Loyd's BONUS video - clip!! --- #49!! --- Cruising around in the 'Hornet's COOL ride!!

 

Just as it has WAY too many times previously, life has went right BACK into 'MEAT-GRINDER-mode' for the 'ol Loydster! Working MONDO-extra hours on the job, and staying WAY too busy even in my 'non-working' hours--- has kept me from putting together ANY kind of 'normal-length' post this time around! Sorry gang!

BUT--- just to keep the TRUE spirit of  ULTRA-GEEKINESS alive, here in my little TEENY-TINY corner of the 'net (AND-- provide PROOF that I'm STILL in the land of the living!) -- here's an EXTREMELY fun little video! It features the 'number 2' version (there were two cars used in the classic 1966 TV series) of The Green Hornet's 'Black Beauty'!

Yes, I know I put up a 'mini-documentary' about the 'Beauty, a couple years back! BUT-- in THIS video, you get to 'virtually' sit in the passenger seat, as the car cruises around! Very NEAT-O indeed!

If you need an explanation as to WHY I think this car is SO COOL--- man, you just have NOT been paying enough attention to this here bloggy-woggy-thingy-thang!! Anyhoo--- enjoy this TRUE 'video-tid-bit-of-custom-car-NERDINESS'!----

  

              See you next time gang--- when I'll HOPEFULLY be able to put up a NORMAL-length / sized post!

Guess I have a thing for K.N.O.T.s!! (Kinda Nice 'Ol Trucks, that is!)

 

So, just WHAT is a 'kinda-nice-old-truck'? Keep readin' and scrollin' to see what MY definition is below!

Along with all of the other stuff that I'm all-the-way-GEEKY about, I've also-- without ANY shame or apology what-so-ever--- had a pretty 'head-over-heels,' life-long-love-affair-- with all sorts and brands of older-model pick-up trucks! 

Much like my pops, Loyd Sr., (more on his 'life-long-truck-passion' here in a bit!) I have NO 'brand-loyalty'! Fords, Chevys, GMCs, Datsuns, Toyotas, Dodges--- all have had (and STILL do!) some kind of special-pick'em-up-lovin-spot in my heart at one time or another!

AND-- no surprise to any of you who have been following along with me here for a while, I'm SURE-- my fairly extensive collection of (now in-deep-cold-storage) scale models and toy vehicles of COURSE includes a fair-sized number of nifty 'trucks-in-miniature'!

Of course, most of the 'miniature' / model / toy pick-ups in my collection, are 'dream trucks'! Classic examples of 40s / 50s / 60s trucks (including the Chevy ElCamino and Ford Ranchero) that (just being 100% honest with myself here!), I'll probably NEVER be able to own! Heck, that goes for MOST of the scale models and toy vehicles in my collection! Still, it's fun to look at the 'little versions' and dream! 

Speaking of my dad, and his influence on the 'ol Loydster, as well as his passing-on that 'truck-love'--- I've put together a couple of little graphics to show just how MANY of the haulers pops tooled-around in, during my time growing-up. As well as a few he owned on into my young-adult years-- and beyond! (Along with some comments about each below, of course!)---

The first truck I have memory of, and the first on the list-- the '57 Ford-- was a 'Step-side' model that dad had when I was around 5 or 6 years old. White with chrome-reverse wheels and LOUD dual pipes! The '61 Ford was one he had when I was 9. It wasn't around for very long. The '67 Chevy was around when I was in late-junior high and early high school. I actually helped dad put a transmission in that one.

The '69 Ford was our 'family truck' when I reached my mid-high-school years. It was also the FIRST family vehicle that dad actually let me drive on my own! Sporting a 'yellow-over-white' two-tone paint job and (yet again!) chrome-reverse wheels-- it was one very nifty-and-neat pick'em-up!

