As I've stated MANY-a-time before, here on the 'ol bloggy-wog-a-wing-ding---- I have a SERIOUS love for, and SHAMELESS nerdiness about the Batmobile! Starting back in the fall of 2020, I returned to doing my own, custom-versions of the Bat-ride. (Something that, if you want to scroll back and look through my old posts for proof-- I've done a LOT of, over the years! Go ahead, and give a look-see if you'd like!-- I'll wait!---) The 'Bat-customs' this time around though, are in 1/64th scale. I call them my 'Bat-Hot-Wheels'.
Why do these things in such a TEENY-TINY scale, you ask? A couple of reasons, actually! Number one and probably most important--- especially in the just over 2 years that we've lived at our current address--- is that 1/64th scale vehicles DO NOT take up very much space! Either when you're tinkering on them / thrashing-away at the customizing--- OR-- looking for a way to display them--- OR--- stashing them into storage. When They need to be stored, they can be quickly and easily rolled up into a little tissue-paper, put into a fairly small box-- and safely tucked-away for display later!
Secondly--- and just about as important as the above reason--- besides scribbling-away in my various 'Superhero-related' coloring books--- they're something to keep the 'ol Loydster's mind and hands busy. In other words, it's a creative activity that helps me stay SANE, yet doesn't take up hardly ANY space! (Again, a PRICELESS thing at our current digs!)
Like my wifey has said before though, my little geeky tinkering can sometimes turn into a bit of an obsession! 8 of the 'little-bitty-Bat-hot-rods' featured below, were actually done in the last 4 months or so! But-- hey, like I said-- it's 'do something creative or go all-out-BONKERS!' SO--- to hold on to what little is left of my 'sound mind'.... guess I'll just keep breaking out the E-6000 glue, clear plastic sheets, and spray paint--- and continue doing these little 'Bat-conversions'!
First off, let's look at the 'micro-Bat-ride' collection as a 'group'. Just about ALL of them are tucked-away into the above-mentioned tissue-paper and little boxes!--- They're safe and sound until I can once again put them on display at a (HOPEFULLY near-future) later time and place!--- Where there will be at least adequate space (again-- HOPEFULLY!) to show them off!-----
If you've been following along with me for very long, here at the Blog-a-wog-a-wig-wag--- You'll remember that I've covered the customizing of the first 3 of the 'Bat-Hot-Wheels' in earlier posts. You can scroll back and refresh your memory, if you'd like! Like I said above, I'll wait while you do that!-----
Now that you're back... Let's take a look at each of the remaining 9 'rinky-dinky-Bat-customs'. Along with the usual 'Loydster-chatter' / comments-- about the tinkering I did on each one! Oh, and-- I'll share the original names of the 'source cars' down below, after the 'car show'!------
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| 1. This little number is one of the few in this growing collection, that isn't based on an actual Hot Wheels car. The 'base car' comes from the 'Metal Machines' line of toys. I saw it in a 'Big Lots' store toy-section--- for a buck-- and immediately started seeing it 'converted' into 'ol Batsy's ride in my twisted little mind! The usual clear plastic-sheet in the right spots, some shiny black paint (with blue trim / pin-stripes, of course!)-- and that's the results above! |
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| 2. This one's the 2nd vehicle I've customized (oddly enough!) ---from the 'Marvel characters' line of Hot Wheels! This one based on the 'Scarlet Witch' character. I think it turned out pretty nifty! |
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| 3. The 'Bat-ride', based on more of a 'muscle car' groove--number ONE. It's long, low roof-line and 'pinched'-looking front-end, are what made me visualize a classic big-block-powered 'pony-car'-based Batmobile! |
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| 4. The Batmobile based on a pretty exotic 'concept car'! Yep, sure enough--- I know it's been done before! The Lincoln Futura is the BEST example of that sort of thing (not to mention the MOST copied / riffed-on body-style of the Batmobile--ever!). The shape and profile of this thing just SCREAMS: 'Hey, drive me REALLY FAST!!' |
