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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Sure....914's don't fly, but....

Posted by: SpecialK Sep 7 2004, 07:30 PM

I was laying under the 914 the other day staring at the floor pan (hey...it was break time ), noting the simularities between my 914 and a VW bug I used to own. Had a little flashback to when I was a kid in my Dad's brand new '69 Beetle. We're cruising down the road in a bad-ass rain storm in Colorado and hit a flooded intersection. Friggin' car floated across the intersection past other stalled vehicles and out the other side. I remember how impressed and amused my Dad was that it actually floated. So, I'm thinking it wouldn't be all that difficult to convert one of these babies into a little two-seater runabout. As long as you could make the doors, longs., engine compartment and trunks water tight (or even foam filled), it should float (Note: all of my bouyancy calculations are WAGs, under the influence of several....okay..5 - 6 beers).

If I get REALLY bored, I just might try something like that with my non-roadworthy '75 (okay...now we need a "water skier" smilie)

Posted by: SirAndy Sep 7 2004, 07:52 PM

QUOTE(Special_K @ Sep 7 2004, 06:30 PM)

As long as you could make the doors, longs., engine compartment and trunks water tight

haha, good one!

PORSCHE itself couldn't even get the "top side" of the car water-proof !!!

Andy

Posted by: SpecialK Sep 7 2004, 07:59 PM

QUOTE(SirAndy @ Sep 7 2004, 05:52 PM)

QUOTE(Special_K @ Sep 7 2004, 06:30 PM)

As long as you could make the doors, longs., engine compartment and trunks water tight

haha, good one!

PORSCHE itself couldn't even get the "top side" of the car water-proof !!!

Andy

Good point Andy, but you must be in the wrong frame of mind

Posted by: GWN7 Sep 7 2004, 09:06 PM

Call Jessie James...he's had experence in sinking cars.

Posted by: bondo Sep 7 2004, 09:09 PM

Don't bugs float because the floor is a double layer with air in between? 914s are only one layer. I bet the near 50/50 weight balance would help though.

Posted by: SpecialK Sep 7 2004, 09:19 PM

QUOTE(bondo @ Sep 7 2004, 07:09 PM)

Don't bugs float because the floor is a double layer with air in between?

Single stamped piece of sheetmetal on a standard VW Bug (can't speak for the Super Beetles), little bigger hump where the shifter goes through, and smaller longitudinals on each side for heat (convertibles have stiffeners). They really are quite a bit alike construction wise. Once I get the other 150,000 things I need to get done around the house, I'm gonna sit down with a sixer and hammer out the details.

So MWC 2010 bring your ski vests and swim trunks

Posted by: Jeroen Sep 7 2004, 09:28 PM

I know for a fact that 911s don't float... BTDT