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Falcon Wing
Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 108 Location: Colorado Springs
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Steve C. Schmidt Guest
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Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2005 7:29 pm Post subject: Back to Future II |
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Universal Studios became interested in the Pulse after seeing it in early 1988 Fox Television Network show. They contacted Ed Butcher, president of Owosso Motor Car. Co., and within months two Pulses were in Los Angeles for the film, "Back to the Future II," by Steven Spielberg's production company.
Butcher recalls building a car for a customer who later backed out of the deal. This car and another Pulse were loaned to the movie studio in about the summer/fall of 1988. One Pulse was white and the other blue. In the movie the blue car was repainted red.
After the production was finished, Butcher took these two cars to the Las Vegas area and sold them. It is not known where they are today. Several owners claim their cars were in the Back to the Future II movie.
In March 20, 1989, Ed Butcher reported in the Detroit News that his company was hopeful that the appearance of his Pulse autocycle in the new movie will inject new interest in the vehicle.
The movie was released by December of 1989 and the Pulse streaked across the "Big Screen". It was shown twice in the movie. One scene lasted only 1.5 seconds, but it was enough to get attention. |
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steve c. schmidt Guest
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Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 3:37 am Post subject: vin |
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Yes they had a VIN, but Butcher cant remember their numbers or who he sold them to. He sold them to two different parties in or near Vegas. He did not want to bring them back to Owosso, so he must have given somebody a good deal. |
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elden simons
Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 369 Location: Brampton, Michigan
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Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:42 am Post subject: Mystery Pulse in Movie |
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Ah, and notice also the mystery Pulse copy on the roof of a building that served as a fueling station. I noted it from the movie at the theater, and then also on the VHS copy. Someday I'll get the DVD and zoom in on the segment for a closer look. My DVD player has got a really neat zoom feature! |
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tomcap21 Site Admin
Joined: 26 Aug 2003 Posts: 7 Location: Mauston, Wisconsin
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Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2005 1:13 pm Post subject: Back to the Future II Pulses |
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Steve, Ed Butcher is not telling the whole truth. The two Pulses that appeared in that movie were owned by the company selling LiteStars in San Diego, California. This is also the company that was going to build the LiteStars on the West Coast when Sta n Lietner was having trouble with Owosso Motor Car Company. They owned two LiteStars, a red one and a white one. Dave in Seattle owns the white one.
TomCap |
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Steve C. Schmidt Guest
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Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:12 pm Post subject: Movie |
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There are many people who claim that their Litestar or Pulse was in the movie Back to the Future or another movie.
Perhaps when owners buy a Litestar or Pulse, the seller tells them this car was in the movie or some other movie........but what they really mean is....this type of Litestar or Pulse was used in a movie. The new owners then claim their car was the actual car in the movie.
One Pulse recently on Ebay said that it was the actual car used in the movie.
Dan Willis, who was a partner with Henry Coppolla, in the LiteStar of San Diego dealership claimed that his Owosso built Litestar #009 appeared in Back To The Future II. (#009 is now owned by Dave McCoy.... that now has an electric motor for propulsion.)
http://www.autocycles.org/009ol.html
If this is true then the cars in the Back to the Future movie would have twin headlights.
Ed Butcher's version.........In the Detroit Free Press article about Owosso Motor Car Co. written in June 1989, the writer tells us the following:
"Two Pulses were shipped to Universal Studios in Hollywood for the movie "Back to the Future: Part II," filmed by Steven Spielberg's production company. How they humped to finish those cars on time, with the assurance that somebody would probably want to buy one. But nobody has. It was in the movie, but only a few seconds."
Ed Butcher told me that he was contacted by the production company.
"Universal Studios became interested in the Pulse after seeing it in 1988 on a Fox Television Network show. They contacted me and within months two Pulses were in Los Angeles for the film, "Back to the Future II," by Steven Spielberg's production company."
Butcher recalls building a car for a customer who later backed out of the deal. This car and another Pulse were loaned to the movie studio in about the summer/fall of 1988. One Pulse was white and the other blue. In the movie the blue car was repainted red by the production company. After shooting the red paint was washed off.
These two cars were taken from Hollywood to the Las Vegas area and sold according to Butcher by himself.
On March 20, 1989, Ed Butcher reported in the Detroit News that his company was hopeful that the appearance of his Pulse autocycle in the new movie 'Back to the Future II', will inject new interest in the vehicle. The movie was released by December of 1989 and the Pulse streaked across the "Big Screen". The Pulse was shown twice in the movie. One scene lasted only 1.5 seconds, but it was enough to get attention.
Factory installed single head lights began about Pulse #186....circa Feb, 1986
OMCC filed for bankrupcy in June of 1986. The plant was moved to Butcher's farm.
I keep digging for the facts, Ken Haughton remembers hauling the Pulses to Hollywood.......but I will contact him again for more facts. Perhaps they really only took one car to Hollywood and used Dave's car too.
Can anyone look at the movie again and see if they can identify the headlight configuration.
I will keep digging on this end.
steve schmidt
owosso, michigan |
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Falcon Wing
Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 108 Location: Colorado Springs
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Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2005 12:37 am Post subject: |
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Seeing how the movie came out in 89, the Pulses would have to have been made prior to shooting in 87 and 88. What # is Dave's?
