A Massachusetts man has taken his love for “Ghostbusters” to the next level, converting his Toyota Rav-4 into the famed Ecto-1 from the 1984 smash hit, according to WBZ News.
Ethan Tripp, a New Bedford resident, has skillfully refashioned his Toyota with the iconic Ghostbusters logo, lights and sirens. He even equipped the machine with proton packs in the back, WBZ reports.
“Right now there’s a lot of negativity in the world so it’s nice that instead of facilitating that, I have something that does the opposite, that brings people together,” Tripp said. (RELATED: Legendary Actor From ‘Ghostbusters,’ ‘Spaceballs’ Breaks Decades-Long Acting Hiatus For 30 Second Commercial)
“Ghostbusters” was a box office sensation when it opened over a June weekend in 1984, grossing $13.6 million, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
To put the film’s impact in perspective, it outpaced “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” to earn $220.7 million at the domestic box office and become the highest grossing film of 1984, according to CBS News.
We’re ready to hear your scariest ghost stories – and believe them. 👻 Comment below! pic.twitter.com/h8AGnw3UEY
— Ghostbusters (@Ghostbusters) June 9, 2023
Besides the Ecto-1, Tripp shares something else in common with the film. He was born June 8, 1984, the same day the film was released, WJAR reports.
Commenting on his birthday, Tripp said, “So the running joke is instead of celebrating my birthday, I like to celebrate ‘Ghostbusters release day.'” He added, “For as far back as I can remember, I was definitely a fan growing up: watching the real Ghostbusters cartoon series, I had the action figures, the toy proton pack and all that stuff.”
Tripp acted on his love for the movie when he set eyes upon a white Rav-4 apparently perfect for remodeling into the Ghostbusters mobile.
“Something about that just said, ‘Yep, I can make this work,'” he said. “This is my tribute to the Ghostbusters Ecto 1. I think of it more as my own Ecto, so it’s Ecto 84.”
Tripp says the Ecto-1 is his everyday car. “I’m sure there’s lot of people who think I’m crazy, and that’s ok, but more often than not I get a fantastic reaction from people,” Trip told WJAR.