The Monkeemobile
The Monkeemobile was a TV car of the 1960s.
History
To build the Monkeemobile as usual for the NBC TV show the turnaround time was short after a couple of sketches Dean Jeffries got the deal to build it, so soon started on disassembling and restyling the cars. With huge promotional opportunity Pontiac furnish two red 1966 GTO convertibles for Jeffries to work his magic on. Pontiac sent Jeffries two brand-new 1966 GTO convertibles to use.The Monkeemobile was the car that transported the fabricated rock-and-roll group The Monkees to all sorts of on-screen capers around Hollywood in the USA on the weekly television series starring Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith.
The original car that screamed 1960s Hollywood custom, and the Monkeemobile is One of Jeffries' most famous creations. The NBC show debuted 1966 a half-hour situation comedy that was a direct rip-off of the Beatles 1964 film A Hard Day’s Night trying to get the attention they had got that side of the pond and followed the madcap misadventures ridiculous situations of the made-up band.
The car was built by Dean Jeffries, a modern Pontiac GTO muscle car from that time with the look of a more traditional hot rod. In total they only built two Monkeemobiles multiple cars for TV and films was common place for different shots. Jeffries completed the first just 10 days and the second within 2 weeks. The styling is combination of the Model T Ford—type hot rod and a modern car. The entire concept of a Monkeemobile was the brainchild of George Toteff,president of Model Productions Corporation MPC. Toteff was looking for a customized car to tie in with the show that he could make and sell as a plastic model kits. At the time he was working with Dean Jeffries.
Both cars came equipped with a 389-cubic-inch engine and a two-speed automatic transmission.
Since the GTOs were convertibles, their chassis were already reinforced and stronger than the hardtop versions as is needed for most convertibles. Even though The Monkeemobile appears to be stretched. the wheelbase is still standard. Inside stock white Naugahyde bucket seats in the front and middle rows with custom fabricated wraparound rear bench that was positioned where the trunk once existed. giving the longer appearance along with 21 inches added to the front and 18 inches to the rear bodywork.
Some of the GTO convertibles features remained stock the windshield was cut and tilted with a chrome piece glued to the centre to give the illusion of a split windshield, along with changes also to the original GTO's grille and taillight along with the long Model T'style roof that was fixed and made from steel tubing covered in white vinyl and in candy-red paint work for the body. The rear end got exaggerated taillights, complete with a dragster parachute and quick- fill gas cap on top of the cut rear deck lid. For wheels the Monkeemobile came with a set of Cragar S/S chrome rims fitted with Goodyear Blue Streak racing tires. The Monkeemobile also came with a trailer that would unfold to form a stage.
One of the two 389-cubic-inch engines was installed a tri-carb carburettor while the other came fitted with a GMC 6-71 supercharger The hood was cut and dished with a hole along with modified transmission and 3:55 "Safe-T-track" rear ends to channel this power and make it easier to do wheelie additional weights were put in the back of the car. Jeffries lengthened the front wheel wells to allow the functional chrome side exhaust trumpets.
The TV show was cancelled after just 2 seasons (1966-1968) .One of the two cars was purchased by George Barris and later sold for $360,000. Not a bad price for a car that Jeffries originally built and in and out the door within two weeks.
