Jazzinc 1/6 Batman 1989 Batmobile

[Pro Design]

This Batmobile is a very impressive fan creation project, but certainly an expensive one. After having in hand for almost a full day and admiring its design and construction, I can honestly say its pretty good but not great. Mostly because of the paint inconsistency on my particular Batmobile.

Here are a couple of pictures to hopefully illustrate what I am talking about:
View attachment 735815
View attachment 735814

Not sure if my old phone camera can capture the level of visual fidelity that will properly convey the orange peel texture correctly as I see and feel it in hand, but its mainly noticeable near the rear-end of the vehicle especially around the both rear fender sides.

The car's exhaust cowling cover I used to contrast the difference in texture here. The cover has a smooth, even layer. Maybe this isn't considered super severe, but its definitely noticeable, more so than any molding indentations.

hey question for you...
you mentioned in a follow up post that you were not happy with the response from jazzinc to your paint issues...
what exactly were you told? never saw any follow up to that. thanks!

 

[Bleah]

They said that the variation in paint texture looks to be within specifications and to use some jescar correction compound to make it have a shinier finish.

That's what the 89 Batman figure is currently doing in the photo just a few posts above.

 

[Adama]

This Batmobile is a very impressive fan creation project, but certainly an expensive one. After having in hand for almost a full day and admiring its design and construction, I can honestly say its pretty good but not great. Mostly because of the paint inconsistency on my particular Batmobile.

Here are a couple of pictures to hopefully illustrate what I am talking about:
View attachment 735815
View attachment 735814

Not sure if my old phone camera can capture the level of visual fidelity that will properly convey the orange peel texture correctly as I see and feel it in hand, but its mainly noticeable near the rear-end of the vehicle especially around the both rear fender sides.

The car's exhaust cowling cover I used to contrast the difference in texture here. The cover has a smooth, even layer. Maybe this isn't considered super severe, but its definitely noticeable, more so than any molding indentations.

In my opinion, that paint is a QC issue.
That is likely the result of a painting in a hot environment and the droplets drying before reaching the surface. It can be polished out, but at the factory, not after delivery. Very poor.

JazzInc have always suffered with in-consistent paintwork. I was hoping this project would be the best yet, but it's not looking good.
Mine will be on the way, at the end of the year.

 

[SwedishHeat]

Thread cleaned up. Do not attack other members.

 

[TexasFi3nd]

Just got my "Shipping ahead of schedule" email from Jazzinc right now, so I immediately paid my remaining balance. Ship date was January. Hopefully it'll arrive before Xmas now.

Now, what to do with my Hot Toys Batmobile

 

[Mondragon]

Now, what to do with my Hot Toys Batmobile

You flip it, and the plastic shield over, and turn it into the 89 Batboat.

 

[The Buffinator]

Just got my "Shipping ahead of schedule" email from Jazzinc right now, so I immediately paid my remaining balance. Ship date was January. Hopefully it'll arrive before Xmas now.

Now, what to do with my Hot Toys Batmobile

Hopefully everyone gets their Batmobiles before a certain someone attempts to impose his 60% tariff on goods imported from China.

 

[Pro Design]

They said that the variation in paint texture looks to be within specifications and to use some jescar correction compound to make it have a shinier finish.



I honestly wasn't expecting much of any solution, and I'm not looking to further exacerbate any contentious debate regarding it. Mine unfortunately was painted kinda bad, it is what it is.

Only thing I would want is for them to fix the paint job for me, but it shouldn't cost me anything to do it. So I'm guessing it's an unrealistic delusion on my part.

thank you for the follow up!
yeah that's unfortunate that they consider what was shown in the video as being acceptable. don't see how in any mind that gloss going to heavily distorted is not seen as a defect or poor processes... and advising you to use correction compound and fix the paint issues yourself is also beyond crazy to me as well?

keep going back and forth on whether to keep my order. i had this idea set for a nice 89 display. i've got the pure arts cowl i picked up, got the jazzinc batwing still new in the box and was waiting for the batmobile to start setting up my idea... went so far as to pick up the hot toys version this weekend as a place holder / replacement if i decide that i can't live with the things that are negative in my eyes on this model. i get the whole debate and trying to decide the lesser of 2 evils... not as screen acurate vs. paint and body issues. both sides of the group are right in their opinions and the right to discuss it.

i guess the investigation that needs figured out is how hard is it repair this with the issues as you've shown in the paint. i know the warping of surfaces is guaranteed and nothing is being done on that front, but correcting the paint is an art form from what i've seen and not sure how we would go about it by hand w/o machines?

 

[vspectra]

Well, hopefully the bad paint is just a small isolated batch or only afflicting a few cars. Certainly sucks that I got one like this. I don't agree with their response to me that this is to specification, it is evident that it is bad and I'm just showing you one side of the car. It's just as bad on the passenger side, same area.

From what I've read online for fixing automobile paint, polishing with a compound and cutting pad and circular buffer will resolve this orange peel texture. Otherwise it is super fine grit wet sanding and reapplying paint/clear coat. I shouldn't have to do either.

I'm reading orange peel can only be fixed by sanding the paint flat and then compounding the paint to remove sand marks and then polish. This definitely should have been the production painters' job. Guess you could try the less abrasive method first and see if that does anything to help before using the sand method. I'd be pretty nervous sanding this Batmobile myself and accidentally over-sanding.

