OH MY GOD,
I just got back from what I will always remember as the GREATEST vacation in my life. As some of you may have read in my seperate post, I asked if anyone knew a good GB related place to visit in LA. Well now I did not recieve any responses, yet I made the find of my life.
Before I go into this, I should say that I wasn’t sure where to put this post because it crosses lines, so Mods, please feel free to put it anywhere you want.
I decided to go on the SONY pictures tour. I phoned ahead and asked if I would see the original Ecto 1 on the tour. They said that I needed to tell the guide that I was a fan because sometimes, the tour did not pass where it was visible. I have seen photos of the ECTO 1 on the SONY lot before, and it looked like it was rotting jammed pack in the middle of some parking lot. When I got there, I passed the guide an extra twenty and told him I was a diehard GB fan. He assured me that I would get to see it. Man was that an understatement.
After I walked out of the tour office, I began looking around the prop collection on display. I nearly died when I saw what was perhaps one of the most beautiful sights since the day I met my girlfriend. The actual hero Ray Stanz proton pack from GB II. I didn’t expect to see it. Being involved on these boards for a while, I never once read the hero props were on display. I spent nearly an hour walking around the case taking pictures and video. Unfortunately, the wand was damaged, but I was estatic none the less.
I looked around some more, and nearly died a second time when I saw Ray’s GB II uniform with ANOTHER hero pack, this time with a wand it great condition. I snapped away and must have looked like the largest child in the world.
The tour began and what followed I will never forget. It took a while, but I was eventually shown the ECTO 1. The guide stated that this was one of the actual Ecto 1’s used in the film, and that this particular car was the one that travelled across the Brooklyn Bridge and died shortly after. I couldn’t believe it. He then asked the crowd if anyone knew what model and year the car was and I nearly fell over when I shouted “1959 Cadilac ambulance/hurst.”
The best was still yet to come. After the tour came to an end and we were left to tend for ourselves, I asked the guide to bring me back to the Ghostbuster car. He led me there and took some more pictures. When I was alone, I fulfilled my life long dream. I walked over to the car, and saw if the door was open. It was.
For the benefit of myself and this group, I jumped inside as carefully and as quickly as possible. I took many pictures which I have included. To be respectful, I only stayed about 30 seconds and sat down as if the seat cushion were atop a dozen eggs.
I cannot describe the exhilaration that I felt as I emerged. This was the car. This was the car Winston turns to Ray and asks “Do you believe in God.” This was the car that was a tremendous part of my magical childhood. I sat in the actual ECTO 1. If I lived in LA, I would went back to the tour adorned in my uniform and pack.
I had such a great time, with such deep personal meaning, that I don’t think I will soon top it. And know, for the moment I have been waiting for since the second my experience was over. My gift to you. My pics:
Lastly, this is the ONLY picture I touched up after the fact. I was a little disapointed how tight the photos of me in the car where, so I combined two to make this:
Enjoy,
Joe
How much is it to do a tour at Sony?