The Road Car

In this case the car IS the road and called the "road car" brought to you by Brian in Michigan. The paint is that spray stone texture with some added black splatters. The double yellow lines are custom mixed house paint so that it peels and flakes with age JUST LIKE REAL ROAD LINES. By the way it shoots blood from the windshield wiper sprayers.

Close up of the "road car" texture. This is after a test spraying from the windshield wiper "blood" while going 60mph. The rain helped it flow better and wash off easily.

Call of the Syren - Goth 72 Cadilac by Christa Ansbergs

Syren Art Car at Art Car Fest - Photo by Bagel

Christa Ansbergs is the creator of a 72 Cadillac called Syren and is a regular participant at Art Car Fest where I met her. She loves the "goth" look and the darker side of life so she drives an art car to match.

When she went looking for the right car she considered buying a used hearse, but found that they were to expensive and a pain to maintain because parts were harder to come by. So she settled for a 1972 Cadillac DeVille and got going with her art car creation. She has painted flowers on the side, appropriate goth bumper stickers all over the trunk, rope arrangement across the hood, and spray painted lace pattern the roof with a chain fence. If you look closely syren has fangs in her grill, so  make sure not stand to close.

I also found a great picture of her at Maker Faire a few years back wearing a skirt she made from bike inner tubes, rolled up in the shape of a skirt and sown together to complete her goth outfit:) Sorry it took so long to put you up on ACC, but here you are, finally:) 

Syren Art Car at Art Car Fest - Photo by Bagel

Christa Ansbergs at Maker Faire

Crazy Corvette Batmobile Mod

This crazy Corvette Batmobile mod was sent in by Sonny Fenwick creator of The Bubble Truck . We don't know who, what why when, but we do know that it might be located somewhere in Panama City, Florida off high way 98. Will the owner of this Batmobile mod step forward and tell us more about it and where to get one.

MFP Mad Max Lemon Art Car In Hot Pursuit

Today's StreetSafari car was prepared for our US event, BABE Rally (Big Apple 2 Big Easy).

Instead of the European limit of £150-£250, the US event has a limit of $500. In 2009 when these pictures were taken the price had been increased from $250 to $500 in fact. Apparently $250 were getting hard to come by what with scrap prices getting higher.

With a doubling of the allowable car price, something quite impressive happened - the car actually got worse. You see, people were now unleashed and could buy whatever car they had dreamed of. And yes, people do dream of buying some of the mankiest car's imaginable.

For whatever reason, this team bought this wreck, and then had the bright idea to give a Mad Max theme to the car. From a distance this car looks brilliant, from close up, not quite so brilliant. The team were even busted by the neighborhood agency for spraying this car in their front yard.

After driving the car across the 1,500 of some great US roads the event ended in a Louisiana drag strip. Here, deep in the south where the mosquitos are big enough to drag you away, we set about "racing" the $500 against each other.

You've heard of the story about the hare and the tortoise? This was more like two tortoises. So imagine the commentator with a deep southern drawl explaining to the crowds why on earth these crap heaps were on his track, and you will have captured a very special moment.

By Justin Clements Street Safari

Break Time

Drag Race Time

More Break Time

Hot Pursuit Time

The Strange Story of the Vanny Van Art Car

The internet is a strange place and sometimes interesting people email me with interesting art car submissions. The Vanny Van is one of those art cars that was submitted to me covered in hand written notes and stickers put on by all kinds of people along the way.

The Story of Vanny Van
Year one
I was born in some kind of car baby making factory called Dodge. It was 1999 and I was a BIG baby. They named me Ram, which was good because at my first Dealership School I was scared. The ride there was great! We didn’t even have to walk at all. A big, long, huge truck carried me and a few others to our new school. We were all excited. I got to ride on the top which was AWESOME!! So many different cars and people would drive past us. I smiled and waved at all of them.
When we got there I met so many kinds of cars, new and old. The old ones would teach us about patience and how you can tell what families are good families and the bad ones that won’t take good care of you. The Rusty Ones, as we kids called them, would tell us of their great adventures around the United States. How some have had many different families and how they have waited a long time at Dealership School to have new ones. They passed their time with their teachings. As the days would go by, me and my friends would meet new and learn about all kinds of people. Many of my friends would get new families and be off in their new lives. My first year I waited.

