Date: Fri, 3 Dec 1999 21:32:23 -0500
Reply-To: John Benditt <JBenditt@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Benditt <JBenditt@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject: Re: Amphibious vehicle
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
John Wrote:
The easiest way to build a VW based amphibious vehicle is to start with a VW Bus
the one with the swing arm suspension system. Then find an old fiberglass boat
hull just the right size and shape. Strip the body off the uniframe. Then cut
four holes in the boat hull for the wheel wells. Drop the chassis into the boat
hull. Fasten the hull to the chassis. Take cardboard and make wheel well forms.
Take packaging tape and tape over the form. This is your release agent. Laminate
fiberglass over the form until it is a quarter inch thick. Careful thought is
needed in designing the wheel well seals using reinforce rubber and seals to
seal the steering and suspension components. Connect a prop to the engine shaft
and pour foam in every nook and cranny.
If done properly will be the beginning of a nice VW based amphibious vehicle!
Marshall Ruskin wrote:
> Me too!
>
> Marshall Ruskin
>
> >Okay...now you have me spinning...do you have access to a scanner. I want
> to make one.
> >
> >G. Matthew Bulley
> >Bulley-Hewlett
> >Corporate Communications Counselors
> >www.bulley-hewlett.com
> >Cary, NC USA
> >888.468.4880 tollfree
> >
> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------------
> >Get your FREE semi-private E-mail account, use your computer at work.
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Todd Francis [SMTP:tbf@PACIFIER.COM]
> >Sent: Friday, December 03, 1999 4:09 PM
> >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >Subject: Re: Amphibious vehicle
> >
> >>>Crazy!
> >>>
> >>>Did the article go into any depth (pun) about how they kept the
> alternator
> >>>& cooling tin from soaking/sucking water? I can see it would be easy to
> >>>protect the carburetor intake, and the exhaust with a snorkels like the
> >old
> >>>military jeeps had, but I can't figure how they would do the cooling fan
> >>>stuff.
> >>>
> >
> >>>I have a Hot VW mag form 1975 that shows a bunch of guys that cut the top
> >>>off of bugs and welded cv joints to the lower engine pulley and hooked up
> >a
> >>>prop to that. They had races with these things. The water line on these
> >>>cars
> >>>was at about the door handle. Todd
> >>
> > I dug the article out and it is in the October 1974 issue of Hot VWs.
> >There was a association that even gave out fliers on how to build these
> >things. They cut the tops off, filled everyting like the heater channels
> >and tunnel with urethane foam (watching out for the cables and shifter
> >operation) welded the doors shut and attached the prop (10") like I
> >described earlier. the magazine said that the engine can be run wet or
> dry.
> >Dry means to build a waterproof enclosure around the engine. It says that
> >if it is run wet that all of the sheet metal should be removed and the
> >engine should be sealed up a remote breather. I would guess that you would
> >have to seal the crank (pulley end) also. I was wrong about the waterline.
> >There are a couple of pictures and the waterline is about at the bottom of
> >the headlights!! They really float pretty high and level. You can also see
> >all of the tail light. Oh , I see the text says "The Waterbug using stock
> >VW wheels and tires, is supposed to float in a slightly nose high attitude
> >with the waterline at the lower end to the hood in front, and up to the
> lock
> >handle in the rear." Can you picture crusing across a lake in one of these
> >things? The address given is in Akron Ohio. Todd Francis
> >
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