Since mine was built in 86, I got dibbs on bragging rights!!!
**Whoops** posted just after Steves!
From what I saw in the movie, I remember that they headlights were single flip ups. _________________ Joel Patton
www.picturetrail.com/pulse199
www.picturetrail.com/falconwing
www.picturetrail.com/falconwing2 (seat bracket build) |
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steve 195 Guest
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Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:40 am Post subject: |
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The white pulse had a flip up headlight, pulse logo on the canopy that appears to be tinted, the wing antenna on the back, motorcycle turn signals on the back and was goldwing powered. |
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Falcon Wing
Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 108 Location: Colorado Springs
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Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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OK, I looked at the Back To The Future site and found these two pics of the red Pulse:
and
I concede the the red Pulse is not my LiteStar.
Next,I'll see if can rent the VHS tape or the DVD and get some pics of the white Pulse.
TomCap |
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Steve C. Schmidt Guest
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Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2005 9:33 pm Post subject: movie |
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Tom,
Thanks for researching this. The pics are great. The Pulse appears to have a water-cooled engine too.
Eldon mentioned he thought he saw a Pulse on the roof of the gas station too.
Anybody see that one. Could there be a THIRD car in the movie?
steve |
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elden simons
Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 369 Location: Brampton, Michigan
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Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:11 am Post subject: thankyou Tom Cap! |
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So glad you posted those photos from the site you visited. It only proves that the Pulse's were important stars.
The mystery autocycle being fueled on a roof top was a fabricated mockup. The town itself was a facade/fake. A full weight G.C.R.V. would not have sat well without all sorts of special support on a fake roof.
This topic was addressed some months ago where one of you out there noted that a copy of a Pulse was created in the production, but no one could give further detail. I can only deduce that this is the situation. What better model to put on a roof top to emphasize the era of flying vehicles than the hot Pulse car! None of the others better conveyed the idea of "flight-potential/ergo-design" (what?). I am not certain (will make correction when certain), but I believe that the roof top Pulse can be seen following the Hover Board incident. Look at the roof lines, it is brief.
*(March 12,'05) Bought the wide-screen version DVD set...and did alot of Pause/Step viewing of Part II. The autocycle on the fuel station roof is a yellow "PULSE". I be darned that if it is a copy, then why also the Pulse logo on the canopy? Heres's the way to see it, and also get a finger cramp. Right when Marty begins his hover-board course over the pond, begin viewing with the pause button. The yellow Pulse can be see in bits and pieces, especially when the camera focuses on his feet on the board and the board is skipping on the water. Also, when the 'Pit Bull' hover board is released from its case for to go after Marty...do some more Pause/Step viewing and you can make out a person standing in the driver's position of the Pulse watching the situation. This is pretty much before the bullys go flying from their boards and into the Courthouse glass. So there goes my understanding of word that a copy was built. So I'm uncertain about it.
Last edited by elden simons on Sun Mar 13, 2005 10:02 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Bob Hichborn
Joined: 12 Feb 2004 Posts: 404 Location: Orlando, Fl
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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http://www.canosoarus.com/03CalifCommuter/03b.htm
Hopefully, this link works alittle better then the previous posters link, but thanks for the link. See... where are these kind of people now? This guy has done some wild stuff! I wonder if he can come up with a descent reverse unit for the Pulse? Oh... and steering box... ah ... and how bout some brakes .... and then .... _________________ "Everyday you wake up with a Pulse,
is a good day!" |
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Nelson Locke
Joined: 26 Aug 2003 Posts: 78 Location: Pembroke Pines, Florida
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Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 7:06 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks, Bob, for fixing my link. I thought this California Commuter Car was interesting. _________________ Pulsing with excitement,
Nelson A. Locke |
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Bob Hichborn
Joined: 12 Feb 2004 Posts: 404 Location: Orlando, Fl
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Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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Nelson,
Yeah, that was a great link! Looking thru his site I found this one:
http://www.3wheelers.com/galleries.html
Which has a few 3 wheel prototypes that are just awesome! Looks like they were built in Australia, but never got off the ground for various reasons. Really nice looking stable designs.... hmmm.... maybe it can be the dual front wheel Pulse design that has been discussed here from time to time. _________________ "Everyday you wake up with a Pulse,
is a good day!" |
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elden simons
Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 369 Location: Brampton, Michigan
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 1:02 pm Post subject: Still a Pulse Pure-ist, but... |
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Still love the classic Bede design, but if one leans to a three-wheel design I'd like the incorporation of ideas from the Tri-Magnum.
Love the back-end look of the Tri-Magnum. If someone has a computor "Morph" program, I wonder how the two designs could merge.
How would the look of "wing" stabilizers be fashioned? I know, not as sleek as the original. |
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elden simons
Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 369 Location: Brampton, Michigan
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2005 10:12 am Post subject: Third Pulse in movie targeted |
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Basicly this is a notice of update, I nailed down where the third Pulse can be seen. So, go back to Page 1 of this subject and review my entry for January the 26th. There is someone in the vehicle, on the roof refueling station! _________________ Tammy and Elden have Pulse #308 from 1988.Built in Butcher's Barn and presently sets inoperative in their garage. We are still keeping it! |
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