THE ARMY TRUCK
This scene was spectacular in the sense that the truck was supposed to crash through the road block and not go over it. Diamond Farnsworth, who was driving the truck, said they filled the police car's tires as full of air as they could take and put diesel fuel on the road so the cars would fly apart. He was uncertain of the actual speed he was going and realized by the time he got to the roadblock it was showtime. He went over the car with nothing more than a seatbelt across his lap. Ted Kotcheff came running over to him and asked if he would do the scene again who stated ABSOLUTELY NOT! Needless to say the first take was all it took.
HISTORY
This is one of he original four trucks used in the movie (Serial number
matches jump truck (IMS) International Movie Studio records)
There were 4 'Rambo' trucks, two were rented from a local militia unit (15 Fd Arty) and two more were purchased from the logging company Macmillan Bloedel having acquired them in a surplus sale a decade or so prior to filming. The vehicle which did the jump suffered only minor damage to it's front grill, gas tank and
suspension. It was also the truck that side swiped the cop car and was set
on fire at the end of the movie.
3 trucks were given to Don Harris as partial payment after production. The truck that was burned in Hope BC was the better of all four trucks and Don Harris wasn't thrilled about the director setting it on fire! It was
actually still in pretty good shape after the fire, a front tire, interior
and wiring were replaced. The jump truck was later sold to Deka Lake Fire
Department after filming in 1982 where it remained as their main water tanker for 20 years. Don Harris sold the other two stand-in trucks as scrap after filming and the location of the forth truck is unknown.
A genealogy of Rambo Truck Serial # 113502446
1953-1970 Canadian Military (Richmond BC)
1970-1981 Truck was sold toMacmillan Bloedel (Vancouver Island) and painted red and used as a fuel and supply truck)
1981-82 First Blood Movie (Repainted Green and front bumper reinforced
1982 Don Harris - Given to Don as partial payment for his work on the movie. (Maple Ridge)
1982-2002 Deka Lake Fire Department (Deka Lake) painted red again and used as water tanker. sold at auction in 2002
2002 Dan R (Deka Lake- Maple Ridge) $600
2003 Dan J (MR) $800
2004 Bill O (North Van) $1,000 added new cargo deck
2005-08 Rice R (MR -Mission) Traded trailer compressor for truck. MIL-SPEC and restored it back to Canadian military condition 53-52162
2009 Ian F (CMEC Chilliwack Museum) $5,500.00
2010-11 Les R (Chilliwack) $5,000.00
2011- 2015 Curt F (Ruskin) $7,000.00
2015- Chris S (Whonnock MR) restored it back to Rambo First Blood condition
*** The last I saw of the truck, it was for sale for $10,000.00 ***
