I want to turn my 1990 Lebaron convertible into a volcano for this year at BM 094 years ago

i a want personal luxury out at the burn! for those who have been, you know the value of a small chunk of personal space….for water, resting, movement, gear, clothes, friends, drinks, shade, tunes, etcetcetc…. 5 years ago

Everything is going slowly. I almost can’t stand it. I’m on my third mechanic, but I think this one is going to be the good one. Currently the Elky is sleeping in the school parking lot—and several people have looked into having it towed, thereby proving the parking tag system completely useless. 5 years ago

The tech school is currently “pimping my ride” for the cost of parts. So far I’ve shelled out $30-some for a carburator kit. We’re also talking heat, air conditioning, transmission, radio…maybe even outlets in the back. I’m downright jazzed. I need to get cracking on some sketches and start making clay slabs of color. Life is good. 6 years ago

I got word in the mail yesterday that the state is going to pony up $1,289 for me to glue stuff to my car. Is this a great country or what?!? 6 years ago

And I basically finished my grant application today. It’s feeling good to do something for me. (Since I don’t think the NPSO grant is going to fly anyway). Any money for tile would JUST ROCK. 7 years ago

I have the Elky back from its initial romp with Jeff. So the bodywork has been done, mechanical things have been tweaked, and there’s a French horn mounted on the front that blows bubbles. Life is good. 7 years ago

I bought the El Camino earlier this month. I sent out for the personalized plate. My buddy is going to get cracking on the rot and the mechanical stuff that needs to be overhauled. Once that’s done, I buy tile. My goal, the Lansdale Mardi Gras Parade in November (yes, November…don’t ask).

Life is good. 7 years ago

okay, here’s my plan:I want to take the chassis of a Bronco and drop the suspension, build up the body with square tubing, skin the whole thing in diamond-plate under which I would install every concievable device that can be fitted. Like what, you ask—well, how about an on-board compressor, pneumatic hose strung throughout the vehicle and multiple attachement points for air powered tools. Integrated jacks for changing the rediculously oversized tires. I want the Armored Personelle Carrier from Aliens but make it a tool truck instead.

First I need to learn to weld. 7 years ago

Last year a good friend talked me into collaborating on an art car. I had some reservations about blowing that much money on something so fleeting. But we went with it. The idea started in January. In March, we harvested the bamboo necessary to build our art piece. On June 3rd, construction started.

We spent every single weekend from then until Aug 20th working on it. Consequently, I took a summer off from my job. I spent my time surfing and working on the car. About three times a week on my own. Once we got into crunch time (August) I spent EVERY SINGLE DAY piecing things together for two weeks. Once I was burned out, my partner in crime took over. Ultimately, we spent a few thousand dollars putting it together. Transporting it set us back another two. We put in hundreds of man hours for a vehicle that, in my opinion, wasn’t all that big.

I’d be lying if I said it was easy. But once we took our creation out to Burning Man, it was clear that it was worth every single bit of time, money, and effort we put into it. We were filmed and interviewed for a network TV spot. Every single day we were innundated with compliments and praise. We even took a bride, who I’d never met until 30 minutes before, and her entire party out to her wedding at the Temple. But most importantly, we had a ton of fun, met some really great people, and I really felt like I had done something to improve the community.

The capper was seeing our work appear in the Burning Man Gallery. We managed to fit 18 people on to that thing (the second level was a passenger carrier and beverage bar). With some vision and a whole lot of determination, we transformed a totalled Saturn Wagon into a surreal bamboo lionfish.

I had a blast doing it. I highly recommend the experience! I want to do another. In fact, my partner in crime and I are planning even bigger and better things. Deciding to make an art car was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time. 7 years ago

An El Camino. Mostly tile with a theme of “Support the Arts.” Much of the planning is underway…I’ve been scoping out local El Caminos… 7 years ago

It was fun, but time consuming. Minnesota winters are hard on outdoor art. Every spring my car looked awful and I had to touch it up. But nothing beats having friends always drop by wherever you are, because “I saw your car outside.”

Artcar tips: If you’re going to use paint, try One Shot Sign Painters Enamel—it stays bright and colorful out in the elements, unlike spray paint. If you’re going to attach small objects, try silicone caulk. I had trouble with all the other glues I tried. 8 years ago