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Cleaning up the town
Inspired by our January 2018 SC Stories profile of Dr. Phillip Latham, the Sumter dermatologist who builds replica Batmobiles in his spare time, York Electric Cooperative member Barrie J. Clark wrote us to show off his movie-prop replica of Ecto 1, the car from Ghostbusters.
Courtesy of Barrie J. Clark
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Back off man, they’re scientists
York Electric Cooperative member Barrie J. Clark in full Ghostbusters regalia with actor Ernie Hudson, one of the original movie’s lead actors.
Our January 2018 SC Stories profile of Dr. Phillip Latham, the Sumter dermatologist who builds replica Batmobiles in his spare time, attracted a lot of reader interest, including this letter from York Electric Cooperative member Barrie J. Clark.
I was very happy to see the article on Dr. Phillip Latham and his replica Batmobiles (SC Stories, January 2018) in South Carolina Living. It’s nice to know there’s someone else out there with a passion for movie-prop cars.
I have a replica of Ecto-1 from the 1984 movie Ghostbusters that I use for charity events and patient visits at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte. Could you pass on my details to the good doctor, so we can exchange information?
After sending Clark’s contact information to Latham, we asked for more information on his movie-prop project. Here is his reply.
The car has been an incredible journey of self-discovery. It really started in 1984 when I saw Ghostbusters. I always loved that car!
In October 2016, while building a full-scale replica proton pack to go with my Ghostbusters Halloween costume, I had some downtime between sourcing parts and waiting for the paint to dry. To ease the boredom, I decided to decrease the value of my 2009 Toyota Venza by tricking it out as a modern Ecto-1, with working lights and siren. It wowed everyone at a big party I attended. I even won best costume.
Things took off from there. All ages, races and backgrounds seem to love Ghostbusters, so I did some charity appearances at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte and other events that year.
In early 2017, I heard about a perfect vintage car for sale in Pascagoula, Mississippi. After talking to owner by phone, I flew down, bought it, and drove back across five states. I dived into the restoration process to get her into the condition she’s in now. It took me approximately 650 man hours in all, and I’m proud to say I did most of the work myself. Lights, sirens, audio system, electrical, interior, custom fabricating—you name it, I worked on it.
She’s been a labor of love, and I enjoy making appearances at hospitals and charity events. The car just makes people smile. I call it my “universal breaker” because it resets my beliefs in humanity and demonstrates that a single person can make a dramatic difference in the lives of others. I’ve learned that I’m really good at something, and that is making people smile.
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Get More
To contact Barrie J. Clark and learn more about movie props, email him at barrie@lscav.com.
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Related Story
Holy replicas, Batman! – Meet the Sumter dermatologist who builds fully functional Batmobiles in his spare time.