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Bat no more... better as
Mad Max 4!
October 21,
2009
As we build
this awesome Batmobile replica I have thought many times that with it's
tough off road looks and specialist Police or Military appearance
this thing is just what MAD MAX 4 would have needed. Given that they
will most likely never make the linking film between MAX 1 and MAX 2
(which is what we really want!). If
we cannot have the Interceptor well for me I would LOVE see this
thing appear over the hill at the Mundi Mundi
plain.
As I look over this
amazing machine taking shape in the workshop I cannot help but image a
slimmer returned to fitness Mel Gibson at all his 53 years still being
imposing crossing the hot dry arid inland and entering the endless
lines of deserted city streets in this machine. Clint Eastwood
managed to still deliver tough at about 80 years of age. Mel is
such a brilliant actor he could still quite easily carry of Mad Max at 53.
When I first saw this
thing on TV promoting the Batman film, I was disgusted. I thought like
"THAT" is supposed to be a Batmobile?! Got to admit 4 years on and I love
it now, what a machine it is! Well done Christopher Nolan and crew, you built the car of
MAD MAX 4! Opps... you
just put it into Batman. Holy Apocalypse Batman, it is in the
wrong film... Yea... but still I admit, as the Batmobile it
is still way cool.
When we first took on the
Batmobile project we had no idea just how difficult the Batmobile, or
"Tumbler", would become. The engineering was in fact the easy part, in
just over 8 months we had a driving chassis, but the BODY, what a
nightmare it has become, what we first thought were flat panels are in
fact complex shapes and designs, full of under-folds, reducing and
expanding parallel folds, over lay panels, weird and non-logical
patterns and shapes exist everyplace across the Tumblers body work.
It seems a thousand tiny folds and reverse tucks surround the previously
thought of "flat" panels. Now at almost three years under construction it
has been the body work that has so challenged us. Sometimes we
make a panel 3-4 times, as we modify and modify, change and
check.
Quite a project...
Further pictures of
this build-up are available at www.ps-car.com and below...
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Once finished and installed, the Mad Max engine proved to be a
potent performer. The final horsepower figure is
unknown at this time, but the big 351 V8 Cleveland powered XA coupe
(dressed in XC battle-dress) is now possessing performance beyond even its
previously impressive un-supercharged output. Happily and as planned, the
finished motor sat at the correct Mad Max interceptor height. The
absence of the carburettors and the presence of the both menacing and
functioning Scott Injection hat perfectly finish off the flawless lines of
Grant’s impeccable coupe. Grant's car might not be an Interceptor replica
but along with its undoubtedly different but still sexy movie star good
looks, it is certainly packing a real life legitimate heavyweight
punch!
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Grant Hodgson is currently working on a supercharger system that
will run the Scott hat and deliver the fuel via fuel injection mounted
below the blower. This is a serious deviation from the traditional
supercharger operation that works on compression of both air and fuel.
This a radical system that in theory should work! As far as we know this
has not been done before. Grant has designed the system and the complex
fuel delivery plate that shall be mounted above the Weiand manifold. In
essence the supercharger will compress the air and then pick up the fuel
from the injectors mounted below. Fuel delivery requirements shall
be controlled by a regular TPS, and the injection controlled by a
programmable "Wolf" system. This is a big personal gamble on Grants part
as he is personally funding the development of this system. If this design
works the system will retain the Interceptor film "look" above the hood
and so the potential applications of such a system to a MAD MAX
interceptor are simply awesome. For the complex
engineering work both Gordon and Grant wish to acknowledge the help and
assistance of Robin Johnston and all the guys at Robert Cameron and
Company Pty Ltd. |
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Looks OK eh at just a bit
over half the |
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The Big Block replica
was due to appear at the local "Motorvation" car show in Perth
17-18 January 2004. In the end the car was available for show
but it was not running. In short we just ran out of preparation time.
Although not even 100% cosmetically finished the car did still look
the part. |
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Also currently a work in
progress is a budget |
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Big Block Replica Update The engine is now fitted, however it has not yet been started. The wheels are made. I have the new 4 core radiator (Aussie Desert Cooler). The interior trim has arrived. Suspension is fitted. XB doors fitted. Front shocks are modified back from drag use to road use. The shell should be ready for primer this week. |
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New Max Factory! September 6, 2003 we moved into this factory-type unit, although surprisingly this does not indicate a scaling up of the replica building. If anything we are slowing down. The Max thing has been consuming a bit too much from life, with very little return for the time invested over the last few years. We are still in the game, but the days of building three replicas at once are past I think. We plan to still tick things along but we are going to be allowing more time to build a replica. Additional Picture: ONE |
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Three new pictures of the Japan replica.
Enjoy! |
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It now has the roof and trunk
spoilers fitted although the final blendings still need to be done. The
hard work on those two attachments is done. The 460 engine is now under
construction and that will be ready for fitting within a few weeks. I will
have a picture of the finished and ready-to-install engine
soon. |
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New pictures of the Japan
replica. At this stage the Japan replica will be returning to the painters
soon. The bumpers and a lot of the final body trimming plus the satin
paint will be going on next. |
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"Budget Replica" under construction A replica at less than half the full re-build and movie correct replica cost. There is a lot of interest in this already, yet it is still to early to determine the final price. Please watch this site for progress on this replica. Another pic HERE - THIS CAR IS SOLD! |
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