photos and video by: the author
From the 1970’s show to the 2004 theatrical film, one element of Starsky & Hutch has remained constant: The classic Ford Gran Torino and the people who build them. Vic Gonzalez from Florida built his childhood dream by taking, as he puts it, an “Old lady green” Gran Torino and converting it to the Starsky & Hutch replica you see today. But it’s not just about a new paint job, Zebra 3 is all about the details.
To go back in time, Starsky & Hutch was first a buddy cop TV show that ran from 1975 to 1979. Detectives David Michael Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and Kenneth Richard “Hutch” Hutchinson (David Soul) fought crime in the fictional southern California town of Bay City.
Then in 2004 Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson starred in the feature film of the same name, albeit, with a more comedic tone. But it kept the eye catching Gran Torino from the original series (– with subtle cosmetic and substantial mechanical updates –Ed.).
Owner Vic Gonzalez grew up loving Starsky & Hutch a set out to make his own replica car. The car is so detailed that the white and black outlined stripe is a perfect match for the television car. One of the original TV cars had been scanned to make sure everything was just right. But it doesn’t stop there, he has the correct CB radio, Police light, badges with ID cards, and replica handguns.
Take a right with Combustion Chamber to fight crime in Bay City is this hyper-detailed tribute to a classic show.
Casey Porter is a long-time contributor to some of the biggest names in the automotive publishing world, and is now making a name for himself with his new YouTube series, Combustion Chamber. Featuring a variety of all-things automotive, Casey loves bringing interesting vehicles and their owners into the spotlight.
