Aftermarket 1966 Batmobile decals?

[Nitrozilla]

I'm super-detailing my 1/32 Batmobile and would like to find the correct red stripes as opposed to the amber set supplied. Anybody notice there's only one trunk stripe instead of 4?

If Slixx or Whoopie Kat has any plans, I haven't heard. Would one of them make a set for me?

What? Super detailing did you say? I'm using a boat load of straight pins for the antennae, door pull knobs, push button tranny greeblies (in the correct color and order) and it's even getting a pin head for the fire extinguisher pressure gauge! Hey, I'll need a teenie tiny bat decal for the extinguisher too!

I'll have pics soon.

Joe

[Zoom Zoom]

Anyone who has seen a real Batmobile in person knows the stripes are more of a fluorescent orange than red...that said, the "amber" color in the kit may be more accurate than red. The stripes photograph as red, but in real life they're much brighter.

[Nitrozilla]

Thanx for the input, however, I meant correct to the pics I've seen. I know they're amber even though I've never seen one in person. Klingon Bird of Prey studio models are painted nowhere near the green they appear to be on film.

I'm going for red by jinkies!

Joe

[sjordan2]

Anyone who has seen a real Batmobile in person knows the stripes are more of a fluorescent orange than red...that said, the "amber" color in the kit may be more accurate than red. The stripes photograph as red, but in real life they're much brighter.

I, too, have seen the original TV Batmobile at George Barris's facility in L.A. (there were a few duplicates), and I agree with Bob that the actual trim color is more of a fluorescent red/orange than a true red. Further, the black body finish is slightly textured, covered with very fine metal particles that were electroplated to the body, and which are rough to the touch. (This means a little orange peel is OK). At most – regardless of what you may have seen in pictures of the car updated or replicas – the finish should be semi-gloss, or regular lacquer with no clear coat.

Edited June 3, 2010 by sjordan2

[Harry P.]

Actually only the first Batmobile was flat black.

http://home.comcast.net/~apennyworth/original/1966batmobilevisualtimeline.html

[sjordan2]

Actually only the first Batmobile was flat black.

http://home.comcast.net/~apennyworth/original/1966batmobilevisualtimeline.html

Yes, and that's the one I saw at Barris's showroom. However, the subsequent ones were no more than semi-gloss, probably to avoid reflections of the camera crew and lights. The best reference would be on YouTube or DVDs.

[Harry P.]

Yes, and that's the one I saw at Barris's showroom. However, the subsequent ones were no more than semi-gloss, probably to avoid reflections of the camera crew and lights. The best reference would be on YouTube or DVDs.

I dunno... it looks pretty shiny to me!

[Harry P.]

The only resource I'd trust is stills and video from the show.

As in the above photo?

[Harry P.]

Right... they made changes to the cars throughout the TV series (there's a website that chronologically documents every change in excruciating detail), but apart from that pre-production flat black car with white pinstripes, all the TV Batmobiles were gloss black with red/cerise/dayglo orange/whatever you want to call it stripes.

[MrObsessive]

Just look at the footage from the show, it's in color after all.

That's one of the first TV shows I can remember that WAS in color back then! We just got a color TV set circa 1965 and most of the shows seemed to be in black and white still.

Yeah, I have a GOOD childhood memory!

[sjordan2]

Anyone thinking anything that Barris has touched since 1966 is the "real" or "authentic" Batmobile needs a reality check. Barris has created dozens of copies of his own most famous cars, and also signs/authenticates/whatevers any car with any show-biz collection. The Volo Auto Museum in Illinois is filled with "Barris" cars as well. Most are fantastically innaccurate replicas of cars from TV and movies that Barris had nothing to do with.

For what it's worth, the "authentic" Barris-signed Batmobile at Volo has day-glo orange painted stripes...and a blood-red bat decal on the door.

The only resource I'd trust is stills and video from the show.

Agree. But if you look at the hood as a sign of glossiness, you're not looking at the sides as a reaction to TV production needs. For example, I was a student intern on the "Banyon" TV series, a 30s private eye drama made in 1972, and we had all kinds of 30s classics, from Packards to Bugattis, etc., and every one was subjected to dulling spray on ths sides to reduce reflections (and sometimes to hide the wiring of machine-gun bullet squib wiring). What a TV or movie car should be is a very subjective matter.

[Greg Cullinan]

Your outta your bat mind if you think the stripes are amber

The lights look amber though

Man,now I have the song stuck in my head

[Harry P.]

I loved that show when I was a kid!

[Greg Cullinan]

Yes, definitely a classic.

Imagine showing it to a kid today,They would say"I would blast them fools running around in there drawers"

I tried hard to have my son appreciate the shows I did as a kid,I knew in 2003 when he was 3 and he thought looney tunes wasn't funny it was an uphill battle.

