Pimp My Batmobile!

From my post on the 1966 Batmobile website from 5/14/08:

I am exploring this a little with some detective work. Eric said originally:
“For Comic-Con 2008, Hot Wheels will have an exclusive Bat-vehicle like they did last year. I’m sworn to secrecy of which one it will be, but I can tell you it is a ‘66 Batman related item and it does have wheels & probably 1:50th scale!!” So -

It’s our first giveaway! And a first look video at the 1:50 Bat-vehicles with some size comparisons. No, we’re not pointing out all the flaws and taking them apart…yet.

Here are the rules of the giveaway. They’re pretty simple. It’s not a contest. No purchase is neccesary.  If you’re already a registered PMB! user - you’re already in the ring. If you’re not - go register. Here are the ridiculously few and simple rules:

• You must use a real email address. (Because that’s how we’ll notify you)
• You must be registered by 12:00am June 2nd.
• The offer includes shipping to lower 48 US States only. If you are from somewhere else - sorry - you’ll have to pay postage. If you don’t want it - it will go to the next person.
• On June 5th, after organizing my registrants, I will draw one registered email at random. That person will get the vehicles.
• I am giving away (1) 1:50 Batmobile and (1) 1:50 Batcycle, carded. 
• If I contact you by email - you have 48 hours to respond and “claim” your prize.
• That’s it. Except - you need to send us a photo of yourself with the  toys when you get them.

Alexander Rivera is a toy designer, moldmaker, caster, jewelry designer living in Alameda, CA. He has been a creative coordinator at Streamline Pictures, worked for Horizon Models, Testors, and has worked in the hobby business since he was 17.

His work has been seen over on the Batmobile site and I wanted to get him to talk about some of his techniques. Moldmaking and casting are a little daunting to some of our more casual hobbyists but achieving a super-accurate Batmobile is still within your reach! Alexander’s goal is to “to make the best standard Batmobile I can, as economically as possible.”

Here’s his work on removing the paint from the canopies:

One of the first things I wanted to do was to remove the black center paint on the canopies. They were not on the car when filming, so I remove the chassis and carefully sliced off the pins that hold the canopies to the body. Then gently pop the canopy off the arch,being careful because it is glued. The glue leaves a residue on both the canopy and the bar. This must be sanded down,using 600 to 1500 grit sandpaper in increasing progression. Use dishwashing liquid as a lubricant with each grade of sandpaper. What you’re left with after sanding is a fine foggy area which will have to be polished out. A product called Flitz and a cotton cloth should do it.

To remove the black paint, I used Easy Lift Off made by Polly-S.