While I dream of one day owning a Mark Racop special – licensed, accurate, working 1966 Batmobile from Fiberglass Freaks, I also know (looong sigh) that barring a miracle – it’s not going to happen. I don’t move in those circles, I don’t have the garage space or disposable income to insure or maintain one. And if I did, I’d just keep adding to my vintage guitar collection and not end up with a real Batmobile anyway. Such is life. My love for the 1966 Batmobile is complex and moody. It used to be a secret, star-crossed love – poorly represented in the world of merchandising and only shared and attended to by  a small select band of brothers. And then Mattel happened… Now everyone’s got one. Well, okay – not everyone but she is surely less ‘alternative’ than she was 20 years ago. Welcome to the mainstream, sweetie.

For me – part of toy collecting, and Batmobile-pimping has always been the thrill of the chase. It used to be a hunt. A challenge that only the wiliest succeeded at. Once eBay and Craigslist and the world wide web made everyone’s attic into a virtual garage sale – the thrill was gone. I sold most of my once-formidable Batman collection off because once you have it all, what do you do with it? Your kids can’t spend it on college. You can’t borrow against it. If you get hit by a bus tomorrow, what happens to it? 

Why do I bring this lament all up in an intro to a “check this out” article? Just feeling maudlin maybe. Or could it be I’m so jazzed about the chill I’m about to lay on you cats that I’m starting to talk in late 50′s beat movie cliches? 

Here’s the cool dealio: Matthew has a Batmobile. It is NOT a FF or a DC or a BB Batmobile, but it’s a Batmobile nonetheless. Labor of love. Fiberglass body pull. Homemade everything else. Before I start hearing the million bat march at my door complaining about all the stuff wrong with it – let me mention the price: $24.9k Or some cash and a 30-31 Model ‘A’ Ford. That’s right. $24.9k.  My JEEP cost more than that. Do I love my JEEP? Yes. Would I have rather had a Batmobile? Yes. I. Would. (that sound is my family breathing an audible sigh of relief)

Matthew knows all the stuff that’s not series-accurate about his car. He also knows all the love and attention he’s put into it over the years. You can go get a perfect Fiberglass Freaks Batmobile – (and good on ya’ mate if you do, Mark’s a friend and a fantastic builder) but it will cost you a good bit more than $24.9k. And you really won’t have anything else to do once you get it other than tearing your hair out over the ridiculous, overbearing puritan vehicle registration laws in your state (“Welcome to Pennsylvania! Now, drive back home and physically bring us the person who sold you this car…”)  or finding velvet stanchions to keep the throngs of rhinestoned-shorts-wearing bimbos from sitting on the hood. (www.stanchionworld.com btw) OR – (drumroll…)

OR – you could buy Matthew’s Batmobile for less than a couple trailered Seadoos, and drive it the hell around town slow and low, playing WAR on the sound system and waving at people while you upgrade everything in it on your own over time.  

Hey some people like to build things. Other people like to shop. Still others like to fix things that other people shopped for. Or um, built… okay we’re running out of steam here. Point is – Cheap Batmobile fixer upper available for less than a MINI Cooper. Great opportunity for someone without the $90k++ for a turnkey Batmobile. Contact Matthew.