User:69428scj
| 69428scj | |
|---|---|
| Born | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Occupation | Ghostbusters fan |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Notable work(s) | Ectomobile Replica |
| Spouse(s) | Mrs. 69428scj |
69428scj is the owner of what many have referred to as the most accurate Ecto-1 replica in existance.
Early life
69428scj was born in Cincinnati Ohio. He grew up in a family that was very car-centric, his father being a former drag racer. From a very young age he was exposed to working on cars and restoring them. By the time he graduated High School, he had already completed multiple restorations, among them being a 1975 Volkswagen Beetle and "nut-and-bolt, frame-off" restoration of a 1965 Ford Galaxie 500. As a child he, like many other members of the fan community, was very fanatic about both the movie and cartoon, owning nearly all the Kenner toys. Twice during the 1980s he was a Ghostbuster, one being in camouflage uniform, the other in the Ghostbusters II uniform.
The Search Begins
In 2002, 69428scj began a serious search for a 1959 Miller-Meteor. This search, like those who have come before him, became fruitless. Unknowing of the distaste among professional car enthusiasts have for the Ectomobile, he aligned himself with the wrong people who steered him in the wrong direction intentionally. Eventually he would give up his search after much disgruntlement. After a few years, 69428scj had put his fanaticism for Ghostbusters aside as real life got in the way. Then at a Halloween party in 2008 with Mrs. 69428scj, he noticed something that enraged him. There was a person there with the cheap Party City blow up Proton Pack and yellow flight suit. It was at this moment he declared, "That is crap and I am going to outdo him for next year!" It was at this moment he rededicated his life to Ghostbusters.
It was in February 2009 when 69428scj joined GBFans.com and immediately immersed himself to all things Ectomobile. He memorized every detail he could about the car and began to search for parts. He once again began to search for the correct model because he would not settle for anything less than screen accuracy. It was then, on accident, did he stumble across the car. While trying to find pictures of the Ecto-1A replica that's for sale in Arizona on the dupont registry, he went to the wrong website. He went to hemmings.com and typed in "1959 miller meteor" when a dusty, partially dismantled, hulk appeared. He happened to be away for work during this time so he kept composure and immediately called family members to assist him with the transfer of funds and vehicle transportation.
The Fun Begins
Being no stranger to restorations, 69428scj figured this restoration would be simple. Unfortunately, being ignorant of how limited parts were for this car along with sheetmetal was a large hindrance. To complicate matters, the previous owner did not properly dismantle the car so it was as though the car were a giant jigsaw puzzle. He was living in California at the time and the car was in Ohio so almost no progress was made until he moved home in 2011. When 69428scj returned home, he began a slow, steady work pace on the car as there was no real rush to complete it other than the "yearly deadline" of Halloween. In July 2011, he was contacted by a GBFans.com member who informed him that his car would like to be used for a convention. 69428scj originally resisted as he had asked local board members for assistance in the past and did not receive any. Only after he was told multiple stars from the movies would be in town did he agree. From there began a whirlwind 3 month late-night zombie restoration that concluded with the exterior being complete for the show. Sadly he had run out of time (and a little money) to accomplish as much as he had hoped for.
The restoration efforts did not stop with the convention though, 69428scj continued after the show to labor on as his Ecto-1 was one of the featured cars of the most selective car in the city of Cincinnati in January 2012. Again, he came up short on his goals of driving the car to the show as the engine had not been completely wired up but all of the lights and the siren worked and was a huge hit. The following month he had an engagement with an indoor car show in Dayton Ohio, but not surprisingly ran out of time to get the car driveable. This time though the car was running, but the brakes were not working. The car was again hauled around on the back of a flatbed trailer to and from the show for what was thought to be the last time.
April rolled around and again the car was the featured piece at the first and largest outdoor car show in the Cincinnati area. Finally the car was driven to its first show!
Personal life
69428scj is the owner of 17 cars and lives his life in the fast lane.
Beliefs
69428scj believes that Ectomobiles should be done accurately with little to no deviation from the movie car. Exceptions include modernization and proportionality. Thought, time and effort must be put into the car to minimize the ramshackle appearance.