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Welcome to the official Kibbe and Friends Show with myself, Justin “Corndog” Cornette, and Show Producer Bernie McPartland! With this show we’re basically setting up the Boars Nest for the entire automotive media world to swing through for a couple watered down beers, stale popcorn, and fantastic waitresses. You can find every episode here on The MuscleCar Place as well as iTunes, Pandora, iHeart Radio, and Google Play. From time to time we’ll also be posting video clips and full shows to The Kibbe and Friends YouTube channel. If you click the “Download” link at the top of this post you’ll be able to stream it on your phone directly. You can also pull the RSS feed as well.
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The Kibbe & Friends Show is fueled by some of the best companies in the automotive world—and the truth is, this show doesn’t happen without them. These aren’t just sponsors… they’re brands that live and breathe the same car culture we do.
HOLLEY PERFORMANCE
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NATIONAL PARTS DEPOT
Bringing the past back to life? That’s where National Parts Depot comes in. When it comes to OE-correct restoration parts, they’ve spent decades sourcing and stocking the right components so your project gets done right the first time.
RON FRANCIS WIRING
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SIMPLE TIRE & LEXAINI TIRES
And when it’s time to put power to the pavement, check out SimpleTire for Lexani Tires delivering the grip and performance your muscle car deserves, RBP Tires for your lifted truck and custom SUV builds, and Lionhart Tires for dependable everyday performance on your daily driver.
Bottom line: if it goes fast, turns heads, or jumps an orange Charger through the air… we’ve got you covered.
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The Dukes Of Hazzard – Episode Review:
“The Ghost of General Lee” S02E06
Welcome back to Hazzard County! This week, we return to one of my absolute favorite episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard: Season 2, Episode 6, “The Ghost of General Lee.” This is actually the third time we have reviewed “The Ghost of General Lee” during the history of the K&F Show. Mike Finnegan and I first covered it way back in Episode 17, and then Bernie, Corndog, and I revisited it in Episode 277. Exactly 100 episodes later, we’re doing it again for Episode 377.
The story begins with two traveling crooks named Phil and Ernie working their way toward Hazzard County. These two are professional pool hustlers, card cheats, dice players, and safe robbers—basically the standard-issue bad guys this series did so well. Phil is played by Russ McCubbin, while Caskey Swaim plays the younger Ernie, who conveniently carries dice and a deck of cards in his hat. After Sheriff Lacey runs them out of Sweetwater, they head toward Hazzard looking for another place to continue their various criminal enterprises. Meanwhile, Bo and Luke have decided to go skinny-dipping in a local pond. That raises one of the important historical questions of the series: Why do the Duke boys spend so much time swimming without clothes? This is not the first time they have been caught in this situation, and it probably will not be the last. The late 1970s were apparently a different time. Regardless, Phil and Ernie stumble across the unattended General Lee, steal the boys’ clothes, and drive away in the car. Bo and Luke are left stranded without clothing or transportation, while two criminals are now roaming the countryside in the most recognizable automobile in Georgia.
Because Phil and Ernie are driving the General Lee, Rosco naturally assumes Bo and Luke are behind the wheel. He and Enos begin chasing the stolen Charger without realizing the real Duke boys are still back at the pond. The pursuit takes a disastrous turn when Phil and Ernie launch the General off the road and directly into Hazzard Pond. The car disappears beneath the surface, and the thieves escape before Rosco and Enos arrive.
We have heard rumors for years that old General Lees may still be resting at the bottom of ponds near former California filming locations. Corndog strongly doubts that any production cars were simply abandoned underwater. Even in the late 1970s, a production generally had to remove the drivetrain fluids and every possible petroleum product before putting a vehicle into the water. Corndog compared it to a surviving General Lee from the 2007 movie that was intentionally dipped into a pond for filming. That car had no drivetrain, its rear axle was completely drained, and it still could not remain in the water for very long. A production might have temporarily left a car in place while filming continued, but the idea of several Chargers still sitting beneath California ponds is probably more legend than fact.
