate and tee boned the Commodore writing it off and putting himself in hospital. They used this scene in the movie. The Capri was a great Sports Sedan and I am wrapt to hear that it is the hands of someone who appreciates it.....may recall more of this later... Regards,
Tony Rutherford.


Didn't Brett Stevens work on this project keeping all the cars running? Im sure it was The Shaker Run

[MarkQ]

As a kid I was a huge fan of Shaker Run. I built this model of 'Shaker' when I was about 14, I hand painted what decals I
couldn't find. I never could find a set of correct styled mag wheels so it got a set of tridens.
I'm sorry the photo's are not in focus, I took these with my cell phone.287642876528766

[Noel]

This is car as I last seen it with Mr Barnes. He goes alright as well. I think his brother or some one has another Capri V8 as well.

His son Shane has a racing Capri also (yellow and green colour). Barnesy senior recently retired and sold his Palmerston North bakery to Shane.

[Rod Grimwood]

Thanks Noel, yea we need to get him out to play as well. Think this was Taupo few years back.

Its a good looking car as well.

[John McKechnie]

Graham told me that he came up to Auckland to see the moulds to redo the front of his then current one- this yellow/green Capri.
Saw this ex Friend/ Shaker Run car sitting in the garage and ended up bought the whole lot.
We are hoping that both Capris will be on the grid for the Historic Sports Sedan races at The Sound MG meeting November 13, 14, 15 later this year

[John McKechnie]

Hello John,

Brent’s Capri, In my mind, will always be The Bullivant Capri. He was a young guy from my home territory, who had amazing drive, and could set goals for himself and actually achieve them.

I admired the quality of his questions and his ability to understand answers..never afraid to challenge the theory. Rare then and sadly more rare. Jimmy saw the same.

The result was endearingly outstanding, a young man who literally outdrove his mistakes.

Many after, have claimed to have made the car right. But if the core bones of the concept were not there from the beginning, the subsequent owners would have been lost in the theory.

My cousin, Brendan Addis, of Brendan Addis Car Sales in Hastings, saw the same thing, and assisted with sponsorship.

Only Brent Bullivant’s involvement with the car is actual history.

The rest is just an interesting, and entertaining event over time…. almost a story of a ghost.

The car is now very different. Grahame Barnes is to respected for working with what was left of it, and bringing it to meetings for us to enjoy. I, personally, am impressed with that.

Historic Sports Sedans are many different things to many different people.

The truth of these cars and their true history, is simply to remember, research, and enjoy the facts of the origin, and an understanding of the people, who often forgave a lifestyle to fulfil a goal, and did it.

Whatever is left of those efforts is what you see today.

Best regards,

Graeme Addis.

[Shaker Run]

Came across this old thread and don't know if anyone is interested but i am putting together some stuff on the Shaker Run movie. Have been collecting photos and information for a little while now and earlier this year picked up an old Tom Morland Trans Am body on an HQ floor pan with the intention of building a movie car replica, needs a lot of work and looked like it had been sitting in a swamp with the amount of rust in floor pan and running gear, hope to have it completed sometime next year. Photos are of when i picked it up and starting work on it

[Growler]

The studio was in Nikau St in Auckland. I remember seeing the actual car on a trailer parked out front. In fact at the beginning of the movie they are racing around Eden terrace where the studio is/was.
I'm trying to collect old 70's car movies like Bullit, American Graffiti, Two Lane Blacktop, Vanishing Point etc but can't find a copy of Shaker Run.

[Shaker Run]

The studio was in Nikau St in Auckland. I remember seeing the actual car on a trailer parked out front. In fact at the beginning of the movie they are racing around Eden terrace where the studio is/was.
I'm trying to collect old 70's car movies like Bullit, American Graffiti, Two Lane Blacktop, Vanishing Point etc but can't find a copy of Shaker Run.

Yep can be hard to find a copy locally but they are available on E bay. Tom built two cars for the movie, one the close up car which ended up in Japan and the other the main stunt car, which was sold off after filming finished minus motor and was re powered with a 327 chev and painted black and red by it's third owner, tracked it too Hellensville and then Thames before losing the trail. Apparently a couple of owners thought they could make it into a race car , only problem was ; even though it had a substantial roll cage system it was all made from heavy walled exhaust tubing and to remove it would have meant splitting the body back off the floor pan. But who knows maybe it did become a race car or perhaps some one still has it sitting in a garage.
The original American script for Shaker Run had the hero car down as a Chevy Nova and the baddie chased it in a Ferrari through France. Final scene had the Nova doing a jump into the back of a Hercules cargo plane as it takes off.