When you're little, all you want to do is grow up fast so you can do grown-up things — like eat whatever you want, stay up late, and most importantly, drive a car.
Some kids are content with bikes — like this bike that was specially made for a 7-year-old amputee — go-karts, and for the truly lucky ones, a Power Wheels car. But other kids prefer something special that satiates their need for speed — something like this Batmobile replica that one awesome dad made for his neighbor's son.
Shared by Kirk Lewellen on Instructables, this incredible DIY project started as a regular old Power Wheels Barbie Jeep (you know, the pink ones with purple wheels). When it was done, however, you'd barely recognize it.
This special parent used his DIY skills (and his love for comic books) to transform this Power Wheels Jeep into an epic Batmobile that even the Dark Knight himself would be proud to park in the Batcave.
Scroll through below to see this incredible and creative transformation!
"It was an idea concocted after a fall evening of 'socializing' with neighbor friends," Kirk wrote of his ambitious DIY project.
He started with a bright pink Barbie's Jammin' Jeep like this one.
Kirk started by chopping up the body of the original jeep with a Sawzall, being very careful not to sever any of the electrical components.
He then extended the front end of the tiny vehicle about four feet so that it matched the long nose of Batman's car. He did this using an old 2×6 for support.
The cockpit was constructed from 1/8" plywood, along with the sides and floor.
The turbine intake was built with strips of wood and covered in papier-mâché.
But how did he give this boxy-looking Barbie Jeep the rounded sleek look of the Batmobile?
Kirk wrote: "The side profile was initially sketched on cheap white foam and then hot melt glued to the plastic parts."
He also used the foam to form the Batmobile's signature wing-like tail fins.
Once all the glue had dried, the entire vehicle was covered in papier-mâché, filled in with drywall mud, and shaped with cardboard.
Then, Kirk covered everything with a layer of latex paint so that it would be ready for finishing touches.
Those purple wheels were painted black and given golden yellow rims.
The steering wheel and dashboard were also painted, and a comfy brown bench seat was added in the cockpit.
And of course, the Bat-Signal was painted on the tail fins…
…as well as on the nose!
Here's the finished product with its proud new owner! It's hard to believe this epic Batmobile used to be a bright pink Barbie Jeep!
Did you have a Power Wheels as a kid? Let us know in the comments.
Please SHARE if you know a child who would love to cruise around in this DIY Batmobile!
