Building an amphibious vehicle is always an exercise in balancing conflicting requirements: boats make terrible cars, and cars make terrible boats. The goal of this project was to create a true expedition-grade amphibian capable of maintaining 100+ km/h on the highway without vibration, while remaining fully capable of deep water crossings and severe off-road trails. The philosophy was simple: combine highly reliable, easily sourced donor components (UZAM, Niva) with a completely custom-welded, watertight steel hull.
Continue reading “Designing and Building a High-Speed Overland Amphibian”Transforming a GAZelle Minibus into a 4×4 Overland Camper using UAZ Axles
This project has a long and somewhat romantic backstory. I used to own a classic UAZ “Bukhanka” (a legendary Russian 4×4 van) — a vehicle I invested a massive amount of time and effort into, and which suited my off-road needs perfectly. After parting ways with it, I found myself in urgent need of a high-clearance, off-road capable minibus. A heavy body-on-frame SUV lacked the necessary interior volume, while a standard commercial minibus offered zero off-road capability. Eventually, I was lucky enough to find a near-perfect base vehicle: a passenger GAZelle that perfectly fit my standard driver’s license category, in excellent condition, complete with an external LPG tank setup.
Continue reading “Transforming a GAZelle Minibus into a 4×4 Overland Camper using UAZ Axles”