'Dr. Franken-Loyd' strikes yet AGAIN!

Not so long ago, here at the 'ol 'Loydster-blog-a-wog-a-wing-a-ding-thang', I showcased some custom-crafted 'Bat-rides' that I'd tinkered on. In the mix there, were also a couple that had already started as Batmobiles, but ended up being given the 'Dr. Frankenstein / mad-scientist'-treatment by me! I'd turned them into familiar-looking, but DIFFERENT types of cruisers for the Caped Crusader!

One that I chose NOT to showcase, was a little number that originally started out as a roughly 1/12- 1/18th scale R/C car. I did do a slight bit of customizing to it--- but not much. It's overall look, as you can see in the pic below... had ALWAYS kinda bothered me!

Take a peek at the photo, to see what I mean! It's SUPPOSED to be the car from (the truly GOOF-BALL flick!) 'Batman & Robin'! This is a pic of what it pretty much looked like when I first snagged it, back around 1999-2000.-----
 

See what I mean? What an ODD, strangely proportioned, just out-right CARTOONY looking vehicle! Let's not EVEN talk about the fact, that it's also sporting the EXACT same wheels & tires from the 'Batman Forever' car! WEIRD!

Outside of doing just a little bit of tinkering around on it (a little re-painting here & there mostly), I ended up leaving the car pretty much 'as-is'. The R/C remote and cord eventually disappeared, due to the interior electronics of the car dying a number of years back. 

I also put together THIS little guy, to sit behind the wheel of the car! He's roughly around 4 inches tall, a nearly PERFECT fit! He's cobbled-together from various bits & pieces, including a generic 'space-warrior' figure. This was necessary, because normal-sized action figures would NOT FIT in this car! (yet ANOTHER odd  thing about it!)--

Anyway, for a NUMBER of years, this particular 'Bat-vehicle' sat on the shelf, alongside the numerous other 'mini-versions' of the Dark Knight's trusty black-steed in my collection! Then, (just a month or so back, in fact!) like sometimes happens---- I was looking over at it on the shelf.... thinking of what an ODD-BALL looking car it was. THEN.... the old 'gears' in my brain started turning! 

'What if.....' I thought to myself, 'I took this 'ugly Duckling' version of  'ol Batsy's ride... and tried to turn it into something the Gotham Guardian wouldn't mind being SEEN in? Next thing you know.... I'm grabbing the thing off of the shelf, picking up the Xact-o knives, sand-paper, and other 'Mad Scientist' tools, and going to WORK! Here's a little illustration of the steps taken, to bring this vehicle from 'Bat-shlep-mobile', to... well, at least something a LOT more COOL!---

Also---- I ended up stealing  parts from OTHER 'action-figure-scale' Batmobiles in the collection! The 'Batman Forever' wheels just HAD to GO! 
 
 

That's RIGHT! I actually used the wheels from the 'Bat-Missile' section, of the 'Batman Returns' car in my collection! they're NEVER seen anyway, and again---- the other car was in DESPERATE need of something that actually looked RIGHT under all four corners!

After a couple of weeks (off-and-on, as I carved-out bits of time here and there!), and--- at LAST--- some careful paint work (ALWAYS one of my FAVORITE parts, in these kind of projects!)--- the new and IMPROVED version of the former 'Ugly-Duckling-Batmobile', was ready for BOTH a 'photo shoot', and to be put PROUDLY back on display!----

Oh, and that IS a NEW Batman figure, seated behind the wheel! I figured since this car had a NEW, fresh look,it deserved a spanking-new 'Batsy'-figure to go into the driver's seat!

'But WAIT', as they say in all those CHEESY info-mercials, '.... there's MORE!' In the following weeks, since I finished-up work on the MAJOR-make-over of the above Bat-ride.... I've also tackled a couple of even SMALLER 'Bat-Customs'! One was this slightly larger, former 'Mickey-Dees' happy-meal toy.----

-----AND, this is how it turned out!---

---The steps it took to get it into it's current state!----

Now, around the point I finished-up the 'former happy-meal-Bat-ride', I was feeling like I could probably resist the temptation to go all 'Victor Von Frankenstein' on anything else for a while! THEN.... another opportunity came along!

My great niece, Cecellia ('Cessi' for short!), presented me with THIS little number! telling me: 'Uncle  Loyd, this sort-of already LOOKS like a Batmobile! I'll bet you can customize it to REALLY be one!'----

Boy, do my family members know me and my loves / obsessions! Some chunks of clear-sheet plastic in all the right spots,a little semi-gloss black paint--- oh, and some 'familiar-looking' (not to mention VERY carefully done!)  pin-stripe work, and.... well, I'll just let the pics do all of the talking!---                                                                                         

Just for some 'grins and giggles', here's what ALL 3  'custom Bat-rides' look like, in their spots on the 'Bat-vehicle-display-shelf'!

Now, before I sign-off on this latest post, that pretty much provides CONTINUED proof of my absolute 'bordering-on-insane' love / obsession for a 'certain Bat-themed vehicle'.... there's ONE MORE scale model of one of those vehicles, recently added to the 'Loydster collection'!----This one's made entirely out of WOOD!----

This one's more of a 3D puzzle type of thing, than an actual scale model. But---it STILL just SCREAMS-out the word FUN! The whole thing took about 2 and a half hours to put together, so it's

not TOO complicated (that's a GOOD thing!)! Also, since it IS kind of unusual, it gets it's own display case---separate from the other 'Bat-models'.Oh, and it's roughly around 7 inches long.

Like I always say, if it makes me smile whenever I look at it, there in my little 'Secret Sanctum', it's ALWAYS going to have a permanent spot there! I will ALWAYS be in touch with my 'inner-12-year-old'! Why? Because part of the 'ol Loydster's  ALWAYS gonna be a KID! I can say that with PRIDE!