 

By the way, I've already referenced 'chrome-reverse' wheels a couple of times in this post, and I guess I should clue those in, that may have a 'limited-exposure' to classic-car-type lingo, to exactly WHAT they are! A picture's worth a LOT of words (so they say!)--- so here's what they look like!---

My dad's 'custom-wheels' of choice, (especially during the early-to-mid-70s!) were usually the CLASSIC 'chrome-reverse' style wheels. (He also was pretty fond of either 'black-wall' tires, or the white-raised-letter type of tire, like the one in the pic above!) At least 3 of his pick-ups, and number of his cars, either already had them when he bought them, or-- he would hunt down a set to mount them onto the rides himself! I can see why he DUG them so much! Clean & simple lines, as well as SUPER bright and shinny! What's NOT to LOVE!

The '75 Dodge wasn't the most 'attractive' of my pop's trucks, but it was a real 'work-horse'! He bought it while we lived in Colorado, which was around 1984 or so. (We transplanted an engine into that one together!) The '76 Ford was another 'brief-member' of the family-- which 'daddy-o' had for a short time while I was in the Air Force.
The '88 Chevy, on the other hand-- was a LONG-time-owned vehicle, which he held onto for several years. He even made a series of moves from California-to-Oklahoma-then-BACK-to-California with it,(LONG story!) a short while before trading it off!
Dad actually owned 3 of the 'aero-bodied' Ford trucks-- a '97, and two different '01 models. More about the 2nd '01 model down below!

Hopefully, those charts above, help explain why the enthusiasm for (older) trucks runs SO deep, in the 'ol Loydster-system! As my pops showed me over the years--- trucks are the ULTIMATE 'two-in-one' vehicle! They can be useful 'work-horses' / haulers, as well as be cool and unique cruisers! 

One thing about the above vehicles I should point-out though. NONE of those trucks that my dad owned over the years, were so-called 'show trucks'! They, for the most part-- were put to WORK! Hauling stuff, pulling travel-trailers, hauling our furniture / belongings-- as we moved the numerous times we moved around over the years, etc...! 

But-- dad ALWAYS kept those vehicles in not ONLY good running condition, but CLEAN and sharply detailed as well! They may have had some dents, scratches, and 'worn' / faded paint in places-- but dad ALWAYS went to the extra-effort to keep them ALL looking as good as possible! (Those were his standards with all of the cars we had over the years too, by the way!)

That philosophy my pops always lived by with HIS old trucks, (AND cars too, natch!) has pretty much been passed on to yours truly! Which is why I define a 'K.N.O.T.' (a 'Kinda Nice Old Truck'!), as an older pick-up, which-- while not in 'show-room-CHERRY-like-condition', AND while still being utilized as a 'working / hauling' vehicle-- can STILL be 'kinda nice'! Something that, with a little 'elbow-grease' / sweat & detail work--- can STILL be slick-enough that you don't mind being seen driving it around town!

Now, compared to my dear-'ol-daddy-o, my list of past-pick'em-ups is really on the SKINNY side! Nonetheless, here's a look at the 'rides-with-beds-and-tail-gates' I've owned in years gone by.---

This little '79 model Dodge D-50, was in my life for a good chunk of time! I actually traded an '81 Mustang to my dad for it, in fact. The 'Stang was a DUD, which my pops immediately sold off ! It (the little Dodge, that is!) was SUPER-fun to drive, peppy and dependable (with it's little Mitsubishi 4-banger engine)! I ended up having the little truck for around 3 years or so-- from around late '88, until after Debbie and I married (1990, of course!).

A 'roll-over' accident put it out of commission, unfortunately! (Deb and I weren't injured in the wreck, thank goodness!) I ended up selling it (for FAR too cheap!) to a wrecking yard for scrap!

 

Despite spending a good amount of time looking, I could NOT dig up an actual pic of the REAL '73 Datsun I owned, shortly after moving to Oklahoma. (late '92 - early '93) It first belonged to my daddy-in-law, who worked out a deal with me for it on payments. Not exactly the 'prettiest' truck-- it was painted in 'basic-black-primer' twice while I owned it!-- But like the little Dodge, it was REALLY good on gas, and dependable!

