FAST FURIOUS Brian's GT R by the guy who created it

Summary

Craig Lieberman, a car enthusiast and technical adviser for Universal's 'Fast and Furious' franchise, shares his experiences in building iconic cars like the Supra, GTR, and Maxima for the movies. He clarifies misconceptions about the GTR used in '2 Fast 2 Furious', detailing its acquisition, modifications, and the challenges faced during production. Lieberman also discusses the cars' post-movie fates, noting their potential value and rarity, reflecting on the unpredictable evolution of the franchise's popularity.

Takeaways

• 😀 Craig Liberman has been working with cars since 1980 and has owned over 40 cars, including three that starred in the Fast and Furious franchise.
• 🏎️ Craig served as a technical adviser for Universal Studios on the Fast and Furious movies, helping with car selection, parts procurement, and overseeing builds.
• 🎬 The R34 GTR, known as the 'Blackbird,' was the first fully federally legal R34 GTR in the United States and was sold to Craig for $78,000 in 2001.
• 📽️ Despite rumors, Paul Walker never owned the Blackbird GTR, but he did drive it for about two months during the filming of the movie.
• 🚗 For '2 Fast 2 Furious,' Universal had a product placement deal with Mitsubishi, which led to the GTR being selected for the film despite initial plans for different cars.
• 💸 Four additional GTRs were provided by Motorx at a cost of $48,000 each, plus air freight, without the federal legal process which adds significant cost.
• 🔊 West Coast Customs was contracted to build sound systems for the movie's cars, following Craig's sketches and plans, though they did not build the cars themselves.
• 🎨 The art department's decision to change the color of Craig's GTR to silver and add graphics was met with mixed feelings and some controversy.
• 🛠️ The creation of the GTR clones for the movie involved significant modifications, including a roll cage built to withstand a bridge jump stunt.
• 💡 The film used special effects like propane tanks for flamethrower exhaust systems and a custom-made semi-transparent disc for glowing brake rotor effects, though the latter was not used.
• 📉 After the movie, the value of the GTRs was not as high as today due to the film's reception and the state of the Fast franchise, leading to the cars being sold rather than kept as collectibles.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the video script and what is his background?

The speaker is Craig Lieberman, who has been tinkering with cars since 1980 and has owned over 40 cars in his life. He has served as a technical adviser for Universal's Fast and Furious movies.

What role did Craig Lieberman play in the Fast and Furious movie franchise?

Craig Lieberman served as a technical adviser, helping to choose the cars, procure the parts, oversee their builds, and support both production and post-production.

What cars did Craig Lieberman own that were featured in the Fast and Furious movies?

Craig Lieberman owned a Supra, a GTR, and a Maxima, all of which had starring roles in the Fast and Furious movies.

Why was the R34 GTR chosen for the movie '2 Fast 2 Furious'?

The R34 GTR was chosen due to a paid product placement deal with Mitsubishi, and it was selected by Craig Lieberman as a top-tier tuner car for the movie.

What was the initial purpose of the R34 GTR before it was used in the movie?

The R34 GTR was initially being offered for sale by MotorX as a fully federally legal car in the United States, known as the Blackbird.

Did Paul Walker own the R34 GTR used in the movie?

No, despite driving the car for about 2 months, Paul Walker never owned the R34 GTR used in the movie.

How many additional GTRs were needed for the movie and why?

Four additional GTRs were needed for the movie to accommodate several stunt sequences and the script's requirements.

Why were the GTRs in the movie not made fully federally legal?

The GTRs were not made fully federally legal because MotorX decided not to go through the process, which adds about $25,000 to the cost of each car.

What company was contracted to build sound systems for the cars in the movie?

West Coast Customs was contracted to build sound systems for the cars in the movie.

What modifications were made to the GTRs' appearance for the movie?

The GTRs were painted silver, had blue stripes added, and received silver airbrushing on the stripes. Additionally, a roll cage, big brakes, and custom-made HRE wheels were installed.

What was the significance of the nitrous system in the movie and how much did it cost?

The nitrous system was a significant part of the tuner culture and car builds, costing over $5,000 for the carbon fiber bottles, electronics, and activation switches, although it received little attention in the film.

What happened to the GTRs after the movie?

The GTRs were sold or went to private owners. Craig Lieberman's hero car was restored and sold multiple times, while the jump car was auctioned off. One car is believed to be in Europe, and one remains unaccounted for.

What is the estimated value of the actual screen-used GTRs from the movie today?

The value of the actual screen-used GTRs is speculative, but it could range from half a million dollars to over a million, depending on the buyer and the car's history.

