Frankensteins microboat. Looking for a bodyshell that will do the job.

[jan]

My name is Jan Vard

[Bob Purton]

Have you tried 'Andys modern Microcars' for a fibreglass shell, They are on the web. Best wishes, Bob

[jan]

Thanks Bob. Yes, have tried, waiting for a replly...

[marcus]

Or a Heinkel/Trojan, which would give you 2 side by side seats, plus a small back seat and room for plenty of shopping/camping gear. This sounds like a really fun plan, I hope you make it and send us photos when complete. It reminds me of short stories I am soon going to publish about altered micro-cars, including one sea-going Heinkel! Marcus

[jan]

Thanks Marcus! I am sure that the result will be very nice, I am a pro and want it to look good. What I need to know is where I might find the body shell, or where I might look. Where does one find Heinkel/Trojan bodyshell replicas these day? A complicated life we lead, indeed...
I will definitely post pictures when the project is finished!

all the best,

jan

[marcus]

Tri-Tech Autocraft made fibre-glass replica schmitts and Isettas, but I think they recently went out of business, there may be unsold body shells looking for a home. I think this firm also made f-g bumpers, like the ones on my trojan, might be worth contacting the heinkel-trojan club for any leads on this. An Isetta wouls also look good as a boat cabin, though less roomy than a H-T, as it would have no engine etc there would be more space. And, like with H-T, you get a sunroof too, to enjoy the sea breeze. You will have to check out my illustrated articles when I get round to publishing them! M

[jan]

Thanks! I have made contact with Tri-Tech, but it seems that they are in a state of flux. They could possibly produce a body to order, but without the bubble, and it struck me as prohibitively expensive. So still looking....

Jan, Oslo.

[marcus]

As the body does not have to be road-going, you might find that weight and structural integrity are not as important as they are for a car. Even a bubble car shell has to be strong enough in the right places to take the many forces imparted by axles, wheels, steering, braking, and engine loadings. If your body is just fixed around its base to the boat, it should then be rigid and strong even if it is only an ultra-light-weight structure. Therefore it should be possible just to get a thin fiberglass shell, of just the exterior shape, without engine bay, wheel-arches etc. Thus if you find someone who is restoring a bubblecar/micro-car a mould could be taken of its stripped body, then a thin (1 or 2 layer) shell made from the mould. Once you decide what make of car you want to base your shell on, you could contact clubs and even Alan Hitchcock (alan's unusual autos) to see if anyone has a likely car in nice shape but not yet painted or assembled.

[marcus]

Hello again Jan. If you like wooden boats, you might have heard of my Grandfather ( my Mum's dad) Laurent Giles who was a successful yacht designer in England, until he died in 1968. He was one of the people who helped develop Marine Plywood, and even helped in the design of the de Havilland Mosquito aeroplane. The owner of a business near me has a "Virtue" class yacht designed by my Grandad which he sailed up to Spitzbergen and Bear Island a few years ago, then did a great lecture and slide show.

[jan]

Hei Marcus! Thanks for the info and advice. It looks as if my quest is over. I have found a Fuldamobil from 1955 which seems both roomy (if you can call it that!) and sort of aerodynamic. If the facts are correct, then there were only built 123 of these. Although the body is aluminium and won't rust as part of a boat, I don't think that I will have the heart to cut it up. A friend suggested using it as a a pattern for a fibreglass mould, so that is probably what I'll do. I will post pictures of the boat when it is finished.

Alll the best,

jan

[marcus]

Doing a f/g mould is good for two reasons, first it saves a rare body, and secondly aliuminium DOES oxidise, and seawater would affect it. After a while the outside would start turning to a white powder (Aluminium Oxide) which then leaves pits in the surface and gradually eats away and weakens the metal. Flying boats always used to be regularly coated with lanolin ( sheep grease?) to stop them rusting, and the air in modern jetliners is kept very dry to reduce oxidation. Good luck, and look forward to hearing of progress.