FANTASTIC FUTURA ARTICLE

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66BAT	FANTASTIC FUTURA ARTICLE	Lead	[-]
Posts: 2758 (01/02/09 11:50 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : None I found this online article which talks about ALL aspects of the Futura from design to build, it has 10 sections full of great stuff, some of which i already knew, some I didn't. Well worth the read for any Futura fan! I don't "think" Eric has it here on the site? among the interesting bits of info: "there are about 80 original pictures of the Futura scattered between Ford Photomedia and the archives. Several pictures of the car while still at the Ghia shop in Italy, where it was built, have recently surfaced in England, but none can now be located in Ghia's archives. " "Barris later seemed more than a little puzzled by continuing interest in the Futura. When asked about parts removed from the Futura, he said that he usually gave them to anyone who asked for them. " WHERE ARE THESE PICTURES?!?!?! Surely somebody here can get them or knows somebody who can?? WOW would I like to see some pics of the Futura being built at Ghia!! Here's page one of the article, you have to click the page chapters at the top of each page to see the next section. Great article, even if you knew most of the facts before I think it is still a fun read the way they lay it out. Last Edited By: 66BAT 01/02/09 12:06 PM. Edited 1 time.
66BAT		#1	[-]
Posts: 2759 (01/02/09 11:56 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I might add this tidbit from the article also, which if true, would mean that a certain replica builder in California does NOT have the original Futura center canopy as he claims. "To make the Batmobile, the center section of the top was removed and a new Plexiglas cover was fabricated, leaving what would have been a normal car's window area open on both sides. (The original Plexiglas center section that had been removed from the Futura was later cut into two sections. One half of it was used on a custom rear-engined speedster built for Richard Boone of Paladin TV series fame. The other half was later owned by a collector in Wisconsin.)" So does anybody have pics of the Richard Boone car? Might be interesting to see if 1/2 the futura canopy really IS on it!
hobbybuilder01	nice find 66 bat	#2	[-]
Posts: 182 (01/02/09 2:58 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Always a mystery to be solved here, one of the things thats fun here !!!
Futurabat6543	That article is not correct..	#3	[-]
Posts: 474 (01/02/09 4:20 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Eric has shown the original center canopy section on this site before. It looks far too authentic (and far too USED) to be a fake. I think maybe the Paladin car has a clear engine cover that resembles the Futura center section but isn't really. And here again is cause for reminding everyone...this particular part of the story comes from Mr. Barris himself...who currently thinks he is responsible for such cars as the General Lee, Herbie and the Monkeemobile. Take it with a grain of salt. ...Speaking words of wisdom...let it be. -Paul McCartney-
66Batmobile		#4	[-]
Posts: 2185 (01/04/09 2:16 PM) Eric Seltzer Admin/Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Overall a good article, but it looks like it was put together from prior web articles, books and magazines--therefore not 100% accurate. I do not think I've seen a photo of Richard Boone's car, so can't speak to the canopy. Also, not sure if Joe Desris or Dave owned/owns a piece of it. Looks like Mark Towle has significant parts of the center canopy, but maybe Barris used the plexiglass and other pieces for Boone's car etc?!
equalizerjag		#5	[-]
Posts: 1 (01/12/09 10:35 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	hi guys i am new to this site, but have been a lurker for a while. i was a friend of stuart sternberg, in wisc., and bob butts. i used to restore futura models and trade futura and batmobile items with them. i got these photos from bob and stuart back in the 80's showing what happened to the actual plexi section of the canopy. hope this helps on the debate on the subject. thats the richard boone car with one part and the other section was in stuart's collection. i do not know what happened to the other piece. stuart was not in good health back then, so i do not know if it or the futura model made by marty is still in his possesion.
66Batmobile		#6	[-]
Posts: 2214 (01/12/09 10:51 PM) Eric Seltzer Admin/Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Holy snikes!! Welcome to the board and thanks for the pics. These pics are some of the most interesting photos I've seen in quite a long time. The two photos I like the most are of the #1 Batmobile. I have never seen photos from this era and in such terrible condition. The pics can either be circa the 60's or early 70's. The original seats are there and so are the original seat belts and it is still wearing Rader wheels. The beacon and antlers are missing too. What great pics!! Do you know when the two pics were taken? Nice to see the Boone car too. Can you tell us who Stuart is? Last Edited By: 66Batmobile 01/12/09 11:12 PM. Edited 1 times.
dirtprod		#7	[-]
Posts: 690 (01/13/09 5:31 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Very cool pictures! I agree, Eric, I've never seen the #1 so dusty and stripped down. Did it come back from ABC that way? With the arch gone and the center piece inserted, I wonder if they were considering turning it back into the Futura? I also see the Dragula in the second picture. Do you have any more of the Dragula and perhaps some of the Munster Koach, too? My best, Ernie MunsterKoach.com
A Pennyworth.thecaveboard		#8	[-]
Posts: 83 (01/13/09 7:49 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Great pictures, thanks for sharing those! Also notice that the Detect-A-Scope is missing, leaving a dash hole were the Futura's clock was.