When Rosco and Enos find the submerged General Lee, they assume Bo and Luke were inside. With no sign of the boys, Rosco must tell the Duke family that they have apparently drowned. This is where “The Ghost of General Lee” becomes something much more than another silly story about crooks, car chases, and Boss Hogg’s latest scheme. James Best, Sonny Shroyer, Denver Pyle, Catherine Bach, and Ben Jones all deliver some of the strongest acting we see during the entire series. Rosco is no longer the bumbling sheriff chasing the Duke boys for another made-up violation. He is a genuinely devastated man who believes two people he knows and cares about are dead.
Just when the episode becomes almost unbearably sad, Boss Hogg enters and reminds everyone exactly who he is. Boss claims that Bo and Luke stole his valuable Jefferson Davis gold watch before they died. He intends to use their supposed deaths as part of an insurance scheme, collect the money, and place the blame on two people who can no longer defend themselves. It is one of the lowest things Boss does during the early years of the show, but it also gives the audience somewhere to direct its emotions. Instead of remaining devastated by the Duke boys’ supposed deaths, we can now become angry at Boss.
Of course, Bo and Luke are not dead. They were never inside the General Lee when it entered the pond. After stealing clothes from a scarecrow, the boys finally make their way home and arrive at their own wake. Uncle Jesse hears them outside, and Denver Pyle delivers another beautifully understated moment when he realizes they are alive. His voice breaks as he sees them, and the relief feels every bit as real as the grief did only a few minutes earlier.
Daisy’s reaction is slightly less subtle. After becoming hysterical over the news of Bo and Luke’s deaths, she lets out a truly impressive scream when they reappear. Cooter is equally stunned to discover that the boys are alive, but the celebration cannot last very long. Boss has already accused them of stealing the watch, and simply walking back into town will not prove their innocence. Bo and Luke realize that their best advantage is allowing Boss and Rosco to continue believing they are dead. If Boss thinks the spirits of the Duke boys have returned, perhaps he can be frightened into confessing the truth. The plan requires the General Lee, which Cooter has somehow already recovered from the pond. The explanation is pure Hazzard County logic: Cooter pulled it out, cleaned it up, worked on the ignition, and apparently brought a completely submerged Charger back to life without much difficulty. In the real world, that would be the beginning of an expensive restoration. The General Lee is then transformed into what the boys call a “spook-talking medium.” Cooter rigs the hood and trunk so they can open on command, while Bo and Luke hide inside and operate the various tricks. The car glows with an unnatural red-orange light, appears to speak, and seemingly drives itself through the Hazzard County impound area. Rosco and Enos are terrified, and the title of the episode is spoken directly in the dialogue when Rosco calls it “the ghost of General Lee.”
The driverless General Lee is another great example of how the series created an illusion without computer-generated effects. The steering wheel appears to move while the car travels down the road, but a stunt driver is hidden low inside. In several shots, you can catch the driver’s head appearing above the dash. That mistake does not completely ruin the illusion here because Bo and Luke are supposed to be concealed inside the car. When the show revisits the remote-controlled General Lee idea in Season 7, hiding the driver becomes much more important.
The ghost-car plan works. Boss and Rosco become convinced that the General Lee has returned from the dead, the truth finally emerges, Phil and Ernie are caught, and Boss must reimburse the insurance company for a watch that was never stolen. As always, the wrongs are righted without the Duke boys needing guns. They use the General Lee, Cooter’s mechanical ingenuity, a little theater, and Boss Hogg’s own guilty conscience to solve the problem.
Gary Baxley performs one of the driving sequences involving Rosco’s U-turn. The Baxley family has a long history in the stunt industry, and Gary worked throughout much of The Dukes of Hazzard. We also get a brief look at Daisy’s yellow Plymouth, which Corndog identifies as a 1971 model by its side-marker lights. Bernie questioned whether the car was missing its rear bumper in an aerial shot, but the image passes too quickly to be certain.
This episode succeeds because it delivers nearly everything that makes early Dukes special. It has identifiable guest villains, a General Lee water stunt, a strange mechanical solution from Cooter, an insurance scam from Boss, practical effects, visible production tricks, real emotional weight, and a supernatural premise that remains believable if you are young enough—or if you are Enos.
