The image of a Ford Mustang you can drive straight into the water—and back out again—is funny. Not just for its potential to make a scene at every boat ramp from California to Maine, but because amphibious cars in general are kind of a terrible idea. Thanks to Ford dealer Jim Eicher and his son, such a seahorse not only exists but seems to work pretty well. And fortunately, we aren’t left in the dark about how it works.
In a Facebook post and a comment elsewhere, Eicher explains that he and his son built the “Aqua Sport” Mustang from a 1999 SN95. It has a 500-cc two-cylinder motorcycle engine coupled to its transmission’s input shaft, apparently in place of the V6 or V8 that Ford shipped under its hood. It runs a power take-off hydraulic pump generating up to 2,000 psi, which turns a three-blade propeller somewhere out back. Its top speed on solid ground or in the water isn’t stated, though Eicher admits the Ford doesn’t put on much of a show in either environment—just during the transition between.
“It may now be a slow boat and a not-so-quick car, but it’s kicks to drive and it truly is 100% amphibious. It always turns heads when I drive it into a lake,” Eicher wrote. “The Mustang is stable and best of all it doesn’t appear to leak.” The Drive reached out to Eicher for more information, though we’ve yet to hear back.
“Stable” is an amusing word choice to describe a single pony car, but I’d wager I’m not the only one out there who really likes the idea of an amphibious pony car. A herd of them, escorted by a converted Little Tikes Tuggy, would be one of the best ways to spend my next Independence Day. In fact, I’m already putting the Coast Guard on speed dial for when things inevitably go belly-up.
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