Pimp My Batmobile!

Thanks to our amazing insider contact at Replicarz.com, we are excited to share this first look at the new Super Elite Batmobile model. We also received a factory listed breakdown of all the changes and detail upgrades we can expect to see and they are listed below. I will say that at this first glance - it looks like Hot Wheels has been paying attention to some of our ramblings! There are 25 MORE metal parts listed than on the Elite version! 35 Photo Etched parts total. Looks very promising!

New sturdier, upscale box.

For those of you who’ve been hankering for a great display option - how about custom cut/bent aircraft aluminum!

Steel braided wiring and we can see they’ve painted the dash upgrades.

Many of you that ordered Elites from Replicarz now realize what a great dealer they are for diecast cars and especially the HW Batmobiles. I’ve been authorized to tell you that they still have Super Elites available for pre-orders but the quantities are limited. So if you’re interested in these - you’ve seen how some of the other diecast sealers have performed with the Elites (not so great) I would personally recommend going with Replicarz on these. Tell them you saw them on PMB!

Let the Super Elite discussion begin! HERE 

List of new upgraded parts. (NOTE: As with the Elite, this is not definitive until it’s actually in HAND. But these are directly from Mattel documentation, NOT insider heresay or speculation)

- There is NO mention of lights/sound or any electronic features of any kind.
- Closed box with opening lid (as opposed to a window box)
- There is NO change listed for the body material (so probably still plastic bottom)
- Formed aluminum display base
- Black bat buckles
- Metal exhaust “collar”
- Metal exhaust “ring”
- Metal parachute cable
- Metal Siren Lighting Cover
- Metal speaker grilles
- Metal Door sill plates
- Metal rear antenna
- Metal window frames
- Metal door handles
- Painted red rockets in tubes
- PE enine plates in jet engine
- Braided steel fuel lines
- Red and blue hose fittings
- A pair of SU softgoods parachutes

- Painted batlever on dash*
- Added painted buttons on dash*
- Painted PVC seats*
(Note-  these last three items were NOT on the Elite’s list of features either as painted or unpainted, bringing up the questions - were they stuck on there last minute because they’re now using common dash parts? And are these “PVC” seats a new softer ddition or just the same as the removable ones on the Elite?)

- Hsg for top red siren?
(Note-  I don’t know what this item indicates. If anyone else wants to take a crack at what Hsg means - let me know. Handsignal? Hysterosalpingogram? Henry Strongin Goldberg? I don’t know if it’s a type of light or what.

No chrome listed but neither is it listed on the other models so there could still be more coming as well.

Want to discuss?  HERE 

Back from “vacation” though this was one of those trips that pushed the term’s definition a bit. Nice place (Deep Creek Maryland) and some fun but not a ton of relaxation. I did enjoy being initiated to Disc Golf and am now a sore elbow-sporting fan. (don’t call it Frolf) And my sister and her boyfriend just announced their engagement so that was fun too. But now I’m home and dealing with orders and painting and now we are on full-tilt boogie alert to get our act together for our first (and most likely last and only) public appearance at this year’s Screaming Tiki Con!

 I stopped doing cons almost 10 years ago but with the stellar cast from the Batman show coming and this being Yvonne Craig’s ONLY appearance this year,  and the show only being about 1.5 hours away from my home, and with us having a ton of stuff to show, sell, display - We thought - Why not!? It will be a chance to finally put some faces with names that we’ve only talked to online for years. This promises to be the coolest con in the MidWest and certainly will be our ONLY physical appearance for some time. 

We hope to have some really cool items to sell, perhaps some giveaways and definitely several TIKI-ONLY items are in the works if we can get it all done in a few short months. Look here for updates and we hope to see you at the show. Tim Meyer from TPM Customs and I will be manning the booth. Stop by!

I have long been an admirer of artist Jim Hopkins’ work. Jim is an illustrator living in New Jersey and in addition to traditional illustration techniques, he has developed something he calls “3D Art” that I think is really amazing. I first saw his ‘66 bat-themed work many years ago and was blown away by the process. It is very hard to describe in text or over the internet. It has to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. But here’s Jim’s description:

 ”I always wanted to be an animator and was fascinated by the multi-plane cameras created by Disney Studios and how animators used it to create a 3d effect in animation movies. My art has the same basic principle. each illustration is cut out by hand with an exacto knife then all the whited edges from the cuts are hand painted to match the illustration. each illustration is accompanied by one to two sheets of glass, sometimes I will have to paint portions of the illustration right on the glass. For example if I do a (Continue reading…)