The glowing General Lee honestly frightened me when I first saw this as a kid. It looked like the car had really returned from the dead, and I believed it right along with Enos. That childhood memory is a major reason “The Ghost of General Lee” remains in my personal Top 10. Season 2 is my favorite era of the General Lee, and this episode captures exactly why.
Episode Stats
Series: The Dukes of Hazzard
Season: 2
Episode: 6
Series Episode: 19
Title: “The Ghost of General Lee”
Original Air Date: October 26, 1979
Written By: Martin Roth
Directed By: Jack Starrett
Guest Appearances:
Caskey Swaim as Ernie
Russ McCubbin as Phil
Norman Alden as Sheriff Lacey
Dixie K. Wade as Becky Mae’s mother
Debra Feuer as Becky Mae
Sunshine Parker as Sunshine
Notable Stunt Performer: Gary Baxley
Dallas Kibbe Racing Update: Meeting Ross Chastain
Dallas and I recently traveled to Charlotte so he could test a different type of race car: a late model stock. Unlike the more modern straight-rail late models with coilovers and rack-and-pinion steering, this car uses a full-perimeter chassis, steering gear, and truck arms. It feels much more like a traditional NASCAR Busch Series-style stock car and remains an important entry point for drivers hoping to advance into ARCA, trucks, or the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
I’m happy to report that the first late model stock Dallas ever drove was technically a Dodge Charger. Yes, the removable nose could probably turn it into a Camaro just as quickly—but we’re counting it! The test gave Dallas valuable experience in a completely different style of car and another look at the machinery used along NASCAR’s development ladder.
The trip also delivered an unexpected bonus when Dallas spotted Ross Chastain on our flight home. We had a great conversation with Ross about the reality of paying to race and the business required to keep moving forward. Dallas has followed Ross for years, so meeting him after testing the Charger made an already memorable trip even better.
Follow Dallas Kibbe Racing for race results, stats, and behind-the-scenes racing action:
https://www.facebook.com/DallasKibbeRacing
https://www.instagram.com/dallaskibbe_13/
https://www.tiktok.com/@dallaskibbe_13
https://www.myracepass.com/drivers/178661
Days of Thunder 2 Is Happening!
Days of Thunder 2 is officially moving forward, and I’m cautiously optimistic. After what Tom Cruise accomplished with Top Gun: Maverick, it’s easy to understand why fans believe he might successfully bring Cole Trickle back for another run.
The big question is how a driver now in his 60s can realistically return to top-level NASCAR competition. The answer may involve Cole transitioning into more of a Harry Hogge-style mentor or team-owner role, especially following the loss of Robert Duvall. Still, the early promotional car carries the familiar green-and-yellow No. 46 Cole Trickle appearance, suggesting Cruise may spend at least some time behind the wheel.
The original Days of Thunder introduced an entire generation to NASCAR, and a properly executed sequel could do the same for today’s audience. It is currently expected to arrive in the summer of 2028, giving us plenty of time to speculate about the cars, characters, and story.
Holley MoParty 2026
We also provide an honest update about our plans for Holley Moparty. Bernie is unable to attend, Corndog is most likely out, and my availability depends on Dallas’s racing schedule. However, Kirk Hansen plans to attend with his camera equipment, General Lee builder Nathan Warren expects to be there Saturday, and K&F Patreon Society President Jimmy Morrison may also join them.
If you’re heading to Bowling Green, watch for Kirk, Nathan, and Jimmy—and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself. We’re hoping they can capture interviews, cars, and plenty of great content from one of Corndog’s favorite automotive events of the year.
Holley is also offering 15% savings on select EFI products. For Mopar owners preparing for the trip, we discuss the MSD Dynaforce high-torque mini starter designed for Chrysler 318–440 engines. It has been one of the best upgrades made to Kibbe Lee and is currently available through Holley.
Save 15% on Tires Through SimpleTire
Our friends at SimpleTire are offering K&F listeners 15% off a set of four Lexani, Lionhart or RBP tires. The tires can be different sizes, so the offer also works for vehicles running staggered front and rear combinations.
Visit SimpleTire.com and enter promo code TURBO15 at checkout. The offer is valid through December 1, 2026.
KF Crew: Bernie, Rob, and Corndog.
