For Sale 1971 driving houseboat

Status
Not open for further replies.

3C's & a D?

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2015
Messages
1,993
Reaction score
1,691
Location
By the tree in Edmonton
Feedback: 0 / 0 / 0
Contact seller
Sounds kind of like our C bodies, doesn't look like them. Interesting story. Handles beautifully?

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1488475257

Screenshot_20200220_081339_com.android.chrome.jpg
Screenshot_20200220_081410_com.android.chrome.jpg
Screenshot_20200220_081501_com.android.chrome.jpg
Screenshot_20200220_081515_com.android.chrome.jpg
 
awesome !
not sure how it will handle any rough waves or even a wave building up in front while cruising...... i hope with the front drivetrain weight and that "bow" its not going to become a submarine.......
 
Handles like a boat!

looks like it would work better in the water upside down.

unusual vehicle for sure
 
Now I have seen everything......this is even weirder than the Corphibian, GM's sea-going Corvair prototype...….
 
The only logical propulsion system would be a jet pump running off an aux trans , but I still can't help but think she'll start taking on water, list to starboard and sink about 300 yards from shore
 
Last edited:
Sez guy who built it didnt necessarily intend for it to be a boat, just the ugliest vehicle made.....drives it 20 miles and parks it for 21 years. This guy picks it up, put $12k into a RAFT, not a boat...drives another 230 miles and he's done with it too???? And the only pix he has of it "floating", is within 4' of shore, lol
 
Sez guy who built it didnt necessarily intend for it to be a boat, just the ugliest vehicle made.....drives it 20 miles and parks it for 21 years. This guy picks it up, put $12k into a RAFT, not a boat...drives another 230 miles and he's done with it too???? And the only pix he has of it "floating", is within 4' of shore, lol

I really want to know more about the story on this one. This goes back to 1971 apparently. When the truck was purchased new, driven 750 miles, stripped, and over some time, made into this. Driven 20 miles. Parked for 21 years. I'll assume inherited by the current owner who, unwisely "sunk" 12,000$, and time into this thing. Drove 230 miles, and posted on Kijiji with no price. So, assuming he got it for free, put 12,000$ and who knows how many hours into it, what is he willing to accept? Talk about throwing good money after bad. I'm just worried that once I go to install the headers, they may not clear the plywood support frame, or burn it. Did you notice the paddle sticking out of the window in the floating photo? LMFAO!
 
I really want to know more about the story on this one. Talk about throwing good money after bad. Did you notice the paddle sticking out of the window in the floating photo? LMFAO!

good times on the water!

75B3F040-B787-439F-A454-175D77CD30A5.png
 
I'd like to see the headers after a few thermal cycles in and out of the water. Rocks in above pic look like low tide. Suspect it is not floating.
 
I'd like to see the headers after a few thermal cycles in and out of the water. Rocks in above pic look like low tide. Suspect it is not floating.
Probably not floating much, but those rocks have been put there for riverbank stabilization and flood mitigation. The bridge in the background suggests a river, not much tide activity there.
 
Sez guy who built it didnt necessarily intend for it to be a boat, just the ugliest vehicle made.....
The guy selling it said he didn't know it was intended to be a boat, not that it wasn't built to be a boat. Aren't all RV's ugly? I mean, unless they're converted from a Scenicruiser bus that is. ;)

If that's just the standard drivetrain from a truck, I bet it will have problems with water getting past the axle seals and inside the diff, wheel bearings etc, if it doesn't have even bigger problems! IMO, he should've forgotten about trying to make it usable as a boat and just made it into a usable RV.
 
The guy selling it said he didn't know it was intended to be a boat, not that it wasn't built to be a boat.

Maybe a good part of the $12,000.00 was spent getting it back out of the water? And for the fines for recovery of the spilled fuel, oil and axle goo into the river. :realcrazy:
 
Best way to get answers is to contact the seller. No one here has a clue. I'm more interested in the boat aspect, don't need an RV. Anyone who puts something in the water without a paddle is an idiot. Standard equipment.
 
Best way to get answers is to contact the seller. No one here has a clue. I'm more interested in the boat aspect, don't need an RV. Anyone who puts something in the water without a paddle is an idiot. Standard equipment.

It doesn't sound like the current owner knows any more of it's history than he made known to us. Perhaps some things are best left a mystery. And I'm not interested in purchasing, but interested in the story. Here's my take - Stanley was reading a 1969 popular mechanics magazine, saw the "build your own houseboat" article, started drawing plans and thinking about it. Bought the truck, all of the material's. Spent countless hours assembling it. Finally got it mostly done (driving, enclosed), took 'er out for a quick spin, was completely disappointed with it, and parked it for the rest of his life. Did he ever see if it floated? Did he lack confidence in his creation? Was he afraid all of his hard work would float away? And I agree completely with your paddle thought, I just think it adds to the humuor of the shot. I can't see it being of much use if the current caught it. Also, one look at his number's and it's clear he's already up sh*t Creek.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top