Magnum PI - Tom Sellesks head is above the windshield line

My favorite Magnum Ferrari bit is at the beginning of the pilot episode. After Thomas figures out the alarm code and steals the 308 he briefly stops the car just outside the gates of the estate, proceeds to unlatch the roof panel, slide it down the back of the car, and take off down the road. I guess Robin Masters just kept spare roofs lying about.

Always wanted to see a wider view of that shot, as I assume there were at least a couple of people at the back of the car waiting to catch the roof panel as Selleck slid it off so that neither it nor the rest of the car got damaged.

 

I'm just slightly taller than Tom, and my line of sight is right at the line of the tinting on the winscreen and where it goes clear. The top of my head is about 1-2" over the top of windshield frame, but I can still see fine.

Legs don't fit so well though.

 

I read on the internet that it was the running joke on Magnum p.i. - that Tom was too big for his car. From what I read they extended the seat rails and took out cushioning on the bottom of the seat.

jdubois - I remember that episode. I thought that was pretty funny too when Tom took off the targa.

On the head on shots I usually see the top of his Detroit hat above the windshield line.

Wasn't a movie supposed to come out this year?

 

From my bookshelf, lol:
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Bullfighter, does the 328 have a slightly larger interior than the 308? I swear I sit lower than that in mine. However, I have the seats slammed back against the firewall just like that.

 

Maybe Hardtop or someone can chime in, but I believe the 308/328 are the same size inside. I haven't spent much time in 308s.

 

I was sitting in Chairpilot's 308QV here while it was getting ready to be sent to him in CA, and I noticed that the QV has a tad less room than my 328 -- both in seat travel and seatback angle.

The seat in my 328 goes back pretty far, but without the targa in the car, the seat reclines far back. At 6'4", I can actually sit comfortably. With the roof on my hair is in the headliner.

If I had the seatback rake at the Magnum setting (sitting upright for the cameras to get a good shot of my mug,) I'd be above the roofline.

 

Several articles have mentioned that most of the cars used in that show had the seat and seat mount were modified soas to lower it close to 3".

Here's one quote from http://www.fiftiesweb.com/tv/magnum-pi.htm

"Actually, 3 models were used:1979 308 GTS, 1981 308 GTSi, 1984 308 GTS QV . They had to be modified for the very tall Selleck. Padding was removed from the seats so he would sit lower. The seat was bolted as far away from the steering wheel as possible to provide more room. And think about it, you rarely saw Magnum driving with the top on."

 

Very true.....I recall one or two episodes where it was raining and I saw the top on.....however the shot was from a distance, so I am not sure if was him driving or not....

 

He had it on in China Doll. I think that was the 2nd or third episode.

 

Well, he obviously had the roof on in the pilot before my favorite "throw away the roof" shot. Oh, look, I was actually able to find it on youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVhqm4a-S08

 

Nice Find! Look how low he is sitting in the clip.....look at his head height versus top of windscreen.....versus Bullfighter's picture.....they must have had bottom seat removed or something...he is sitting way lower than in the above picture.....

 

yeah, in the youtube clip, you can see by the way the top slides back that someone(2 or more?) were holding the back end of the roof and actually moving it more that Tom was.
Slick, don't remember ever seeing this particular clip, not sure i ever saw the pilot, or that reruns ever show the pilot episode.

 

That was too funny.

 

So you guys re-use these roof panels?

Guess it would save money. Hmm.

 

They could have put a "Gurney Blister" on the D/S panel for him!