Transforming the Futura into the Batmobile

Atomic batteries to power! Turbines to speed!" With those words in January of 1966, the TV series BATMAN™ was launched into American popular culture. A short-lived sensation for only three seasons, nevertheless, BATMAN thrilled kids across the nation because it brought a comic book hero to life. Twice a week in prime time, television screens flickered with flashy costumes, colorful graphics, wild cartoon villains and wonderful gadgets. I was eleven years old when I sat in the Batmobile for the first time. It was during a 1966 promotional tour for the new series. The crime fighter's wheels were sleek, black, big and jazzy and I'll never forget that moment. "Where does he get those marvelous toys?" asked the Joker in the 1989 big screen movie, BATMAN. Read on and I'll reveal where and how you can build your very own 1966 Batmobile. To the bat poles, Robin!

Some Bat-History One of the most famous cars in the world, the Batmobile™ is a vehicle with a checkered past. Originally, the Batmobile was a 1956 Lincoln-Mercury concept show car, the Futura. Costing the Ford Motor Corporation $250,000 to produce one prototype, the Futura incorporated into its design a clear bubbletop-enclosed driver and passenger compartment, recessed headlights, tail fins and lots of chrome. It was kind of new car the designers were telling consumers they would all be driving by 1965. Although the Futura became a very popular attraction on the car show circuit, Ford opted not to put their automobile of tomorrow into production. Instead, they loaned it to MGM studios to use in their 1959 romantic comedy, It Started With a Kiss. After filming, Ford never picked up the Futura and MGM sent it to famed car customizer George Barris for storage. MGM failed to pay the storage fees and Barris took possession of the car as payment. When contracted in 1965 by 20th Century Fox Studios, Barris spent $30,000 to convert the Futura into the famous Batmobile for the first episode. Over the next few months Barris Kustom Inc. would create four more, though there were no other Futuras available. Barris lengthened the chassis of smaller cars and used molds of the original Batmobile to create fiberglass bodies on three vehicles. The fifth Batmobile was constructed of metal and became a stunt car for the TV series and 1966 feature film. All five Batmobiles still exist today. George Barris owns the Futura and frequently tours the vehicle at numerous regional events. Number three Batmobile is owned and displayed by the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. The other three are privately owned in Virginia, Florida and New Jersey.

 

The Bat-Plan After a rigorous discussion between the Dynamic Duo of Fred DeRuvo and myself (don't ask which one is Batman or Robin, the Boy Wonder), a stereotypical scene of the Batmobile darting out of the Batcave came to mind as a terrific idea. Those five seconds of film may be the most immediately recognizable of the classic television series. An obstacle as confusing as deciphering one of the Riddler's riddles confronted me. Where would I find a model of the Batmobile? Aurora produced a 1/32nd-scale version during the 1960s that's now a rare, over-priced collectible. Some Japanese model company made a terrible toy-like Batmobile about 10 years ago. Also there was an unauthorized resin garage kit available for a while during the '90s, but none of these were practical options. I would have to either scratchbuild or convert something into the Batmobile. In 1956, Revell released a 1/25th scale Futura. It was reissued briefly in 1997 as part of their nostalgia series. Fred located a kit and we were in business. I was to relive history by converting the Futura into a crime fighter's low rider (Photo 1).

