Amphicar’s Spillage
May 13, 2021
Our 1965 Amphicar has had a sudden issue with a carb fuel leak so we’ve taken it apart, cleaned it and rebuilt it, adding in
amphicar electrics
Amphicar Suspension Replaced
April 27, 2021
Our 1965 Amphicar has had its brakes and suspension rebuilt recently to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Soon we will be carrying out a water
Amphicar Update
April 1, 2021
Scott has been working on the engine of the Amphicar, converting the dynamo to an alternator to make the charge more reliable. Scott has also
Amphicar Underside Sealing
January 20, 2021
Our Amphicar has been taking a temporary back seat in our workshop whilst we wait for the gearbox to come back. Our plan moving forwards
Kicking Up A Fuss
January 5, 2021
Just before Christmas, we discovered an issue with the Amphicar’s gearbox which had become noisy. We decided to take it out and inspect the elements.
Amphicar’s Graduation
December 14, 2020
We’re delighted to announce that our Amphicar has graduated to become a boat! After its previous inspection by Colin from Wherry Boat Yard, we got
The Amphicar’s switch around
December 3, 2020
Two bilge pumps have been added to the Amphicar. The original bilge pump remains in its original position in the engine bay and is still
Amphicar’s New Electrics
November 24, 2020
Our Electrics specialist, Adam, has recently replaced the fuse box and propeller control switch in our 1965 Amphicar. Here are the before and after shots:
Amphicar’s Spillage
May 13, 2021
Our 1965 Amphicar has had a sudden issue with a carb fuel leak so we’ve taken it apart, cleaned it and rebuilt it, adding in some fresh sealant. We hope that it can now go for an MOT and then have its first water test.
Amphicar Suspension Replaced
April 27, 2021
Our 1965 Amphicar has had its brakes and suspension rebuilt recently to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Soon we will be carrying out a water test to test if the sealing around the doors is fully waterproof. If all goes well, we will see how it fairs out on the river.
Amphicar Update
April 1, 2021
Scott has been working on the engine of the Amphicar, converting the dynamo to an alternator to make the charge more reliable.
Scott has also fitted and wired the fuel gage:
The underside of the Amphicar has also been masked and painted to make it water-resistant and ready for the water. MarineWare came to assist with the application of this.
Amphicar’s are known for leaking, predominantly through door seals or other gaps. As this is a totally newly restored Amphicar, there is always risk of water ingress from other areas. Whilst taking the advice from others who have restored Amphicars, we were advised if possible, to apply a sealant to the underside of the vehicle. We contacted MarineWare to come and apply 2K Durepox sealant.
We bought the product and Glen Keefe from Technical Sales at MarineWare came to the workshop to go through the process with our paint technicians, Chris and Matt. The process included keying off the already applied paintwork and applying a primer followed by the Durepox resin and hardener in black to match the original paint. This hard and long-lasting sealant will aid our Amphicar in its seaworthy adventures and make sure there are no unwanted leaks.
Amphicar Underside Sealing
January 20, 2021
Our Amphicar has been taking a temporary back seat in our workshop whilst we wait for the gearbox to come back. Our plan moving forwards is to re-seal the underside with a resin seal, ensuring that this iconic car is watertight and water ready.
Kicking Up A Fuss
January 5, 2021
Just before Christmas, we discovered an issue with the Amphicar’s gearbox which had become noisy. We decided to take it out and inspect the elements. You can read about the diagnosis here.
The gearbox has been sent to Last Transmissions to be overhauled and replace the bearings. Once this has been done and is back with us, we hope to get it back together again and put on the water.
Amphicar’s Graduation
December 14, 2020
We’re delighted to announce that our Amphicar has graduated to become a boat! After its previous inspection by Colin from Wherry Boat Yard, we got the final thumbs-up last week to confirm that the Amphicar passed its certificate to classify it as a boat!
You can take a look at the official paperwork below to see the exact classifications. There’s also been some other small work such as the Bilge pump switches being prewired and the holes prepped by our electric specialist Adam. He’s also made sure that the lights work too.
Our trim shop has added a piece of vinyl in behind the rear seat to tidy it up as seen below.
All the switches have now been labelled with bespoke colour coordinated labels.
You can also see here its first start up. We’re excited to get it out on the water for the first time, soon, to see how it fairs and what needs to be done next.
In order to pass the assessment we needed to make the necessary changes below. The fuel hose needed to be fitted that could withstand 600 degrees, ISO7840 for two hours. Due to the age of the car we considered the existing bilge pump not to be adequate and capable of adhering to the latest legislation so we decided to fit two pulse operated bilge pumps that look for water and when detecting it will start and pump out of the rear. We decided to fit two of these as always health and safety is our paramount concern and have given two totally independent systems with separate exit from the rear of the vehicle.
The fire extinguisher has also been fitted and the pipe flaring has been carried out. To comply with current legislation we have changed the set up of the fuel system to withdraw fuel from the top of the tank through a stainless steel shut off valve.
We have also installed an electrical cut off switch and solder jointed cables to the battery terminal.
The Amphicar’s switch around
December 3, 2020
Two bilge pumps have been added to the Amphicar. The original bilge pump remains in its original position in the engine bay and is still in working condition. The old pump still has its wires connected and can be connected at any point in the future, however, it is currently disconnected from the car. The old pump has been kept in for peace of mind.
Amphicar’s New Electrics
November 24, 2020
Our Electrics specialist, Adam, has recently replaced the fuse box and propeller control switch in our 1965 Amphicar.
Here are the before and after shots:
