Ex-Batmobile Replica Maker 'Finally Back In Full Swing' After Fire

JAMESPORT, NY — Six months after a devastating fire gutted a Jamesport potato barn once used for the creation of replica Batmobiles and other custom cars, the man behind the beautiful creations is beginning the slow climb back from the ashes.

In March, James Benken announced that he'd found a new space to pursue his work and his dreams. But the road has been marked by challenges.

Recently, Benken displayed photos of the new space on social media, and of the cars he's once again begun to work on. "Finally back in full swing!" he wrote.

But speaking with Patch, Benken said the past months have been marked by mixed emotions. "It's been a very long road," he said. "Finances are still really tight at this point."

Benken said he had a car in the barn belonging to a previous customer when the fire burned the structure to the ground. "My first priority is to rebuild his car from the ground up," he said.

However, the cost will take up most of his insurance payments he's received, which, he said, amounted to only 20 percent of his claim. He's taken in a Beetle truck conversion for a client, he added, just to "get the bills paid."

Despite all the progress, the thought of what is gone forever staggers.

"It's really hard to keep motivated after losing so much," Benken said. "At times I think I should have just hung it up and just done something else. But it's in my blood. I'm not happy unless I'm working on something."

Business has slowed, he said. "My phone used to ring constantly with people looking to have something built or modified," he said. "That's all stopped now. I guess it will just take time to get it all back."

A GoFundMe page, "Fire Destroys Batrodz. Everything Lost!" was created by Lori Hallas, cousin of Benken and his wife Sue, after the November blaze. "The potato barn where Jim, of BatrodzLLC, kept his custom cars and tools and years full of memories — as well as his pet pigeons— burned to the ground in an electrical fire," she wrote. "Jim and Sue grew up on the East End and have spent their lives giving back to this community. It is now our time to help them and give back to them. They lost everything in the barn with this fire. Nothing is salvageable. Anything you can donate is greatly appreciated."

But despite an outpouring of love and concern from the community, in the months since, Benken found himself still in need of help — and was at first unsure if he'd ever be able to find a new space to continue his work.

The future, however, is now filled with hope. A local family, he said, "was nice enough to rent me some space in Laurel," he said. While the space is smaller, "it will definitely help me to get back to work."

The love he's received from so many has forever touched his heart, Benken said. "I would like to thank everyone that helped me out in one way or another over the last four months," he said. "It's greatly appreciated."

Benken also took a position with Eastern Suffolk BOCES to teach adult auto body classes at night, a program that's only seven weeks, two nights a week, His hope is to transition into the day program so that he can now work on his cars in the evening, in the new space.

"It's actually perfect for me because you're off by 2:30 p.m. and I can still run my shop," he said.

But he remains uncertain if that opportunity will evolve.

Describing what the weeks were like after the fire, Benken said: "It was an absolute nightmare. You go from being successful, with brand recognition, to nothing in a day."

He added: "At one point, I sold replica fiberglass bodies worldwide and have shipped my cars all over the world, too."

Benken, owner of Batrodz Resurrection Garage, said he has not performed commercial work for customers in quite a few years.

In the days since the fire, friends and fellow car enthusiasts expressed not just their sorrow at the heartbreaking loss, but offers to help Benken dig his life's work and passion from the charred rubble.

His favorite car in the barn had been a 1986 Buick Grand National, Benken said, in the days after the fire. "I've had that car about four years and was doing a restoration on it. It was badly burned."

Benken expressed gratitude for the kindness shown by the many who care. With any funds raised, Benken said, "Hopefully, I can pull everything together and buy a few more cars."

He wrote about the fire on Facebook hours after all was lost, thanking firefighters. "I would also like to thank all my friends and family that reached out to me. It’s truly appreciated."

To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.