How many R34 GTRs were made in total and what is their current global availability?

Approximately 11,000 R34 GTRs were made, with less than 9,000 remaining worldwide after accounting for those that were crashed, burned, stolen, or modified for racing.

Outlines

00:00

🏎️ Craig Liberman's Journey with Fast & Furious Cars

Craig Liberman, a car enthusiast since 1980, has owned over 40 cars, including three that starred in the Fast and Furious franchise. He served as a technical adviser for Universal Studios, assisting in the selection, procurement, and construction of cars for the films. In this episode, he shares his experiences working on the movie '2 Fast 2 Furious,' particularly focusing on the misinformation surrounding the GTR featured in the film. The car, initially called the 'Blackbird,' was the first fully federally legal R34 GTR in the U.S., sold by MotorX. Despite rumors, Paul Walker never owned the car, which was later purchased by Craig for $78,000. The episode delves into the selection process for tuner cars, the decision to use GTRs over GTTs for the film, and the collaboration with West Coast Customs for sound systems, among other behind-the-scenes details.

05:01

🛠️ Building and Customizing the GTRs for '2 Fast 2 Furious'

The process of building and customizing the GTRs for '2 Fast 2 Furious' involved sourcing parts and materials from various companies, some of which donated or offered their products at cost. HRE provided wheels at a reduced price, Nitrous Express and Toyo Tires donated parts, and others gave their products at cost. Craig had concerns about certain design choices, such as covering the carbon nitrous bottles and the rear wing with wraps, which he felt detracted from the cars' aesthetics. The episode describes the creation of a 'mck rig' version of the GTR using a 240SX shell, the fabrication of a custom ramp for the bridge jump scene, and the use of special effects for the flamethrower exhaust systems. It also covers the filming of the street race and the pursuit sequence, including an unplanned incident involving Paul Walker that was kept in the final edit.

10:02

📈 The Aftermath and Value of the GTRs from '2 Fast 2 Furious'

After the movie's release, the GTRs from '2 Fast 2 Furious' had varied fates. Craig's hero car was restored and sold multiple times, with its current owner considering a restoration to the movie's specifications. The jump car was auctioned off, and its whereabouts are known to be in Louisiana as of early 2019. Another car is believed to be in Europe, while one remains unaccounted for. The cars are not federally legal in the U.S., and their value has fluctuated over the years. Craig speculates that the value of the actual screen-used GTRs could range from half a million to over a million dollars, considering the rarity of the R34 GTRs and the increasing popularity of the Fast & Furious franchise. The episode concludes with a reflection on the unpredictable value of movie cars and the factors influencing their worth.

Keywords

💡Craig Liberman

Craig Liberman is the narrator and technical adviser featured in the video script. He is an experienced car enthusiast with a history of owning and working on various cars. In the context of the video, he shares his personal stories and experiences from his involvement with the 'Fast and Furious' movie franchise, specifically regarding the selection, modification, and use of cars in the films.

💡Fast and Furious

Fast and Furious is a popular movie franchise known for its action, car chases, and a deep dive into the car culture. It is the central theme of the video, as Craig Liberman discusses his role as a technical adviser and the cars he helped select and modify for the films, including the Supra, GTR, and Maxima.

💡Technical Adviser

A technical adviser is an expert who provides guidance and consultation on technical aspects of a project. In the video, Craig Liberman served as a technical adviser for Universal, helping to choose the cars, procure parts, oversee builds, and support both production and post-production for the 'Fast and Furious' movies.

💡R34 GTR

The R34 GTR is a specific model of the Nissan Skyline GT-R, a high-performance sports car. In the video, it is mentioned as one of the cars that had a starring role in the movies. Craig clarifies misconceptions about the car, including its legality and ownership, and discusses its role and modifications for the film.

💡MotorX

MotorX is referred to as a legitimate importer in the script, known for making R34 GTRs fully federally legal in the United States. They played a significant role in providing the first fully federally legal R34 GTR in the country and later supplied additional GTRs for the movie at a reduced cost.

💡West Coast Customs

West Coast Customs is a renowned automotive customization and sound system design company. In the video, Craig mentions contracting with West Coast Customs to build sound systems for the cars featured in the 'Fast and Furious' movies, emphasizing their contribution to the tuner culture aspect of the film.

💡Nitrous System

A nitrous system, also known as a nitrous oxide system, is used to increase a car's horsepower during acceleration. In the script, Craig describes the custom nitrous system installed in the GTR, which included carbon fiber bottles and electronic controls, and its significance in the film despite receiving little on-screen attention.

