Cars That I Have Always Wanted To Drive

I could probably go on forever on this list: the Mach 5, from Speed Racer, the VW Thing, Those 6-wheels amphibious deals. Really there are so many cars; anything from Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's handy work to the concept cars of of the 50s and 60s to Harley Earl...

How do you make up your mind ?

Known in some circles as the "Munster Mobile," was part funeral procession carriage, death march Hearse, all drag racer with just a hint of luxury touring car designed in only twenty-one days by George Barris for the macabre television comedy "The Munsters." Owned by Herman Munster, I won't bore you with all the "under the hood" stuff, but I will throw a few of the "this and that's" at you. The Munster Mobile had a 300 H.P. 289 Ford Cobra V-8 engine (from a 1966 Mustang GT), a Mickey Thompson long ram thrust manifold supplying 10 chrome-dipped Stromberg carburetors and Bobby Barr funnel racing headers. The Munster frame was 133-inches, supporting the 6-door touring roadster with a retro-fitted rear end from 1927 Model T bucket. All of this sweet ride was covered with 40 coats of high gloss black pearl paint. The front dropped axles, with split radius bars held Mickey Thompson 11-inch wide rear racing slicks, Ansen Astro wheels trimmed with knock off hubs and walnut wood inserts, the front wheels Pirelli snow donut tires. Exterior was accented with gold radiators, ornamental coffin handles on the hood, and spider web headlights with old fashioned gas lanterns. The Munster Koach's interior was decorated with diamond shaped seats tufted and buttoned, also red velvet coffin liner and ermine rugs. One of the car's sections featured all the creature comforts like, a stereo tape recorder, Sony TV sets, an electric shoe polisher, a blender and two antique French phones; nothing but the best for the undead. 

The Munster Koach reached top speeds of 150 M.P.H. (0-45 in 7.2 seconds) and according to the Munster Family Lore, the mobile was created as a surprise birthday present for Herman Munster (Fred Gwynne) by his loving wife Lily Munster (Yvonne DeCarlo). Lily alledgely bought two cars, a roadster for $795; and a Hearse car for $943, from Diamond Jim's Used cars. Then Herman's wife, Lily, had mechanics convert the two vehicles into the suped up Munster Koach.

In a 1984 Car and Driver magazine article, I found while researching the Munster Koach, stated that, "Butch Patrick fondly remembers the time Fred Gwynne hijacked and drove it (the Munster Koach) down the freeway into the heart of Hollywood with the whole cast on board."

The Drag-u-la was a specially built racing car made for a Munster's movie "Munsters, Go Home"  in this comic motion picture the Munster family inherits an English estate.Built in the movie by Grandpa Munster (Al Lewis), an aging vampire "Count." The "Drag-u-la" was a coffin on wheels that reached the top speed of 160 mph. The basis of Drag-u-la creation developed when Grandpa's son-in-law, Herman Munster lost the family car ("The Munster Koach") in a drag race. To save the day and family honor, Grandpa builds his own dragster and won Herman's car back.

Designed by George Barris (who also built the Munster Koach and the Batmobile), the Drag-u-la was created for a cost of $10,800. It featured gold-leaf paint finish, silver spider hubcaps, a 350 hp, 289 Ford Mustang V-8 with a four-speed stick, dual quad manifold, high compression pistons, a purple block to match the purple coffin liner seat, twin four-barrel carburetors, a pair of organ pipes for exhaust headers, sprouting from both sides of the vehicle. All sitting on 11-inch Firestone drag slicks with polished Radar five-spoke alloy wheels at the rear, Speedsport wire wheels capped with Italian motorcycle tires in the front and spider webbed headlights. Crested on the front end of Drag-u-la was a miniature headstone that read "Drag-u-la Born: 1367. Died - ?"

In the film's climax, the Drag-u-la is entered into a cross-country race (with Herman as its driver). Despite attempts to kill Herman, the Drag-u-la won the race by crossing the finish line backwards, due to an oil slick that spun the car around at the last moment.

The Monkeemobile's history is not very well known. For television's sake, there were two identical cars built, as with many TV props. The interesting story about the Monkeemoblie, is how a Pontiac was chosen as the car. The story is the classic someone knowing someone who knew someone else. The main idea for the Monkeemobile came from MPC, a model car company's CEO George Toteff, he seen money in a Monkee's toy car model. In addition to manufacturing models, Toteff also built the "GeeTO Tiger" model drag strip that toured the country.

Toteff had on contract a well-known customizer by the name of Dean Jeffries. Jeffries was also contracted to Universal Studios, which produced the show. Dean was chosen to build a customized car to use on the Monkees TV show; which at that time hadn't begun production, and a car had not  been yet chosen. Jeffries had mentioned this toToteff, who in turn told his friend Jim Wangers about the opportunity. As you might have guessed, Wangers was working for Pontiac's advertising agency, McManus, John & Adams, managing promotion and advertising for Pontiac. Wangers instantly saw the show as a huge promotional opportunity for Pontiac and set up the deal with the show's producers. Wangers jumped at the opportunity for two 1966 GTO convertibles that would be converted into Monkeemobiles. Toteff was granted exclusive rights to market a model kit of the car, for his part of having his hand in the deal.