Utilizing this little beast--I actually moved EVERYTHING we owned from Okemah (where we lived when we first moved back here to Okie-land) to Bristow Oklahoma-- a 32-mile-one-way trip! The truck only had about a 6-foot bed, so the move took nearly 5 TRIPS! The little truck handled it ALL really well though! I ended up chugging along in it for my 'back-and-forth-to-work' vehicle for around 2 years, until the transmission went out in it.

Ah, 'old Blue'! That's the nickname my wife and I gave to our LONG-time-owned '93 model GMC. Pretty much the longest-owned of ALL of our vehicles, 'blue was a member of the 'Ferrell-work-and-transport-system' for just over 12 years! (2008 - 2021)
Just after getting us moved here to the 'Cracker-box' (our current residence), the water-pump suddenly gave out, and the engine burned-up in the 'ol girl! Almost as if it died from 'a broken heart'!

As many years of dependability that it gave us, I can't really complain, nor be TOO upset, about it FINALLY breaking down! If anything, I sure wish I'd had the ways and means to get the 'ol gal back on the road! Unfortunately, it just wasn't possible!

The 2001 Ford Super-Cab! Just looking at the few pics I have of it, brings mixed feelings! About the closest I've ever came to owning an 'almost-show-truck'! This, by the way-- was the 2nd '01 model pops owned. It was also the last vehicle he and my mom bought together, before her passing in 2018.

 After some pretty serious health issues, and trouble with his eyesight (which eventually caused him to pretty much give up driving altogether, sadly!)--- along with knowing I was in need of a 2nd 'getting-back-and-forth-to-work' vehicle-- dad signed over the title to me! Free and clear, I had another pick-up AT LAST! The catch? I had to fly down to San Antonio Texas (where pops lives with my sister), and DRIVE it back here to Okie-land! UURRRGH!!!
More of a kind of 'cross-over' vehicle, than an actual truck (the fiberglass bed-cover and SUPER-short bed-length didn't make it practical for hauling much!)--- the 'Supey-cab' was STILL a great 2nd vehicle for Deb and I! It made several runs up to Missouri, and carted me back & forth to work, for close to a year and half.
A collision with a GIANT-sized deer put the 'Supey off the road! There was SO much damage to the front-end, and repairing it would've been SO expensive, I ended up putting it on Craig's List 'as is'! A Latino guy from Texas bought it, and his brother (a 'body-and-fender' man) had it back on the road in about 2 weeks!
That's where my 'mixed-feelings' come in! I SURE wish I would've had the cash AND know-how to get it fixed-up! It was something of a reminder of BOTH: my pop's love for nifty-trucks, as well as my mom, who was something of a 'K.N.O.T'. fan herself!

So, I guess I'll ALWAYS have a special place in my heart for K.N.O.T.s of  ALL kinds! As well as my dad-- who passed on that love to me!

 

'Deno - Dog', R.I.P.

 

The 'big guy', in healthier, happier times!

It's sometimes a SAD thing to have to do, here on the 'ol bloggy-thingy-thang--- but, I have to note the passing of someone important in MY life, and the life of my family! This time around, it's another LONG-time animal friend, the Deno-dog! (Pronounced 'Dean-o', like the Flintstones 'pet dinosaur'!) A member of the Ferrell-clan for close to 15 years!

For MOST of his life, Deno was pretty much our GIANT puppy! (I mean that in BOTH good AND bad ways! He could REALLY be a headache and handful, especially during thunderstorms, which scared him SILLY!) He was a Lab / Pit-Bull mix, so-- he was no 'lap-dog'--- he weighed at least 85 - 90 pounds!! But-- he was nearly ALWAYS gentle in his disposition, and ALWAYS friendly and sweet-natured with our kids as they grew up. Wade was about 9 or 10, Shelby 12 or so--- when he came into our lives. So, he definitely was considered a part of our family!

