AMPHIBIOUS CAR !!!

[padmanabha]

This city is known for water logging during monsoon. The corporation and the governments have nearly spent 4 crores in the past few decades and water continue to log in regions like Thampanoor bus stand, railway station, Pazhvangadi and East fort.
People dreamt of wading through this muddy water if there car is amphibious!!
Vinod P S a mechanic has developed such a car and was out to test drive in the Thiruvallam River YESTERDAY. IT WAS A BIG SUCCESS.
“It was an 85 model maruthi car that turned amphibious. It has a maruthi engine that works on road and an outboard engine that works in water” said Vinod.
He spent 8 lakhs in the making of the car. He availed a bank loan besides financial assistance from friends and parents.
“It works better in deep waters where there in no rock, mud, or ice” he explained.

He wanted to drive this car through Arabian sea from Vizhinjam to Kanyakumari and is on the look out of sponsor.

[Lambretta]

Interesting article & 'really admire this mech. for his innovation.....
Incidentally, there was an amphibious vehicle named 'Amphicar' tat was very popular in the 60s (never made it to India tho!)...it was fitted w/ an engine from the Triumph Herald (known as Standard Herald in India ):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphicar

"The Amphicar was the only amphibious automobile ever mass-produced for sale to the public. The German vehicle was designed by Hanns Trippel, creator of the war-time Schwimmwagen and manufactured by the Quandt Group at Lübeck and at Berlin-Borsigwalde. Its name is a combination of "amphibious" and "car"..........The powerplant was the 1.1 L (1147 cc/69 in³) engine from the British Triumph Herald. Many engines were tried in prototypes but the Triumph engine was "state of the art" in 1961 and had the necessary combination of perfomance, weight, cool running and reliability. This engine remained in production in the Triumph Spitfire until 1979. "

Initially only vehicles tat were produced for Armies were 'amphibious' ones tat cud wade thru water, like the Volkswagen Schwimmwagen mentioned above, used for WW2:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwimmwagen

And yet another, altho relatively rare one called Austin Champ....I've seen jus one of these, in Hyderabad:

http://img255.imageshack.us/my.php?image=champuf4.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/my.php?image=champ1ra4.jpg

[Lambretta]

NOW THIS IS TRULY AMAZING!!!

AMPHIBIOUS LAMBRETTA!!



And this was back in the 60s itself!! Abs. mind-blowing!!

Hmm......maybe this gives me an idea to apply in future.....!
'wud be quite an adventureous respite from the chaotic Hyd'bad traffic!

[crazy]

[Braandan]

can you drive the car in land, right into the water (any adjustments to be done before getting into the water?), what about the "rudder" (what you call "steering" in land?) Please give all details (user details, not technical ones!)

[Anoushka]

Reminds of a 007 movie in which Pierce Brosnan drives one and ofcourse Top gear where the three mad guys tried to make normal cars into amphibious ones (one of which was a triumph)...

[padmanabha]

we saw the car entering the strweam of water from the land. TOURISTS wer ejoying a criuse. the car when entered the river sank upto the handles of the door. VINOD USED STEERING TO DRIVE THE AMPHIOUS CAR. REST I WILL FIND OUT WHEN I MEET VINOD. I WILL BE MEETING HIM SHORTLY.

[Lambretta]

and ofcourse Top gear where the three mad guys tried to make normal cars into amphibious ones (one of which was a triumph)...

Tat was a Herald to be precise....of course, 'figured u'd obv. know tat!