Rivarama Jet-Boat

[dr frankenstyle]

Thanks, and Yeeah....I knowww kinda like a yak pullin' a yacht, huh It needs something like a '56 Chevy "Cameo" or a '60s era El Camino or something in front. I just have a hard time getting motivated to build a road-rig. The only pavement for miles is 60+ mph road, so it would just be a shelf-princess. The trailer is at least a nice pedestal for the boat.
I don't have the body-building skills that some of the wizards here (ahem, nearby) have, but I may give it a go this summer, who knows.

[dr frankenstyle]

Well, my buddy says that I've gone completely "off the deep-end." and I said "... and I'm diggin' a hole."
anyway, all good boat owners will tell you that you need a cover for your boat to help keep your good stuff in and the bad stuff out ... so here we are.



I got out the old Singer (my late grandma's) and threaded it with dark purple... took a rectangle of cloth (less than $4 at Wal-ly) and went for it.



I went by a shop, that makes 1:1 boat covers and toppers, and talked to one of their "seamsters" and he gave me some tips on how to get it "fit". I stitched a loop on each side and made some scale bungees (I'll stick a thread in "scale accessories" for them ) for "towing" hold-downs and added a couple of little, chrome anchors to the trailer.



I stitched a "button-hole" for the light-mast and used some winch-line as a draw-string to snug it down.



I think grandma would be pleased with how the old machine still works.

[dr frankenstyle]

Thank You, Lanky she's been a totally fun "voyage" to get her this way too.


funny .... I hear the word "sane" and I say "I'm IN-"

[QuesoDelDiablo]

Very nice work, you've given me several ideas for the trailer in just staying for my Riva (just a proboat volere 22).

I'm especially impressed at the working winch, consider me inspired.

[dr frankenstyle]

Originally Posted by QuesoDelDiablo

Very nice work, you've given me several ideas for the trailer in just staying for my Riva (just a proboat volere 22).

I'm especially impressed at the working winch, consider me inspired.

Thanks, Happy to spread the disease. I get a little "ate-up" with my details sometimes, but hey... it's fun.
I took lots of pic's during the trailer build (may post a thread for it) so if you have any ??s.
Good luck, and be sure to post some pic's.

[dr frankenstyle]

A buddy stopped by yesterday and was joking that I needed some ski's and life-jackets to throw in the boat. The ski's will take a bit more .... but I did this before the sewing machine gets dusty again.



It's by NO means perfect, but it's perfectly hilarious!



I couldn't keep from laughing as I stitched it up. My buddy will crap.

[Habanero]

If you can afford THAT boat, no need for life jackets, your helicopter will be there to pick you up shortly.

[dr frankenstyle]

Originally Posted by Habanero

If you can afford THAT boat, no need for life jackets, your helicopter will be there to pick you up shortly.

That cracked me up! Thanks, and I do have an Esky "TwinStar" (if ONLY I could fly it) that looks like a Bell "executive" 'copter, so I guess I DO have a bird on standby.

[dr frankenstyle]

I got inspired by my success with the small bungees, so I decided to make some scale tie-downs for the tail-end.



I grabbed a little flashing metal and drew-up, cut out and bent-up some cam-buckle parts. I stretched some 1/8" flat elastic onto the pin-board and sprayed it with flat-black. Bent some straight-pins into hooks and cut a couple for hinge-pins. Then I stitched loops into the ends, and sewed a short strap onto the main strap running upwards. Then as I assembled the buckles I folded the short strap over the pin, under the handle and out the bottom to look like a coiled strap in the cam-buckle.



The handles swing like a ratchet-strap, so I can make them look "open", and since they're elastic they stay snug.



Most of all, they look better than a "mondo" bungee, at least to me.



Mother says RC stands for "Really CRAZY".

[joe122]

Seriously cool - it's those small details that really stand out, awesome idea.

[dr frankenstyle]

Much appreciated. There's a lot of inspiration to be found around here, artists and wizards are all over this site.

[dr frankenstyle]

Originally Posted by rally racer #75

that looks very scale!

Thanks, I tend to go overboard at times....
...good thing I got the life-jacket, huh.

[rerebuilder]

Your boat came out great. Now you need to work on equally detailed puller to haul this around with. I know you talked about doing skis how about some wake boards to go along with them.

[dr frankenstyle]

Originally Posted by rerebuilder

Your boat came out great. Now you need to work on equally detailed puller to haul this around with. I know you talked about doing skis how about some wake boards to go along with them.

Thanks There IS a street (?) truck in the works (in true "Franken"-style), but we'll see how it turns out. (I'll post an update on it soon)
I've thought about possible wake-boards too, but they'll just be décor for the truck-bed... there are 6-7 lb. Striped Bass in my pond so to pull a "skier" would just be top-water fishing.

[dr frankenstyle]

Well, after a little encouragement, I pulled the trigger on a tow-rig project to put in front of the boat. I think I'll call it "Ol' Graveyard" because I plan to use my first ever RC car, an old Associated RC-12 chassis, from the '70s, that's been "buried" in the RC scrapyard since the '80s.
Here is what it's looked like for around 30 years, not anymore.



And the "naked" view. A WHOLE LOT has changed since it's debut, and this one is modernized somewhat. LOL



And here is the body that I picked up (LHS, Sleeth Hobbies got it in for me, Thanks ), Vaterra's "68 Ford.



I owned a 1:1 like it just after I got married. Rebuilt the motor, swapped it to automatic trans ... anyway, I'm planning a 2-tone paint scheme to match the boat and trailer, and of course I'm giving it a Frankenstyle'd twist. Like my other vehicles, I kind of like something a bit "different", so here is a hint at the set-up.



Of course it needs a lot of refining...



....but this is a minimum budget project, so I'm not sure just how far I'll take it.
I'll update soon, maybe in it's own thread ... stay tuned.

[dr frankenstyle]

I mocked some color into the F-100 just to get an idea what the whole set-up will look like.



I think I'm gonna like it.

[dr frankenstyle]

Still have lots to finish-up (pinstripes, bumpers, lights, etc...), but I wanted to preview the "tow-package".



Not a typical trailer-puller, but I think she looks better than Punky does out front.

[joe122]

Perfect street truck, looks, power and its a FORD! Paint looks great, awesome combo!

[dr frankenstyle]

Originally Posted by joe122

Perfect street truck, looks, power and its a FORD! Paint looks great, awesome combo!

Thanks, I can't wait to get the blue (almost Ford blue ) pinstripes on. That should really "ice the cake". But I have to finish the paint fix (patience, grasshopper ...) first.

[dr frankenstyle]

It's official, the Coffin Jockey (F100) IS a boat puller.



I got the pinstripes on today, so it all matches up now. I dropped the gears (all that's left to lower are the GRU gears), switched back to the 2S, and gave the rig a test tow. SWEEEET
I still have lots of details to do on the body, make a tonneau cover to match the boats cover....



and I plan to black-out the chassis and dye the plastic black too. I got a set of disc-brakes for it that are blue aluminum, so they'll go with the striping. And mirrors, and lights, and yatta yatta.....