In the past several weeks, his health had been in a pretty steep and steady decline-- so Deb and I made the VERY difficult decision to have him (gently!) put to rest yesterday. This kind of thing is NEVER an easy choice to make, and the 'big guy's departure is SURE gonna leave a BIG hole in our lives for quite a while! We take some measure of peace, though, knowing that he isn't suffering or struggling any longer! 

Rest well, 'ol buddy! I'm sure there's PLENTY of lush, green grass for you to roll-around on your back and frolic in, (one of those GIANT puppy things you always did!) up in Heaven! You'll live on too, in our memories and hearts!

Eddie!! (TRULY a rocker 'ahead of his time'!)

 

Eddie Cochran, Rock & Roll pioneer and guitar GENIUS! Just a partial list of the folks he influenced is pretty AMAZING! (Keep scrollin' & readin' to see that 'partial list' below!)

Delays, delays, DELAYS!! 'life-happenings', and other 'boring-'ol-grown-up business' have been setting up a steady STREAM of 'road-blocks' to keep me from putting up this post in the usual 'mid-month' spot I try to shoot for! For the TEENY-TINY-faithful-few that follow along with me on the 'ol bloggy-woggy-wang-dang-thingy-thang---- I appreciate your patience!

It's been a good CHUNK of time since I've turned my focus on a favorite musician or band, so-- I figured it was high time to share some thoughts and just generally GEEK-out, on one of my ALL-TIME faves from the early days of Rock and Roll. The EVER-so-talented, out-right AMAZING-- Mr. Eddie Cochran!

'Eddie-the-C' around 1956. doing the song 'Twenty-flight Rock' in an otherwise mediocre movie, 'The Girl Can't Help It'! I actually heard Paul McCartney sing this song FIRST! See details below!

Like most folks in my age-group, My earliest memories of Eddie's music --were hearing his two most popular tunes on the oldies stations way back in my high school days. 'Summer Time Blues', and 'C'mon Everybody' deserve the enduring popularity they've had over the years too! They're well-crafted, toe-tappin'-and-head-bop-inducing, CLASSIC 'Rock-a-billy'-flavored tunes! If you don't at least do a little 'head-bopping' to either of them--- something is definitely WRONG with your bopper, trust me!

But--- much like a number of the artists I've grown to be all geeky about over the years, since those ANCIENT high school days-- Eddie Cochran has been placed a LOT higher-up on the list of folks that I admire-- the more I've learned, (even recently!) the more I've been just floored by this guy's talents, abilities--AND--his influence on later guitar-slingers and bands! (More on that later!)

Now, as I've said here before-- I'm pretty sure, if you want more 'in-depth' knowledge of Eddie's career, life, and other information--- there are other sources around the web for all of that! Here, I just want to focus (as I USUALLY do!) on how that prolific talent of his touched and affected my life.

 Also-- I've only recently discovered / listened to a LARGE number of his tunes! Thanks-- once again, to the virtual MOUNTAIN of 'Cochran material' available on the wonderful GEEK-ZONE known as YouTube! 

Speaking of that-- my jaw DROPPED to the floor, when not long back, I stumbled across THIS real GEM! It's Eddie, on a 'Kids-Dance-Party' type program, around 1959-- doing one of those 'head-boppin' tunes I referred to above!!--

How about THAT! Eddie wasn't JUST a 'studio-wonder'! He was a KILLER guitarist and performer live too! Oh, he was INDEED pretty astounding around a recording studio though! He was one of the very FIRST artists to do multi-instrument over-dubs and (at the time) what were considered kinda WEIRD guitar-distortions and effects on his records!

Only in recent years, I've learned just what a HUGE group of rockers, blues-players, and even country performers have been influenced by Eddie! Just a partial list!--- Paul McCartney, (I DID know about Eddie's influence on him! see below!) The Rolling Stones, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, The Beach Boys, Jeff Lynne, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin,  Brian Setzer (who even played Eddie in the movie 'La Bamba'!), Alan Jackson, and Van Halen!

