That's right gang! The 'ol Loydster's been at it once AGAIN-- going into 'mad-scientist-customizing-his-toy-Bat-vehicles' mode! Honestly, since space is at such a premium here in the Man-Cave-- the last couple of projects, (done slowly-but-surely, over the past few months! Life's been pretty crazy after all around here!) have been just tinkering on stuff that's already in the collection. Well... there was ONE additional 'customized-mini-Bat-ride' added into the 'Bat-parking-garage'. BUT-- that was kind of a 'happy accident'!
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| Along with a few other T-shirts that I proudly wear to show-off my LIFE-LONG love for the Batmobile, are these two custom-numbers I put together a few years back! They of course feature my 'top two' favorites-- the '66 TV car, and the '89-'92 version. For quite a few years, the 'Keaton-ride' was in the number ONE spot! |
With nearly 20 replicas / models, or toy versions of it in my collection-- it shouldn't be much of a surprise to you faithful-few-and-true readers out there-- that the car from the '89-'92 Batman movies is a BIG favorite of mine. One of the niftiest versions I have, is a 1/43 scale die-cast model.
This one was given to me by one of my brother-in-laws, MANY years ago. It was in pretty SORRY shape when he found it-- in an old junky house he'd been remodeling. I don't have any 'before' pictures of it, before I fixed it up-- but below is a recent pic of it, in it's current condition. Trust me, it's well OVER 100% better off than the way it was when I got it! That was nearly 25 years ago! It's been in it's 'restored state' now, for nearly that long.--
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| The 1/43 scale '89 Bat-ride. It's sat proudly on display in my 'Bat-vehicles-shelf ', (when it wasn't in storage a couple of times, that is!) for nearly a quarter-of-a-century. ALL that time until recently though, it was missing a couple of important 'detail items'. My search for replacing those critical missing parts, led to a kind of 'happy accident'-- which led to customizing yet ANOTHER 'small-scale-Dark Knight-cruiser'! AND-- then ANOTHER even after THAT! |
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| I know it's not exactly the highest-quality photography-- But THIS lower 'panel', for MANY years-- was missing from the 1/43 Batmobile. (on BOTH sides, of course!) I finally was able-- to track down a pretty THRASHED version of the same toy on E-bay. At first, I just swiped these parts off that I needed, then stuck the 'donor-vehicle' into a dusty old storage tote! Then... the old 'Dr. Franken-Loyd' gears started to turn in my brain! |
THIS is the part where the little 'parts-donor' car, turns into kind of a 'happy accident'! Just to show what kind of SAD state it was in-- the pic below, shows pretty much how it arrived in the mail!--
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| This poor, 'used-and-ABUSED' example of the '89 Bat-ride, had definitely seen better days! It had been played with-- HARD-- by one rowdy little kid! At first, I just intended to use it as a 'parts-donor'. But the more I looked at it, the MORE I started thinking how WAY-cool it might look-- with some mild customizing and a unique paint job. |
So-- the sand-paper, masking tape and rattle-can-paint were hauled-out once again! With this little project, I decided to use some 'bright blue' metallic paint I had left over from an earlier 'Bat-custom' I'd worked on.
It had that 'spectra-flame' type of color, like the original 'Hot Wheels' cars had-- and I thought it would look GREAT on this car. I also super-glued on some clear sheet-plastic, to cover the areas where I'd swiped those bottom 'panels' from the lower sides of the body-- for my other 1/43 car. I'm pretty proud of how my effort turned out!---
an additional pic, just for even MORE 'grins-and-giggles'!-- The 'bright-blue-Bat-combo', now back in the 'way-up-high' perch--just as before. Stands out a LOT better, don't you think?--
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| I guess this 'Bright-Blue-Bat-ride' is yet another in my collection that qualifies as a 'what if', or 'alternate universe' version of the Dark Knight's wheels! I really DIG how the 'smooth panels' I added to the lower sides turned out! |
The next project involving another version of the '89 - '92 Batmobile, came about-- at least partly-- because of where it's on display in the Man-Cave! This one was a Christmas gift from my son a couple of years back. Made by a Japanese company, and referred to as the 'Super Cyborg' '89 Batmobile--- it's a VERY unique and FUN version of the car!---
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| At first glance, this (roughly 1/10 scale) version-- looks like simply another version of the 'Burton-Keaton-mobile'. BUT-- looks can fool you! |
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| Now THIS is why the 'Cyborg' version of the car, is SO extra-WICKED-COOL! Panels and body-sections pop off, and you can check out all of the nifty engine / mechanicals, gadgets, and various doo-dads under it's 'skin'! My son, Wade thought it would be a present that I would be extremely GEEKED-OUT about! He was RIGHT! I fell in LOVE the moment I unwrapped it! |
Now, for practical, 'there's only-so-much-display-space' in my Man-Cave reasons-- I could only place the car in a display case, and perch it on top of the shelf to the immediate right of my little 'micro-desk'. That was fine, except it presented me with yet ANOTHER little problem! It was just too darned DARK, and too high up in the room, for anybody to really SEE it!---
For quite a while, I simply accepted the situation. The 'Cyborg' Batmobile would just be something 'semi-hidden' from view! Eventually, I did try to think up a solution or two-- including trying to find a way to 'light it up' somehow. I made a couple of tries at THAT-- but neither idea worked very well.
Then-- yet AGAIN-- the 'Dr. Franken-Loyd-mental-gears', started GRINDING away! 'What if', I thought, 'I simply PAINTED the car the SAME 'bright-blue' metallic, that I'd used to JAZZ-UP the little 1/43rd car?!? The lighter color, with it's 'Hot Wheels Spectra-Flame'-sheen-- would definitely make this thing really POP! Even WAY up there, in it's 'top-of-the-room' perch! So--- once again, out came the masking tape and trusty 'bright-blue' metallic paint!
Once I dove off into the project though-- another 'lightning-bolt' of an idea zapped me! 'What if...', I asked myself (again!),'I looked around on E-bay, snagged one of the little 4 inch 'Batman Returns' action figures from a couple of years back (he would be almost EXACTLY the right scale to go with the car!), did some custom work on him--and placed him next to the freshly 'bright-blue'-painted car?' Now THAT just might turn out to be MOST excellent and COOL!
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| The 'Batman Returns' (roughly) 4-inch action figure! I snagged him off of E-bay, for just a smidge over 10 bucks. The little DINKY-looking cape, would HAVE to go! ('custom-cape-making-time'!) I'd also be doing a custom paint job on him-- so he would be 'better-matched-up' to the paint job on the car! |
AND-- without any further 'bragging / boasting / patting-myself-on-the-back'!-- I'll just let a couple of pics show-off the end results!---
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| The custom-painted 'Cyborg-Bat-ride', and now 'blue-and-gray' suited Batman figure! Is this just a WICKED-COOL 'alternate universe' combo or WHAT?!? |
Just for a few extra 'grins-and-giggles,' below are 'before and after' pics of the 'Bats figure! I used a regular old 'number 2' pencil, to make the details / sculpting on the 'Bat-suit' stand-out better.---
The other benefit to this kind of tinkering & customizing, is the usual thing that happens. I have yet another item or two, in this little 'hidey-hole' of mine-- that brings on that big 'ol GOOFY-GEEKY grin across my face!
That's (partly) what has helped me 'push on through', these past SEVERAL months, believe it or not! Just some moments here and there, to stop and give the brain and SOUL a little time to loosen-up. To focus on the things that bring me joy and good thoughts! Couldn't we ALL use a little of THAT, on a DAILY basis?
See you NEXT time gang! 'til then-- stay SAFE, SANE & HAPPY!!!
