Podcast Archives - Throwin' Wrenches Automotive Podcast · Daryl Scott & Eric Stahl

Episode 97 – From Man Cave to Bat Cave

·1 hr 15 min·4 clips

George Barris turned the Lincoln Futura into the Batmobile after buying it from Ford for $1.

1. Podcast Archives - Throwin' Wrenches Automotive Podcast Episode 97, “From Man Cave to Bat Cave,” centers on John Besantz’s Washington, Illinois garage-home and Batmobile build. 2. Eric Stahl and Daryl host John Besantz, who owns the Batcave-style property and runs the Central Illinois Batman Facebook page. 3. The episode asks how a man cave becomes a Batcave, and John answers by showing the house, the garage, and the Batmobile project. 4. John says he bought the property when it was “just a shell” and turned it into a heated, decorated living space with cars inside. 5. He explains that the garage stays at 66 degrees all winter and uses “cool cubes” only three or four days each year. 6. The hosts talk about the house having cars behind the side door and living space above the garage area. 7. Eric and Daryl compare the garage to the kind of setup “every guy who listens to this show” dreams about. 8. John says the Batmobile build began with a 1977 Lincoln found in Arcola that had about 14,000 or 15,000 miles. 9. He kept the Lincoln’s drivetrain, frame, suspension, rear axle, and engine, then put the Batmobile body on top. 10. John says the build took about 10 years and that he took many pictures so he could document the process. 11. He explains that the original screen Batmobile came from Ford’s Lincoln Futura concept car. 12. John says George Barris bought the Lincoln Futura from Ford for a dollar and turned it into the Batmobile. 13. He adds that Barris later built three replicas after the original show car. 14. John says Batmobile kit-body building became common in the mid-1990s before DC Comics stepped in. 15. He describes a California builder fighting DC Comics all the way to the California Supreme Court. 16. John says he was able to buy a Batmobile body before that market shut down. 17. He mentions adding chrome valve covers, a chrome air cleaner, and other “doodads” to make the 460 look less ordinary. 18. Eric and Daryl note that the car still runs on Ford hardware, so parts like a water pump remain straightforward. 19. The tone stays conversational and shop-floor casual, with long technical stretches broken up by jokes about shorts, winter weather, and garage projects. 20. Car builders, Batman fans, and replica-vehicle hobbyists will get the most from this episode; listeners wanting a quick celebrity interview may skip it.

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