Should I include a roll cage?

[jbisme]

Some of you guys built a roll cage into your T-buckets. I'm wondering if I should do the same with this boat I'm attaching to my truck frame. The seating area is going to be around 12 feet long by 4 feet wide by 30 inches tall and I was planning on reinforcing the fiberglass boat with wood, but I'm beginning to wonder if I should include a steel frame in its walls too.

As always, I welcome all advise.

The hurst gear shift is ordered. I've got other parts ordered. I'll be rebuilding the brakes, and front end in the next 2 months and I've started cleaning up the truck frame. I expect to have the frame painted in the next couple of weeks. I've even talked to a marine supply dealer about boat carpet.

This is going to be a car before long!

 

[donsrods]

No, but make sure your bilge pump is working.

Don

 

[HAceT]

bilge pump

:lol: :rofl:

 

[rooster57]

Will life jackets be mandatory???????????

 

[jbisme]

Okay, so just wood reinforce it and make it roll. Gotcha!:lol:

Go ahead and laugh, but I have such a fear of water, making a boat body into a car body has a bit of irony in it.


Next question, when you guys use wood for the bucket floor, what do you do to the bottom side to protect it from rotting? The top side will have fiberglass. I was thinking undercoating, but I don't know how well that would work.

 

[T-Odd]

Fiberglass

both sides

 

[RPM]

A roll cage for a boat? HMMM never heard of that before.

 

[rooster57]

I think when you cut the bottom out of the SS minnow you will need some square tubing as an internal frame to hold the body on because the glass body will loose all its strength and only be a fasod at best.Think of it as a parade float build the frame and attach the fiberglass to the frame . Good luck little buddy.

 

[one finger john]

Jet sprint boats have cages. And they need/use em.

John

 

[bucketkids]

If ya put a cage on it you can also tie a rope to the top to pull skate boarders.

 

[debgeo]

Here is an interesting boat/car

 

[rooster57]

That belonged to Thurston Howell the third.

 

[rooster57]

Hey dont worry about us bustin your chops. I am excited about lookin at your pics as you post them. If you pull this off i will buy you lunch next time i come to the sunflower swapmeet. I have a lot of friends in wichita. I use to live in Sedgwick and love to go to the sunflower swapmeet in Feb. So get busy.

 

[Hot Rod Todd]

The only roll cage tht could look half decent would be a jetsprint one. Basically, an A frame with a connecting bar across from side to side.

Heres some footage for ya.

[ame=[media=youtube]X2Iyw5LFrJs[/media] - Jetsprint Boat Racing 2008 Rnd 1[/ame]

actually, you could gothe other way and chop the top off the boat and mount the hull upside down ala Chitty Chitty bang Bang.

I reckon those jet sprint boats would be about as much fun as a drag car

 

[jbisme]

Roll cage may not be the right word. I should have said steel tubing reinforcement around the interior. I'm thinking my boat walls won't have much strength by themselves. Wood could be a little flimsy because of the length and overhang off of the frame. It looks like steel tubing, wood and fiberglass will be used liberally in building this. If it don't rain on me this weekend, the transmission is getting a new gear shift.

 

[jbisme]

Rooster, if I don't get laid off first, I should have something rolling by Feb.

Bucketkids, Why am I having visions of Marty McFly in Back to the Future? "I knew your father once; he was a slacker too." - Mr. Strickland.

 

[Ted Brown]

Use marine plywood, 3/4 to 1 inch for your floors, I myself paint the whole bottom with Black paint also... If you want a rollcage, maybe shape it like a set of top bows, then use a boat type top to provide cover from the Sun/rain..?? I have seen a few car boats, interesting... Good Luck with your project. :crap:

 

[jbisme]

Ted, maybe you can straiten me out. If I go with thick marine plywood, would I build a tubing frame for it to lay on, or would it go strait to the truck frame?

On my trikes I went with a tubing floor and layed a tread plate over the top. Origionally I was thinking of just doing that. What is the advantage of using marine plywood for the floor?

 

[jbisme]

I just checked 3/4 marine grade plywood is $100 per sheet. That's too expensive for me. What alternatives are there?

 

[jbisme]

Tread plate is definately out of the question at $150 per sheet. Marine plywood is looking better.