THIS HYDRO CAR BELONGS IN A MUSEUM!!
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:
 | 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. |
| 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. |
| 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.
| The center body section of the HydroCar is built around a space frame and roll bar constructed completely from 304 stainless steel. |
| The frames within the articulating sponsons are fabricated from 6061 aluminum. |
| The center hull and sponsons of the craft are formed entirely from 5086 marine-grade aluminum. |
| The actual color of the HydroCar is 2006 Corvette Velocity Yellow. |
| The HydroCar is legally titled in New York State as a Custom Made Boat, serial number NYZP0128A010. |
| The New York State hull registration number is NY3454GB. |
| 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. |
| The MSD engine electronics feature a billet marine distributor, a 7-ML-2 controller, a 3-HP starter, and 160-amp alternator. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| The brakes are Stainless Steel Brake Corporation’s Elite aluminum 4-piston calipers clamping onto plated and vented rotors on all four corners. |
| The wheels are Alcoa forged, polished aluminum 17" x 8" rims with eight round holes. |
| The tires are P265/70R17 Michelin LTX Mud and Snows. |
| Water propulsion is handled by the ‘750-Horsepower-Upgraded’ version of the ASD-6 Arneson Surface Drive. |
| The propeller is a Rollo 6-blade, stainless steel unit. |
| 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). |
| There are 36 switches and 16 LED indicators to monitor all of the systems. |
| The headlights are hidden and are raised with the touch of a button. |
| Every piece of glass on the HydroCar is PGW Solex laminated glass for added comfort and safety. |
| There is over a mile of wiring in the HydroCar along with over 450 feet of air, vacuum, hydraulic and coolant hoses. |
| There are 595 powder-coated parts on the craft. |
| 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.
On Jan-18-18 at 17:00:22 PST, seller added the following information:
Reserve Reduced.....Must sell tonight