The 1965 Amphicar is already quite a unique and rare piece of automotive history. But, an original convertible hood cover? Slightly rare than hen’s teeth.
The gearbox has been crunching in our 1965 Amphicar so we’ve removed it to try and address the issues with the syncro-mesh when changing down
Our 1965 Amphicar had a dip in the pool to test its seals against the water. The result was small ingress of water and we’ve
We’ve started repainting the floor on our 1965 Amphicar. Chris began by taking out the bolts and masking up the struts that would remain cream.
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
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
Stuck between buying a boat or a car? Or maybe you fancy the idea of an all-encompassing road trip vehicle that’s up to any terrain?
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
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.
Our Amphicar is having a few adjustments as we’ve discovered a gearbox issue whilst testing. We noticed a noise which we originally thought was linked
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
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
The Amphicar is getting closer to being water worthy! We’ve installed a bow light with a stern light also optional, which can be taken on
We had Colin from Wherry boatyard on behalf of CC Marine and Industrial Supply come in to survey our 1965 Amphicar. As a BSS (Boat
If you haven’t already, say hello to our Amphicar! Part boat, part car, this curious little vehicle can drive both on land and on water.
The 1965 Amphicar is already quite a unique and rare piece of automotive history. But, an original convertible hood cover? Slightly rare than hen’s teeth. However, after some research, we found a company in the States who make them!
We had one shipped to us here for our 1965 Amphicar which was installed by our in-house master trimmers. As you can see, it looks absolutely brilliant!
The gearbox has been crunching in our 1965 Amphicar so we’ve removed it to try and address the issues with the syncro-mesh when changing down gears.
Our 1965 Amphicar had a dip in the pool to test its seals against the water. The result was small ingress of water and we’ve discovered that a few small holes we’d filled in thinking they were holes, actually happen to be integral to the water flow and buoyancy of the Amphicar as they allow water to flow through the car and out another side.
We’ve started repainting the floor on our 1965 Amphicar. Chris began by taking out the bolts and masking up the struts that would remain cream.
We’ve applied a black sealant paint on the inside which is the same as the underside. This resin based paint provides better protection against water ingress and allows for easier cleaning.
We are also endeavouring to repair the handbrake after the cable broke.
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.
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.
Stuck between buying a boat or a car? Or maybe you fancy the idea of an all-encompassing road trip vehicle that’s up to any terrain? Well, if that’s so, this GMC DUKW is going up for auction.
The Motorious article explains it was “Originally designed by Rod Stephens Jr, a famous yacht designer from Sparkman & Stephens, along with Frank W. Speir of MIT and Dennis Puleston, a British deep-water sailor, the DUKW was created to be tough. It had to be capable of transporting over 2 tons of troops and supplies not only across the water but also over rough terrain. The tires had to negotiate soft, sandy beaches and muddy jungle floors without becoming stuck. Perhaps most critical and challenging, the DUKW had to be made in mass quickly, so the design had to be simple as well as effective.”
You can read more here.
Maybe you fancy something a little..smaller? You can always look for something like our charming Amphicar that we’re currently restoring for a customer.
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.
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.
Our Amphicar is having a few adjustments as we’ve discovered a gearbox issue whilst testing. We noticed a noise which we originally thought was linked to the thrust bearing however it turns out it’s due to the first motion shaft bearing that needs repairing.
We’ve taken out the engine and gearbox, and will now begin the process of fixing the gearbox.
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.
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.
The Amphicar is getting closer to being water worthy! We’ve installed a bow light with a stern light also optional, which can be taken on and off when needed. This means when the Amphicar is out on the water at night, other ships can see it!
Adam, our electrical specialist has also redone the connection block. This has been refurbished to make them easier to access if any repairs or tweaking has to be done in future!
With these fixes made, the Amphicar is steadily getting closer to completion after its recent boat MOT. You can see the check list we were provided below:
We had Colin from Wherry boatyard on behalf of CC Marine and Industrial Supply come in to survey our 1965 Amphicar. As a BSS (Boat Safety Scheme) Examiner, its Colins job to tell us what is needed to make the Amphicar water worthy.
It’s a bit like an MOT but for boats and it’ll allow our Amphicar to be one step closer to getting its tires wet.
The amends includes relocating the battery cut-off switch changing the fuel entry removal system from a bottom to a top entry, replacing rubber hoses with copper pipes to allow a 2 hour 100 degrees safety bracket, installing a fire extinguisher, modify the main battery wiring, replacing the fuel arrester to the fuel tank, general labeling, adding an override switch to the dashboard and installing a modern Bilge pump and float switch.
If you haven’t already, say hello to our Amphicar! Part boat, part car, this curious little vehicle can drive both on land and on water. Jovially referred to as ‘the fastest car on the water’.
The Amphicar was only in production from 1961 to 1968, so our 1965 model is an incredibly rare find. We’re so lucky to have the opportunity to be doing a full restoration on this intriguing little car (or is it a boat!?)
Along with returning the car to her former glory by doing a complete bodywork restoration, the team have also returned her to her original colour- ‘Beach Strand White’. We think she looks gorgeous!
Our Amphicar has been in the trim shop this week having her new roof fitted. Brian’s been working on the task. “I’ve fitted the locating pins around the roof edge” Brian describes “then glued and turned the corners of the roofs front rail”.
Brian’s then trimmed off any excess material and screwed the metal trim in place. The edges looking nice a neat now. “I then fitted the metal trim round the bottom of the back of the roof using Tenax fasteners” he explains.
“I’ve then glued flaps around the rear window frame” Brian continues “again adding the neat metal trim to smarten up the edges and also, to hold the window rubber in”.
Even though the roof was a ready-made, it still had to be custom fitted and therefore provided it’s own challenges! Brian told us how tricky it was to get the roof liner to fit. “When we make our own parts we can measure against the car and use those exact patters” Brian explains. “But, when it’s ‘off the shelf’ the product arrives and we have to work with what we’re presented with.”
Brian’s also fitted the back seat “I glued the rubber down first” he explains “then fitted the seat Kath and I have made onto it.”
Raise your hand if you want to take this swimmingly fun car for a test-dive!?
