If you build it, they will come.  While that’s not always true (especially nowadays when everyone seems to be building something), it couldn’t be more fitting for life-size replicas of Transformers in your backyard.  That’s exactly what Tom Rhoads of Lemoore, California is doing and the first one to rise looks smashing – a first-generation Bumblebee from the original Transformers cartoons.
While Hollywood has fashioned the affable character into a Camaro (with a special edition model, no less), Bumblebee used to be a yellow Volkswagen Beetle. Â Since chopping up a Camaro would cost an arm and a leg compared to a beat-up yellow Bug (especially considering it’s a hobby piece), Tom fashioned the robot after the way it originally appeared in the series.
The replica stands an ominous 18 feet tall and weighs a considerably light 1,200 lbs. Â Apart from the chopped-up car body, the statue sports steel and angle iron on its leg area, so it stays secure. Â According to Rhoads, it took him and a friend an entire year to put together, squeezing in the construction work during their spare time.
Not content with just one Transformer, Tom has indicated he’s planning to put together a couple more. Â As you may have noticed, there’s a semi-truck parked right behind Bumblebee in the photo. Â I’m pretty sure you can guess who that’s going to be.
Visitors can check out the statue for free by visiting Tom’s home. Â No, you’re not allowed to climb it and sit on its shoulders like a child.
[Daily Stab via Daily What]