- Seller: Ashley S
- Location: McCaysville, Georgia
- Mileage: 13,515 Shown
- Chassis #: 00041AA4S000639
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 351 Cui V8
- Transmission: Automatic
Anyone remember their local video store? As a young kid in the 1980s, my dad would regularly take me and my sister out to rent a VHS tape or two, and one of the many memorable car chase movies I picked up was Deadline Auto Theft by the inimitable H.B. Halicki. It wasn’t until later that I realized that the movie was a hodgepodge of Gone in 60 Seconds and The Junkman, but the image that sticks with me is an orange Bricklin doing a lurid, smoky burnout. Even then, I wondered how movie magic could make a car with no more than 220 horsepower create such a smoke show. If curiosity gets the best of you, and you want to try to emulate that famous stuntman, Mr. Halicki, you could buy this 1974 SV-1 as a Barn Finds Exclusive. It’s located in McCaysville, Georgia, and the seller says that it will need someone with mechanical know-how to get it back on the road.
I imagine that the movie car was a ’74 like this example, which came standard with a 220-horsepower AMC 360 four barrel. A possible explanation for the movie car’s tire-spinning prowess is that 137 Bricklins were built with a Borg-Warner four speed transmission (sidestepping the clutch is one way to annihilate the tires, or the transmission). This one, on the other hand, has the tough “Torque Command” automatic, which was actually a Chrysler 727 Torqueflite. The seller tells us that the car hasn’t run or moved since 2015 and will need to be “hauled away.” In case you didn’t know, the ’75 models swapped the AMC 360 for a Ford 351 Windsor, which only made 175 horsepower.
Of course, much of the excitement of Malcolm Bricklin’s “Safety Vehicle One” is centered around its gullwing doors, which opened and closed by way of hydraulic cylinders. The Bricklin’s body was also novel, being made of a “color-impregnated acrylic [bonded] to a fiberglass” substrate, according to the Bricklin International Owner’s Club website. This car was originally white but was later painted orange (a good choice if you want to replicate your obscure movie dreams).
The interior looks like it’s in good condition and might only need some old-fashioned elbow grease to be presentable. Another interesting safety feature of the Bricklin was its built in roll cage, not something you see every day in your average street car.
A mere 2,854 Bricklins were built in New Brunswick, Canada, before production ceased for good, and they have a cult collector following today. This one is a traditional, dusty “barn” find that’s waiting for someone to clean it up, replace the tires, and get it running and back on the road. If you fit that description, make the seller an offer now here on Barn Finds!
I had a red 75, yes this is cheaper than the last one on here, but the condition is mighty rough!!
The AMC 401 will go anywhere the 360 lives, maybe the tire-burning example in the movie had a transplant.
AMC Guy, I have a 427” AMC stroker in my Matador, it has been 9.80’s 1/4 mile in that. I’ve always wanted to build a SV1. I like to be a bit different. This is a good candidate for a hot rod build, but a little pricey for what I have in mind.
I met Tony Halicki shortly before his death, fascinating guy but his account at the Karma Bank may have been overdrawn.
I asked him about special effects and sources of some of the cars in his films, he mentioned that burnouts on pavement treated with a little baby powder are REEEALLY easy. He said the Bricklin in the film had a hurt motor, he had bought it off the street.
I just noticed this has a trailer ball on it.
That trailer ball and 20 year old tags is quite concerning.
I worked in a Bricklin only shop in NJ from 1975 until around 1978, saw many nice cars and some that the people had to climb out of the rear hatch! Red is a great color for these cars, less warpage , fit and finish was not Bricklin’s strong suit. I met Malcom Bricklin during those years and he was certainly an interesting fellow.
You will need to be an auto body EXPERT in addition to mechanic!
My dads friend Harol Winer owned a Chevy dealership back in Stratford, CT, Winer Chevrolet. I remember when these Bricklins 1st came out, Harold secured the franchise for selling them. Dad was looking at Chevy pickups for his welding machine & Harold grabbed a welders chipping hammer out of the bed of my dad’s welding truck & says ‘Jimmy, take a look at this’ & Harol hit the top of the front fender. Looked like a scuff from the blunt tip of the hammer, he takes out his handkerchief & then rubs hard a dozen times over with it. The mark was totally gone!
I was 14 then in ’74, pretty impressed with that! I recall then, he’s jokingly telling my dad he’ll sell it to him for $7500 OTD, knowing my dad back then, was a bi-annual buyer of Caddy Coup D’villes & was quite happy w/ his ’73 metallic firemist blue one. I was hoping he’d buy that orange one for a pleasure car but didn’t happen.
That is a lot of money to ask for a car that needs so much work. Body work and the mechanicals are not for the faint of heart. Especially since it hasn’t run in 10 years. Hard pass on that vehicle. Maybe someone will roll the dice.
Malcolm Bricklin has a lot to answer for, since he’s the one who brought us the Yugo.
And, don’t forgot the Subaru 360 that was Bricklin’s first contribution to motor vehicles in the U.S.
That thing only lasted a year or two before it was deemed unsafe to drive.
I’ve owned/own 4 of these….burnouts are easy pure stock. This is a great restoration project.
In October 74 I was on a tour and was driving (my 70 Beetle) in maine on my way to New Brunswick when I saw an auto transporter loaded with SV1’s. The problem? The autotransporter had driven off the highway and into the ditch! Maybe the SV1 was save, but that didn’t translate to it’s transporter!
is there any photos or information on the under carage Rust etc ??
I can tell you the frames under those cars is very robust, tube steel front to back
It’s been in a covered closed garage the whole time. I don’t believe there is any rust but I can’t guarantee that
Tom, I am one of those people that had to exit out the hatch. (We were a Pontiac/Honda/Bricklin dealer. (After I was barely able to pass the keys out through the bottom of the barely opened driver’s door.) The emergency door release pin would not release! I was trapped in the car because when it showed up (our very first Bricklin) on the transporter (over the cab of the tractor) the battery was dead and they were able to pry the door open enough for the skinniest guy (me) in the dealership to squeeze through the door so that they could jump the car from underneath direct to the starter. I had to back the car down the transporter with the ramps coated in ice. (a little scarry when you are about 20 years old) I broke the front air dam off pulling it into the dealership. Not a great first impression for our first Bricklin. And it went down from there. One option that I have seen on all Bricklins are installed by the owners. HOLES DRILLED IN THE FLOOR TO LET THE WATER OUT THAT LEAKS IN. I like the car, but it would have to be incredibly cheap for me to own one.
Hi Wayne,
Not the first time I have heard about climbing out the hatch, or holes in the floor to let the water out! the very early cars and some later ones had real bad water leaks among other faults. It took like 8 hours to change the water pump on the AMC 360’s! Many many cars leaked from the roof area because of water getting in around the door hinges. A lot of the water from under the dash came in because the plenum drains were clogged with glue and the air plenum overflowed. I could go on and on!