Somebody call Dean Wormer because the infamous Deathmobile was spotted in the Village of Oxford on Halloween.
Gawkers slowed down as they drove past Parker Filtration (500 S. Glaspie St.) to get a good look at a replica of the menacing vehicle featured in the 1978 movie classic National Lampoon’s Animal House.
But this Deathmobile was not built by the fictional Delta Tau Chi fraternity brother known as D-Day.
It was constructed by longtime Orion resident Matt Henry, who works in advanced power-train engineering for Delphi
‘It was just a bucket of monkeys to build this thing, it was so fun,? he said. ‘If you have anybody that owes you money or something, you need to borrow my Deathmobile because they’ll cough it up if you pull up in that thing.?
Henry let his brother, Jim, drive it to work and show it off. Jim works as a shipping clerk at Parker Filtration.
‘He just finished it,? said Jim, noting his brother drove it in Lake Orion’s Halloween parade Oct. 30. ‘It took him about a month to build.?
‘He likes to do things like that. It keeps him busy. He’s a Type A personality,? Jim explained.
Matt said he loaned the Deathmobile to his brother as a way to thank Jim for letting him be the first to drive his ‘tricked out Mustang GT five-speed? a year ago.
‘The car was on the road less than 10 miles and he let me take it to my work before he even had a chance to drive it,? Matt explained. ‘He’s a class act.?
Matt said he built the Deathmobile because he wanted to have something for the Woodward Dream Cruise that would stand out in the typical sea of polished classic cars one usually sees. ‘It’s about having something different than everyone else has,? he said.
The Deathmobile featured in the movie was constructed from a 1964 Lincoln Continental that belonged to Kent ‘Flounder? Dorfman’s brother., but got wrecked during a road trip.
It was modified by D-Day and used by the misfit Deltas to wreak havoc and ‘take no prisoners? at the fictional Faber College’s Homecoming parade.
Henry’s Deathmobile was constructed from a 1968 Lincoln Continental. Both feature suicide doors.
‘They’re pretty much the same,? Matt said.
When he bought it for $500, Matt said it had definitely seen better days. ‘She was no prom queen when I picked her up, I’ll tell you that,? he said. ‘The car wasn’t running at all.?
Living up to his nickname, ‘the engine whisperer,? Matt got it running ‘in a matter of hours.?
But the engine wasn’t the only problem.
‘The interior was shot,? Matt said. ‘I had to cut the roof off of it and then use the steel from the roof to patch the floor because it was so bad.?
‘It really wasn’t enough of a car to restore to its former glory,? he noted. ‘I started hackin? on it and a month later we had the Deathmobile.?
It’s most prominent and distinctive feature, the turret, is made of wood and has an escape hatch on top just like in the movie. When it’s not being driven, a black curtain covers the curved plexi-glass windshield that wraps around the front.
‘It’s like driving in a fish bowl,? Jim said.
Matt’s favorite part was building it with his sons, Lucas, 6, and David, 2?.
Besides teaching them ‘engineering basics? and ‘problem solving,? building the Deathmobile showed his sons that ‘with a little creativity and half a brain you can do anything,? Matt said.
It also gave them lots of precious father-son bonding time, while giving mom, Silvia, a much-deserved break.
Although Jim admitted the Deathmobile is hard to get in and out of and a little difficult to drive, he enjoys the open-mouthed stares he gets from others on the road.
Matt loved that part as well. He and Jim put 50 miles on the Deathmobile one Sunday driving it through local neighborhoods and watching people’s reactions.
‘My sides still hurt from laughing,? Matt said. But don’t look for the Deathmobile in next year’s Dream Cruise because last week Matt sold it to the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois near Chicago.
The 30-acre theme park is known worldwide for its multimillion dollar collection of nearly 300 antique and famous cars, which it displays year round in five climate-controlled showrooms.
Matt sold it for an undisclosed amount. He did say he made a hefty profit considering he paid $500 for the car and invested another $500 to transform it into the Deathmobile. The money will go toward his children’s college fund, which he considers the best investment of all.