It’s a boat! It’s a car (ok, a van)! It’s a 1995 Boatcar! This unusual hybrid is listed for sale here on eBay where despite bidding hitting $20,000 the reserve has not yet been met. The street-legal vehicle (note, not sea-worthy) is located in Roswell, Georgia (bonus points if you thought New Mexico when you saw Roswell). Whether you dock it or park it, that length will ensure your presence is known!
What we can see of the craftsmanship appears to be first class on this craft. The seller states that construction took six months and that the starting vehicle was a 1995 Ford E-350 passenger van with almost 160,000 miles. The SeaRay portion of the build started out as a 24′ cabin cruiser that slept four adults. We’re told that new brakes, tires, and a replacement radiator were among the mechanical improvements made to the E-350. As far as the boat goes, it’s gotten new paint and all its teak has been refinished. I’m guessing the cabin part is now taken up by the drivetrain, but the seller hasn’t included pictures of that part of the vehicle. The listing does state, however, that power options include an anchor and air conditioning!
Although the air bags have been left in place in the E-350 driving compartment, there aren’t even seat belts for your rear passengers. Somehow I don’t think that’s the point, though! I suppose this could be the ultimate party barge, with no life jackets necessary.
The builder’s previous custom vehicles have been featured on television and have won auto shows. Tell us, would you drive this boatcar to the marina? Or to the bottom of the nearest lake?
Wow. What memories this brings back. I took my drivers test in one just like this but it was blue.
How did you do with the parallel parking portion of the test ?
USS Go Around Me
wow. too bad the “interior “is more car-like; a good use of marine-grade vinyl cushions on the wheel boxes would have been smart(er) than hard-edged metal.
I don’t think I have ever seen anyone water ski behind a car except for Jeeps at the beach.
Could you see driving this around Manhattan?
I don’t know how lax the road laws are in Georgia, but there is no chance that you could pay off enough people to drive this thing on the streets of Toronto.
Well in Ga it is old enough not to need emissions and seat belts are not required for adults in rear seats.
Can’t comment on Toronto but a while back C&D did an article on a guy road registering an actual 917 in Georgia so I guess anything is possible someplace.
Can you imagine The Skipper and Gilligan in this ?
Norm: do you think you could do a 3 hour tour in this boat mobile?
GIVES new meaning to that old car expression…DRIVES like a BOAT.
Drives like a boat and sails like a van! 🤣
I think this is a better execution of the concept:
https://www.andysaunders.net/run-a-ground/
leave it toa “Frog” (shoulda done it to his own countries vehicle tho). Turn the chassy around too – so as to have the 2 wheels up frnt…
Final result of Run-A-Ground looks better than the donor Reliant Regal three wheeler!
I took the time to cruise around the Andy Saunders website, and was so amazed at some of his creations and restorations.
Don’t stop at the boat, everyone, that man has an unbelievable combination of vision and construction skill!
There is no way this is street legal. Probably used as a parade car.
My mom would have that front prow bashed in no time. She could barely park our 72 Monte Carlo at home without running into the walls of the garage. Imagine speed bumps could take this boat down in a heartbeat!
Yeah my brother parks by sound.
Depending on where the vin number is, it may be hard to register it for a license plate in Ohio. In my county they must be able to see the vin without entering the vehicle. They must also be able to see it from standing on the ground… no ladders or step stools.
A friend tried to register a 1948 Ford School bus. The data plate was on the inside of the glove box door. The DMV worker couldn’t see it from outside the door so they said no. The compromise was that he removed the GB door with her watching and he handed it to her outside the door for her to approve the vin number. The DMV in Ohio is a tough nut to crack most of the time.
boats paint’em on the side up frnt (ever C those long numbers/ltrs on the bow/prowl ofa boat?)
That’s the reggie equivalent to the license plate.
The VIN (HIN) will be on the upper right corner of the stern, easily visible, not that it helps.
A novelty for sure, but parking it, Yikes!
“Whatever floats your boat”.
No mention on if you could actually
use this in the water.
Will it float (for more than five minutes?
That’s only about 20 minutes from me and I’ve never seen it before. I need to go check this out! Needs better wheels and tires!!
Might have a tad bit of lift at speed!
We already have boat and car as a description, why not add that it can plane as well?
How did you do with the parallel parking portion of the test ?
Very strange.. might be fun though.
Ok, ok,
Maybe I am from the wrong side of this planet, so forgive me for asking – but does it float ?
And at 100mph, how much lift does that front end generate ?
And at 30 knots, how efficient is the air con
And…. why was it built ?
And …
It would be cool if it was amphibious or at least if it could float.
It would probably be somewhat buoyant for a short time…then the air bags would become your PFD.
We have seen it all now no way the DMV will OK that……………
I think that the wheel arches are very well done. Bag it?
Saw a Cuban family “drive” a 1952 Chevy pickup to Florida in 1988. Had floats, rear wheels had paddle wheels installed, with two spares in the bed as well as three family members. Say what you will, but anyone that can float a pickup from Cuba to Florida, put the tires on it and drive on to the beach deserves to be here. I would have welcomed them!
I would put a hitch on it so I could tow my car trailer.
Where the ocean meets the sky I’ll be sailing . . . but I’d rather do it in this:
https://www.motor1.com/news/73583/behold-the-wonder-of-the-volvo-boat-w-video/
I really enjoy the well-written articles on Barn Finds, but especially the rampant wit that’s applied by the readers. This article and comments racked up the most LOL from me, since I started on BF. I don’t know if this car could be made to float, but the audience is UNSINKABLE!
Um…..Land Yacht ???? 😂😂
If you buy this, you could find yourself under water.
I reckon we’ll be seeing more of this by the time the pandemic ends. I’m working on a flying carport.
Civilian version of the DUKW.
Good Grief! I do not think there is any state in America where this beast would legal to drive.
The civilian version of the DUKW.
There is another one of these (though yellow), around Spokane, WA. A couple years back I was visiting my Dad there, and we were in a restaurant on Sprague Ave. in the Valley. I happened to glance out the window at the traffic.
“Dad, I just saw a boat drive by,” I said.
“You mean on a trailer?”
“No, it DROVE by, on the road.”
He didn’t really believe me, so I am forwarding this listing to him as proof that such things exist.
Ended:Apr 28, 2020 , 3:37PM
Current bid:US $20,000.00
Reserve not met
[ 38 bids ]
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water
YOU CAN, ,just to get away from this abomination and the lunatic that built it!!
Whatever floats your boat.
Yes but it doesn’t. ;-)
Good for laughs but looks like it would be nearly impossible to gauge where the nose/bow was; especially while turning. Don’t know what the reserve is but if the $20k bid is legit, the seller would be nuts to turn it down as it’s strictly a novelty item and he may not get another similar offer any time soon.
The air conditioning blows…. into the open “cockpit”? Or is there a party room in the bow?
What’s the point if it can’t swim ?
pos.
Yeah, once Connie Ray (“SeaRay”) sold in 1986 to the conglomerate noted for everything from bowling balls to motorcycles the boats went way downhill. This one looks pre-sale or close to it as the foredeck hasn’t changed. Owned two, a 26 & 30 pre-sale models, they were built like tanks and rode like the proverbial Cadillac so by pos I guess you mean the F-350 under it.
No,
We mean this entire abomination. This is not the boat you remember so fondly
Example; A 70 Chevelle SS that you removed the LS6 and in the back seat you installed a mercruiser and an outdrive sticking out of the trunk
How would you describe that? lol