Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Yes yes before you ask I did just watch the Top gear channel tunnel episode again and as usual I got to thinking of dreams of suzuki boat cars and the like.

But, then I thought with the combined knowledge of all the members on here, more time, and more sensibility surely it could be done and be liveable.

So I ask, what would you do to make an amphibious sierra? Keep in mind it must still drive like a car but still be sea worthy. Throw any ideas, criticisms and even ridicules my way and I might just be stupid enough to attempt it.

My ideas are:-

LWB soft top with bikini top
Welded shut half doors with soft windows
removed transfer and front drive shafts and axles
Hilux or some other centre pumpkin rear diff with gearing to fix lack of transfer
custom extractors and exhaust exiting through the bonnet
Intake through the firewall to interior
rear radiator
vitara 1.6 or GTi 1.3 motor
Sealed engine bay
lots of sheeting and foam
Some form of out riggers
fuel cell in the tray area
Reasonable sized outboar on the back

So anyone got any ideas? And would this thing have any chance of being engineered or is that just stupid?

Have a read of this http://bbs.zuwharrie.com/content/topic,72469.0/all.html It may give you some ideas.

why not build it on one of those amphibious six wheeler kits you can get.. and mod it .. but yeh would be funny to see done.

There was also a guy in the UK building amphicar's using a Sierra and later a Jimny I think. I think he was using a PTO to drive a prop.

cj wrote:There was also a guy in the UK building amphicar's using a Sierra and later a Jimny I think. I think he was using a PTO to drive a prop.

http://www.timdutton.com/

He sells kits or compete cars.

The Dutton Amphijeep is built from a Vitara.

From website:

"KIT CARS based on the Suzuki 1300cc petrol and 1500cc diesel Jimny"

Ok... looks like Vit front screen.

Those dutton things look very well done, but if I were to take it on it would be alot more booty fab than that lol. I was more thinking of a cheap do it yourself at home style project rather than something with resale.

But it's comforting to know it can be done, those dutton cars still look a little too boatish IMO. I liked the fact that the ute that Clarkson built looked like a car that could float not a boat that could drive. I wouldn't want to loose focus an make it too boat like and hence never want to drive it.

there is a amphibious jimny that has turned up at the cleveland car show the last couple of years

Just remember to put your floor bungs in!

do a search in the land rover section, I've seen pics of military vehicles with big air bags all round.

Okay, this might not work, but could you use a paddle tyre like quads do on sand to get the vehicle moving in the water? You could even retain 4WD and have four paddle tyres kicking along. The problems I can see would be ride quality/handling onroad. Bigger paddles for more speed in water = less ability to drive onroad.

Do like the Icelanders do..... go so fast you drive on the water.

All you need is LOTS of horsepower, which will certainly make it rapid out of the water as well. Just win - win really

Yeah I could put my new commy motor in the sierra....no too redneck for even for me haha.

Paddles would suck I reckon, you'd get bugger all propulsion in water compared to an outboard and on road would be even worse.

I don't even know why the dutton things bother with a pto type prop setup, they already look like boats, it's not like an outboard is going to look out of place and it would be sooooo much easier to build.