A Bat-Costume change A quick inspection of the Revell model impressed me, particularly for an example originally molded during the early years of plastic kit production. The Futura's distinctive lines were well duplicated and, though there were few elaborate parts, the details were crisply molded and fitted together fairly well. I noted that Barris Kustom retained most of the Futura's design when converting it into the Batmobile. The leading edges of the tail fins were extended, center section of the bubbletop discarded, wheel wells opened up to expose the wider tires and front end altered into a stylized bat face. When converting the Futura kit, these are key areas a modeler must devote effort to. The instruction sheet calls for building the car body around the assembled driver interior. To do so would make conversion difficult because of the serious amount of body filling and sanding necessary, which could mess up all the interior detail work. Instead, I cut out a 2 3/8" by 1 7/8" rectangle where the interior parts fit on the chassis (Photo 2). Setting aside the interior parts for now, I concentrated on customizing the car body. Revell omitted wheel wells, which makes the completed Futura model look like a toy rather than a replica in miniature. Using the kit wheels as reference to determine size and tire clearance, I fabricated and installed styrene sheet boxes on the chassis (Part 2) to represent the wells (Photo 3). Gap-filling super glue reinforced the seams. Next, the headlight parts (Parts 4 to 7) were glued together, then this sub-assembly and upper body (Parts 13 to 17) were attached to the chassis as per the instruction sheet. Automobile designs during the '50s frequently hid tires by lowering the body sides in an attempt to achieve a streamline appearance. Barris wanted to install wide "muscle car" wheels and tires. To do so, he had to flare the fenders.   With the aid of an ellipse template, I marked the fenders and cut out the flare utilizing a Dremel ½" barrel sander (Photo 4). The cut out extended about 1/8" above the kit wheel well openings. After studying photographs of the Batmobile, I turned my attention to altering the hood and nose grill (Photo 5). The headlight hoods were too pronounced and needed to be blunted slightly. Sheet plastic fillets were added to the outside edges, squaring off the hoods. The kit grill (Part 22) was omitted and a sheet plastic insert was installed, recessed 3/16", in the resulting opening. A .030" sheet plastic rectangle lengthened the hood bump by 1". I glued a 1" triangle of .020" thick sheet plastic to the grill's center. A 1/8"wide strip of .030" plastic connected the hood with the nose. Then I applied Testor's Red Putty to fill seams and build up the rounded contours. A word about using filler putty in customizing model car bodies: When building up large areas, you should spread thin layers on the desired spots. Allow the putty to dry thoroughly, then wet sand with 400-grit sandpaper. Repeat the process until the contours are correct and all surface imperfections disappear. Avoid thick applications of putty as it will take too long to dry and the putty becomes brittle and crumbly. Large areas of filler putty can shrink slightly as it dries and cures, sometimes cracking days after application. If possible, it's a good idea to set the car body aside for a couple of days and see if cracks appear. Unfortunately, I was on a deadline, so I had to take a chance and forge ahead.   A prominent fender and side trim ridge was evident both on the Futura and Batmobile. To depict this feature, a .100" half round plastic strip was glued on the raised body fender edge. I bent this to follow the wheel well openings. It looked crude at first, but once it was filled and shaped, I was satisfied (Photo 6). Dental tools were employed to re-scribe the door line grooves. Plastic sheet lengthened the tail fins' leading edges. The scalloped bat wing shapes on the tail fins were accomplished with round modeler's files. The rear bumper area was next for alteration. The bumper (Part 23) had raised taillight details that needed to be cut off. Body filler putty smoothed out the resulting rough surface (Photo 7). A turbine afterburner was fashioned from ½" lengths of ½" and 3/8" diameter plastic tubes. This was centered in the rear bumper and connected by a lot of filler putty. Following reference photos, I detailed the turbine afterburner with 3/16" long strips of .020"x.060" styrene strip. The rocket launcher tube holes were made right behind the cockpit opening with a 1/8" drill.

The Bat-Cockpit A new interior floor was cut from .040" styrene sheet to match the hole previously made in the chassis (Part 2). Barris retained the Futura's interior design, so it was proper to use the kit parts. The kit interior (Parts 1 & 3) was centered and positioned so it would properly align with the body when inserted. In his book, Back to the Batcave, Batman star Adam West recalled leaping into the Batmobile always made him feel like a real caped crime fighter. Even though nothing actually worked, all the dummy gadgetry had an aura of magic. And all those hysterical instrument labels! Bat Radar, Bat Scanner and Bat Ram - Bat whatever. Referring once again to my collection of Bat Photos (ha!), I noted numerous push buttons, switches and lights. Since my Batmobile was in a rather small 1/25th scale, it was more practical - and just as effective - to simulate these details rather than painstakingly attempting to duplicate all of them (Photo 8). Slicing plastic rod like salami, and gluing them to various logical spots on the dash, made push buttons. To duplicate the Futura's unique rolled dashboard compartments, I split 3/8" diameter tubing lengthwise. This was positioned and detailed with many 1/16th" plastic strips. Robin's Bat Radar screen came from a 1/35th-scale car headlight lens. Like the full size article, the characteristic U-ring steering wheel was modified from the Futura. Two distinct details are very identifiable by Bat-fans; the Bat Phone and the Bat Fire Extinguisher, and needed to be carefully fashioned. For example, the Bat Phone body was cut from a 1/72nd-scale car transmission with a bat wing shaped handset fashioned of sheet plastic. I wrapped a strand of thin copper wire around a pin, removed and stretched it to form the phone cord. Usually older kit supplied clear parts are rather poor. Often they are too thick or scratched. In the past I've replaced these parts with new vacu-formed items. But I realize most modelers don't own nor have access to professional vacu-form equipment. The kit's bubbletop can be modified IF you are very, very careful. To protect the surfaces I wrapped the canopy with masking tape (Photo 9). Fitting my Dremel tool with a disc saw blade, I slowly cut away the unwanted center section from the egg-like bubble ends. This is a tricky procedure, but does work if you don't rush. Novus makes plastic polishing products that restore the clarity and finish to clear plastic.

