FROM SCRAP HEAP TO ARTFUL ALTARS

Ben Tuna has transformed the shells of burned-out vintage Porsches with stained glass featuring religious images

- BY MARAH EAKIN

TUNA snagged five Porsches destroyed in the L.A. wildfires and began turning the shells into cathedral-like creations.

After last year's fires, cars were often all that remained on the lots of homes reduced to rubble. Some sat remarkably untouched, but most were damaged beyond repair-crushed by falling beams, burned to a shell, and covered in toxic dust. The steely husks stood sentinel over unfathomable loss for weeks or months until they were towed away and sold as scrap.

More than 6,000 cars were destroyed in the Pacific Palisades alone. Some were used for daily commutes and left in garages as families fled; others were trucks and vans packed with landscaping gear or tools.

Then there were the showpieces: steel-and-glass representations of an owner's love for the open road and classic automotive design. It was these vehicles that captured the imagination of Ben Tuna, a self-described car guy and stained glass artist, who saw a way to create something beautiful from the rubble.

Beginning in March 2025, Tuna snagged five burned-out Porsches from the L.A. fires, and began turning the shells into cathedral-like creations using stained glass from old salvaged churches.

Armed with a soldering iron and good intentions, Tuna paid tribute to what the fires took.