More than 7 million MPC Monkeemobiles were sold, a number beaten out, only by The Dukes of Hazzard's "General Lee" 1969 Dodge Charger in overall model kit sales.

While the front end of the Monkeemobile was easily recognizable as a GTO, the rest of the car was heavily customized. Among the modifications, Jeffries added a very tall split windshield, a third row of seats where the rear deck was, a T-bucket-type convertible top, large fender flares, exaggerated taillamps, and even a parachute. The show's producers wanted a flamboyant car, and that is exactly what was delivered.

The first Monkeemobile built was actually the one used on the TV show, and the second one was displayed used at car shows and for promotions. The first car had a 6-71 supercharger on the engine and weights were put in the rear so it would wheelstands. The car had too much power for the suspension and was difficult to drive, so the real blower was removed and a dummy blower was installed.

Monkee Mike Nesmith, once mentioned that there was even plans to build a Monkeemobile funnycar, which unfortunately never happened. The Monkeemobile has had a remarkable life, but here's what we do know: The first mobile was sent to Australia to accompany the Monkees on a concert tour. For some reason, which no one seems to know,  the first Monkeemobile was left there, and ended up in a private owner's hands. It is unlikely that it was ever registered there, because it was never converted to right-hand drive, as required by Australian law.  It passed through a series of owners, next showing up in Puerto Rico, where it was used as a hotel courtesy car for several years.

It was next seen in May of 1992 in a government foreclosure auction in Puerto Rico. The minimum bid for that car was $5,000, and the car was sold at that price. The first Monkeemobile was finally back on American soil, and now lives in the metro New York City area. Fortunately, the Monkeemobile was in great shape  and only needed minor refurbishing work to bring it back to its original glory. The owner even has had  "The Monkees" door decals replicated, and a new replacement top.

The Monkeemobile still remains one of the most radically customized Pontiacs ever built and a true icons of the 1960s era. While Pontiac was not at all satisfied with the look of the car, they loved the promotioanl value of the TV show.

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth is to me a master (I have written a hub about him and his genius) an absolute creative genius, that made vehicles with visionary prowless, out of parts, pieces and what ever else he could get his hands on; Dr. Frankenstein would be proud of this mad genius. I couldn't really deside on which of his incredible cars I would really want to drive. So I puled the Mysterion's name out of a hat. Sadly, the original Mysterion was really a failure and is long gone.

Ed built the Mysterion in his "Studio." Roth success was based on him topping his previous creation, the Beatnik Bandit. The Mysterion's blow-molded canopy was appealing to kids who were raised on B-grade sci-fi films. Ed found even more inspiration in dragsters. The NHRA banned "exotic" fuels (nitro and alky) between 1957 and 1963. Leaving racers to resort to doing things like stuffing multiple engines in their diggers to produce more speed.

That more-is-better philosophy fit in perfectly with Ed Roth, so he sourced two Ford FE-series engines and crammed them into the Mysteriion. He mated each engine to its own Ford-O-Matic slushbox (More Power Scotty! Warp Speed 6) Then Ed did something absolutely insane... to anybody who's ever driven a banjo-axled Ford. He transmitted all that theoretical power to a glass-axled rearend made from two banjo centersections.

The body and nose got a very out-there greenish-yellow paint. The Mysterion's interior didn't fail to impress, either; it featured yards of what looks like Sasquatch hair in lieu of carpet. Contrasting the rather drab hair was a single contoured seat sheathed in metal-flecked vinyl. The Cragar steering wheel spotlighted the spangled cockpit.

The Mysterion appeared on the cover and on the inside of the September '63 Rod & Custom cover. As well as a number of other magazines, and even in some how-to books. Eventually Revell made Mysterion model kits.

The Mysterion was concidered "a total piece of shit." The weight from the engines alone constantly cracked the frame. Someone eventually parted out the car and it ended up in the Midwest. Bill Roach purchased the empty shell and nose in the '70s from a bank that lost big on a shyster. The body was eventually horse-traded back to Ed.

We don't have Ed Roth walking around anymore. All we have are Ed's stories and artifacts to remember him by. The prospect that someone would make the effort to give us something that was lost to time and the idea that it still strikes awe in showgoers is proof of Roth's significance.

The T-Rex is the most insane, coolest damn thing built on three-wheels today. It will out corner and out accellerate most any exotic car built today,

Created by Campagna Motors a young, upstart Canadian company that designs, manufactures and distributes 3-wheel vehicles. What they have made here is a vehicle that is fun, stylish and pure perfomance. The T-REX is all about the sports car fan with its sex appeal body style. The T-Rex, is not just another pretty face, it will often out performs the fine supercars that cost way more than a T-Rex. This little head turner's power-plant is an inline four cylinder 1400cc engine designed by Kawasaki, that produces over 200 hp. These three-wheel machines that are exciting to ride and easy to handle.

T-Rex's performance specs read like a highspeed enthusiast's dream: 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Which are up to par with a Posche 911 Turbo S, and will pull 1.98Gs in turns. After seeing the many T-Rex video...I have to confess, that I am salivating a little.

 All I can say is "holy shit what a ride."