Pretty head-spinning list, right? And this was a guy who was a 'self-taught' guitarist. A guy who dropped out of high school at age 14 to be a full-time musician. He was also a guy who eventually learned to be a 'multi-instrumentalist'-- he could play not ONLY the guitar--but also the base & drums!

In a MIND-BLOWING mere 5 - 6 years, Eddie -- at the age of only around 20 years old, was having chart-topping singles, and packing-- not-to-mention ROCKIN'--houses wherever he toured! Then, while touring in England, his life was oh-SO-tragically cut short in a car accident. He was only 21 years old.

Like with so many other artists who leave this earth at such a young age, I wonder just WHAT kind of later career Eddie would've had. NO doubt, he would've continued being an inventive, innovative, and ALWAYS entertaining rocker! The music he left behind for us to enjoy, plainly shows us that!

As I was saying above, He's actually an artist I've grown to respect and admire, the more I've  learned about him (AND his music, of COURSE!) over the years. In no particular order, here's my 'top 4' (other) favorite tunes From Eddie. 3 of them I've only heard for the FIRST time within the past year! It just 'melts-the-brain', to think that this stuff was recorded over 6 DECADES AGO!!!--- 

A quick note about 'Twenty-Flight Rock'! In the 1995 'Beatles Anthology', Paul McCartney talks about playing & singing this tune for John Lennon, as an 'audition' to get into John's band (you know, the little group that eventually became-- well you KNOW WHO!). He then sings some of the chorus of the song.

Until that documentary, I had NEVER heard that particular 'Cochran tune'! It would be nearly another 18 years before I actually added the song to the 'ever-expanding-Ferrell-music-collection'! It was just a case of the Loydster being a 'slow-poke', not because the song wasn't / isn't COOL-- because, of course-- IT IS!!

'Nervous Breakdown' is one of those tunes I referenced up above, where there's not ONLY some VERY 'ahead-of-it's-time' guitar-effects, but some NEAT-O voice-effects / distortion going on throughout! LONG before the boys in the Beatles were experimenting in the studio, Eddie had already 'been-there-done-THAT'!!

Eddie, Rockin' it LIVE at an auditorium in England-- his FINAL tour -- sometime in early 1960.

In pretty much ALL of Mr. Cochran's stuff, that-- bouncy, feeling-good-even-if-you're-broke, dance-like-nobody's-watching GROOVE just DRIPS from every twangy-note from his oh-SO-COOL Gretsch guitar! Even when I was only familiar with a couple of his songs, Eddie Cochran was one of my 'go-to' artists --whenever I wanted to hear just the RIGHT kind of 'feel-good' music! The young man may have left us nearly 65 years ago--- but the music will live ON-- for generations to come!

This NEXT little item, is a PS to last month's post! I just figured--- well, since there's a 'Lego-version' of the '89 Bat-ride now residing in the collection, why NOT do a 'Lego-version' of the Loydster's ALL-TIME fave Batmobile.... the '66 TV-ride! 

So-- looking for a 'bargain', since the 'official' Lego-release of the '66 car is BOTH--getting kinda scarce in stores already, AND kinda EXPENSIVE-- I ordered a custom M.O.C. version from 'an over-seas' company. Hey, the price was reasonable! BUT--- well, see my comments below!!-- I also ordered an 'Adam West'-style 'Bat-mini-figure'-- from another company! (Which I did INDEED pay a little TOO much for!) You just can NOT have the car, without the Caped Crusader! 

After a nice LONG wait for BOTH (the build-set of) the car and the 'driver' to FINALLY arrive in my mailbox, here's how it all turned out!---

This not being an 'official' Lego set, the MOC Batmobile has NO stickers with it. So, the handy-dandy printer / scanner came to the rescue with photo-copied 'Bat-symbols' for the doors & wheels! 