 

[GodParticle]

I wouldn't mess with it. Chances are you will make it 10x worse

 

[bman89]

thank you for the follow up!
yeah that's unfortunate that they consider what was shown in the video as being acceptable. don't see how in any mind that gloss going to heavily distorted is not seen as a defect or poor processes... and advising you to use correction compound and fix the paint issues yourself is also beyond crazy to me as well?

keep going back and forth on whether to keep my order. i had this idea set for a nice 89 display. i've got the pure arts cowl i picked up, got the jazzinc batwing still new in the box and was waiting for the batmobile to start setting up my idea... went so far as to pick up the hot toys version this weekend as a place holder / replacement if i decide that i can't live with the things that are negative in my eyes on this model. i get the whole debate and trying to decide the lesser of 2 evils... not as screen acurate vs. paint and body issues. both sides of the group are right in their opinions and the right to discuss it.

i guess the investigation that needs figured out is how hard is it repair this with the issues as you've shown in the paint. i know the warping of surfaces is guaranteed and nothing is being done on that front, but correcting the paint is an art form from what i've seen and not sure how we would go about it by hand w/o machines?

I also have the Pure Arts 89 cowl and it's fantastic. If you pass on the Jazz Batmobile, another companion piece worth your consideration is the Paragon FX grappling gun made from aluminum. It's a fun tangible experience and you really feel like Batman when you pick it up and handle it. They also make the glass smoke capsules, which I also own and are excellent. Those two together would be about a grand so still less than the Jazz Batmobile. And if you wait for a Black Friday sale, I'm sure you could get them for even less.

 

[bman89]

I'm reading orange peel can only be fixed by sanding the paint flat and then compounding the paint to remove sand marks and then polish. This definitely should have been the production painters' job. Guess you could try the less abrasive method first and see if that does anything to help before using the sand method. I'd be pretty nervous sanding this Batmobile myself and accidentally over-sanding.

I wasn't planning on watching this whole video but it's oddly satisfying!

 

[BoricuaHec01]

Hot Toys just came out with the Batmissile!

 

[Adama]

Well, that was unexpected !

 

[GodParticle]

A couple of unboxings on youtube, and the paint apps aren't looking too hot with defects. Also one guy had his covered in dusty grime

 

[BoricuaHec01]

Mine shipped out, getting nervous.

 

[KJM]

According to the official Making Of book, the 89 Batmobile is 19ft 6 inches which is 234 inches total. Assuming 19 feet 6 inches is correct, 234 divided by 6 would be 39 inches in length for a true 1/6 scale...which is the length of the Hot Toys version, whereas the Jazz is 43.

I think the Jazz is slightly oversized but has the more accurate shape and proportions. The issue with the Hot Toys version is the rear of the vehicle is too large which makes the front of it look too short. However, it has the correct footprint for a true 1/6 scale.

All that said, I would rather have it be a bit too large but with accurate shapes and proportions.

For most people I think the Hot Toys version gets the job done, and the proportions issue isn't really noticeable if you display it at a slight angle, but credit where credit is due: The Jazz version nailed the shape and proportions of the 89. And many vehicles + figures aren't true 1/6 scale anyhow.

234 inches sounds about right. From my own research, the hero cars are about that. I contacted Gotham Cruisers that sells the full-sized body shells for enthusiasts to make their own drivable batmobiles, and they quoted me 235 inches on a wheelbase of around 141 inches. I understand that most of the shells on the market now were cast from the Jay Ohrberg replicas, so they are all 8 inches narrower than the original hero cars. One of the hero cars resides at the Petersen Automotive Museum. It is described as being almost 20 feet long.

https://www.petersen.org/vehicle-spotlights/1989-batmobile

I think the thing that gets everyone confused about vehicle dimensions is that the hero car dimensions are sometimes not the 'official' dimensions. According to Warner Bros promo material, not only is the 89 batmobile 260.7 inches long, it is bulletproof, has a jet turbine engine, can deploy a shield, and transform into the bat missile. Obviously the hero cars don't have any of those features. So I guess, as collectors, it all depends on what you are after - the dimensions of the 'actual' car or the car in the movie.

 

[emperor fett]

A couple of unboxings on youtube, and the paint apps aren't looking too hot with defects. Also one guy had his covered in dusty grime

Man why put in so much work & research to get everything correct just to let them get shipped out like this

 

[ZE_501]

Didn't watch the whole thing, but he has a point about the voting business. At the end of the day it's inaccurate sampling and gimmick-y.

I was tempted by the car, but glad I didn't opt in. It really seems like a roll of the dice as to what you get in terms of production quality; when it's not compromised it really looks gorgeous, but I'm not a gambling man.

I appreciate the challenges a tiny company like JazzInc. faces; just a shame that these growing pains are impacting this product.

Does it make me worry about the Catwoman figure? Yes. But at least that's not *as* expensive and the size of a small fridge shipping-wise.

 

[Bleah]

I can barely notice the mold dents in that video. In a way, that's good I guess. The texture and uneven paint is disappointing. I think what will really bother me the most is that and the warped gun covers that won't sit flush against the body. How do you even fix that if you end up with that issue?

What was the reason again why the bat symbols are separate and were not molded to the wheels? Is there supposed to be a feature where they come off in the movie? I can't recall.