Recovered Story: James Baker (1980)
A firsthand account of owning the original Phantasm 'Cuda — and the only known surviving photograph.
In His Own Words
Late last night I found some old things and photos which I figured were gone forever! Sometimes when I tell a story, people look at me like I am so full of it! Example: I used to own the 1971 Cuda that was in the movie Phantasm… Black on Black on Black! I found the only known surviving photo of my old car to date – SO Happy! I was beginning to think maybe I was just dreaming…
I could probably write a book about that car! I had more than my share of fun in it, too! And I never got a ticket or in an accident the whole time I had her. In 1980, I bought it from the Art Director of the movie for $2500. It said "440 6-Pack" on the hood, but it was really a 340 custom-built by Ed Pink in the SFV! It had a Carter 1000 cfm Thermoquad Carb, Pistol-grip 4-Speed Stick, Rally Dash and Bucket Seats. Also, it was customized with leaded and flared rear fender wells and an over-sized custom sunroof with dark tinting.
There were even the original marks on the one fender where the floor jack handle hit it in the movie, as well as the mark on the sunroof when they kicked it out with the shotgun butt! One day I was on my work at about 6 am, and I had just banged it into 3rd Gear at 90 mph when there was a big WHOOSH! I had failed to latch the sunroof down all the way the night before, and I looked up and saw it about 30 feet in the air! I pulled over and started running back for it – got there just in time to watch a 16-wheeler run over it, breaking it into little pieces… all that was left were the latches.
So I called the art director and asked if they made extra sunroofs for the shotgun scene… he was not sure. So I offered a small fortune of $300 if he happened to find one… and he did.
I ended up trading it to a guy who saw it on the road and said "I want your car!" I said "It's not for sale." He was like check it out, and showed me all the magazine covers his custom van had been in, the hooker headers, custom hood scoop, teardrop windows, captain's package, quad stereo, bar, TV, bed, etc… I said I would have to keep my rims and tires, and he said deal! We shook hands, went to the Shell station on the corner of Devonshire and Reseda, and swapped out the rims and tires, signed the pinks – it took about 20 minutes!
I saw the guy about 6 months later as I was leaving a bar… we recognized each other at about 30 feet, and we never broke stride… I said "Still like the car?" and he said "Yup." And he said "Still like the van?" and I said "Yep!" and I never saw him again.
Some might say it was a stupid trade, in retrospect, because that car is probably worth over $200,000 today. But I spent a lot of time at the beach, and there were drive-ins back then… some things are worth more than money – I'm good! Maybe this is the start of my life story – been giving that some thought lately.
The only known surviving photograph of James Baker's 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda — the original Phantasm movie car. Photo by James Baker.
"I found the only known surviving photo of my old car to date – SO Happy! I was beginning to think maybe I was just dreaming…"
— James Baker, 1980 owner
Reseda Blvd, San Fernando Valley — last known trail of the Phantasm 'Cuda, 1980. Archive research reconstruction. PhantasmCudas.com.
Archive Reconstruction
The Driveway Meeting — Porter Ranch, Early 1980s
Porter Ranch, early 1980s — the hood goes up. Archive illustration, PhantasmCudas research archive.
Back in the early 80s, I lived out in LA. They have a want ad newspaper out there called The Recycler. At the time, I was driving a '70 Challenger 383 four-speed car, and I was looking for something a little different.
One day, an ad in The Recycler caught my attention. It was the original '71 Cuda used in the first Phantasm movie. I called up the number and drove over to check out the car.
The car was parked in the driveway of a very expensive house located in an exclusive neighborhood in the northern part of the valley. The house belonged to an executive who was involved in the movie, and the car appeared to have been parked there for some time. I was met by a person who was some kind of assistant for the movie company. Since I drove up there in a '70 Challenger, the guy knew I was a Mopar guy and a serious buyer, not just some tire kicker, so he offered to let me take it for a drive.
First impressions and seeing the car up close were a great disappointment. The car had been sitting in the hot California sun for a long time, and when they originally painted it, they used a black lacquer paint job with many coats of clear on top. Unfortunately, the sun had caused the paint to form hairline cracks all over. It would have to be completely stripped and repainted. By the way, the original color of the car was In-Violet.
I believe it was original white interior, and this was also in pretty sad shape. The assistant popped the hood open. It had a small block engine, probably a 340. The condition under the hood was kind of ratty, but I've seen worse. The assistant had great difficulty getting the motor started but finally got it to run. I got in and took it for a cruise around the block. It wasn't that great of a driver, but it's been too long to really remember the details of what I didn't like about it.
Once I got back, the assistant invited me into the house, and we talked about the car for a while. Apparently, the producer or director of the movie was adamant that a Cuda would be used for the movie, and they spent about six months looking for the right car. Only one car was built for the original movie. I told him I'd have to think about it, but I knew at that point that the car would cost me too much to correct its more glaring problems, since it was intended to be my daily driver. I never called back on the car.
A few months later, I received a call from the movie company saying the car was still for sale and that they were taking bids on it. They also mentioned that if I bought it, they might want to lease it back if they made another Phantasm movie. By that time, I had found another '71 Cuda that was in far better condition for far less money, so I wasn't interested in making an offer.
From what I understand, that car has never been located once it was eventually sold. Oh yeah, the asking price was around $3,500 if memory serves me right. Do I regret passing up on the movie Cuda? Of course I do.
— Moparts member firsthand account. Storyboard artwork commissioned for the PhantasmCudas research archive.
Porter Ranch, early 1980s — archive storyboard reconstruction. The driveway meeting, the negotiation, the decision. No sale. A mistake remembered in the rearview mirror.
This account was shared directly with the PhantasmCudas archive. It represents one of the few firsthand testimonies from a prospective buyer of the original 1971 Phantasm movie car.