Car Hood Boats

dwco5051

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Sep 14, 2008
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Got talking with a young fellow (I don't think he was a day over 50) about homemade boats. I mentioned the metal boats constructed of two pre1949 car hoods welded together and he never heard of such a thing. There used to be quite a few around and there was a guy who used one on a regular basis even in the early 80's on our local lake. How many of the old timers on here remember them.?carhood.JPG
Another use for an old hood was to fasten a rope to the front for balance and go down snow covered hills standing on one like a bronco rider. Dislocated my thumb bad doing this when I was in my twenties.
 

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stresspoint

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ahhhh the memory's of using car bonnets for stuff other than closing engine compartment's ,
dirt roads and paddock bombs brings back memory's of some scuffed elbows and shoulders.

OP sorry for off track , the boat bonnet seems like it would kick on now days whack a big assed motor on and go , kind of like a bass boat :).
 

dwco5051

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the boat bonnet seems like it would kick on now days whack a big assed motor on and go , kind of like a bass boat :).
They were made of two welded together so both ends were pointy, hard to attach a motor. Mostly welded together by farmers and auto mechanics with no idea about marine design but they still worked.
 

tphoyt

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Never saw boat made from a hood but we had some good times in the pasture. Lasso a cow and jump on for the ride. Really fun in the snow.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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anyone else use the big 7' satellite dishes from the 70's and pull them behind a snowmobile?
 

Water logged

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We never welded 2 hoods together to make a boat. We did have a 39 Dodge hood that we pulled around the pond with another boat. That left the back open, so it wouldn't float on it's own.
 

tphoyt

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anyone else use the big 7' satellite dishes from the 70's and pull them behind a snowmobile?
No but it sounds like a lot fun.
There was a guy in my neighborhood that had one in his yard for skateboarding.
Never tried it myself I’m lucky to skate on a flat surface with out killing myself.
 

stresspoint

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Sep 19, 2022
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kids today will never understand the challenge of not being killed by their best mates .
we once used a Holden EH bonnet tied behind a YZ 465 Yamaha full speed through/ across a wheat field.
no one killed that day "" surprisingly "
 

Grub54891

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Jun 17, 2012
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The neighbors years ago used a hood of some sort, welded a plate to the back and stuffed a motor on there. It worked for fishing! On another note, we would take the flying saucer and tie it to the snowmobile and race around the field, if you fell off and the saucer flipped it would dig into the snow and stop the sled instantly! usually ended up throwing the sled drive right over the windscreen!
 
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