Customizing: Chicks Dig the Car, Part 1

In the past, oh, what? Fifteen years of 6-inch action figures, we have received exactly TWO Batmobiles.  That’s nonsense.

This year does, however, herald DC Collectibles’ first foray into making a vehicle, and it is the iconic Animated Series model, so that does help right some of that decade-and-a-half of wrong. Some.

Strangely, it’s the solicitation of that Batmobile that got me started on a project, and since vehicle building is almost like a Freemason subset of the customizing culture, I’ve decided to write on this work as it goes.  This way, maybe some of you who’ve wanted to try a big project, or just wondered what the hell is wrong with those of us that take them on regularly, can get a feel for it without having to fire-up your dremel or go to the doctor for stitches.  As I layout this first part, I am mid-build, so I’m going to start with the concept and ideas, then parts and pieces, then assembly and paintwork.  There is always a fair chance of a project like this becoming a mess, so in an effort to keep it real, there is a possibility you might see part 3 labeled “F–k THIS, I’m Out!,” but let’s hope not.

I’ve been wanted to build a new Batmobile for a while now.  Obviously, I’ve wanted to take on a new Bat-tank, a la Dark Knight Returns, but I have a confession to make — as a vehicle, it’s actually pretty ugly.

And while we know it by association, there’s little about it that really says “Batmobile” by looking at it.  You could say the same about something like the Tumbler, but its design of sportscar-meets-dunebuggy does speak a little more “Batman” than a bulging WWI-style tank with a dinosaur head for a turret. And, of course, where do you get the fodder?  You’d have to scratch-build most of it. But to make it functional, like with working treads — a must on ANY vehicle — and an opening cabin, would be a ton of effort. And, like I said, it wouldn’t even be a labor of love, because maaaaan, it’s ugly.  Doesn’t mean I won’t attempt it at some point again, but inspiration has been a long time coming, and I want to build something now.

And its a universe apart from the clean and sexy lines of the BTAS-mobile.  But, as I said, that one’s now covered, and it looks fantastic, so I don’t necessarily need to build an accurate, look-specific Batmobile any longer. So I got to thinking about building my own design for one instead.

If we consider the BTAS one as a “standard” Batmobile, or “daily driver,” then I can build something more special purpose, like a Bat-tank.  But rather than a large and unyielding vehicle, Batman would benefit from something that could still maneuver. And a personal pet peeve of mine, he needs at least one vehicle with a high ground clearance, since you couldn’t take any sort of the Tumbler off a steep curb without getting high-centered.

So a “Bat-truck” of sorts?  There’s been some designs like that:

 

There’s even some elements of that in the Arkham Knight version.

And it was in looking through those that I came across an identity for this vehicle: heavily armored, highly maneuverable, high clearance, and has some Bat-elements.  So basically, a Tumbler that looks like it wasn’t designed for the Nolan movies.  A “Retro-Tumbler” — essentially, thinking in terms of what a designer around the 1989 movie would be looking at to build a Tumbler-type vehicle. Something more conventional in terms of wheels and layout, but still exotic enough to stand out.

And the feel that I got was something that would look like an armored car on a Baja truck frame.  I like it.  But can I build it…

 

… and even if I can’t, you can still preorder the DCC one from Big Bad Toy Store.