July 17, 200916 yr I've been really thinking about it.. I know it could be done. I've had this car down to its shell.. I know 90% of the holes in the body, and it wouldn't be hard to seal them all up.. I'd take alot of sheet metal and make the whole underside of the car smooth.. aside from the driveshaft, and fill it with expandable foam. I'd get a small motorcycle sprocket that has the same bolt locations as the driveshaft.. Bolt it on in between the shaft and the diff. Get another sprocket and PTO shaft.. And have the shaft go under the diff. I would attach the prop to the PTO shaft when needed. I'd make a snorkel and I'd seal off all the electronics, the transmition, and engine. I'd also fill most of the engine compartment with foam.. I'd also make a rudder that would attach to a couple levers. I know it can be done.. I have the time, the will and the knowledge to do most of this.. but I don't have the money.. Anyone want to help build the first amphibious Subaru wagon? lol
July 17, 200916 yr Author Waiting to see the pix of this thing in action! Financial help knows no distance haha
July 17, 200916 yr who was the person who got their wagon washed into the ocean? ask him for some tips!
July 17, 200916 yr that was nicky nighteyes. who was the person who got their wagon washed into the ocean? ask him for some tips!
July 17, 200916 yr If there is a way to PTO the rear diff, I'm down. I'm all over the idea. I want to take a 4wd, install a 2wd rear end, , extend the drive shaft for the prop, install a drop lever for the prop on the end of the drive shaft, to lower it, possibly a stick lever for steering, like on an old wood boat. But that is because I don't have the knowledge to add the PTO to the diff. Weld the doors, add a window controller as the key. A convertible coupe is the perfect platform for it. Just think 4th of july on the lake. No traffic on your way to work. Always finding parking.
July 17, 200916 yr Author If there is a way to PTO the rear diff' date=' I'm down. I'm all over the idea. I want to take a 4wd, install a 2wd rear end, , extend the drive shaft for the prop, install a drop lever for the prop on the end of the drive shaft, to lower it, possibly a stick lever for steering, like on an old wood boat. But that is because I don't have the knowledge to add the PTO to the diff. Weld the doors, add a window controller as the key. A convertible coupe is the perfect platform for it. Just think 4th of july on the lake. No traffic on your way to work. Always finding parking.[/quote'] yeah a convertible would probably be a better idea.. know of anyone with a wagon with a smashed roof? haha
July 17, 200916 yr Hundred, hundred bucks, Yall! Might put an add in cl stating the project. One could possibly get a free car for the story! If I didn't have so many projects! 5spd swap and an ej swap i'm in the middle of on the car front. The Suboataru is, and has been, on my mind. I will have a spare ea81 engine soon so it wont matter if it runs.
July 19, 200916 yr Start with the shell, and make "stone soup". Show enough pics of how far you are along and say "gee, this Suboataru would REALLY be better with a 2.2 ..." and so on .. maybe enough people could donate what they have laying around to make it happen! I unfortunately no longer have room to store much of anything, so I sadly can only donate my ... enthusiasm :Flame:
July 21, 200916 yr One could grab Zaps old hatch shell...... Hatch's float pretty good. Just seal up most of the belly and get some big balloon tires. I wasnt touching ground when I was in the deepest part of this pond. My tires were acting as paddles and I was moving about a inch-2sec. After about 8ft' date=' I finally got contact with mud and pulled out. [img']http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll95/Turbone/My%20Lifted%20Hatch/picture-94.jpg[/img]
July 22, 200916 yr Nice! You have some weight on there too! It would be way too cool to weld some stationary windows to the bottom to look through. Edited July 22, 200916 yr by Yo'J
July 24, 200916 yr Hey make a hydroplane skid plate so the front is off the water and the wheels are still in it so you can steer, might need/want thinner wheels, when you are getting up to speed. I'll bet the motor and tranny could put down some power on the water. If you look up buying a propeller, manufacturers give some insight that might make that proposition of making a boat very real. It will have to be a complete tear down, but, hey A/C for your inflatable bits. Nothing to roll, remember.
July 27, 200916 yr just saw this... not subaru, but... we could use a few good amphibious vehicles to get the engineers thinking again...
July 27, 200916 yr You want the holes in the body so it fills quickly and sinks. Otherwise you just sit there spinning and not going anywhere. The subaru electrics are amazingly durable, my old wagon was in water 4-5" over the floor a few times and the only thing I ever had problems with was the automatic seatbelts. They would tweak out and move in short jerks for a few days after, then dry out and come back to life. I tore all the carpets and insulation out of it and there is drainholes in the floorpans if you poke through the hard paint. The fronts drain into the frame horns and the rears drain straight out the bottom. I hydrolocked the first motor in it and nearly lost it down a river another time. The bottom had shifted and there was more flow than I expected, ended up getting pushed downstream into the boulders and had the hood submerged with a wave coming up the winshield. Kept the throttle floored and it dragged its self across. Tore the rear subframe mounts out of the floorpan though on something in there. Most scared I've been in the woods. I did replace wheel bearings front and rear at least twice a year. Always had rust in them.
July 28, 200916 yr Hatch's float pretty good. Just seal up most of the belly and get some big balloon tires.I wasnt touching ground when I was in the deepest part of this pond. My tires were acting as paddles and I was moving about a inch-2sec. After about 8ft, I finally got contact with mud and pulled out. I was more impressed when you did this: I've got a picture in my photo album of me being swept down stream in a river in my white hatch. That was scary stuff.
July 28, 200916 yr I don't have any pics but there is a guy that takes his car every few years out to lake union for the fireworks on the fourth. Its a blast to see that thing in action! Its a corsair looking like thing, stock with factory propellers made in like 54 for a one year run or something. It needs a knuckle rebuild after it hits the water every year. Its also way to heavy, can't go to fast or it will sink from the head waves, the water line is like 8" from the windows and the props are way to small. Its still better than the old Volkswagen Thing as far as reliability and not rusting out. The GL has the transmission to use to get some power and the ea81 does seem to be the best submersible motor!
July 29, 200916 yr That might (must) be it. Thats the style that does the opening day opening day on the lake. I thought there was another one made earlier. I'm not finding it, so it must be. If you look at the seattle times article on them it shown a pic of the props and I saw one with little tiny propellers, not the big monsters these have. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/361715_needle05.html Check out http://www.watercar.com though!
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