[Craig Irwin]

Althoe the "Number one" Barris Batmobile (the one built from the 1955 Ford motor co. Lincolin Futura show car) was painted gloss black for the TV show it was used for some "pre production" shots before it was finished while in flat black primer with WHITE stripes quickly air-brushed on. These photos are commonly refered to as the "primermobile" photos and may all be in black and white. The TV film crew sometimes covered the car with a powder to keep the glare down. This is why some beleave the car was flat or simi-gloss.

After the TV show run the number one and its 3 fiberglass copies were flocked and refered to as "bat-fuzz". This was in the the early '70's. All of the cars have been repainted many times. The striping color is House of Color flourescent red, and never photographs the same way twice.

Barris still owns the number one, and its siill in his showroom at his shop. He also has a second car, a fiberglass replica built by Bob Butts, that he tours with as the number one is just too valuable to take around. The three Barris shop fiberglass replicas (built on '66 Ford Galaxie chassis, and the number 5 car, (built by a fan in '66 from a '58 T-Bird but aquired by Barris) are all in private hands.

There are also about 100 fan built replicas out there too. Try 1966batmobile.com for history and great photos.

[Danno]

The new/current issue of Motor Trend Classic (designated "Summer 2010") has a great feature article on the TV Batmobile(s), researched and written by Arthur St. Antoine. He interviewed Barris and Barris let him "drive-test" one of the Batmobiles. Barris told St. Antoine he would be driving BM# 2.

Barris built the original TV Batmobile (BM# 1) from the 1955 Lincoln concept car the Futura. It was used in filming of the pilot and first shows. However, it was a handling nightmare and was difficult to drive/control. Barris pulled fiberglass replica bodies from BM# 1, and built three identical Batmobile clones in 1966, all based on stretched '66 Ford Galaxie chassis. BM# 3 replaced BM# 1 in filming of the show.

BM# 2 was immediately sent out on promotional tours to hype the new TV series. BM# 4 later joined it.

Later still, the Batmobiles were coated with a velvet paint (referred to as 'bat fuzz'). There are two versions as to why the bat fuzz coating was employed. It was reportedly done to conceal fiberglass stress fractures and cracks in the clone cars; Barris however contended it was done to reduce glare from the glossy finishes of the cars for filming.

BM# 1 and BM# 3 are apparently the only ones used for filming of the TV series. BM# 2 and BM# 4 were used for touring and promotional appearances to hype the TV show.

Back to the Motor Trend Classic "drive-test" of the Batmobile. True to form, Barris pulled a fast one on St. Antoine ... Barris told St. Antoine the car he was drive-testing was BM# 2 from 1966, the first clone Barris built; and Barris told St. Antoine it was used in filming the TV series. However, St. Antoine later discovered it was actually a version built in 2000 for a remake movie, "Return to the Bat Cave." The test car had significant 'upgrades' that differentiated it from the original 1966 cars.

St. Antoine confirmed BM# 2 is in Virginia in the possession of a private owner.

And, by the way, the Motor Trend Classic photo spread shows the stripes to be flourescent orange; in some camera angles they appear red-orange and from some angles they appear more yellow-orange although it is the same car ... BM# 5 circa 2000.

Ah, the legends live on. Bring on that new 1/25 scale kit. I'm ready! I can see the possibilities now ... build one to represent BM# 1; build another to represent BM# 3 with its glossy finish; build another to represent BM# 4 with its 'bat fuzz' finish, build another to represent BM# 5 with its modern BFGoodrich wide tires and modern upgrades and St. Antoine in the driver's seat, and build another and hide it in VA to represent BM# 2!

Edited June 4, 2010 by Danno

[Nitrozilla]

All good information and a terrific history lesson to boot. Guys, I want red stripes on my car and I'd like to do it with decals. Can we get back to the original question?

Joe

[Craig Irwin]

At this time the only way to get red stripes is to do them yourself.

Here is the info on the ONLY apperance of one of the replicas used on the Batman TV series. http://1966batvehicles.yuku.com/topic/455/t/Replica-seen-and-used-on-screen.html The Barris shop did refurbish the number 1 car, replacing the engine, transmision and steering box, as the car was flat troublesome in it's worn out orignal state. It was then returned to duty. It has been stated that the entire chassis was replaced, but I can refute that myself. I've been under the car myself, and have the photos to back it up.

Today Barris refers to his Bob Butts car as the number 2 car, because it is the second of the two cars he currently owns. It is not the fiberglass replica his shop built in 1966.

And remember, Barris was not out in the shop himself, others did the actual work, and he is "pure Hollywood" in his story telling. Take everything he says with a grain of salt.

[Nitrozilla]

That's what I was looking for! Mark, yer a genius. If I scan, color correct and print, I can make a duplicate for the additional stripes I need in the trunk. I know all the cars don't have those extra stripes, but I'm creating a model that incorporates all of my favorite features, not a studio replica.

Now, soon as I figger out how to send myself some pics from my new Droid, I'll post them. Darn phone is like learning a computer for the first time.

Thanx again!

Joe