Carguy1965	Urban Legend Solved	#9	[-]
Posts: 1 (01/14/09 7:52 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I finally got around to registering! Anyway, I believe these new photos verify the "urban legend" about the Futura/Batmobile parts and the Richard Boone Car. The claim is true, but only partially. The Boone car is a modified Devin fiberglass kit car from the 1950's. The car was rolled and then rebodied. It appears to me that an extra Barris Batmobile replica windshield was used to add a windscreen to the "Paladin" car. The windshield was cut horizontally at about a 45 degree angle and installed. The last photo showing the plexiglass on the box on the table is the other half of that windshield. So, Futura/Batmobile parts WERE cut and used on the Boone car, but not the original Futura center canopy. I am convinced that Mark T has that. Would you guys agree?
Mark Racop	Tough to say	#10	[-]
Posts: 2165 (01/14/09 8:28 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	It's tough to say without seeing that glass in person (it appears to be too thin to be Futura glass, but it is thicker than the Barris replicar glass), but I certainly agree with the plausibility of your theory. I had just shared the same thought with my wife Jill moments before reading your post! Welcome aboard, by the way! Holy Double Vision, See Two Cars On the Highway!
Mark Racop	Welcome, Equalizer!	#11	[-]
Posts: 2166 (01/14/09 8:30 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I didn't welcome you, Equalizer, good sir! Sorry. Miss Manners would just slap my hand, wouldn't she? Holy Double Vision, See Two Cars On the Highway!
Carguy1965	Thanks	#12	[-]
Posts: 2 (01/14/09 9:56 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Thanks for the welcome. I have admired your work for sometime Mark. I live in your neck of the woods in Illinois and hope to stop by sometime. Would love to see a Futura body available in the future.
Mark Racop	Garsh!	#13	[-]
Posts: 2168 (01/14/09 10:35 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Thanks for your kind words. Please do drop by the shop when you get a chance. We are about 60 miles north of Indianapolis. I still have the Futura molds we pulled off Marty's beautiful "Futura in the Woods" sculpt. I hope one day to see a Futura come about--that would be great. Holy Double Vision, See Two Cars On the Highway!
Carguy1965	Richard Boone's Devin	#14	[-]
Posts: 3 (01/14/09 10:39 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post
66BAT		#15	[-]
Posts: 2784 (01/15/09 9:08 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	The wife and I used to love watching "The Equalizer" back in the day, great show! Anyways, fantastic pics that's for sure! I actually have an old magazine article with a black and white pic of the guy sitting at the show with the Futura models and that chunk of center canopy section, I have posted it here long ago too always wondering what the story was behind that section of canopy! Now I FINALLY know, thanks for the info. As for MT's canopy, I can buy he's got the chrome frame from the Futura for sure, I'm not 100% convinced he has the original glass or not (but am willing to believe it). So cool to see the rare pics and get the inside info after all these years, and to see Boone's car too. Thanks for posting!
DonC	Bob Butts and his Futura~	#16	[-]
Posts: 1104 (01/16/09 12:38 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Here's a picture I took several years of Bob at his desk and his Futura front and center in his office...center canopy fully intact.
66BAT		#17	[-]
Posts: 2786 (01/16/09 10:38 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Are you saying that's the original Futura canopy, not a replica Bob made for his car? His replica is almost always shown with a canopy on it in the many pics I have of the car, I always guessed he made a replica canopy for his replica? Note the chrome trim is painted silver like everything else that was supposed to be chrome on the Butts replica, the center canopy MT has still has actual chrome trim, not painted silver. It wouldn't make much sense for Butts to sell the Futura replica without the center canopy section, just to pass it on to a Bat replica builder...but stranger things have happened! Last Edited By: 66BAT 01/16/09 10:41 AM. Edited 1 times.
DonC		#18	[-]
Posts: 1106 (01/16/09 11:45 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	No not saying that's the original center canopy but indeed Bob's replica center canopy. The canopy trim is/was all made from flat bar stock heated and hammered into shape then painted silver at the time.
66BAT		#19	[-]
Posts: 2788 (01/16/09 9:04 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Loving all the old pics you have been digging up lately Don, keep digging! I bet you have a few more gems tucked away in boxes somewhere!
Carguy1965	Yes, more photos	#20	[-]
Posts: 4 (01/16/09 11:02 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Can't wait for Equalizerjag to send more shots.

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