Customer Reviews

The Amphigeo Story

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The sky was blue, the sea was inviting and I was considering how possible it would be to convert a car to an amphibian. So an internet search that revealed 'The Amphigeo Story', how a Geo had been made amphibian, looked just the thing. And it was the only such book or reference that I could find. The sample pages don't tell you much, apart from the author acknowledging that he is not a great writer, so I ordered what was apparently the last copy in stock. Well, he is right - the spelling and grammar would pass no exams. I'd question his sense of humour and turn of phrase. Clearly an editor would have been a help. However the car is obviously a remarkable achievement, and the book is a fascinating read - mainly because the answer 'how does he get away with it' does not appear right through to the last page. My question relates to the question of road safety. This is really not a Geo - the engine has been moved from under the hood to the rear seat, and connected by a chain drive to a differential and axle system welded together from scrapyard parts. The wheel sizes are changed, the speedometer is inaccurate, the front and rear body structure have been rebuilt and there is a propeller turning underneath all the time. Given the number of times it has been in the media, I am amazed that no vehicle inspectors have queried its safety to the driver and passenger and any other road users. All in all, if you want to convert a Geo in this way, there are no doubt useful instructions, sketches, photos, tips and ideas. But why would you? There is precious little to assist with conversion of a different vehicle - some of which, one imagines, would have been a lot more straightforward (eg a rear-engined car such as a VW beetle).