Michigan Man Builds Real Batman ‘Tumbler’ In His Garage
If you really want to know about Batmans real life costs, Bob Dullam is the one to ask. Dullam has spent the past five years researching and building his own Batmobile Tumbler in his garage. Dullam is a movie prop artist but he has never built a car before. He studied movie stills and DVD’s to in order to get his project as close to perfect as possible.
“Every aspect of it was pulling a rabbit out of a hat. You have to mount the engine in reverse, so now you’ve got a transmission that’s pointing towards the front of the car, how are going to get a drive shaft to go underneath it and drive it in reverse?”
With the outside and engine complete Dullam will now begin to focus on the interior.
“It’s not there yet. It may never be there unless I decide I’m tired of the whole thing. It’s an ongoing experiment.”
“If all I did was costumes and busts and things like that… a lot of people do that kind of thing. I want to build a brand name for myself, and to do that, I think you have to rise above and beyond the pack.”
•Engine: 350 V8 with four-barrel carburetor
•Transmission: 3-speed turbo
•Top speed: 150mph (241km/h)
•Body panels: Epoxy resin reinforced with fiberglass mat
•Tires: 44-inch Super Swampers (rear)
•Steering: Rack and pinion power steering via detachable aviator style pistol-grip steering device
•Weight: Approximately two tons (1.8 metric tons)
•Dimensions: 15’L x 9’W x 5.5’H (4.5 x 8 x 1.7 meters)
•Visibility: Round-vehicle video cameras
•Production cost: Approximately US$50,000 to $100,000