'Adam' seated in his VERY cool ride! This was the first, AND will be the last 'MOC' Lego-set I'll ever want to tackle! Getting the 'build instructions' was a bit of a hassle, and the build hit a number of snags-- actually needing to be GLUED together in a few spots! It DID turn out VERY nifty though, and--- as long as the end result makes me smile--- then it's ALL worth it!


-----See you NEXT time gang!!!----

'The MAD-DOCTOR' strikes yet AGAIN!! Customizing & building even MORE toy 'Bat-rides'!

 

Whether it's customizing another toy-vehicle into one, OR-- building and collecting models / replicas of one of it's various versions....the 'ol Loydster DEFINITELY just KEEPS 'Bat-rides-on-the BRAIN'!! So... why is the 'cartoon-version-of me' thinking about the '66 version of the Caped Crusader's wheels so deeply? Just keep reading & scrolling downward, you'll FIND OUT!!

As I've no doubt talked about before, here on the bloggy-woggy-thingy-thang, I've had to keep MOST of my toys, doo-dads and gee-gaws in deep-cold-storage, for a WHILE now! Right at this moment--- that's approaching 3 YEARS! BUT-- that doesn't mean I don't occasionally stumble across something that just GRABS me! Some (usually 'Bat-guy'-related) item, that I just DIG so much, I end up latching onto anyway! Even though I know that it'll have to be 'stashed-into-storage' shortly after I get my little paws on it! (The 'living space' here at the 'ol 'cracker-box' is already pretty TIGHT!)

Speaking of stuff  I've snagged, tinkered-on, AND already had to stash-away: ---starting just before Christmas-- and going on into late last month, I've tinkered-around with the following 3 projects--- of COURSE they're BATMOBILES! I would / could go all into how much my LOVE for that vehicle has DOMINATED my brain for a good CHUNK of my life! If you've been following me here for any length of time though---- well, you ALREADY know that!

SO--- without any further 'rattling on', let's just have a look-see at the latest 'Loydster-toy-Bat-ride-customizing-and-MAD-SCIENTIST-experiments'!----

Just before Christmas, I stumbled across this 'action-figure-scale' Batmobile at a thrift store-- for a 'whopping' dollar-and-a-half! (The above pic is a 'company image' from a web-site! Mine was a bit more beat-up / played-with by a kid!) It's a bit 'cartoony', and a little 'tank-like'! But-- it still has a VERY cool, almost 'steam-punk' vibe to it! (check out ALL those exposed rivets!) 

Of course, I saw LOTS of 'customizing potential' in it, so--- out came the screw-driver, (you HAVE to take these things apart, to customize them RIGHT you know!) clear-sheet-plastic and paint!

This particular version of the 'Gotham Crime-Buster's' ride, (put out by 'Spinmaster' a year or two back, I believe) came with a kinda neat 'transforming' feature! The hood-sides, 'cannon-thingy', and front-fenders all popped-up and out-- whenever you closed the canopy over the driver's seat.
My ideas for customizing this toy, of course, would do away with ALL of that! Mainly because I wanted this to be JUST the Batmobile, not a 'transformers' vehicle! I can understand why a little kid would think that would be NEAT-O though!

Finally, after thrashing on it-- for a bit over a day-and-a-half or so--- that's a fairly QUICK turn-around for me on this kind of thing!--- HERE are some images of the finished-up, custom-painted (dark metallic bronze-- VERY cool!) 'semi-tank'-Batmobile! I'm pretty proud of how it turned out!---

Next up, the project that relates to the cartoon up at the top of this here post! During my time-off from work, between 'C-day' and New Years (a MUCH-needed break from the 'ol work-place, trust me!!) I finally managed to snag--- through the WONDER of E-bay auctions-- some items that I'd been DROOLING over for well OVER a year-and-a-half! The action figures (from the 'Mcfarlane toys' line) of the '66 TV Batman & Robin, AND of course--- the Batmobile! 

They were sold / shipped to me 'loose' / out of the packaging, which saved me some SERIOUS cash! ( I snatched-up ALL 3, for a little more than what the Batmobile alone would've normally cost.) Thankfully though, they were ALL in GREAT shape!