C-3PO's Car found Parked in LA called Dub Robot

C-3PO's Dub Robot art car was seen parked in Santa Monika some weeks ago, photographed by Ellen Bloom on her LA beat. Mystery solved, C-3PO drives an old golden Volvo.

Photos by Ellen Bloom

Steelers Fan Paints his Mercedes in time for Super Bowl

Martin Reese's 1983 Mercedes-Benz is decorated with a Pittsburgh Steelers logo and portraits of several players. Reese, of Daytona Beach, transformed his car into a Steelers memorial for the upcoming Super Bowl.

Martin Reese wanted to show his love for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But instead of buying a T-shirt, Reese, 27, of Daytona Beach spent 90 hours transforming his 1983 Mercedes-Benz into a Steelers memorial. He hand-painted it black and gold, splashed the Steelers logo across the hood and added safety Troy Polamalu's long, flowing hair on the trunk.

"I've been a die-hard Steelers fan since I was in elementary school," Reese said.

And now, as the team prepares for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers, Reese is on the road, headed to the game and spreading Steelers spirit along the way.

Wednesday afternoon, Reese took off for Dallas Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the site of the game, in the car he dubbed, "The Immaculate Mercedes," a reference to the Steelers' 1972 Immaculate Reception, one of the most famous plays in football history.
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Reese doesn't have a ticket to the Super Bowl, but he expects "Steeler nation to accept me with open arms."

An art teacher at Pine Ridge High School in Deltona, Reese began transforming his car into a moving piece of art three weeks ago. At that point, the Steelers were still in the playoffs.

"I had faith they would beat the Jets and go on to the Super Bowl," Reese said. He finished earlier this week.

Since then, he has been driving the car to work, much to the enjoyment of his fellow Steelers fans.

He also got some grief from Packers fans, who reminded him that their team is favored to win.

"They appreciated the artwork," Reese said.

Article By Jon Busdeker, Orlando Sentinel

Blowing Kisses with the Lipstick Art Car

The Lipstick Art Car is a 2003 Pontiac Vibe embellished with kisses and other items installed solely in celebration of lipstick. Minneasota artist Patti Paulson created the car in 2010. During parades, Patti leaves her mark when she "lays the smack down" on the crowd to the beat of well known kissing songs blaring from her radio.

Electric Goat Scooter, All the Rage - Alex Harrah

Alex Harrah could possible have created the worlds first electric art scooter. He took your basic scooter and replaced the handle bars with goats head or possibly a rams head. Either way horns for handlebars and cup holder is a nice Gothic touch.

Alex uses this scooter to get around due to being diagnosed with Alpha-1 as a result of having been a heavy smoker in the past. He now campaigns against smoking with his two other art cars.

The first was an art car called Cigs Kill created using the body of 1951 Nash Statesman and the frame of a 1978 Lincoln Mark V with extreme detail that took him seven years to complete.

Cigs Kill Art Car by Alex Harrah - Photo by T. Mitchell Jones

The most recent art car is a 1968 Cadillac hearse painted with cigs cigarettes called Home Grown Terror.

Home Grown Terror Art Car by Alex Harrah - Photo by Tim Klein

Vanadu Ford - Post Apocalypse Gothic Hunter Camper

I am not sure which category to put this Ford Van called "Vanadu" in, but its definitely Post Apocalypse Gothic Hunter Camper.

You start with the fencing up on the roof with a broken spire that looks like a grave site. And various decorative flourishes scattered around to give it the Gothic retro look.

You continue with various car parts welded together, fins, grill, lights, vases, horns, chimneys, lamps, and bars over the windows to give it the "I just survived an atomic blast" apocalypse look.

You then move to the rustic hunter elements with large moose antlers on the roof, mounted fish and deer antlers on the inside. I think I saw an old pistol hanging there to round out the hunter "I am going to get those mutants" motif.

All this wrapped up in a ford Econoline camper that looks like it has some empty spaces to be completed at a later time. I contacted this person for more info but did not get word back, so I made up my own story. Don't get me wrong, this art van rocks and I am sure its very cozy in a Post Apocalyptic Gothic Hunter way.

