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Maine resident living her dream with Bumblebee replica convertible
Jul 30, 2019
Hiram, Maine resident Michelle Stosez is a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician that runs with two Rescue Services. She has earned her Class B CDL and drives both motor coaches and school buses.
But when she's not on the job, Stosez gets behind the wheel of something much smaller, and yet much cooler. A lemon yellow 2017 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. Sporting the RS package, 334 horsepower, and 295 foot pounds of torque.
Or, better known to most of the children out there as Bumblebee!
"Strangely enough, it was as simple as: 'I needed a car'". explains Stosez. "My Subaru was on its last leg and I needed a car that was sensible, economical and was able to handle the harsh Maine winters. *cough, cough* Ahem."
Stosez tells us she was originally going to purchase a Ford Escape. In fact she already had financing in place, and her husband was actually on the way to the dealership to finalize the paperwork when she found Bumblebee online. 3000 miles away in the state of Washington!
"He was the dream I never knew I had. So I took the leap of faith. My husband supported my crazy decision, and I purchased Bee without ever having sat in him. He was mine. He had called to me and I was luckily in a position to answer."
With the purchase of her Ford Escape now a distant memory, Stosez immediately struck a deal to have Bumblebee shipped across the country to Maine. Her dream car finally arrived in March 2018, waiting to meet his new owner.
"I remember seeing him in person for the first time", explains Stosez. "I swear to this day, he winked at me. So of course I winked back. After picking it up, I was smiling the whole way home, thinking to myself: 'what have you done?!'”
When asked what her plans are with Bumblebee, Stosez tells us it's simply a dream come true to drive it.
"I had no plans for him, other than to enjoy the convertible as much as the Maine weather would allow. And to customize him solely for my own enjoyment, after Michael Bay’s Age of Extinction Bumblebee. I do realize that the Bay version of Bumblebee was not a convertible, a feature that your more conservative Transformers fans have taken issue with. But Bee was not purchased with the intent to go to Expo’s as a Bumblebee clone. He is my guilty pleasure, my daily driver, my grocery getter in the warmer months. I have to say that more than one person who has ridden in Bee has stated that, 'I now know why you got the convertible,' as it is an amazing experience."
She goes on to say: "the roof can automatically 'transform' via my handheld remote. So if I have a child or a crowd around Bee he will “transform” with no one in the driver's seat, seemingly all on his own in response to the situation around him. It has on more than one occasion shocked children and created a new depth to the awe that Bee can inspire."
Stosez wasted no time implementing a few upgrades and modifications to her Bumblebee convertible shortly after acquiring it. For the gear heads and Transformers fans alike, some of those changes include:
- Purchasing a vanity plate that supports our country's military. It currently reads "BEEE".
- Replacing the tires and rims with Black Satin 20” rims modeled after Hellfires and high performance 245 40R20 tires. She also installed matching black satin lug nut covers and wheel weights.
- Adding matte black stripes and decals along the hood and trunk lid.
- Installing app-based LED underglow lighting and cab floor LED lighting, both of which were wired to connect to a regular power outlet (thus eliminating battery drain at shows and expos).
- Adding Cybertronian Glyph messages on the rear bumper that Optimus is Here
cut for them, forming a secret message near and dear to Stosez's heart.
- And most recently, upgrading Bee with straight exhaust pipes. Which eliminates the bulky muffler and allows the beautiful purr of a Camaro to come through.
Like any project car, Bee is always a work in progress. But Stosez is a Transformers geek at heart. So when she isn't upgrading him, she enjoys taking her car to events where she can meet other Transformers fans. Stosez regularly attends car shows and fundraising events where she can help bring smiles to people and even assist those who are going through a difficult time.
Stosez and her Bee have also been fortunate enough to make a few appearances alongside the only AOE replica of Optimus Prime
in the world. Stosez explains those moments in her own words:
"I remember swimming at a hotel in New Hampshire when I heard the familiar ping of an Instant Message. I went to check my phone immediately and saw a strange IM from a guy named Joe asking about my Bee and if we would be interested in attending a Comic Expo in Maine. It was surreal and I distinctly remember yelling, 'OMG this can't be real!' in the echoing space of the indoor pool area. I was actually asked by a nearby swimmer if I was ok.
To say I was glowing and excited was putting it mildly. I was blown away by the offer as I remember seeing a TV show featuring Optimus and Joe, and of course I followed him on social media. So to be offered the chance to drive with and share the floor with Optimus was a true Transformers fan dream come true."
Stosez tells us that immediately after agreed on the phone to join Joe at an upcoming convention just days away, she spent the next two days in her barn applying the vinyl stripes. She also made a new contact at a nearby Chevy dealership that went above and beyond to shuffle a few things around and make the time to put on the rims and tires the day before the event.
"It is still amazing to me how many people had to come together to make that Expo happen for Bee and Me. Most importantly Optimus and Joe gave 'Bee and Me' the opportunity to raise funds for a local 1st Responder
during that Expo."
As of the date this article was released, the furthest Stosez had driven Bumblebee was for an event alongside Optimus in Hanover, Massachusetts. But Stosez loves to travel, and says she would truly welcome the opportunity get outside of New England and share her love of all things Transformers at expos or fundraisers.
"Distance is not an issue for us. We love to be given the chance to light up someone's eyes when they meet Bee. To see their longtime friend, 'Bumblebee in the flesh' is a big moment for a lot of people. We enjoy and are honored to be a part of it."
Bee and Me
started out as a Mom wanting a car she shouldn’t have, with a husband supporting her crazy decision and kids that quietly stood by her. Stosez says that the Transformers have been large part of her life since 1984, and that they have influenced so much of what she has done and still does.
"Transformers fans are a family like no other. 'Bee and Me' are proud to be a small part of it."
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