Hamburgers cooking under the hood. Beer coming out of the gas tank. These special features are part of the LSU Party Car created by University students.
Ricky McGee, an agricultural business senior, said he and his friends decided it would be a good idea to get a car, paint it and designate it an LSU party car.
McGee said he and his friends purchased the 1977 AMC Pacer Levi’s edition at a junkyard and restored it. One of McGee’s friends painted the car purple with a yellow flame design on the side and the letters “LSU” on the hood.
One of the car’s major features is the grill that replaced the engine. After removing the engine and all its components, McGee and his friends made the grill by taking drain covers and putting them under the hood.
Another feature of the car is the “kegarator,” which allows beer to come out of a tap that replaced the gas tank.
McGee said the restoration of the car took about three weeks and cost around $500.
McGee said he and his friends tow the car to their designated tailgating spot on Nicholson and Skip Bertman Drives for football gamedays.
They have not yet taken it out for other University sporting events.
Paul Jewell, a marketing junior, said he often acts as entertainer on football gamedays, cooking jambalaya, hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill under the hood.
“We have a good time,” Jewell said. “Something different happens every weekend.”
Chris Freeman, a business management senior, said the first time he and the party car “founding fathers” took the car to a football game was the 2001 Florida game.
Although the experience was not as memorable as the guys had hoped, they tried taking the car out again for the Ole Miss game.
“That one went fantastically well,” Freeman said. “A lot of people came and it ended up being a huge party.”
While the party car has not yet been taken to any away football games, McGee said they hope to do so in the future.
“It’s kind of an icon,” McGee said. “People come up all the time and tell us how awesome they think it is.”
Freeman said fellow tailgaters always are amazed at the party car.
“Their mouths just hit the floor when they see it,” he said.
“Everybody has loved it and wanted to be a part of it.”
McGee said improvements are planned for the upcoming football season, including replacing the broken windshield and buying new tires.
“Hopefully we can get some money to make it better,” McGee said.
McGee said his goal for the party car would be to “create the ultimate tailgating experience.” He hopes to use the car as a promotional tool for area businesses.
While this will be the last time McGee and many of his friends sit in the student section on Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium, he said he hopes to continue the party car tradition after graduation.