This entry added on:

12-6-09

Dave's Wacky Cars

I've owned over 50 cars, mostly beaters.  This page is a tribute to some of them.

My checkered 1970 Bug in 1984.

   I drove this $600 VW Beatle into the ground all through my senior year of high school.  I jumped it regularly; once I even broke the transmission in half on a rough landing.  I also replaced the engine that year.  This car saw more harsh off road action in one year than most Jeeps see in a lifetime.  Snowbanks were magnetic to this car; I slammed into them almost daily throughout the winter months.  I got it stuck in mud and snow and sand more times than I could count.  Once I even got it stuck in a stand of thick alders that it managed to get into via inertia.  That pipe front bumper clobbered a great many trees.  I'm sure I walked home or to a friend's house at least a dozen times; not that the car let me down, I just pushed it too hard.  After I ruined and replaced my fourth rim I swapped all four rimmed tires with the complete set of damaged rims only and took it for a spin.  It drove surprisingly well, the rear wheel could spin with ease and made fantastic sparks on the pavement.   I think my passengers and I ended up walking home from that episode for some reason...   This car once drove from Woronzof Point to Kincaid Park before there was a road or The Coastal Trail.  It died in a beautiful blaze of glory, literally.

My grandfather in my 1967 Karman Ghia - circa 1986.

The 67 Karman Ghia with faded neon paint - circa 1987. 

This was taken on John's Road in Oceanview when Steve, Sheryl and I were roommates in the first "Bat Cave".

My Love Bus. 

I've slept over 500 nights in this thing; it was equipped with a Westfalia camper bed.

It had windows in the roof and a six foot sunroof.

The Batmobile, when it was new, in front of Gorilla Fireworks.

Me in the Batmobile.

Inside the Batmobile during the Fur Rendezvous Parade (circa 1989).  That's Alice Welling in the rear view mirror.

One of the paint jobs of the 1970 Karman Ghia.

Batmobile, Ghia and Bug.  The Batmobile had a fake jet engine for a year or two; I took it off after being harassed by the police.  It made a pretty bright fake flame.  This Ghia, (one of seven I've owned) had three different paint jobs I believe.  This Bug, (one of 14 I've owned) was formerly painted like the Cheshire Cat.

Inside the 1970 Ghia before I chopped the window down.

The unfortunate fate of a few cars.  Even HD does not capture the spectacle of a burning car tumbling down bluff at night.

My last cool car. 

I took Joan on our first date in this 1970 MGB.  I really only drove it when I needed to buy groceries or take my kayak(s) to the beach or out with Joan.  Mopeds are better in Hawaii because you can always find a place to park.

In the News

Until Alaska got used to my cars, they would sometimes make the news and other media.

Here are some of the better ones (click any picture to view larger/read).

The Anchorage Times

Burt Ward and The Batmobile

The Northern Light article

Wacky Wheels

This entry added on:

12-22-06

1965 VW Bus - Deluxe

Click here to view in 1024 resolution.

Batmobile

Batmobile fake flame from a fake jet engine that was made with a fan that blew air over 100 iridescent plastic strips.  This was illuminated by a diffracted car headlight within the engine.  Although I was shooting for comical and cheesy, it looked almost convincing at night.

This Karman Ghia was probably my favorite.  This is the second of three paint jobs.

The Batmobile, Tim's Jeep, the Flower Power Bug and Ghia ready for the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous Parade.  Circa 1991.  The first year I entered cars in the parade was 1989 and the Ghia, Bus, bug and Batmobile won first place in the auto division.  I think that the serious car clubs were were a bit irked that four nearly worthless beaters won.

A turbocharger from a Mitsubishi Starion fitted to my dune-buggy bug.  It worked.  The blue tube is directing air from the turbine to the carburetor.  If I had set out to design a smoke generator, however, I don't think I could have done a better job.

Studded Tires

I made these super-studded tires in 1983 for my old Honda Civic CVCC:

This entry added on:

12-22-06

Jumping a $50 Truck

Pictures by Sheryl Hall ~ Circa 1989

Getting up to speed...

Near The Old Seward Highway and Minnesota Bypass.

Weeeeee!

Click here to view in 1024 resolution.

Again

Hold on!

Turn around and do it again.

Note the loose dirt from where the leaf springs dug into the ground.

Charlie rode shotgun on one jump; it was a big one.  In spite of wearing a helmet he hurt his head on the roof; a not so well padded seat spring scraped my back.  On this jump the nose of the truck hit the ground hard enough that the bottom of the radiator smashed open.  Even worse, the moose horns broke off of the roof. 

Click here to view in 1024 resolution.

Sand in the carburetor killed it on this one.  Even so, this was $50 well spent.

If you like this, you will also like my Toyota and Cadillac movies which can be found at the bottom of our movie page.