Hazzard-Ous Lifestyle Brothers Turn Vintage Authorities of Fictional Hazzard They Had Collected and Restored As a County, Georgia, Thanks in No Small General Lee
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James Smith, left, and Bob Smith chat across the engine of a restored Dodge Charger General Lee at Smith Bros. Restorations. Hazzard-ous Lifestyle Brothers turn vintage authorities of fictional Hazzard they had collected and restored as a County, Georgia, thanks in no small General Lee. Dodge Chargers into part to General Lee’s speed and Seeing the car “got a lot of people spectacular jumps. inquiring,” James says. “Within a General Lee replicas The car—a 1969 Dodge Charger short time, we had orders lining up.” painted brilliant reddish-orange— That was about seven years ago, Jeanie Senior had several distinctive features, and led to the advent of Smith Bros. including “01” on the side, a Restorations, which specializes in rothers James Smith and Bob Confederate battle flag on the roof Dodge Chargers. Smith Jr. have built a business and a brush guard/push bar in front. The brothers have done authentic Bon General Lee—not the Civil James and Bob, longtime fans of restorations of the General Lee ever War general, but General Lee the the show, started their restoration since, shipping completed cars from car, which became as much a star on business after attending a Dukes their Lyle-area shop to buyers from the television series “The Dukes of Fest on the East Coast, where they Kentucky to Canada and Ireland. Hazzard” as the show’s actors. met cast and crew members. When Their work has been profiled in In the series, which ran from 1979 they heard there were plans to jump Mopar Collector’s Guide, The New to 1985, cousins Bo and Luke Duke a General Lee at a future event, they York Times and Muscle Car Review. regularly triumphed over the rascally volunteered one of the Chargers It’s not hard, Bob says, to paint a 4 JUNE 2009 KLIC K ITAT for a custom car. “It’s kind of like a wish list for the customer,” Bob says. “We start with the base price and they start adding amenities: air conditioning, disc brakes. Some want pretty much everything, and we let them know the price.” For the past dozen General Lees Smith Bros. has built, buyers were told the approximate start date would be a year to 18 months before delivery. Now the wait is two years. James and Bob strip a car down to its bare frame and rebuild it so when it is complete, it has a lot of new body work, a quality paint job, correct push bar, roll bar and wheels, restored gauges, a rebuilt engine, rebuilt brakes, rebuilt front end and transmission, a new fuel tank and Above, James performs a stunt in a General Lee. Below, a promotional photo from a lines, a new windshield and a horn Hazzard Homecoming. Photos courtesy of Bob and James Smith. that plays “Dixie.” The push bar is especially 1968 or 1969 Charger orange and autographed photos from the show, authentic because the brothers have stick some numbers on the side. many featuring General Lee. the original jig that was used to build What Smith Bros. offers, however, At the Dukes gatherings, James the push bar for the TV series. is a more comprehensive—and says, the lines that form to get the Except for the paint job, done at a accurate—General Lee. stars’ autographs can stretch across shop in Hood River, James and Bob Of their attention to detail, James the property. do all the work on the cars. says simply: “Most people don’t “The stunt guys are easier to talk “We grew up with a dad who research as much as we do.” to,” he says. “And for my brother could do anything,” James says. During the show’s run, the cars and myself, coming from a car guy “We’ve been working on stuff since varied. There point of view, we we were 5 years old.” essentially formed a bond Both brothers also have other were three very quickly.” jobs. Bob is associate pastor at different One of their Lyle Celebration Center. James is General Lees, friends and a professional stunt driver whose and most mentors was signature stunt is driving a car on customers the late Rich two wheels, called the ski car stunt. know which Sephton, who Even though “The Dukes of car they want. was Warner Hazzard” has been off the air for James and Bob Bros. shop almost 25 years, its popularity are responsible foreman in flourishes around the world. for the precise the 1980s for “It’s bigger in the U.K. than over details. “The Dukes of here” Bob says. The Smiths’ Hazzard” series. That probably explains the knowledge of the There is a tribute General Lee Smith Bros. recently car has been considerably augmented to Rich on the Smith Bros. Web site, restored and shipped in a container by the friendships they have made www.smithbrosrestorations.com. to an architect in Ireland. through the years with many “He was a wealth of information,” The brothers are not worried members of the Dukes cast and crew, James says. about running out of cars to work including the stuntmen who drove A General Lee from Smith Bros. with. the General Lee and the people who isn’t cheap. The base price for a “There’s still a lot of Chargers out built the cars. General Lee package, with the there,” James says. “We’re trying to The Smith Bros. office is a mini brothers supplying the Charger, do a much nicer car than what the Dukes of Hazzard museum, crowded starts at $45,000, goes to $65,000 person is paying for. That’s never with model cars, posters and for a midlevel package and upwards bad for your reputation.” KLICKITAT JUNE 2009 5.