For 15 years, Steve Braithwaite has driven a 23-foot banana across the country and, on Wednesday, just like hundreds of times before, he was pulled over…
For 15 years, Steve Braithwaite has driven a 23-foot banana across the country and, on Wednesday, just like hundreds of times before, he was pulled over…
The reason it is whimsical and fun is because it’s unique. I’m sure its also a huge pain in the ass when it comes to just owning it. Parking. Painting, Maintenance, etc. Then there’s safety to consider when it comes to things like accidents. I’m sure most of these custom cars are death traps for the occupants in any situation other than just fender benders.
Do I love seeing them on the road, yes. Would I drive one myself or enjoy living in a world full of them? No.
I don’t have an art car like this banana, but I have an old weird Japanese 4x4 and… Yeah. You’re kinda right. When you hit the brakes it doesn’t always stop straight. There is considerable slack in the steering. It sways. It’s slow. It gets surprisingly bad gas mileage. It has an auto-locker, so it clicks going around corners. It has solid axles at both ends, and leaf springs. At both ends. It has no airbags, and there is nothing in the door except the exterior sheet metal for protection. No airbags, no ABS, no traction control, no stability control, no rear camera, just a steering wheel more or less connected to the front wheels. It’s dangerous to drive and it’s objectively horrible to drive.
But it’s so much fun. And it’s completely unstoppable on a trail.
Bender benders.