Retro Vinyl SSR Art Car - Artefacts

"Artifacts" art car was sent in by Graphic Designer Gary Grayson who covered his really cool Chevy SSR pickup truck in a vinyl wrap to advertise his Art Print Business. Some work with paint some work with pixels on vinyl:)

Remarkable 22ft Mercedes Finn Jet Art Car Limo- Video

I was just go another remarkable "Finnjet" art car video that really gives you a much better idea of the magnitide of this car. The Finn Jet, created by Antti Rahko, is a 22-foot-long, 7,500-pound compilation of chrome made from 40 different cars, based on two Mercedes-Benz station wagons welded together. There are also parts from a 1962 Chrysler Imperial thrown in the mix, plus 86 lights and 36 mirrors added over six years. It also has three axles, two of which are steerable, a stove, microwave, freezer, TV, two air conditioning and even a sauna (Finns are very serious about their saunas).

Finnish-born Rahko, who is from Kurikka, a town of about 10,000 in western Finland, emigrated to the United States in 1984. He left his son in charge of the furniture business he'd built in Europe. He retired from the business and with lots of free time and his interest in old cars he bought and scoured from junkyards. He mainly built this car to amuse him self but due to health issues the Finnjet is now available for sale for only $950,000. He was discovered at a Florida art car parade and since then has been a giant hit and was even featured on the Discover Channel.

The name “Finn Jet” traces back to 1976, when the Finns launched the longest and largest car ferry in the world, and the only one powered by gas turbines. The original Finnjet is said to still be the fastest conventional ferry in service, with a recorded top speed of 33.5 knots.

Photo by Paul McRae



Photo by Kay and Kevin Rolfes

Hot Westcoaster Mailster Art Car For Sale

This hot 1965 Westcoaster Mailster Art Car is now for sale right on craiglist for only $2500 in Phoenix AZ. This old mail truck in phoenix runs great and still has the original v twin motor with a 3 speed manual transmission. Its a must have for this years art car parade season.

Miami EV Project - VW Golf Art Car by LEBO Studios

Have you ever sat around with your friend and though, "hey, we should make our car an electric car"?

Danny Alva and Donato Helbling woke up one day and decided to turn their VW into an electric car. This DIY project can be found Miami EV Project for all to see and keep up on their journey.

They took a Volkswagen Golf III, gave it an amazing paint job by LEBO Studios, called the Buzz and swapped out the engine and fuel tank for an electric motor and batteries. After about 70 days of hard work, the final product was on display at the Green Art Fair Miami 2008. Even though the two were a bit exhausted by the challenge, they were ready to tackle more conversions soon.

Their mission is to research and develop electric vehicles and to provide public education and promotion of this alternative way of transportation. Helbling's big question is this: "If we can do it, why can't everybody? Do we really need to wait for car companies to sell us a new electric car?" To answer that, keep an eye out for Alva and Helbling to possibly work on a reality show or documentary series called "Green Your Ride."

HMS Uranus Art Car - Boldy Going Were Few Dare To Go

The HMS Uranus Art Car is boldly going were few dare to go. Oregon watch out!!!

Nautilimo - Floridas Floating Pink Limo For Rent

Joe Fox is the captain of this unique pink boat limo call the Nauti-Limo. If you happen to be in Florida keys why not take a tour in style in the World's first Cadillac style Nautical Stretch-Limousine on the water! Its designed to carry 1-6 passengers, powered by a 100 hp Yamaha engine and has all required safety equipment on board. Its available for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and I am sure proms. Of course it also available for your run of the mill snorkeling and swim exertions of your favorite spots. 

Nancy Reagan Art Car Billboard

uploaded by ehoyer.

Here is an art car with a giant photo of Nancy Reagan on a van totally protected from towing, wheel booting and vandalism. Its in San Francisco so I guess it needs all that, but I am not sure the purpose of it all.

The Making of Stellabelle Art Car - Video

Here is an art car from one of my facebook friend named Leah Stella called Stellabelle a 99 Toyota with Almost 200,000 miles on it. The outside depicts worms, lights and Dr. Suess style things and was painted using exterior house paint. Stella is a videographer, composer, graphic artist and Youtube director with a very interesting video of the making of her art car and if you like this there is plenty of it where that came from on her YouTube channel.