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Convertible Wooden Boat Packs a 392ci HEMI V8 in There for Good Measure

The auto world is packed with one-offs. Auction and sales websites are teeming with cars that are unique in one way or another, and if you look hard enough, chances are you’ll eventually end up finding what you need. But how about the world of boats?
C-Car runabout powered by HEMI V8 19 photos
Photo: Bring a Trailer
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The nature of our trade kind of requires us to scan in the darkest corners of the web for cool vehicles. Mind you, autoevolution is about all things motorized, not only cars, so we couldn’t resist the temptation of bringing this thing here to your attention once we uncovered it.

That is because if you ever dreamed, for whatever reason, to own a wooden boat powered by a HEMI engine, here’s your chance.

Needless to say, the contraption here, which has been officially named C-Car, is unique in both the car and boat worlds. After all, there’s no HEMI-powered boat roaming the roads, and no other boat packing a HEMI engine and Chrysler Imperial interior can be found on the water.

The boat is the work of a California guy named Don Philbrick and was completed in 1966, at the end of seven years of hard work. A restoration in the 1990s has been performed, making the C-Car look as good as it does now.

But what is it?

We’re talking a runabout made from double-diagonal laminated plywood and fiberglass. It measures 20′ long and 8′ 5″ wide (6 meters by 2.5 meters) and uses for an interior the seats, trim and hardware taken off a 1950s Imperial convertible. And not only th interior was taken from the Imperial, but the convertible top as well, with all the working mechanisms, as you can see in the video attached below.

But that’s not the most impressive thing on this boat, at least from where we’re standing. What gets to us is the use of a 392ci HEMI V8. We’re not told how much power it develops, but we do know it sends them all to a three-bladed propeller with the help of a V-drive transmission.

If you’re wondering why we brought this thing up, that’s because the C-Car is for sale on an auction site, and it’s not even expensive. The bid is now, with two days left in the process, at a little over $22,500, so if you have more than that in your bank account, a body of water nearby, and a love for runabouts, then here’s your chance of owning a unique one.

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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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