This is more-or-less what they looked like when they arrived! (Again, I'm utilizing a 'company pic' to illustrate here! Mine actually came wrapped-up in bubble-wrap, in a plain old cardboard box.)----

While I was initially VERY excited to FINALLY get this LONG-awaited treasure, after placing the figures into the car, (not-to-mention checking-out the Batmobile itself somewhat CLOSER!) I saw some --- let's just say---PROBLEMS!----

The Adam West and Burt Ward-versions of the 'Dynamic Duo', seated in their famous ride! Notice anything.... uh, WEIRD???

 Generally speaking-- the figures are great (for 6 inch figures, the likenesses of the two actors are pretty dead-on!), and the 'likeness' of the Batmobile itself, is pretty faithful to the real car! It suffered from some fairly serious issues though! Thankfully, NONE of them were anything that a 'mad-scientist-type' like myself couldn't resolve! I recognized 4 pretty GLARING 'defects' in it altogether! In NO particular order then, let's look at those factory GOOF-UPS!-----

I  checked-out a few 'toy-review' videos (on YouTube, natch!), where pretty much ALL the reviewers INSISTED that the figures were 'out-of-scale' with the car! I don't feel THAT is where the problem is! While the scale MAY be 'off' a VERY slight amount (5 - 10 percent, at most!), the ACTUAL problem is--- how HIGH the figures are sitting inside the car! More on this problem--and my solution--- below!

OTHER issues were----

Once AGAIN-- out came the trusty screw-driver, paints--AND-- a JUST purchased 'rotary-tool'! (THAT is a 'generic'-type-term for a Dremel, folks!) I took the following steps to get this baby ready to CUSTOMIZE into a more RIGHT-ON & RIGHTEOUS '66 Bat-ride!---

There was a couple of REALLY good reasons for 'blowing apart' this Batmobile!-- 1. It was pretty much the ONLY way to be able to get at the 'bottom-half' of the interior bucket-- where all the modifications needed to happen! 2. It also made doing the painting on the interior items (not to mention being able to paint the trim on those front & rear 'bubble' windows!) WAY more simple!

THIS is where that rotary tool came in VERY handy! After cutting-out the 'seat-bottoms' (unseen, when the figures are in the car!) and a small section in front of where the figure's legs fit into the car--(unseen, under the dash-board!) this would place them nearly 2 INCHES lower into the interior!

1. The LAST, but VERY important detail, to take care of in this 'customizing-process'! The Batman figure's left hand was a 'clenched' fist! This of course had to be 'opened-up', (utilizing the rotary tool, with a drill-attachment! VERY handy --once AGAIN!) 2. so he would have the correct 'Adam-West-BOTH-hands-gripping-the-steering-wheel'-pose that would be JUST RIGHT!

After a couple of days worth of thrashing-- (again, that's BLISTERING speed, compared to my usual pace with this kind of stuff!), here's the results of my 'customizing / mad-scientist'-session!----

The MOST difficult 'body-opening-line' to get onto the car!--- the HOOD-OPENING!

I'm VERY grateful to sites like '1966 Batmobile' (a site devoted to the TV show car, of COURSE!), as well as the 'Jazzinc Dioramas' site! (They had a BEAUTIFUL, super-accurate 1/6 scale replica of the car for sale-- for a VERY brief time! WELL out of my price-range, of COURSE!)-- BOTH have numerous images up of not ONLY the car's exterior, but NICE shots of the interior as well!

This helped me figure out --not only interior colors and paint-placement, BUT-- exactly WHERE all the hood, trunk, and door 'lines' SHOULD be on the car's body! With some CAREFUL placement of masking-tape, an X-acto knife, and LOTS of patience--- ALL of the 'body lines' are now where they SHOULD be!