💡Stunt Sequences

Stunt sequences are action scenes in films that involve dangerous or complex maneuvers. The script discusses the planning and execution of several stunt sequences for the 'Fast and Furious' movies, including the use of multiple GTRs and the challenges faced in sourcing and modifying them for the film.

💡CG (Computer-Generated)

CG refers to computer-generated imagery, a technique used in film production to create visual effects. Craig mentions that much of the racing sequence in the movie was CG, explaining why certain scenes may have appeared unrealistic to the audience.

💡Flamethrower Exhaust Systems

Flamethrower exhaust systems are a special effect used in the movie to create a dramatic visual impact. The script describes how Universal used propane tanks, ignition coils, and spark plugs to create flames from the exhaust system of the cars during the street race scene.

💡Screen-Used Cars

Screen-used cars are vehicles that have appeared in films and are often sought after by collectors. The script discusses the fate of the GTRs used in the 'Fast and Furious' movies, their subsequent sales, and the potential value they may have today, especially considering their association with the franchise and the limited number of R34 GTRs produced.

Highlights

Craig Lieberman has been involved with cars since 1980 and owned over 40 cars, including those featured in the Fast and Furious franchise.

Lieberman served as a technical adviser for Universal, assisting in car selection, parts procurement, and overseeing builds for the movies.

The R34 GTR, known as the Blackbird, was the first fully federally legal R34 GTR in the U.S., sold by MotorX in 2001.

Despite rumors, Paul Walker never owned the Blackbird GTR, though he drove it for two months during filming.

Lieberman purchased the Blackbird GTR for $78,000 without knowing it would be used in a sequel to the Fast and Furious movie.

Mitsubishi had a product placement deal with Universal, influencing the selection of the GTR and Evo for the movie.

MotorX provided four additional GTRs for the film at a reduced cost, without making them federally legal.

West Coast Customs was contracted to build sound systems for the cars, following Lieberman's sketches and plans.

The art department's decision to change the GTR's color to silver and add graphics was met with mixed reactions.

Many companies donated or offered parts at cost for the GTR builds, including HRE, Nitrous Express, Toyo Tires, and Sparco.

The GTR's nitrous system, costing over $5,000, received minimal screen time in the film.

A yellow GTR was sourced from England and modified into the jump car for a significant stunt in the movie.

A 240SX shell was used to create a mck rig version of the GTR, avoiding the need to cut up an actual GTR.

The street race scene, a major part of the film, involved extensive preparation and was filmed over two weeks.

CG and special effects, such as flamethrower exhaust systems, were heavily used in the racing sequences.

Paul Walker performed some of the driving stunts, including an unplanned incident with a parking meter.

After the movie, the GTRs' fates varied, with some being sold, restored, or remaining unaccounted for.

The value of the actual screen-used GTRs from the movie is speculated to be significant, potentially reaching millions.

Lieberman reflects on the supply and demand dynamics affecting the rarity and value of the R34 GTRs.