A Fresh Coat of Bat-Paint Black as Gotham City night was the color of Batman's ride. My choice was Testor's Model Master Classic Black. For speed, I used a spray can instead of an airbrush, which worked rather well. Once painted, I set the body aside to cure for three days before proceeding (Photo 10). Though it looked very snappy on the real thing, the task of hand painting all that red pin striping seemed overwhelming. Pactra produces "Trim Tape", an ultra thin, very flexible custom vinyl striping material designed for R/C models. Available in eleven colors, including red, each container is packed with 6-foot lengths in eight different widths. The 1/16th" is close enough to scale for this vehicle. "Trim Tape" is self-adhesive and Pactra claims it's permanent and highly resistant to peeling. Working slowly over the Batmobile's bulging fenders and long tail fins, I soon became amazed at this tape's ability to go around sharp curves and bends. To fix it in place you have to gently rub the tape down. Some areas were too complicated, so I hand painted pin strips in Testor's Guards Red, which is a close color match. It looked great and was less nerve-racking than attempting to hand paint all those lines. Fred gave me a decal sheet containing bat insignias in various scales. (The company that produced these, T & T Productions is out of business but you might try Green’s Model, PO Box 55787, Riverside CA 92517 Tel: 909.684.5300 • Fax: 909.684.8819 for your own set — Ed.) To assure better adhesion, I like "Micro Set" on decals. This liquid setting solution softens decals and makes them conform like paint. Easy to use. Clean the area with Micro Set applied with a brush. Apply the decal on the wetted surface and carefully apply more solution on top of the decal. In a couple of minutes the decal will soften. Press on the decal with a piece of foam rubber (weather stripping material).

An Eye for Bat Details Most of the cockpit was colored black with various details painted in silver, white and red (Photo 11). Mesh grilling in the car nose and rear bumper was created from Scale Scenic's aluminum Micro-Mesh, cut to shape and super glued to the openings. Model railroad hobby shops carry this product. You can also use Trimaster's photo-etch screening, though this product is much more expensive. The canopy roll bar was cut from .020" styrene sheet (Photo 12). I studied reference photos and fashioned the "emergency Bat turn, police beacon and light assemblies out of plastic tube, strip and sheet. As a cool finishing touch to the interior, I applied "Bat-labeling" signs from the above-mentioned decal sheet. With the cockpit completed, I could now permanently attach the canopy roll bar assembly. My spare parts box supplied the radio antenna and Bat chutes (Photo 13). Rocket launcher tubes were cut from 1/8" tube; the center pipe cut to 3/4" and the other pair cut to ½". A Batmobile license plate decal was attached to a like-size piece of plastic sheet and glued to the rear bumper beneath the afterburner.

Kick the Bat Tires and Rotate the Bat Wheels Wheels and tires were a big problem on the full size Batmobile. Originally Barris fitted the vehicle with Dragway five spoke wheels and Mickey Thompson Indy Profile tires. These consistently went flat between filming scenes. Mounting Radir rims equipped with Firestone tires seemed to solve the problem. MRC produces muscle car accessory sets. One has Cragar wheels and Thompson tires that resemble the Batmobile's original equipment (Photo 14). These are very easy to fit to any 1/25th scale car model and require no painting. The tiny bat-shaped hubcaps were carved from sheet styrene and painted red. It finally became time for a "walk-around" inspection. I stared at the completed vehicle from almost every angle, checking for any glitches in the paint. A few touch-ups by brush were indeed required. Like a prospective new car buyer, I caressed the showroom finish (Photo 15).

Holy car wax, Batman! Wait a minute, Boy wonder! The Batmobile is missing something - the road to Gotham City! Will Batman and Robin find the highway in time? Or will the Dynamic Duo be stranded off-road without a map? Tune into issue #38 to see how to create an exciting diorama for your Batmobile. Same Bat magazine, same Bat column!

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