Most car fans dream of owning a car from their favorite movie, and few ever get close. But a British car builder named Sam Hard, who posts as @Hardupgarage, says he paid more than $20,000 for the wrecked movie Camaro that went off a yacht in 2 Fast 2 Furious. Then his team found a stamped number on the firewall that matches the records for movie car No. 149.
“There’s a real 1969 Chevrolet Camaro that is a screen used movie car from the movie and it’s been sitting for 20 years,” he recalls a friend telling him at 0:31.
So he flew to Atlanta and met his friend Ed Bolian at YearOne, the restoration parts company. According to Hard, YearOne built some of the movie cars, and he first saw this one there on November 1, 2019.
What $20,000 Bought
However, the movie Camaro is far from complete. Its front end is caved in, the headers hang loose, one door won’t work properly and there is no engine. Still, the axle turns out to be straight, so it can at least roll onto a tow truck.
“I paid more than $20,000 for this car,” Hard tells his friend Freddy Hernandez at 14:09.
In return, he got a trunk full of parts as well, including glass, door cards, a dash pad, a rear seat, latches and a nitrous kit. Then he finds a headrest piece he links to the Yenko-style headrests seen in the film.
Taking It Apart
Next, his crew pulls the interior, drops the exhaust and rear axle, and separates the body from the front subframe. Along the way, they find rusted-through floors, missing body mounts and plenty of filler.
According to Hard, most of the crash damage is cosmetic, but it is too severe to leave as-is if the car will run safely. Even so, he says he will keep every damaged movie panel.
He says they will swap the leaf springs for a new rear suspension kit and fit adjustable front arms and coilovers.
Matching The Movie Camaro To Car No. 149
Near the end, Hard says a technical advisor on the films sent him production records that list car No. 149 as Brian’s car, marked as totaled and as the “cable car.”
“This says number 149 was Brian’s car,” he says at 40:22.
While wire-wheeling the firewall, the crew uncovers the stamping N692517, which Hard says matches those records. He also shows lifting eyelets at the front and in the trunk, which he says held the cables that lowered the car onto the boat.
Whether it started life as a real Yenko is still open. Bolian assumes it isn’t, while Hard says they haven’t found out yet.
What To Check Before Buying A Car With A Famous Past
His purchase shows how to approach a car with a story attached:
- Ask for production records or paperwork from someone who worked on the film or event.
- Look for stamped numbers and match them to those records yourself.
- Check for physical clues, like mounting points or cut panels, that fit the story.
- Budget for a full rebuild, because a famous car is still an old car underneath.
Where It Stands
For now, the movie Camaro sits as a bare shell while the rebuild gets going. According to Hard’s own post, the finished car will be revealed at the SEMA Show on Tuesday, November 3.
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