ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

________________________________

Steve, I gotta tell you, I'm impressed as hell by all the aspects of your build AND the amazing way you've shared it with us.

The meticulous work you're doing is just astounding. The incredible pictures you've created to illustrate the individual tasks are works of art in themselves. And the concise descriptions you've provided — interspersed with the images — make the whole thing seem like Discovery Channel documentary!

Thanks for honoring All Sci-Fi with this great thread, not to mention all the others you've contributed.
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[trekriffic]

[trekriffic]

[trekriffic]

Moving right along...

The Bat Beam was glued into the hole behind the hood:


Batmobile 1966 WIP - Bat Beam by trekriffic, on Flickr

Finally something on this model that fits! I noticed that the hood is darker than the rest of the car but this turned out to be alright once I brushed the whole car with Liquitex Gloss Varnish.
Now the body is as shiny as the hood:


Batmobile 1966 WIP - Hood Test Fit by trekriffic, on Flickr

Getting there. Need to finish adding the police beacon and horns then give her another coat of gloss varnish before applying the stripe decals:


Batmobile 1966 WIP - Nice Angle by trekriffic, on Flickr

Working off actual photos of the real thing I used 28 gauge tinned solid wire to make the cables that release the bat chutes:


Batmobile 1966 WIP - Bat Chutes by trekriffic, on Flickr

After its first coat of Liquitex Gloss Varnish:


Batmobile 1966 WIP - Shiny by trekriffic, on Flickr

I painted the beacon lights red and glued it to the arch using epoxy.
Left a few light scratches which I will touch up:


Batmobile 1966 WIP - Police Beacon Glued On by trekriffic, on Flickr

After previously gluing the PE license plate to the kit part I installed it under the rear turbine exhaust nozzle. It still needs its decal. The fit was snug enough to not require any glue to hold it in place:


Batmobile 1966 WIP - License Plate by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next up is gluing the "horns" to either side of the beacon.
Also need to install the mobile computer/radio antenna behind the trunk lid.

[trekriffic]

Here are pics of the current state of the model. Just need to attach the rear antenna and the bat spinners on the wheel hubs, but I'll do the decals first.


Batmobile 1966 - WIP - Decal Ready by trekriffic, on Flickr


Batmobile 1966 - WIP - Decal Ready by trekriffic, on Flickr


Batmobile 1966 - WIP - Decal Ready by trekriffic, on Flickr


Batmobile 1966 - WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr


Batmobile 1966 - WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr

[Bud Brewster]

________________________________

Steve, please forgive the following personal anecdote. It's just meant to express my strong connection with the Batmobile . . . and the futuristic car that is it's noble ancestor.

I swear, when I see those great pictures of your beautiful build, I can almost smell the heady aroma of the Testor paint I used to color my boyhood model of the Lincoln Futura a bright red, back in the middle 1960s.

I don't have any pictures, but I found these with Google, and they'll serve our purposes here.




The Futura first stole my heart in 1959 when I saw this amazing car in It Started With a Kiss, when Debbie Reynolds and Glen Ford drove around in it for 144 minutes.

That love is undiminished to this day.








When Batman first aired in 1966 I instantly recognized the Batmobile as a drastically modified version of my beloved Futura . . . and it broke my young heart.

Unfortunately my cardboard box filled with model cars was gone when I returned from the Air Force in 1971, because my well-meaning parents were certain I had out-grown such childish things while serving four years in the military.

They were very apologetic when they found out they'd made a grievous mistake.

Steve, I'm well aware that millions of people love the Batmobile. But I can't seem to forget that it started out in life as the amazing Lincoln Futura . . . and it looked like this.



And yet despite my mixed feelings, I salute your incredible model as a true tribute to this iconic machine and the rich history of it's unique design.
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[trekriffic]

Great photos Bud! I saw that movie sometime back and recognized the car instantly.

You know, in terms of the Futura design, it would have made a lot of sense for the Dynamic Duo to have kept the center section of the canopy rather than having an open cockpit in the Batmobile.

Assuming it were made of bulletproof glass like the forward and rear canopy bubbles it would have provided great protection from villainous gunfire.

Then again, did we ever see the Penguin or Riddler launch an attack using firearms?

Maybe I’m wrong but I don’t think so; at least I don’t remember any bad guys actually opening fire on the Batmobile.

So perhaps having a center section was considered unnecessary by Batman.

But, then again, what about when it rained? I guess Batman and Robin didn’t worry about a little precipitation.

Anyway, the Futura is a fantastic design; perfect for transforming into the Batmobile! Barris was a genius!

Thanks for the great post Bud.

[Gord Green]

[trekriffic]

[Bud Brewster]

________________________________

Right. And the scenes showing the Dynamic Duo sitting in the car would have the Plexiglass center section between them in the camera, preventing dialog from being heard, like "Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed."

Add to this the fact that the motor which raised and lowered the center section did so with stately grace. (In other words, it was kinda slow . . . )
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[trekriffic]

[Bud Brewster]

________________________________

Scenes in It Started with a Kiss which show Debbe and Glen inside the Futura demonstrate that the Plexiglas dome creates a lot of distortion, because the Plexiglas is sort of . . . lumpy!

Play the trailer below and go to the 1:15 mark to see what I mean. I hate say it, but my personal "dream car" would probably have been unpleasant to ride in, because looking through the canopy would be like wearing glasses with the wrong prescription!

____ It Started With A Kiss (1959) Official Trailer


__________
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[trekriffic]

Before launching into the decal phase I decided to fix a gap between the nose on the hood and what would be the hood latch in the body...


Batmobile 1966 - WIP - Batmobile Rhinoplasty by trekriffic, on Flickr


Batmobile 1966 - WIP - Hood Work by trekriffic, on Flickr

Should improve the Batmobile’s profile.

After redoing the nose I removed most of the old varnish before respraying with Krylon Satin Black:


Batmobile 1966 - WIP - Hood Finish Rework by trekriffic, on Flickr

I added some AVES to make a smooth curve from the hood to the body:


Batmobile 1966 - WIP - Rework by trekriffic, on Flickr

Rear end stripes. The fluorescent orange decals tore or broke off in a few spots but I found Italian Red acrylic is a perfect match. After touching up with paint I will apply a top coat of MM fluorescent red “enamel”. I put that in quotes because the bottle claims it’s enamel but it doesn’t smell like it. Anyway, you have to put the fluorescent on over an under layer of red:


Batmobile 1966 - WIP - Decals by trekriffic, on Flickr

Rear wheel well and lateral stripes. the kit decals had a pair of scalloped decals for each fin so all I had to do was paint the small gap along the edge of the fin between the decals:


Batmobile WIP - Decals by trekriffic, on Flickr

The decal wrapped around the sides of the headlight cowlings then down over to meet the top to the hood. I had to paint the front edges using Italian Red which was a perfect match with the decal color fortunately. Have to do the decals around the grills next.
I used Italian Red to paint the stripes on the 1/48 scale “Aurora” Batmobile I think:


Batmobile 1966 - WIP - Decals by trekriffic, on Flickr

[Gord Green]

HOLY FREAKIN FAR OUT DUDE!

JUST A BEAUTIFUL JOB!
_________________
There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

[Bud Brewster]

________________________________

Calm yourself, old chum. Brilliant artists like Monsieur Trekriffique' want sincere compliments, not ebullient flattery.

I must say, however, that I too am filled with admiration for his fine work. Gotham City could use more men of his caliber. He's a credit to the world of artistic endeavors.

Forgive me, gentlemen. I think I might have became a bit overly emotional myself.


_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)