Transcripts

hello fast fam thanks for tuning in I'm

Craig liberman and I've been tinkering

on cars since 1980 I've owned more than

40 cars in my life some Were Heroes some

were zeros but never in my wildest

dreams would I ever guess that three of

my cars would go on to Star an emotion

picture franchise my Supra my GTR and my

Maxima all had starring roles in

Universal's Fast and Furious movies over

the next 3 years I'd sered Universal as

a technical adviser I help choose the

cars procure the parts oversee their

builds and support both production and

post production

I have some cool stories to tell about

what it was like to build these cars and

to work with the cast I was there on set

in the production meetings working on

cars hanging with the actors and

Consulting on postproduction so follow

along as I tell the stories let's jump

in in this episode we're going to talk

about Brian's GTR from too fast to

Furious there's a lot of misinformation

floating around about this car and

despite the other videos I've done I

feel people are still hungry for more

info this car started off as the

Blackbird and was being offered for sale

by motorx back in 2001 at the time

motorx was a legitimate importer who had

gone through the trouble of making R34

GTRs fully federally legal this car was

the very first fully federally legal R34

GTR in the United States despite the

internet rumors and another video

circulating around Paul Walker never

owned this car although Paul Walker did

drive this car for about 2 months he

never did buy the car that left this car

without a buyer into until I scooped it

up I paid $78,000 for the car in July of

2001 about this time Universal had

decided to make a sequel to the first

movie that means of course that I bought

this car not even knowing that there

ever would be a sequel once again I got

the call to serve as technical adviser

and my first job was to suggest top tier

tuner cars for this movie I've covered

this process in another video but as you

all know the GTR ended up getting

selected since Universal had a paid

product placement deal with Mitsubishi

the Evo would serve as Brian's main car

and the GTR would be relegated to a

smaller role meaning that the Evo would

be getting more screen time than the GTR

that made no sense to me but I had to

pick my battles with the GTR now

selected and with the script calling for

several stunt sequences we needed to get

our hands on more GTRs we considered

using gtts but after some discussion we

determined that it would be actually

more to build the gtt than the buy GTRs

in this case we needed more GTRs and we

needed them faster

motorx agreed to provide four more GTRs

at 48,000 bucks a piece plus the air

freight to get the cars to us to do this

they loaded up the cargo hold of a 747

and shipped them over in case you

weren't paying attention I did in fact

say that all of the skylines and Too

Fast Too Furious were real GTRs this

paperwork proves

it in fast 4 One Skyline was a real GTR

the rest were gtts I think that's where

the confusion comes from on the internet

forums and online if $48,000 for a GTR

seems like a real steal that's because

it was why were they so cheap because

motorx was not going to go through the

process of making these cars fully

federal legal which adds about $25,000

to the cost of each car once the cars

were on their way it was time to Finish

the build plan for them I convinced

Universal that audio video is a big part

of the tuner culture and they agreed we

contracted with West Coast Customs to

build some wild sound systems

essentially I drew up sketches of what I

wanted in each car and West Coast cust

did a great job of following my plans

perfectly while West Coast Customs

didn't actually build any of the cars as

they recently proclaimed on social media

they still deserve a ton of credit for

their work on the sound systems by the

time we got to Florida to begin filming

the GTR clones were making progress but

still had a long way to go our

illustrious art Department had decided

to change the color of my car to Silver

and it's no secret that the highly

unimaginative Graphics that they chose

were not to my liking I always felt that

adding muscle car stripes to a JDM car

just doesn't work to paint the cars we

chose House of Color PBC 42 for silver

and the blue stripes were done by modern

image the art Department added some

silver airbrushing to the stripes to

blend them into the paint the arguments

about the colors and graphics on these

cars went on for a weeks and I wasn't

the only one bitching they had already

committed to the GTRs being silver but

when I saw the Chevy ss/ Shelby Racing

Stripes I lost my again who the

puts muscle car graphics on a

Japanese car there's nothing wrong with

muscle car graphics but on a GTR that's

like putting a Japanese flag on a Camaro

wasn't working for me and I imagine that

the opinions will be split on this as if

the racing stripes weren't enough they

added more stuttering stripes down the

side at that point I thought it was even

worse anyway there was nothing more I

could do so we focused on finishing the

car with my big carbon nitrous bottles

of roll cage big brakes and custommade

hre wheels getting all the parts to

build the clones was going to be hard

fortunately most companies agreed to

help hre offered us the wheels at $500 a

piece rather than the normal $2,000 a

piece Nitrous Express donated a mountain

of parts so too did toyot tires claron

and Sparco those companies that couldn't

afford to donate Parts gave them to us

at their cost among my many objections

was my concern about covering the

beautiful carbon nitrous bottles with a

chrome wrap and covering the rear wing

with a blue wrap the Nitrous system

deserve more love in this film these

three carbon fiber bottles and electric

bottle opers were $1,000 per bottle with

$3,000 in bottles in electronics they

were impressive to say the least adding

the custom lines and the activation

switches and this system cost more than

5,000 bucks but the whole thing got

little or no love in the film as

planning progressed we realized we

needed one more GTR we chose not to go

through motorx as by this time it was

turning into a show over there

instead we pulled a yellow GTR from Andy

at middle Hurst Nissan in England this

car was eventually turned into the jump

car and it was sad to see this car

disassembled for the

modifications the roll cage installation

needed to be built to withstand the

rigors of the bridge jump and that was

no easy task fortunately this picture

car crew was superb and worked very

quickly in fact one of our requirements

included the need for a mck rig version

