PictureChasers

It seems that I have started something... I honestly expected to get flamed for such a suggestion. I was HOPING that a discussion like this might follow later. Had not considered a keel, but only plan for 5-10 knots, same speed as some adventurous souls bow plane in NON-amphib soobies. If you mean a hull, the entire car will be the hull. No propeller in my design, many attempted production amphibs use churning of wheels to propel. I think that wheel selection may affect propulsion. My plans are for still/slow water only, once floating & stable, I expect that simply driving will propel us foreward. Am hoping that when wheels hit anything that resembles ground, they will grab & climb out of water. Check out http://www.terrawind.com/, their RV steers with front wheels & steering wheel. I plan to tub in the engine bay to keep water out. You guys that do water crossings ever have anything cracked from temperature shock? Not certain at this time, which method to use to keep water out, but allow drivetrain through. My biggest unknown (unresearched) issue is shutting engine off (or stalling) in water. Obviously I will require a snorkel for fresh air intake, but exhaust underwater will only keep clear while running. I believe it will fill exhaust & cause problems up the yin-yang (pardon the expression). Other than exhausting at snorkel height, I have not solution for this issue. Maybe a simple heat proof, waterproof one way flapper valve would work. I don't want to have semi-truck type exhaust if I can help it. Engine comes out today so I will get a better look at engine bay. I am NOT floating car at this time, simply prepping if for light offroad fun & TSD rallies. Ya! When I see the offroaders float, it encourages me. I watch movies just because I heard a car went into the water, to see how they sink. I want to go where there is NO traction, and slowly dogpaddle accross. I KNEW I should have been watching that show! It was monster garage that turned this fantasy of mine into a plan. Hoping for modest money, lots of effort. Practicality is the driving force. It WILL make yacht captains run & hide, as we drive past the marina & up the boat ramp. You gotta consider where I live. I am in Penticton BC, across the street from Skaha Lake, a watersports paradise. There is an underpass I can use to drive directly from my house across beach to water, and still hear my phone ring at home. 5 minutes away is 70 mile long Okanagan Lake, complete with sea monster "Ogopogo". I could swim from one lake to the other, but have to drive around dam. Darren Sweet PictureChasers Photography darren@PictureChasers.com www.PictureChasers.com www.CelebrationofBeauty.com

Has anyone out there ever made or seen a Subaru float (on purpose)? On Monster Garage they have floated a few impractical vehicles, but I am interested in a practical amphibious vehicle. My assumption so far is that most cars will float, until the water gets in. Waterproof & add a little bouyant foam from a boatbuilder in the cavities, and it will float?!? Not sure about hot engine into cold water, but will do some more homework. We considered rebuilding a VW Schwimmwagen, but they're crappy EXPENSIVE cars other than they float. I have seen modern production 30' RV's that float using outriggers to stabilize them. I remember a VW bug commercial where they drove a bug on the water & it floated, at least long enough to film a commercial. Now we are modifying a Justy as a daily driver / adventurer / rally, and want to know if anyone has ever floated one, longer than a few seconds. Darren Sweet PictureChasers Photography darren@PictureChasers.com www.PictureChasers.com www.CelebrationofBeauty.com

That little thing is beautiful! Is it for sale? Our engine teardown begins tomorrow. I am having Subaru dealer do engine work, cause I've never rebuilt a 3 cylinder (tricycle) engine. We are sending out crank & removing head, then either rebuilding or brand new shortblock. Any suggestions which is better? There's really not much of a price difference once labor is added, so if it's any worse than needing crank polishing, I am thinking a new shortblock for years of problem free driving. We expect to modify our Justy over time, but not the engine internally. It is EFI producing 73hp, and currently goes good for 100,000 miles & a spun bearing. Great idea, but not for us. We are photographers, and need ability to pull pins launch our little Justy pod to chase waterfalls. We will swap tires seasonally, but must run same tires for all purposes. So gotta stick to "cheaper" tires. I guess I should state that we have no intention of taking our competition very seriously. We try our best & have a blast in TSD, we enjoy the experience & the people. I used to race bomber class stock cars, not the same crowd there as rally folks. Our main objective for this car is daily driver on & off pavement, so we will not be going too extreme. Here are the mods I have in mind in rough order - engine rebuild or replacement - cut a LOT of sheet metal from around tires, try Rabbit plastic fenders for cosmetics - 14" wheels if necessary, else stock 13" steel wheels for now - front bush bumper / towing bracket for flat towing - engine skidplate - rear bush bumper - medium roll cage from strut to strut, taking over structural integrity - possible lift in future but likely only 2 inches to retain driveability - Flotation? Darren Sweet PictureChasers Photography darren@PictureChasers.com www.PictureChasers.com www.CelebrationofBeauty.com

We have recently switched our "Cowcar" from a VW COWbriolet to a 1990 MOObaru Justy AWD 5 spd. Justy will soon be "Mooafied" into our second black & white MOOsterpeice. Our last Cowcar completed 2 TSD rallies with WCRA in British Columbia. While on vacation in Oregon, a street racer at twice the speed limit injured us enough to be away from rallying for the past 2 years. We hope our little Justy will be ready for the Totem rally this November, complete with cow interior / exterior. Struts, suspension, steering all A-1. Car was cheap due to spun bearing, and came with many new parts & receipts. Will have new or rebuilt engine will be installed this week, so we have solid car for a Justy. Why a Justy? We wanted the small size for both urban & suburban reasons, were happy with VW Rabbit for years, but wanted 4 wheel traction of some kind. I have read hundreds of forum posts, but none that deal directly with Justy tire size. Sorry for the length, but am hoping for more than generic advice. Seeking info on the largest practical tire sizes & brand preferences that will fit our space & criteria: - Mostly pavement miles, lots of them, rarely over 60MPH, not concerned with race car cornering, nor road noise (we like road noise), though mileage is important (which of course is a total clash). - Logging roads are our destination, serious trails not necessary, but we don't wish to fear washouts nor streams nor flats. Will see gravel & some mud, but nothing extreme. - Will be flat towed 4 wheels down (already checked with Subaru) behind our 1959 MCI MC-1 motor coach (only in Canada Eh?), and we live in a pocket desert climate in Canada, so we don't want a really soft tire. - Will swap tires & rims seasonally. Cheap-moderate for summer (disposable, leaning towards Hankook 401), will swap to good-Nokian studded for our unpredictable winters. - Lift kit not an option this year, but seeking 14" alloy wheels (nothing fancy). Some moderate cutting and BFH is fine. Will consider using plastic VW Rabbit/Jetta fender flares after cutting & folding, looks very feasible and can get them used in abundance. - Can accept slight turning radius limit for low speed maneuvers, but NO high-speed rubbing. - Do those rubber "Donuts" that fit in a coil spring do anything for lift, or do they just waste suspension travel? - Do we really want 14" rims (poor selection from Subaru), or should I use the 13" alloy for more selection / availability, lighter mass and more air in the tires (flotation & shock absorption)? Any preference for 14" rims new/used that are easy to get in Canada or Pacific Northwest? I am thinking new & fairly cheap, to both avoid old & deal with future damage. Armed with the chart at http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/80s/wheels2/wheels.html#am14 I am thinking open alloy design, yet strong. No ideas on width or offset, are 14x6 SMSG Full Fins my most desirable option? Anyone actually use a Justy for light off-road or TSD? Thanks! Darren Sweet PictureChasers Photography darren@PictureChasers.com www.PictureChasers.com www.CelebrationofBeauty.com