THE FIRST AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLE DESIGNED FOR THE REAL WORLD  ! THE PLATYPUS IS THE RESULT OF THREE YEARS TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT OF A VEHICLE FOR USAGE IN WORK AND RECREATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS . DEVELOPED IN AUSTRALIA FOR OUR COASTAL AND OFF ROAD CONDITIONS THE PLATYPUS IS NO DELICATE SHOW PONY BUT  A WORK HORSE FOR SAFE EVERY DAY USAGE . FULLY ROAD REGISTERABLE . THE PLATYPUS IS BASED ON THE NEW SUZUKI JIMNY 4X4 HI-LO RANGE . OUR UNIQUE BUILD DESIGN KEEPS THE ORIGINAL CHASIS AND ENCAPSULATES IT INSIDE THE HULL . WELL AWAY FROM ANY COROSION PROBLEMS  . THIS ALSO ENSURES LEGAL COMPLIANCE IN MOST 1ST WORLD COUNTRIES . SOME MANUFACTURERS FIT THE RUNNING GEAR TO A MONOCOQUE FIBREGLASS HULL WITHOUT USING THE ORIGINAL CHASIS . CHEAPER TO BUILD AND GOOD FOR SELLING KITS . UNFORTUNATELY IT IS NOT LEGAL FOR ON ROAD REGISTRATION IN MOST WESTERN COUNTRIES . THE PLATYPUS IS FAR STRONGER THAN THE ORIGINAL DONOR VEHICLE AND THE HULL CAN TAKE TREMENDOUS PUNISHMENT.

THE MARINE FUNCTIONS . THE HULL OF THE PLATYPUS IS HAND LAID TO THE SURVEY SPECS OF A SIX METRE COMMERCIAL VESSEL IN AUSTRALIA . THE HULL IS A UNIQUE TWIN TUNNEL DESIGN FOR GREATER  STABILITY AND SAFETY IN ROUGH WATERS . THE PLATYPUS   HAS HIGH FREE-BOARD WITHOUT SACRIFICING DRIVING VISIBILITY . WE DESIGNED THE VEHICLE SIDE DOORS OUT . ALL DOORS IN AMPHIBS LEAK EVENTUALY DUE TO FLEXING IN HULL SIDES IN ROUGH WATER  . SO DOORS ARE NOT A GOOD IDEA . THE HULL , DECK AND FIREWALL ARE ALL COMPOSITE FIBREGLASS UP TO 10MM THICK ON BOTTOM OF HULL . THE FEW MAIN METAL ASSEMBLY PIECES ON THE WET SIDE , DIFFS ETC ARE ALL ANTI-CORROSION TREATED ( OUR OWN SECRET FORMULA ) AND LOW MAINTAINANCE . ONE LARGE AUTOMATIC BILGE PUMP HANDLES ANY ( UNLIKELY ) WATER INGRESS . THE MAIN SEALING GAITERS ARE  HUGE 5MM THICK POLYURETHANE GLANDS . TOPOLOGICALY DESIGNED FOR EASY SERVICE AND INSPECTION OF DRIVE SHAFTS . THEY WILL LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE .   THE REGIONAL AREA THE PLATYPUS WAS DEVELOPED IN REGULARLY HAS ONE METRE WIND CHOP WAVES AND CAN HAVE SWELLS OVER  TWO METRES  . THE VESSEL WAS DESIGNED TO GET YOU HOME SAFELY IN THESE TYPES OF CONDITIONS , YOU WOULD NOT CHOOSE TO DO THIS BUT IF THE NEED ARISES YOU NEED THAT SAFETY MARGIN . A PURPOSE MADE ROUGH WATER VERSION IS AVAILABLE WITH GULL WING DOORS AND DORADE STYLE VENTS  . THE STANDARD MODEL IS SUFFICIENT FOR MOST USERS . JET POWERED WHY A JET ??  AFTER EXTENSIVE TESTING WITH OUR OLD PROTOTYPE IT WAS FOUND THE JET WAS THE MOST RELIABLE AND UNOBTRUSIVE OPTION FOR THIS KIND OF VEHICLE . OUR JET IS PURPOSE BUILT BY ONE OF THE WORLDS LEADING JET DESIGNERS . PERMANENT BEARINGS ENSURE THE JET CAN RUN IN BOTH ENVIRONMENTS WITH NO PROBLEM AND LOW MAINTAINANCE . A JET WILL PROVIDE THE THRUST NECESSARY TO PUSH A DISPLACEMENT HULL WITHOUT CAVITATION LIKE A PROPELLOR . IT IS UN- LIKELY TO BE DAMAGED IN OFF ROAD USAGE  AND IS EASY TO REPAIR . WE SMASHED TWO PROPELLORS ON THE FIRST PLATYPUS DOING NORMAL OFF-ROADING .  ONE SIMPLE TRANSFER LEVER SHIFT IS ALL THAT IS REQUIRED TO PUT THE PLATYPUS INTO MARINE MODE . THE  DOWN SIDE TO A JET ? ITS NOT AS EFFICIENT AS A PROP AND USES MORE POWER . HOWEVER AS THE VEHICLE IS FOR LIMTED WATER USAGE , SAY A FEW HOURS AT A TIME THIS IS OF LITTLE CONSEQUENCE WHEN WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE OF THE ADVANTAGES . A TWIN PROPELLOR MODIFICATION CAN BE DONE IF A VEHICLE WAS TO BE USED FOR VERY LONG TIMES IN THE WATER , THIS WOULD GIVE GREATER FUEL ECONOMY BUT LESS SPEED .