of the GTR and I thought to myself oh my

God they're going to cut up a GTR and

turn it into a shell for the mck rig of

course I didn't want them to cut up a

GTR so we instead took a 240SX shell

left over from the first movie and turn

that into their

GTR this required a lot of work

including grafting in the dash adding a

fake multi-function display on top of

the dash and replicating some of the

other interior bits from my car in the

trunk we added a standalone power supply

to run the Interior Electronics and the

neon lights that they added for the

record my GTR had zero neon lights

before or after the movie that stuff was

all added just for the movie with all

the GTRs done it was time to start

filming the gtr's big scene of course

was the street race this scene required

a lot of prep work and was filmed over

the course of about 2 weeks we'd film at

one intersection for a day or two then

move on to another stretch of road and

so on both first and second unit teams

were used for those who don't remember

first unit typically handles filming the

actors and such while second unit

handles the stunts as we all remember

from the scene the GTR arrives at the

four-way race to an excited audience as

the car pulls up brine hits the nitrous

Purge and IDE AA taken from the

demonstration I provided to the

producers that was probably my favorite

part of that movie of course Universal

borrowed a lot from the first movie

starting with a crowded street racing

setting spray painting lines on the

street cuz that happens every day and

just like the last movie prodigious use

of the flamethrower exhaust systems to

pull this effect off Universal had

special effects experts rig up propane

tanks MSD ignition coils and a spark

plug all to be installed in the exhaust

system and in the trunk on command The

Stunt Driver could hit a switch and the

resulting Flames would continue until

the propane tank was empty or the driver

released the button whichever came first

much of the racing sequence was CG or

computer generated so if it looked fake

that's because much of it was at one

point Universal wanted to use glowing

brake rotor effects much like you'd see

in road racing using a semi-transparent

custom disc we were able to Fab

something up it was ultimately not used

in the movie largely because having one

brake caliper disconnected made the car

dangerous to drive its speed

a fun game I like to play during this

scene is spot the 240SX midcard like

here look at the rear quarter window and

the shitty bends in the roll bar that's

because this was Muffler tubing not a

real roll bar perfect example of how a

MRI car is cut in and out of a scene the

bridge jump scene was covered in another

video but to be brief we built a custom

ramp the car made the jump more or less

as predicted but sustained some

significant damage the oil pan wheels

and a few suspension bits were destroyed

to get new parts by Monday and this was

on a Thursday we asked Andy from

middlehurst Nissan to get on a plane

with the parts on a Friday he obliged

The Show Must Go On right after Brian

wins the race as if the issue were ever

in doubt the cops show up and once again

everybody scrambles during this Pursuit

sequence Paul asked to do some of the

driving the producers agreed he was

doing great until he misjudged the

corner he jumped the curb and took out a

parking meter although that wasn't

planned it played great on the big

screen and we left it in in the final

edit with the car now impounded it's 5

minutes Fame are over so what happened

to these cars after the movie with five

GTRs to account for here's the breakdown

my hero1 car was restored back to Blue

got a new set of wheels and was

eventually sold to a buyer in Tennessee

the new buyer stripped the car of most

of its movie parts Painted it black and

then eventually sold it again around

2011 or

2012 from there it went to another owner

and then another the car is currently

with a new private owner who is

considering resp ding the car to its

movie look unfortunately I don't have

any information to share about the

private owner because he's asked to

remain private at least one of these

cars is still in Universal hands the

jump car which was listed as total was

sold at auction sometime in the mid

2000s it was listed for about 880,000

but we don't know how much it actually

sold for I'm guessing in the mid-40s or

high 40s it went to Washington State and

is reportedly now in Louisiana as of

early 2019 one of these cars is believed

to be in Europe and that leaves one car

unaccounted for since none of these cars

were made federally legal they cannot be

made legal without exporting them first

then bringing them back in how did

Universal get them in I was told they

brought them in as movie props I'm not

sure what's involved with that but it

still doesn't make these cars federally

legal once again for those who would say

oh I'd never sell a movie car back in

2003 this movie was not liked very much

by tuner audiences the designs of these

cars were especially unappreciated by

tuner fans Automotive form websites were

a buzz with how bad this movie was and

how ugly the cars were so rather than

driving around a boy racer car I had no

problem letting go of it we also have to

remember that back in 2003 the fast

franchise was nowhere near its current

popularity so there was no way to

predict that these cars would go up in

value significantly so what are they

worth today for actual screen use GTRs

from this movie we have to look at sales

of these cars over the last 10 years or

so to my knowledge only two or three of

them have changed hands including mine

but if we're talking about my Hero 1 car

the one Paul drove we know a few things

my car was a fully motorx federally

legal GTR they're only 14 such cars in

the USA owners of these other cars are

all millionaires who don't need the

money so they've turned down offers of

$300,000 or more in other words even a

GTR that was not used in the movie but

is federally legal would sell for north

of

$300,000 with Paul's death and with

prices of these cars fluctuating I can

only speculate as to the value value on

the low low side I'd say half a million

on the high side for the right buyer

maybe a million plus you also have to

remember that they've only made 11,000

or so R34 GTRs in total with 20% of

those presumably being crashed burned

stolen gutted stripped or turned into

race cars that leaves less than 9,000

GTRs in the entire world to satisfy

World demand as they say my friends

supply and demand that's it for this

time so thanks for watching until next

time drve dve fast and take chances