Custom made volkswagon powered 8x8 with sea doo pump

[1963 pengor penguin]

like mike said the metal work is incredible

[chris davison]

Thanks for the complements. I have been working at this new job now for 2 years and when they saw what I'm capable of they have been sending me all over the us to other sites to repair their machines train mechanics and bring some organization to their maintenance dept.
Bought a pontoon boat and have been busy with it. Recently I went upstream about 5 miles in the white river. Walley swam at least 2 miles of that in 2 to 4 feet of water and met several kyackers coming down stream. I got the funniest looks from them as they paddled by. I had the hardest time clinbing out on a steep sandy bank the tires just crumbled the bank and couldn't get a grip had to climb out where it wasn't so steep. Anyone else have that trouble where your still floating and your tires cant get a grip

[philipatmaxfour]

custom made volks powered 8x8

Thanks for the complements. I have been working at this new job now for 2 years and when they saw what I'm capable of they have been sending me all over the us to other sites to repair their machines train mechanics and bring some organization to their maintenance dept.
Bought a pontoon boat and have been busy with it. Recently I went upstream about 5 miles in the white river. Walley swam at least 2 miles of that in 2 to 4 feet of water and met several kyackers coming down stream. I got the funniest looks from them as they paddled by. I had the hardest time clinbing out on a steep sandy bank the tires just crumbled the bank and couldn't get a grip had to climb out where it wasn't so steep. Anyone else have that trouble where your still floating and your tires cant get a grip

Yes Chris, and when you try to jump to shore to hook the winch you jump into the water!

[Aahicnow]

Chris do you have video of Walley running? nothing as sweet as a VW purrring. PS never had problem jumping to the shore but had interesting times getting back on board when winch was connected.

[chris davison]

Yes utube videos try kabas511 Chris Davison and check the walk around at night with engine idling.

[Aahicnow]

nice videos love the sound it makes when you where ripping around on the beach

[chris davison]

I have a winch but haven't needed it yet it's a radio key fob control so I would just hook it up and stand to the side as it pulled wallet out

[chris davison]

I have been thinking about buying a doner car with a v6 automatic and changing to tracks with suspension as it it walley weighs 1865 lbs this might add 700 though and my buoyancy is 6000 lbs. I would be losing eng trans jack shafts 8 tires and rims 16 sprockets and 50 feet of #80 Chain the compressor and air clutch with shaft and bearings. I would be gaining eng trans rearend 2 12inch x 26foot tracks all the suspension 8 shocks 32 rollers 2 drive sprockets. It would give me 4x the hp 4x the torq suspension for traveling faster and 20 square feet of rubber driving all the time and about 5 more inches of ground clearance. Lets do some math that's guestimate of 2450 lbs machine weight and 20 sq ft equals 2880 sq inches this calcs to .850 lbs per sq inch foot pressure or 122 lbs per sq foot of track. Its true the tires give some buoyancy but as they are only 1/2 submerged its marginal. I draw 10 inches out of 26 on the verticle side when in the water this weight would add 2 more. What do you guys think does it sound do able is the foot pressure OK

[chris davison]

Well I have 50 feet of 15"snow mobile track and an engine and trans from a Nissan 300zx and have been removing parts from walley about650 lbs so far it will be nice to have a v6 and an automatic

[chris davison]

I installed a 3 liter v6 with a 5 speed automatic and an old jeep rear-end slowly working towards completion. I am using pallet jack steering wheels their a 7" tall plastic wheel with bearings on a 20mm shaft in all the shoes inside the track. It will have 12" of travel and be able to collapse the suspension into a tight oval for water travel.

[chris davison]

Nissan 300 zx motor is 165 hp 15" tracks x10' long is 3600 sq inches on the ground that's .66 lbs per sq inch at a 2400 lb vehicle should work pretty good.

[corogers]

What a cool creation! Very impressed. I am really struggling to understand how the steering works tho...

[chris davison]

sand rail turning brakes that lock up one side while the other side turns twice as fast.

[Noel Woods]

I think you are on to something Chris. A suspension would add a lot to making these things more usable. Eliminate the wheels and tires and replace with tracks (that never de-bead, lose air, etc) and eliminate all the other chains and misc. items you mentioned and you will be an innovator in this field.

In fact, I picked up Brushcutter's Cushman Marsh model Trackster. It's hydraulic, tracked without tires, and has a leaf suspension. I am very impressed with this thing and it is smoother than any other amphibious atv I have experienced.

Keep us in the loop as to your progress.

[chris davison]

I would post some pics of the engine in and the headers I hand fabricated but cant remember how to post them. The jeep rear end was a drum brake setup so i changed it to discs and fabricated a drum to mount the plastic 1 inch thick sprockets' on that drive the tracks. I still have to mount the radiator but the two electric fans are on it. So far I have fabricated one of the shoes that roll on the track, Its the one in the front leading arm suspension.