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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday, December 5, 1968
Popular name
KU student builds own car
He was told it couldn't be done. So Stan Demster, Shawnee Mission junior, designed and produced his own car—"Thunderbolt."
"All my friends in engineering said I just couldn't do it," he said. "When someone tells me I can't do something I love to prove them wrong. I built it and had it driveable in three months."
The "Thunderbolt" has rather unconventional measurements. Its overall length is 180 inches. It is 72 inches wide with a 129-inch wheel base and weighs 1,950 pounds.
The "Thunderbolt" is painted flr, black. It has a textured surface with a pattern much like cob-webs.
"I built the body so that every angle you look at, it appears as a different car—sort of an optical illusion-type of thing," Demster said.
The Thunderbolt does have its drawbacks. For example, the car has no doors. Demster wanted the car to have one continuous chassis with absolutely no welds.
When asked how people got into the car without doors, Demster said: "It's fairly easy for girls to leap or jump into it—but with girls I have to lift them up into the car."
The interior of the car equals the exterior in its unusual appearance. The dashboard of the car is lined with mink. The remainder of the interior is painted persimmon. All the controls were built for a left-handed driver. Demster termed the interior "functional but at the same time cute and humorous."
"The only thing the interior doesn't have is an ashtray. Cigarettes and mink just don't mix well." Demster said.
Father of quads tired; still a fan
DEARBORN, Mich. (UPI)—In 24 minutes last week Gustave Pulter went from a father of two to a father of six as his wife, Pamela, gave birth to quadruplets.
The father said he is exhausted.
But he decided not to let the whole thing interfere with football. He went to Tiger Stadium and watched the Detroit Lions tie the New Orleans Saints, 20-20.
"I wouldn't have come to the game if the nurses hadn't assured me that Pam and the kids were doing fine," the Ford Motor Co. employee said. "But I have these season tickets and..."
Mrs. Pamela Pulter, 31, gave birth to the three girls and a boy at Oakwood Hospital. All were as yet unnamed, since they weren't expected until January.
The Pulters have two other children, both boys.
Brian, 6, "is very happy," Pulter, a Ford Motor Co. employee said. "I know he'll be glad to have his mom back again."
Pulter said he and his wife learned of the possible multiple birth in late September and since then Mrs. Pulter has spent about four weeks in the hospital.
For the time being, the babies—who weighed 3 pounds, 4 ounces to 4 pounds, 12 ounces at birth—will be placed in one bedroom.
The Pulters don't have any cribs or bassinets for the babies. For a long time they weren't sure if Mrs. Pulter would be able to carry them.
"I can't afford to move," Pulter said. "We'll put an addition on as soon as possible."
"I'm just hoping maybe the stores will send us some things," he said.
Asked if he and his wife planned to have any more children, Pulter replied emphatically, "I hope not."
Demster claims that the mink is especially functional. "The mink cuts down on windshield glare. I don't have to dust it either. I just vacuum it every couple of months," he said.
The "Thunderbolt" has one great safety feature—a monocoque chassis. Its outside shell can withstand a collision of 100 m.p.h.
Although the car can travel at a speed over 200 m.p.h. and although it is quite safe Demster rarely drives it and never for great distances.
Demster says there are two reasons that he cannot drive the car for great distances. "First of all it is a terrible distraction to other drivers on the road. Crowds gather to see it and the person driving next to me or in back of me sometimes gets so distracted that he will drive off the road."
The second reason for not driving it is the insurance problems Demster encounters.
"All I could get insured for was liability. The insurance man said it was uninsurable due to its rarity. The cost involved for repair was too much. For example my tires and wheels cost $600 because they were specially made."
Despite its large size, the Thunderbolt can hold only two passengers. "The two passengers have to be very good friends—things get a little cozy," Demster said.
"It's sorta like climbing a ladder. You realize all the mistakes you made. I'm not at all satisfied with the car. In many ways I'm disappointed," he said.
Demster said he would like to sell the car so that he could begin another project.
Demster's next big goal is to build his own home.
"Like my car it will be quite radical. I plan to build it all underground," he said.
the future homeowner's next "impossible dream is scheduled after he graduates."
NEW! Pop Baskets
Actually, they're beer and pop cans that grew up made of heavy gauge metal 19" high, $ 10\frac{1}{4} $ diameter. The perfect accent for the dorm, home bars, clubs, and everyone's fun room!
$5.99
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Distinctive Christmas cards imported from many lands
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