Lou Moritz’ Classic Batmobile

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Here’s a description of the work that went into building this Batmobile. The “Caped Custom” kit is an earlier produced version. It did not come with a chassis, so I used an AMT/ERTL 66 Ford Galaxy as a donor. The frame was cut and legenthened to fit the longer wheelbase of the Batmobile body using Plasti-Strut tubular styrene. The rest of the chassis along with the Ford engine was built to stock configuration. Extensive cutting and shaping was needed to fit the front wheel wells into body. Gaps between the frame and body were filled using sheet styrene cut to shape.

The completed chassis was painted flat black, and details were highlighted with various shades of gray, gloss black and aluminum. While the authentic “Radir” wheels, emergency beacon and other pieces was out getting chromed I wet sanded the resin body until it was ready for paint. After a coat of primer/sealer was applied and let to dry I again wet sanded the body, airbrushed the red paint onto the area’s where the accent pin striping was to be and let that dry.

Let me point out that all the paints used were automotive grade lacquers. Once the red was dry I used Bare-Metal foil to lay out the pin stripping over the red areas. Then 4 coats of gloss black was applied over the body. When that was dry I peeled off the Bare-Metal foil to revile the red pin stripping. I wet sanded the paint until it was as smooth as can be and gave it two coats of clear. The body sat for two weeks to dry out and than again I wet sanded the clear. After polishing it out I sat it aside while I painted and detailed the interior.

The bats on the wheels were hand made and painted as well as the bat emblem on the door. About the only thing I forgot to do was make the license plate with the proper marking. Once completed it sat in a local hobby shop on display for 2 years only to have a local doctor bug me to death until I sold it to him for $300.00 The next one I build is staying put in my Batman Collection!

That does it on the Caped Custom.

Lou Moritz
originally posted in 2001