Muscle cars have the ability to steal a scene or an entire movie, but they have a tendency to make even a B-movie stand out in our memories. Tuff Turf [1] is one those movies where the cars tend to make an impact on long-term memory over the characters.
For those who have not seen Tuff Turf, it is essentially the tale of a new kid who comes to town, defeats the bad guys, gets the girl and goes for a cruise in the bad guy’s Camaro along with girls. Like the bad guys who cruise the ’68 around town looking for trouble and trying run over bicyclists, the Camaro is a little rough around the edges. Although there is not an iconic battle of the brands between the Mustang and the Camaro, the Camaro stands out in our memory.
Unlike the Camaro from Better Off Dead this car was not made to look dirty and then cleaned up, this ’68 mirrors the bad guys perfectly. The flat or matte burgundy paint and a set of mismatched wheels that are in dire need of can of polish help to give the Camaro its edgy and intimidating look. Not much information is available on the ’68, but it may have been a 327 equipped car or at least that is what the badging proclaims in the film.
[2]Photo:IMCDB.org [3]
Sure the bad guys also have access to vintage Mustang, but it is a forgettable car at best. The Camaro chases the main character Morgan (played by James Spader) and tries to run him over on a couple of occasions, but the bad guys decide to upgrade their ride by stealing what they believe to be Morgan’s Porsche.
After the Porsche is stolen Morgan’s best friend in town exclaims shock that took Morgan’s car, to which Morgan states “I don’t own a car man.” Later the gang of goons land themselves in jail for cruising a stolen Porsche and are blamed for the theft for which Morgan had committed.
The next Morgan sees the Camaro cruising down the street and he begins to fear that bad guys had escaped jail, but in reality it is his buddy Jimmy in the Camaro. As the guys cruise the ’68 Camaro they pick up the bad guys girls and have a bit of fun.
Later on the bad guys retaliate for their stint in jail, which results in a bloody beating and the shooting of Morgan’s father. In the end Morgan’s dad survives, Morgan takes out the bad guys one by one at their hideout and ends up in a life or death battle with the head goon in order to save the girl.
For those looking for a bit of nostalgia, some really wild hairstyles and a menacing ’68 Camaro, then Tuff Turf is worth revisiting on Netflix. As for what happened to the original Camaro from the film, no one seems to have much information on the car. Tuff Turf has a little something for everyone with romance, action and some jackassery behind the wheel of a bitchin’ Camaro.
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