Archive for the ‘Batcycle’ Category

Editor’s Note: Recently I was talking on another forum about my ongoing 1:25 Batcave diorama project and the person had not seen or heard of it before. I realized that the original blog articles had crashed when I took down the Scooter’s Custom Works website. (That website will be back up soon, by the way.) Even though that website content is gone, I found access in to the original Batcave blog articles and so I’m reposting them here, chronologically at PMB! Hopefully this will kick me into gear and my son Alex and I will get back on finishing the diorama up soon. The following post is from August, 2005.

For years, I had mused about creating a full-on, Batcave diorama in my favorite scale – 1:25. It seemed like  a great idea to house some of the many models I had created and also for a fun, large-scale project all  its own. I had been inspired by my friend Mike Stutelberg, whose own Batcave diorama is nothing short of breathtaking. It always seemed like a huge project and so years later, I still had not started it. Then, in 2004 a few things happened to kick-start my gumption. 1. My (then) 4 year old son had acquired a model railroading video that he watched over and over again, as 4 year olds do. And I watched it with him and soaked up some great fabrication tips. 2. Over the Christmas break, I noticed an eBay auction offering a custom 1:25 Atomic Pile model.

I thought it looked great and was amazed to see the Atomic Pile modeled in 1:25 scale and actually ON eBay for sale! I won the auction and when the model arrived I was amazed by the build-quality: Welded metal struts, cast resin panels, multi-media textures – it was very well done. I then realized that here was my answer. This was how the diorama model could get built – by supplementing our own work with pieces by other craftsmen. It would still be a huge, time-consuming folly, but it just might work!

I decided that I wanted to get an Atomic Pile model that was NOT anchored to a smaller cave setting like this one was, so I contacted the builder, Jim Graham and asked him to make me another one.

The new Atomic Pile would be freestanding and able to be utilized in my larger planned cave diorama. Now, how to house it, and what it would actually entail were the next questions I had to tackle.

Luckily, having a 4-year old telling you that anything, no matter how ambitious, is just what has to happen – is all you need to shame you into taking any project on.

And so, a Batcave – That’s it. It’s an omen. We shall model – a Batcave!

Through an arrangement with Replicarz, PMB! is happy to offer a sale on brand new, case fresh Elite Batcycles MIB. The Batcycles will ship direct to you from the distributor, so if you’re ordering any other stuff from us, the shipping costs and  time will be separate. This is a limited time offer that will only be around until their stock runs out!

$39.00*

We’re very sorry, but technical difficulties have kept us from launching the sale when we wanted to. We’re working on it right now and rest assured, if you’ve signed up for our list, you’ll get it as soon as it can be fixed to go out. Thanks for your patience.

-S

As mentioned, eluded to, hinted at, promised for months now, we are finally getting our inventory ready for the big blowout, members-only MEMORIAL DAY SALE-A-THON-A-BRATION! If you’re a PMB! member, you’ll get an email NEXT WEEKEND. If not – better get on our list. (join via the link in the sidebar on the right) What’s going to be on it? Not just PMB! parts – many other items. We’re selling off 90% of our collection and overstock to fund our new directions (and my 9-year-old’s braces) Anything and everything Batmobile. Including some pieces from our own collection. Including a rare full-size heavy duty, vinyl, magnetic door bat logo, original Batmobile photo signed by BOTH Adam West & Burt Ward,  An original Corgi #3 Batmobile/Batboat  Gift Set,  1:25 Batmobile model parts, Hot Wheels Elite 1:18, 1:43 and Super Elite Batmobiles and much, much more. Whatever doesn’t sell in the week of our e-sale will go up on eBay so if you don’t want to battle it out there – sign up to get on our e-list and get first dibs.

Just a hint at some of the items going up for sale in our Memorial Day Batmobile Sale-A-Thon-A-Bration

Well, I’m not sure how “Elite” it really is, but it’s here. Looks like a different softer seat padding, couple of hoses, lens on speedo, tiny bit more chrome here and there, flocking on part of the go-kart frame, probably a couple more small things. I won’t count the red pinstriping or the corrected 4th white scallop because only Hot Wheels would make us think that CORRECTIONS should be considered Elite Options. I can’t find one thing that’s different about the Go-Kart itself. Maybe someone else with an opened standard can correct me on that. Some nice little touches.

Summary: Like all the releases so far – a head shaking, “cool-but too bad they didn’t…” experience that still somehow ends up being a must-have in any 1966 Batman Collection. Yes, it’s very nice and looks great. Loaded with mistakes when compared to the original on-screen version(s) but probably is an exact duplicate of someone’s replica out there. If it’s too much to ask for screen accuracy, it would have been nicer if they had at least changed the crappy wheels on the Go-Kart on the Elite version. If it had been the only one out they could have charged $85 and it would have been fine. The fact that a $29 version came out first with maybe $6 less detail parts on it just makes this version all the ruder. Still – had you told me 6 years ago that we’d be holding such a model and that it would be (for the most part) a mass market release – I wouldn’t have believed you.It’s a great model and if taken on its own merits – certainly worthy of your display shelf. Buy it from our retail sponsor, REPLICARZ and tell Brian that Scot from PMB! sent you.

From China with love. Popping up on eBay right on schedule (or ahead of schedule, if you’re Mattel.) Looks like some revisions have been made -red striping, 4th fairing scallop etc.  Will post better shots when I get one in.