Yes, It Does Come in Black: Rad DIY Batmobile Tumbler

bob dullam tumbler

When the average person sees a sweet fantasy car in a movie, we admire it, maybe think about what it would feel like to drive it, but ultimately realize it’s just a movie. Not Bob Dullam, though – he went out and built his dream car. That car just happened to be the Tumbler from Batman Begins.

bob dullam homemade tumbler batmobile

Dullam is a sculptor, and he knew that other people had built sports cars, so he figured that he could swing building the modern Batmobile. He started out by looking up hundreds of photos online and watching the Tumbler-related special features on the movie’s DVD.  Then he set to work constructing the steel chassis and making body plates from epoxy reinforced with fiberglass matte.

bob dullam tumbler batmobile

bob dullam tumbler batmobile diy home version

Under the hood of this 5,000 pound behemoth you’ll find a Chevy 350 HO Deluxe: a performance engine meant for off-road vehicles. The tires are 44-inch Super Swampers. Overall, the Tumbler is 15 feet long, 5 feet high and 9.5 feet wide – a monster of a sports car, but maybe the coolest DIY Batmobile ever made.

Dullam built everything himself, and it’s not just driveway candy; it actually works. No word on how fast it goes (or whether it’s street legal), but Dullam says that he’s looking forward to adding some flames shooting out of the back of it in the future. Sorry, Batman fans – it’s not for sale.

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See more in Art Vehicles or under Transportation. December, 2009.