Rides — Zoinks! It’s the Mystery Machine!

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/01/2018 (2991 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Like most classic automobile enthusiasts, Chad Bicklmeier’s interest is largely driven by nostalgia.

A key difference between him and most others is that his nostalgic inclinations are pop culture-driven, specifically, classic vehicles that have shown up on television and in movies.

“They’re just fun,” Bicklmeier said. “They’re usually tied to memories, and they’re sort of iconic of a certain time or a mood.”

His first foray into the pop culture car scene happened a few years ago, when he recreated the time machine from the “Back to the Future” trilogy.

Unable to find a DeLorean DMC-12, which protagonists Marty McFly and Emmett “Doc” Brown use to travel through time with the aid of a flux capacitor, Bicklmeier settled on a 1989 Sunbird GT-Turbo.

Although it was bit smaller in scale than the original movie car, he said they pulled it off well enough for people to recognize it.

A more spot-on feat was his and son Dakota’s creation of the Mystery Machine, as pictured in the classic children’s cartoon and movie series “Scooby-Doo.”

The project started out with Bicklmeier purchasing a 1992 G20 3/4-tonne Chevrolet van to haul vehicles with.

Dakota said his father should do something about its dark brown paint job, threatening him with an ambiguous “or I will.”

His mind went straight to the van from the 1980s television series, “The A-Team.” Although the television show used a 1983 GMC Vandura, the 2010 movie used a 1994 Chevrolet G20.

Then, he came across an image online of the Mystery Machine, which carried a more vibrant and fun paint job.

Although a few subtly different versions of the classic vehicle have sprung up during the decades that followed its debut appearance in cartoon form in 1969, Bicklmeier stuck to the design used in the 2009 prequel movie “Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins.”

Following through on his threat, Dakota, who is pursuing a career in media production, helped his father paint the van in 2013.

Since then, Bicklmeier said that Scooby-Doo fans of all ages have followed the vehicle around.

“The kids scream and wave,” he said. “There are so many times when you’re driving down the street and they don’t even think about it, but they smile or maybe they giggle and it’s just good vibes. It’s fun.”

Sometimes, heading to the store for a loaf of bread might take a little bit longer than usual due to people stopping Bicklmeier for photos next to the van, but he said that it’s all part of the fun.

Last summer, Bicklmeier drove the vehicle to Mexico, throwing a motorcycle in the back to allow for extra exploration throughout the trip.

As always, kids were screaming and parents were honking all along the way.

“It wasn’t why we did it, but it’s one of the huge benefits that I think we’re getting out of it because it makes us feel good when other people smile,” Bicklmeier said. “There are so many good stories to share, it’s tempting to write a book.”

» tclarke@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB