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Photography courtesy of Bill LeMaster
Bill LeMaster, a 44-year-old retired Air Force technician living in Montgomery, Ala., enjoys a great many hobbies, ranging from arts to electronics. He also enjoys his family, his most beloved passion. Although, if you ask his wife, she'd probably say collecting hobbies is his biggest passion.
Last Halloween, when he heard his grandkids were dressing up as Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm from the Flintstones, LeMaster volunteered to build them the Flintstone car to perfectly complete the look (and to make sure he got to join in the fun). "I just wanted my grandkids to have the most awesome costume in Montgomery," he recalls.
He started the build six weeks before Halloween, allowing himself plenty of time to get the project rock solid. Once the car was done, the kids were all set to shuffle their feet down the street -- Yabba-Dabba-Doo! His grandkids were happy, the neighbors were amazed, and LeMaster was satisfied with the outcome of the project.
People continue to ask him where he bought the car and if he'll bring it out of the house.
In response, LeMaster has posted a how-to, comprised of step-by-step instructions on making your own Flintstone car, on the Instructables website.
"I originally documented the construction to simply capture the memories of the build, but it just so happened that I came across Instructables shortly after I started so I decided to enter the contest. I figured people might be interested in some of the techniques I came up with," he explains.
LeMaster says it took him about three weeks to build the car, with most of the work done on Saturdays. The bulk of the material he used was scrap wood that he found lying around the house. Swim noodles and bondo glass both helped in the construction.
All in all, the project cost him about $100, and LeMaster says it was worth every penny. "This was nothing compared to the priceless expressions on my grandkids' faces when they saw the car."
>> Flintstones Car How-To: makezine.com/go/flintmobile
From the column Made on Earth - MAKE 14, page 22 - Ed Troxell.