One more note on the customizing of the toy-'66 Bat-ride. If you happen to be an ULTRA-geek-a-zoid about the 'accuracy' of replicas / models / toys based on THIS particular car--- and, yes--- there's folks out there even more HARD-CORE about their fandom of it that even ME!!---- Then, you'll notice a few things that either I left unchanged (the 'dull finish' look on the wheels for example!), OR-- that I strayed a bit from copying the original 'exactly', here and there! (Like: the 'gun-metal' gray paint I used, on the front & rear 'grill / mesh' areas of the car.)

My response to that is--- I kind of imagine this Batmobile to be a 'season 4' version of the car! In other words, if the show had went for a 4th season--- (there were only 3 in the original show!) this might've been what a slightly 'spruced-up'-for-another-season' version could've looked like! 

Hey, the producers of the show actually DID take the real car back to George Barris' shop for 'freshening-up' a number of times-- including between seasons, back in the day! So this kind of  'what if...?' thinking isn't TOO far-fetched!

This last (only for NOW!) project, was brought about through a gift I received at Christmas time! Though I didn't get around to tinkering on it, 'til just in the last week or two! 

My son, Wade-- himself a pretty SERIOUS fan of the 'Gotham Guardian'--- gave me THIS!-- (Hint: it's my 2nd-favorite version of  'a certain car'--- of ALL TIME!)-- for a SURPRISE gift! And what a VERY cool gift it is INDEED!---

BUT--- before I go into all of my GUSHING about THAT little 'gift-project', let's pause for a moment, to give a healthy SHOUT-OUT to somebody ELSE who ALSO gave the 'ol Loydster a couple of VERY NIFTY 'Bat-guy'-related gifts for Christmas!!----

I would be a total BOOB of a dad indeed, if I didn't mention a couple of  WAY-COOL-NIFTY-RIFFIC gifts my daughter, Shelby-- also surprised me with at Christmas!----

When I was opening THIS gift up, Shelby told me--'Dad, this was the PERFECT gift for you, because it's SO NERDY!' The remote is about an inch long, the TV, maybe 4 inches wide! you can view different scenes from the classic show with the 'channel' buttons on the remote! VERY neat-o!

This second 'Bat-gift', is even MORE special-- because it's something Shelby thought-up and created herself! (With the help of a 'Cricut printer' she was experimenting with!) It now PROUDLY holds pens & pencils on my little computer-desk, here at the 'cracker-box'!
She also, utilizing the above-mentioned printer-- created a 'History of Batman' T-shirt for me! Alas, I didn't think to snap off any pics of it for this post! (Maybe in a near-future post, perhaps!) Thanks SO much, daughter-o-mine! Love you to the moon and back! Even when you're NOT giving me NIFTY 'Bat-related' stuff!

          NOW--- back to that 'nearly-TOO-COOL-for-words' Lego '89 Bat-ride!-----                                

The car (complete with the 'machine guns' that pop-up out of the front fenders!---and-- a SPINNING flame out in the back!) and the mini-figures -- one a 'Lego-Michael-Keaton' Bats figure (of COURSE!) took maybe a grand total of 3 1/2 hours or so to put together! FUN to build, and-- one day-- (SOON, I hope!) a nice item to set up in a PRIME spot in the collection of toy / scale-model Bat-rides!

'Lego-Keaton-bats' and 'Lego-Nicholson-Joker' posing with one VERY COOL Lego-'89-Batmobile! Like I said--- THIS one deserves a place of HONOR in the 'Loydster-Bat-collection'!

                                                    

All the projects above, have helped the 'ol Loydster keep that MUCH-needed circuit open-- that keeps him in contact with his 'inner-9-YEAR-OLD'! Every time I finish tinkering on some kind of 'toy-Bat-ride' customizing / model-building--- I'm taken back in time! I'm in my parent's living room, on a late weekday afternoon...it's 1973 or '74... and I'm watching THIS opening scene, ALL over again!----

STILL one of the ABSOLUTE BEST 'episode-kick-offs' / opening segments--- in ALL of television! 'Nuff said!!!!  See you NEXT time, gang!