# My 1989 Batmobile



## Dr. Brad

Here's my take on AMT's recently reissued 1989 Batmobile. I stripped the chrome and repainted with Alclads. The base coat is a semi-gloss black. Robiwon's instructions on how to make the base were very helpful (in his Hobbytalk thread on his Moebius Batman v Superman Batmobile). 

I added lights to the Batmobile and some weathering. In the end, it was quite an enjoyable build. In one of the pics, I added a 1/25 scale Moebius Batman (from the Nolan version), though it seems like the scales don't exactly match (Batman is to big, or the car is too small). In the other I used the background that is in included in the recent reissue of the Batmissile.

Comments are welcome.









[url=https://flic.kr/p/UYDQeq]https://flic.kr/p/UYDQeq


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## Zombie_61

Dr. Brad said:


> ...In one of the pics, I added a 1/25 scale Moebius Batman (from the Nolan version), though it seems like the scales don't exactly match (Batman is to big, or the car is too small)...


I'm not so sure about that. Michael Keaton is 5'9" (three inches shorter than Bale) and looks quite similar scale-wise to your photo:










That said, nice work! The lighting is scale appropriate, and your base really complements the car. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Dr. Brad

Thanks Zombie. Didn't realize Bale was that much bigger than Keaton...


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## finaprint

X2 the size thing. Excellent work.

I just realized after all this time looking at the eye candy in the lower rocker panels that one of the major parts could easily be an extended pass side FWD CV axle and the round disc further back could be the end cover off a FWD ATX or a RWD ATX oil pump.


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## phrankenstign

The metal work looks very metallic. Nice job. I was surprised to see the big knob in the middle of the turbine painted silver. I always thought it was black. I guess the shiny reflections on it fooled me all this time.


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## Dr. Brad

Actually, as near as I can tell, there were some changes made to the colour scheme between 89 and 2002. The 89 version has more of a semi-gloss colour to the whole car, and the turbine is more metallic. If you check the film again, you can see that when Batman and Vale pull into the batcave. In the 02 version, it's basically black and the car itself is glossier. Also, the wheels in the 02 version are black as opposed to the brassy 89 versions. I hope.


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## Zombie_61

Dr. Brad said:


> Actually, as near as I can tell, there were some changes made to the colour scheme between 89 and 2002. The 89 version has more of a semi-gloss colour to the whole car, and the turbine is more metallic. If you check the film again, you can see that when Batman and Vale pull into the batcave. In the 02 version, it's basically black and the car itself is glossier. Also, the wheels in the 02 version are black as opposed to the brassy 89 versions. I hope.


The wheels on the '89 version are a bit of a mystery to me. In close-up photos I've seen online they're predominantly a dark silver color similar to "gunmetal gray", but in several publicity photos they have that brassy gold hue. 

Otherwise, you're absolutely right. I've read the '89 Batmobile was painted with a special paint that would reflect the on-set lights in various hues of blue and green, but I haven't seen any evidence of this in photos or in the movie; it just looks like a semi-gloss dark gray. The cone on the turbine intake seems to be bare-metal in some photos, but in others it looks to have been painted silver. On the '92 version they basically painted the entire car gloss black, including the turbine intake and the wheels.


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## phrankenstign

I don't understand what you guys are referring to when you mention the 2002 version.


I looked for pics showing that jet engine knob, but it looks like it isn't always the same color.
Here's the scene where Batman and Vicki Vale run towards the Batmobile. What color is it?


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## Dr. Brad

Hmmm. In that pic it seems like it's the lighting that makes it look black to me, but I could be seeing what I want to see. However, in the scene where the Batmobile rolls right up to the camera when Batman is parking it in the batcave, it definitely looks metallic and not black. I may have gone too light on that metallic shade, though.


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## daytime dave

I think it came out very nicely. Good work.


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## phrankenstign

As I was looking at the various images of the 1989 Batmobile Google found, there were various coloring differences that were apparent. Were there more than one Batmobile made for the 1989 film? (I know there were about 4 or 5 made for the TV series.)


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## The_Engineer

I remember reading years ago that when they made the 1989 Batman movie it was filmed in the UK and the Batmobile was constructed using UK standards. When they made the next movie, production was moved to the US and the car had to be taken apart and rebuilt using US standards. Probably certain things like colour got changed during that time.


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## Zombie_61

phrankenstign said:


> I don't understand what you guys are referring to when you mention the 2002 version...


I think Dr. Brad meant "1992" when he typed "2002", '92 being the year _Batman Returns_ was released.



phrankenstign said:


> ...I looked for pics showing that jet engine knob, but it looks like it isn't always the same color.
> Here's the scene where Batman and Vicki Vale run towards the Batmobile. What color is it?


Here is a larger version of that photo. On my monitor it looks like a dark metallic silver.


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## Dr. Brad

Holy cow, I'm losing it. Yes, I mean 1992! Guess I'm not getting enough sleep these days!


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## finaprint

'I've read the '89 Batmobile was painted with a special paint that would reflect the on-set lights in various hues of blue and green...'

Yes. I saw it (or one of them) at a mall display a couple months after the 1st movie released in '89 and the car while looking glossy black from a distance had varying color hues like pearl in the paint in any glare reflection at the curves. Green, purple, red. It seemed to be a number of colors. I'd bet a million different lighting would bring out some colors more than others. They had it waxed six ways from sundown and a rope barrier to stop all touching.


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## phrankenstign

finaprint said:


> 'I've read the '89 Batmobile was painted with a special paint that would reflect the on-set lights in various hues of blue and green...'
> 
> Yes. I saw it (or one of them) at a mall display a couple months after the 1st movie released in '89 and the car while looking glossy black from a distance had varying color hues like pearl in the paint in any glare reflection at the curves. Green, purple, red. It seemed to be a number of colors. I'd bet a million different lighting would bring out some colors more than others. They had it waxed six ways from sundown and a rope barrier to stop all touching.


 
So Dr. Brad.....It looks like you've got your work cut out for you, if you want your model to be accurate! Start splashing some pearl in a mixture of glossy black, green, purple, and red. Once it's dry, start a-waxin'!:wink2:


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## Dr. Brad

Man, no kidding. Thankfully when I watch the movie I don't really see those paint effects...


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## phrankenstign

I forgot to ask you.....


How did you light it? Did you buy a Batmobile customizing light kit from somebody, or did you devise your own electronics? How difficult was it? Did you install an on/off switch somewhere? I know a lot of guys here light up their spaceships, but I've never attempted lighting anything. What kind of battery powers the light? AAA? AA? C? D? 9v? Watch battery?


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## Dr. Brad

Ah, good question. I forgot to mention that. I used four 3v nano LEDs and a 3v 2032 watch battery harness from Evan Designs. Then I just built styrene boxes inside the kit, mounted the lights and ran the main wire through the bottom of the car and down through the middle of the base. The battery and switch are in the base. The wiring in the car is connected to the base via a small connector. Pretty simple, actually. The front yellow lights were tinted with Tamiya yellow, followed by a coat of white to diffuse the light.

Hope that helps!


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