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| 5. Another kind-of 'concept car'-based vehicle! This one was also the first time I tried making TINY little photo-copies of 'Bat-symbols' for the wheel-centers. These were from the '66 Batmobile. It's over-sized wheels, and THICK, almost coffin-shaped body, make it look a little BRUTAL! The results turned out fairly NEAT-O, I think! |
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| 6. 'Bat-ride' as muscle-car, number TWO! The 2nd one in this group based on a 'Metal Machines' car. It looks SO much like a classic Mustang, I just HAD to see what it would it look like all 'Bat-TRICKED-out'! Also, my 2nd try at putting teeny-weeny little photo-copied 'Bat-symbols' into the wheel-centers. |
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| 7. This one's a little more on the 'cartoony'-looking side! AND--- with GOOD reason, being that it's based on the Hot Wheels 'Lightning McQueen' vehicle, from the 'Cars' flicks! I'd been looking at the body lines on various versions of this little number, and thought--- 'well, it's kind of exaggerated in it's proportions--- BUT-- with a little tweaking here and there (including lowering the roof-line quite a bit!) it would STILL be a VERY cool version of the Batmobile'! Another set of photo-copied 'Bat-wheel-covers' for this one too! |
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8. 'Bat-ride, with a muscle-car-GROOVE', number THREE! Also number 3 in the collection (so far, anyway!), that's based not on a Hot Wheel, but a 'Metal Machines' car. This one had a little Dodge Challenger---along with a little Chevy Camaro--- body-lines kinda 'mashed-up' into it! It also had a HUGE, out-of-proportion blower sticking WAY-up out of the hood!
Out came the trusty cutting tool, (actually my son's 'Dremel' tool! Mine died on me several years back!) utilized to CHOP out that ugly blower, and smooth-out the body-lines of this now-SLEEK-looking 'Bat-hot-rod'! (the hole left behind was covered by a little piece of the ALWAYS handy sheet plastic!) The big, beefy-looking headers-thru-the fenders and side-pipes make it look like the real BEAST that a Batmobile should be! |
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9. 'Bat-ride-based-on-a-concept-car', yet AGAIN! Even though it would be TOTALLY impractical in 'real life' (would ANY of these cars REALLY be 'practical', IF they were indeed 'REAL' cars???)! The way the 'Bat-fins' 'sweep' all the way from near the front fenders, to the rear of the body--tall enough to COMPLETELY cover the side window-glass (Batman would be unable to SEE anything on either side!)--- just looks VERY 'zoomy-zoopy', and --- yes--- COOL! who CARES about 'practical'? with the Batmobile, the STYLE is EVERYTHING!
I based this one on a pretty beat-up Hot Wheel, by-the-way--that I found at a yard sale for a quarter! Not a bad investment, I'd say! |
Last, but certainly NOT least--- here's what the original little 1/64th scale rides looked like--- before I started in with all the sheet plastic, glue and black or blue paint!-----
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| The original names for the 'mini-Bat-customs': 1. 'Toxic' ('Metal Machines' car) 2. 'The Scarlet Witch' 3. 'Count Muscula' 4. 'Velocita' 5. '16 Angels' 6. 'White Fang' ('Metal Machines' car) 7. 'Lightning McQueen' 8. 'Poison Ivy' ('Metal Machines' car) 9. 'Ballistik' |
So, who says something FUN has to be anything in big sizes or packages! If you're somebody like the 'ol Loydster-- meaning a regular old 'working stiff' who pretty much lives from one payday to the next--- you don't have the 'disposable income' / big bucks for big, king-size geeky stuff anyway!! We 'average-working-nerds' manage to figure out how to 'get our geek on', in our own little affordable / 'budget-friendly' ways.
Besides, like I've also said before here--- these kind of things, after they're all up on a shelf (or WILL be, in the hopefully NEAR future--- in another 'man-cave' I'll one day be hanging out in!), ALWAYS bring a big-GOOFY-GEEKY-grin to my face--- every time I look at them! And THAT, my friends--- is the BEST reason to keep doing the slightly crazy, 'mad-scientist'-type stuff that I do!
