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There is
only one HydroCar, and it has a presence unlike anything else on the
planet. This aluminum-bodied, meticulously crafted amphibian is unique in
that it literally – and I do mean literally – transforms its shape
from ‘LAND MODE’ to ‘WATER MODE’ with the flip of a switch.
On land,
its full-length articulating sponsons (or pontoons) are raised and become
the car’s fenders. Upon entering the water, the sponsons are lowered
nearly eight inches to transform the car into a tunnel-hulled watercraft
within a matter of seconds.
The
HydroCar made its debut on the cover of The January 2004 Popular Mechanics
Magazine as an artist’s rendering, then went on to appear in Forbes
Magazine, as well as two Monster Garage publications.
Rick
Dobbertin handled every aspect of the craft’s design and fabrication
over a nine-year period, and personally invested over 18,800 man-hours in
the process.
Of course,
a project of this magnitude could never be accomplished alone. Without the
help and support of Rick’s wife, Mary and a multitude of very skilled
friends, it would never have become a reality.
Before the
HydroCar project, Rick gained considerable worldwide notoriety through
three other ground-breaking projects:
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Hot
Rod Magazine’s 1982 "Street Machine of the Year" A 1965 Nova
SS featuring a twin turbocharged, 6-71 supercharged, nitrous-injected
454 Chevrolet engine, a full tube frame and roll cage, with massive ‘pro-street’
tires in the rear. |
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Hot
Rod Magazine’s 1986 "Street Machine of the Year" A 1985
Pontiac J-2000 featuring a twin turbocharged, twin supercharged,
nitrous-injected all-aluminum Chevrolet 350 engine, a polished stainless
steel frame and ‘wall to wall’ tires in the rear. |
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Rick’s
next venture was a 32’ long stainless steel amphibious craft
fashioned from a 1959 stainless steel Heil milk tanker – dubbed the
Dobbertin Surface Orbiter, as the craft was designed to circumnavigate
the Earth over land and sea without any type of support vessel. The
craft did succeeded in traveling through 28 countries and 38 states,
logging in 30,000 land miles and over 3,000 miles on the open sea,
before the trip was cut short due to the lack of funding. |
The HydroCar is
one of the most innovative automotive projects ever conceived and exemplifies
the term ‘one-off’ in nearly every aspect of the craft. From its chiseled,
stealth-like profile to its articulating sponsons – there is only one HydroCar.
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The
center body section of the HydroCar is built around a space frame and
roll bar constructed completely from 304 stainless steel. |
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The
frames within the articulating sponsons are fabricated from 6061
aluminum. |
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The
center hull and sponsons of the craft are formed entirely from 5086
marine-grade aluminum. |
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The
actual color of the HydroCar is 2006 Corvette Velocity Yellow. |
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The
HydroCar is legally titled in New York State as a Custom Made Boat,
serial number NYZP0128A010. |
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The
New York State hull registration number is NY3454GB. |
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The
HydroCar produces power from a fully dyno-tuned World/Merlin
all-aluminum roller-cammed 572 cubic inch Chevrolet engine, producing
762 Horsepower @ 5,800 rpm and 712 Pounds of Torque @ 4,200 rpm. |
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The
MSD engine electronics feature a billet marine distributor, a 7-ML-2
controller, a 3-HP starter, and 160-amp alternator. |
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The
all-aluminum, multi-core Afco radiator is mounted in the front
compartment. The coolant is routed through sections of the HydroCar’s
frame to the engine. |
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The
exhaust system begins with JBA stainless steel headers, connected to
dual 3" stainless steel exhaust tubes. The two Supertrapp
stainless steel racing mufflers let you hear each and every one of
those 762 horses generated by the 572 Merlin engine |
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Power
is transmitted through a fully manual Quadzilla 4L80-E 4-Speed racing
automatic transmission specifically built for the HydroCar by
Performance Automotive & Transmission Center. |
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Behind
the transmission is an Atlas fully gear-driven transfer case splitting
the power to the front wheels for LAND MODE or to the prop in WATER
MODE. |
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The
front axle is a Currie Enterprises RockJock aluminum Dana 60 with a
3.54 ratio equipped with aluminum one-ton F-350 Ford style axle hubs.
The rear axle not driven, but also equipped with aluminum one-ton axle
hubs. |
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The
rear axle utilizes an electric actuator for the rear wheel steering.
The front and rear axles may be turned independently of each other, so
they can be used to either decrease the turning radius, or ‘crabwalk’
the HydroCar to either side. |
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Both
the front and rear axles are supported by three Firestone Ride-Rite
air bags on the top for suspension in LAND MODE, and two air bags on
the bottoms to raise them in WATER MODE. |
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The
brakes are Stainless Steel Brake Corporation’s Elite aluminum
4-piston calipers clamping onto plated and vented rotors on all four
corners. |
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The
wheels are Alcoa forged, polished aluminum 17" x 8" rims
with eight round holes. |
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The
tires are P265/70R17 Michelin LTX Mud and Snows. |
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Water
propulsion is handled by the ‘750-Horsepower-Upgraded’ version of
the ASD-6 Arneson Surface Drive. |
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The
propeller is a Rollo 6-blade, stainless steel unit. |
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There
are twenty-five VDO Cockpit instruments on the dash. Below the
instruments are the three levers that control the sponsons (up and
down), the axles (up and down), and the wheel well doors (open and
closed). |
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There
are forty-five switches and 16 LED indicators to monitor all of the
systems. |
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The
headlights are hidden and are raised with the touch of a button. |
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Every
piece of glass on the HydroCar is PGW Solex laminated glass for added
comfort and safety. |
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There
is over a mile of wiring in the HydroCar along with over 450 feet of
air, vacuum, hydraulic and coolant hoses. |
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There
are 595 powder-coated parts on the craft. |
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There
was over fourteen gallons of DuPont Imron used to paint the HydroCar. |
Imagine the
advertising potential for Trade Shows! The HydroCar will fit neatly into any
car, boat, custom, or high-tech category, yet remain unique enough to establish
a category all its own.
How about a
movie? With its articulating sponsons and futuristic styling, the HydroCar would
make a great addition to any high-tech, action-adventure or science fiction
film.
For hundreds of
photos, CLICK on the PHOTO GALLERY button.
Once
in the PHOTO GALLERY, there is a PHOTO GALLERY LIST at the bottom left of the
screen that will direct you to specific photo sections, including: COMPLETED,
LAUNCH, FABRICATION, MISCELLANEOUS, TRAILER, ON LOCATION and FINAL LAUNCH.
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