You are viewing old version of our website. Please click on HOME link to be redirected to new site. Thanks.
Batmobile Forum
Make the 89 a reality.
From: Jack Knight1979
| Posted: 11/18/2005 1:43:35 PM
|
Posts: 212
Make the 89 a reality.
Here's the thing. I've wanted an 89 car since, well, 1989. No matter what accomplishments I've made in life there has always been a need for me to build the 89 car.
Truth be told, I'm no where closer to owning one today than when I was 10. I may know a hell of a lot more about the car, but I still don't have one part of it.
I'm a successful guy. I own a design/print agency and do okay, but I don't have 20k to throw out the window for a fiberglass kit.
So, what can we do as a group to make this car a reality to us regular guys? I do have the money to buy components of the car over time. I have not found a builder willing to sell components of the car. (for the 89 car)
For instance, I'd LOVE to have the gun doors. Not only will it make me one step closer to having a finished car, the doors will look sweet hanging on my office wall.
If someone on this board can actually help me build a car, contact me. I've talked to countless people over the years that point me in the wrong direction over and over again. I'm tired of spinning my wheels. I know most of the people who have these cars were hooked up or given a break.
Well, I'm asking for a break.
I've tried everything short of begging for help, so I'll give this a try. Thanks for reading this. Just needed to vent a little of my frustration.
I don't have a batmobile, but I have a remote R2-D2
www.c4-designs.com/ciii
From: n8mobiles
| Posted: 11/18/2005 2:53:10 PM
|
n8man
Posts: 432
RE: Make the 89 a reality.
Hey Jack,
I feel your pain. Take out the word "89" and put in "66" and it's pretty much my story. It was just the coolest car in the world to me. I sat in one in 1987 and was hooked. But who has that kind of money to toss around on a nonessential? Mortgage or rent, bills bills etc.
Well I saved and saved, and searched and searched. Met all the players (Barris, Butts, and Currie) met the long time bat fans who knew where the bodies were buried. Still no car from when I was ten in 1971 watching the show in reruns to 1996. But I kept my ear to the ground, and got
a body for a good price, and a builder who would mount it to the frame. Then 6 years of tinkering out in the garage, and then Mark T. came in to
help me finish it off right. Even with lots of breaks, great timing, being in the right place and knowing the right people and how to find them, the car still cost me around $40 grand, and if you figure in my time it's as much or more than a turn key cost today.
My advice is do one of two things. Know you have responsibilities and money is better spent on debt retirement, IRA's, College funds if you have kids, paying down the mortgage. Then for you, enjoy the board, collect photos and toys as a placebo.
OR
Get focused, get serious, look at lines of credit, keep your ear to the ground and get it done.
Which do I reccomend? Well I had a blast putting it together, it was fun and took up TONS of my time and thoughts for 6 years, and I have a great looking 66 batmobile to drive around in. I gave up a lot of extras to have it. I am no Devoe Moore who can just place an order and have it delivered. I actually don't think the car would mean much to me if I had been able to do it that way.
Was it worth it? To me yeah it was, but if someone came up with an offer of over 100 grand I would probably cosider selling it. Because those other things are really more important, and having a car that makes you feel GREAT every time you sit in it, is really and truly just a crazy toy.
But if you don't have a garage for it, you may want to start with that!
This is really a 80-150 thousand dollar toy, and there are a lot
of things in that price range I would love to have. You can get kits for less than 20 grand, but even if you got one for half that, you are still about 20 grand away from a finished car at the cheapest.
I'm not offering advice, just letting you know what it's like from the other side of a guy who went and did it.
Chip Foose, I am your doppleganger
From: Tim
| Posted: 11/18/2005 3:38:56 PM
|
getting bored
Posts: 2411
RE: Make the 89 a reality.
All your kids work at McDonald's now but you do have a very nice car!!
From: 2wylde
| Posted: 11/18/2005 4:05:57 PM
|
Posts: 377
RE: Make the 89 a reality.
What's wrong with that? The more of your kids that work at McDonalds, the more money you can spend on the car! That was a good post though. I'd love to have an89 someday, but I'm remodeling a house, saving for that garage etc etc. So for now, I'll have to live vicariously through you guys and enjoy your progress. It's cool to watch though, becasue you guys building cars give the rest of us hope that someday... we can too.
Matt
From: Dee
| Posted: 11/18/2005 4:41:34 PM
|
Born 2 Drive
Posts: 1409
RE: Make the 89 a reality.
I'm on my count down to my 89 and I can't wait. All I'll have is the kit and i have visions of me sitting on the Batcave floor looking out the window of the kit cos i've no car to put it on yet but it's a vision i'm so looking 4wrd to whole-hartedly. This is the count down to pic 1.
89 Coming Very Soon
From: Jack Knight1979
| Posted: 11/18/2005 4:44:32 PM
|
Posts: 212
RE: Make the 89 a reality.
congrats on the kit. i hava a friend who is a chassis builder and i my other buddy used to run the ford auto body shops in metro detroit, so the build thing should be less painful.
just tracking down a kit for the right price is killing me.
I don't have a batmobile, but I have a remote R2-D2
www.c4-designs.com/ciii
From: Dee
| Posted: 11/18/2005 4:54:44 PM
|
Born 2 Drive
Posts: 1409
RE: Make the 89 a reality.
Well wot n8 said about it being an expensive toy is spot on but wot a toy. How Batman can drive it around without a smile on his face is beyond me. I'll be driving it around like a chessire cat
Make the 89 a reality.
