Iconic writer-director Quentin Tarantino is known for his realistic take on cinema with a touch of the cinematic world of the 70s. His 2007 American black comedy film Death Proof is as real as it gets with all of its dramatic action scenes. The movie is a must-watch for all action fanatics, car gearheads, and Tarantino fans, as it features a lunatic driver named Stuntman Mike, played by the charming Kurt Russell. Russell’s character initially mesmerizes women with his charm and chivalry, before driving them home in his famed 1970 Chevrolet Nova.
However, the 1970 Nova earned its title as the Death Proof Nova for a reason, as Mike lets his intrusive thoughts win by driving like a madman while dropping all of his women home, killing them in the process as he crashes into cars and road objects. However, Mike escapes unscathed from all of his crashes, as he has protection installed in his 1970 Chevy Nova Death Proof to bring him back home in one piece. This movie depicts the rather quiet Chevy Nova as a destructive demon, as it stands out with its breathtaking stunts and fast car chases. Here are reasons why classic car enthusiasts love watching Kurt Russell’s Death Proof Nova in action.
Why does Tarantino call it the Death Proof Nova?
Quentin Tarantino had a unique fascination for the Chevrolet Nova. It was one of his favorite cars, as it became the hero car in one of his best movies, Death Proof. The inspiration to build a Death Proof Nova came from the famous saying of a mechanic stating, “You can make any car death proof.” The Chevy Nova used in the film was almost an indestructible object with immense power, as stuntman Mike used it to its full potential to perform crazy acts of destruction.
The Death Proof Nova features an indestructible cage on the driver’s side, which you can call the death-proof side, as you see in the movie. Above the driver’s seat, you can also find an additional roof panel attached for safety, as the car was supposed to roll over several times in the action scenes. This panel protected the driver’s zone from crushing and crumpling while doing the cannon roll and other stunts.
The Loud Engine of the Death Proof Nova
The Chevrolet Nova in its base form came with a 350 cubic inch V8 engine, which was quite potent for any driving situation. However, for the movie’s high-octane action scenes, the producers wanted some extra spice in terms of performance. The Death Proof Nova included special performance equipment like a TH350 transmission, a 650 Edelbrock carburetor, and special shocks. The car got an additional power boost from a JAZ 12-gallon fuel cell with rollover valves.
The filmmakers equipped this engine for the two main hero cars used for shooting. The other backup cars featured the normal Chevrolet Nova powertrain. Tarantino also wanted an element of noisiness when the engine was revving at full power. The Nova was known as a quiet car in real life, but the Death Proof Nova sounded like a raucous beast on screen. We can only think of special sound effects that made the Nova sound like a proper muscle truck.
More Little Details that you may have missed out on
Observers with a keen eye for detail must have noticed the license plate of the Death Proof Nova. Tarantino includes the license plate of the greatest movie car of all time on the Death Proof Nova. The license plate titled “JJZ-109” is the same vehicle license plate as the legendary Ford Mustang from Steve McQueen’s action classic ‘Bullitt’. Tarantino included this license number as a tribute to one of the greatest action films of all time, a feat that he has done in almost all of his movies.
When you take an eye at the hood, your eyes will be caught upon a chrome rubber duck ornament. This rubber duck was used by none other than Kris Kristoffersen in the movie Convoy, another popular car movie reference. Tarantino loves using Easter eggs from old classical movies, and this rubber duck was no different. Originally, this duck was attached to four of the Novas which were used for the movie’s shooting. Today, only two of these rubber ducks still remain intact, with one still standing proudly on the “Jesus” car.
The Death Proof Nova Used While Shooting
Only a few fans know that a total of nine Chevrolet Novas were used for the shooting of Tarantino’s movie. However, one of them was only used for filming the close-up filming scenes, and it ended up only being the screen car. The rest of the Novas were almost destroyed after the movie’s shooting. However, one model survived the aftermath of the movie, and it was called “Jesus”. Tarantino had to sacrifice one of the models named “Prius” for a detonation scene in the movie.
The cars that survived the movie’s brutal action scenes are interesting pieces of relics today. One can notice the special roll cages that protected our movie’s main character from dying in any of his reckless driving encounters. There is also a small tunnelway that cuts through from the engine bay to the dashboard. The filmmakers pumped cool air conditioning through this tunnelway to keep their stuntmen cool in the relentless heat of summer.
The Stunts of the Death Proof Nova
Most action films manipulate the speed of their cameras to make their cars seem to be moving very fast. However, Tarantino used a realistic shot of the Death Proof Nova’s actual speed in all of the action scenes. In one of the defining scenes of the movie, Mike is being pursued by a pack of women in a thrilling car chase. This scene also showcases stuntwoman Zoe Bell clinging on to one of the cars’ hoods, which was moving at a speed between 80 MPH to 100 MPH. There was another scene where Mike crashed his Nova into another car while driving at high speed. This put severe risk to the stuntmen involved, but it only added to the dramatic essence of the movie’s action scenes.
The scene where Mike crashed into another car is often described as the “Cannon Roll” stunt in cinematic terms. The car crashes several times down a hill 160 yards steep before landing right in front of the camera. Stuntman Buddy Lee Hooker was a part of this legendary action scene, as the filmmakers actually blew the car out of a massive cannon to get this dramatic stunt scene. The various crumple zones inside the car and the stuntman’s skills got it as close to the targeted location as possible. However, not only ‘Death Proof’, the 1970 Chevy Nova was also featured in the Fast and Furious 9.
Where is Death Proof Nova today?
When the filming of Death Proof came to an end, Kurt Russell’s stuntman Buddy Lee Hooker got possession of the car. The stuntman got this car for a mere $500, thanks to his immense service in the movie. He later gifted the Nova to his 16-year-old teenager, Kenan. Imagine the scary Death Proof Nova in the hands of a teenager. However, Kenan upgraded the engine with a 383 block, raising its power output to 425 hp. He even drove up to his school in this ridiculously cool movie car. Kenan ended up working as a production assistant at Hoonigan, pulling up to his job interview in his super cool Death Proof Nova. Not many people in the world have the privilege of pulling up in a famous movie car.
What are some other cars from Death Proof?
Along with the 1970s Chevy Nova, some other muscle cars were used in the film, namely the 1969 Dodge Charger, the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T, and the 1972 Ford Mustang. Among all, in total, Kurt and the production team had used nine Novas, of which only the ‘Death Proof’ Nova survived the whole movie. Famous guitarist, composer, synthesizer, producer, and creator Eddie Van Halen, during his lifetime owned a 1970 Nova, which was painted in Tang golden orange and had an auction price of $100,000.
