Local car with character changing hands

Pictured is the Subaru that Donny Songer Jr. of Waterloo converted into a Ghostbusters car. (submitted photo)

The Ghostbusters car, which has been a fixture on local streets and beyond for the past several years, reached the end of an era this weekend when owner and creator Danny Songer Jr. of Waterloo sold raffle tickets to find a new home for the Subaru he turned into arguably the most recognizable car in Monroe County all on his own.

Fifty $20 tickets later, Songer posted a video on Sunday of the drawing to YouTube, in which he drew ticket No. 26 while wearing, of course, a Ghostbusters shirt and flanked by a giant Michaelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a mummy and Kermit the Frog.

And now a certain Scott Wallace is the proud new owner.

“He told me he’s taking it to the next level and it’s gonna be amazing,” Songer said.

The car, which Songer has had for about three years, recently blew a head gasket, and with the arrival of the first child of Songer and his wife — a baby boy named after his daddy — the family needed to move on to something more dependable and family friendly.

Songer will no doubt miss the car, which he drove to his wedding and had pictures with his new bride taken with; and which he drove to Ronnies theatre when the original Ghostbusters movie was re-released a few years ago, happily obliging all moviegoers who wanted to pose with it.

He even made a few new friends this past Halloween, thanks to the car, when a tiny Ghostbuster and his brother, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, showed up with their mom to check it out and get what was likely their favorite candy of the night.

“It’s kind of sad to see it go,” said Songer’s mother, Sharon Songer, but she noted that her son, who will “always be a kid at heart,” already has plans for the new car he and his wife bought.

“They got a little Scion and he already is talking about turning it into the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo,” she said.

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Andrea F.D. Saathoff

Andrea is a graduate of Gibault High School and the University of Missouri School of Journalism, the University of Missouri Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College of Education. She lives in Columbia with her husband and their twin toddler sons. When she isn't cheering on St. Louis Cardinals baseball or riding the emotional roller coaster of Mizzou Tigers football, she enjoys attending and participating in the many family events the county has to offer. email: andrea@republictimes.net
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