FIRST WE TAKE A BRAND NEW SUZUKI JIMNY AND STRIP IT TOTALY . THEN START THE PROCESS OF REBUILDING IT INTO A VEHICLE  AT HOME ON ROAD , BUSH OR SALT WATER .  MOST OF THE ORIGINAL VEHICLE IS KEPT , SUZUKI BUILT A FINE 4X4 AND WE ARE HAPPY WITH WHAT THEY DID . THE REAR DRUM BRAKES ARE CHANGED TO DISC ( DRUMS ARE A BAD THING IN SALT WATER ). THE HAND BRAKE IS INTERNALISED WITH ITS OWN DISC AND CALLIPER . ALL THE COIL SPRINGS (4 ) ARE CHANGED TO HEAVY DUTY OFF-ROAD VERSIONS. . THE TRANSFER BOX IS MODIFIED AND DOUBLE SEALED ON THE WET SIDE DRIVE SHAFTS . THE DIFF BREATHERS ARE EXTENDED THROUGH THE HULL AND AS AN OPTION CAN BE PRESSURIZED. THE PLATYPUS'S PATENTED UNIQUE VENTILATION AND DUCTING SYSTEM IS ITS KEY TO SUCCESS IN ALL ENVIRONMENTS . ON THE HOTTEST DAYS ON ROAD OR WATER IT DOES NOT OVERHEAT NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU PUSH IT . A  PROBLEM THAT HAS PLAGUED MOST AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLES TO DATE .  HUGE VOLUMES OF FRESH AIR ARE CIRCULATED OVER THE RADIATOR AND EXPELLED QUICKLY WHILST VENTILATING AND EXTRACTING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT HEAT LOAD . THE EXHAUST DOES NOT RUN IN THE WATER AND IS KEPT HIGH AND DRY AND AWAY FROM HARM AND WATER POLLUTION PROBLEMS . USING A MODERN 2005 COMPLIANT CAR WE ARE ASSURED OF A VEHICLE THAT WILL MEET ALL THE EMMISSION LAWS .  THE MECHANICALS ARE EITHER SUZUKI OR EASILY SOURCED GENERIC BEARINGS ETC .  FOR THIS REASON SERVICE AND MAINTAINANCE ARE NOT A PROBLEM . LIGHTS ARE CHANGED FOR SEALED BEAMS AND WATER PROOF HOUSINGS AND CAN BE TOTALY SUBMERGED WITH NO PROBLEMS . THE ROUGH WATER VERSION CAN BE HATCHED UP AND IS VIRTUALY A SMALL SUBMARINE . SAFETY AND FUNCTION WERE THE DESIGN BRIEFS , LOOKS WERE NO WHERE IN THE PICTURE . A FACT YOU WILL APRECIATE WHEN YOU COME TO USING IT . LAND SPEED 100KMH WATER SPEED UP TO 7 KNOTTS SELECTABLE 4X4 WITH HI-LO RANGE TRANSFER CASE. 5 SPEED AND  REVERSE MAIN BOX . LENGTH 4.45 MTS. WIDTH 1.8 MTS. WEIGHT 1100K AIR CON , CD PLAYER STANDARD . 4 SEATER WITH OPTION TO INCREASE SEATING OR A UTILITY STYLE VERSION FOR TRADES PEOPLE ETC . DUE TO HIGH HAND BUILD WE CAN BE FLEXIBLE WITH OPTION REQUESTS . PRICE : $55,000 AUS NOT INCLUDING GST FOR STANDARD MODEL . DELIVERY EXTRA . ROUGH WATER VERSION AND OPTIONS PRICE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST . BUILD TIME APROX 3 MONTHS FROM RECIEPT OF PAID ORDER . WE ARE HAPPY TO TALK TO CUSTOMERS ABOUT AGENCIES AND CLUB FOUNDERS . FOR QUESTIONS AND MORE INFO CONTACT

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