Dive on in. After the photo slideshoe at the start the video commences.
Lovely workmanship from both companies.
That was fab! And the noise! (Especially when you think they're gunning it and then they crank it up...)
Lovely...
Mate had a mini version of this built at the Underfall Yard in Bristol. Completely impractical and cost a small fortune. But beautiful.
They are basically the only thing with an engine i covet
Thanks for sharing that. I've been a fan of the Aquarama since I was a kid. Fantastic to see the original factory film. The nearest I've got so far is building a wooden kayak with a strip plank deck and marine ply hull.
Meh, my 4.6 Humber RIB with a '60 on the back would have had it...
That kayak build looks amazing drinfinity.
Meh, my 4.6 Humber RIB with a ’60 on the back would have had it…
True, but you probably would have trouble getting a couple of Italian starlets drinking champagne along for the ride to a nice waterside dining venue.
Anyone identify that amazing car on the quayside as they bring the boat back after the blasting about?
Edit: Lamborghini 350
Thanks for that, very very nice. Especially enjoyed the soundtrack. #ArmandoTrovaioli (I'm old)
Quite a bit of chrome there for your man to polish.
Lovely, just...lovely! 😍
Does anyone know how those cylinder heads are arranged? 12x DCOE's so presumably 2 intakes per cylinder? But they're on both sides so presumably you have camshafts that have to opperate one exhaust and one intake valve on each cylinder?
12 DCOEs for sure but 2xV12 so 1 per cylinder.
You did notice the two engines in the build shots surely?
Just reread that.
To clarify my late typing: One carb for each pair of cylinders so one choke per cylinder.
You did notice the two engines in the build shots surely?
Doooooohhh 😄
I was watching it whilst distracted and thought what you could see on top was two cylinder heads on one engine, didn't see the exhaust cam covers underneath.
A thing of beauty....
You've got to give it to the Italians, they have real style.
They make pretty decent bikes as well.
I remember flying into Bologna and the "Follow Me" car for the aircraft was a Lamborghini.
I liked the safety flip flops in the factory while lifting the hull. The bigger crime was wearing socks in them! Italian style shot to pieces in one short segment. 🙂
That's so beautiful 😍
Amazing job - possibly better than the original given modern machinery/epoxies and maybe better props.
It would be interesting to know if they used the originals as is or had them reprofiled - modern props are way more efficient than they used to be.
I know nothing at all about boats...but that is the most beautiful boat I have ever seen.
Any idea on costs to restore it and what it would be worth now?
700hp and 55mph. Jeez.
Here's one without the Lamborghini engines for £540,000
https://uk.boats.com/power-boats/1990-riva-riva-aquarama-7284475/
If you like that...
I love the full white overalls in the original film. Mine would be white for about a nano-second.
700hp and 55mph. Jeez.
Yep, the amount of drag is a shocker! My boat will get close-ish to that with 1/3rd of the power. They will also be getting less than 1mpg probably!
Whilst that Hacker Thunderbird is a big and impressive boat it just seems a bit naff in comparison to the Riva. Maybe the metal superstructure, maybe the guardrails at the back but it sums up the difference between US and Italian design to me.
I agree.... it's a bit pointless, but it was built about 15 years before the Riva so we'll cut them a little slack.
I agree…. it’s a bit pointless, but it was built about 15 years before the Riva so we’ll cut them a little slack.
Yes, but Brigitte Bardot!!!
My only comment is that there was one bit of woodwork where two braces weren't the same length or size. I'm sure Mr Riva would have sacked whoever did that if he was in charge of the restoration. Poor show.
Sadly both engines rotate in the same direction and coupled with the offset driver’s seat a degree of asymmetry is inevitable. I do feel your pain however.
For my sins (and, purportedly, at the risk of accruing more sins in the process) a bit over a decade ago I was employed as the engineer in charge of a pair of vulgar Sunseekers, devoid of charm except for the surge of inevitability you got throttling up the triple 32 litre MTU V16 diesels in the 96 tonne Predator.
When I flew back out to the Med after my mother's funeral that Autumn, the captain thought it would clear the emotional blockages for me to gun the boat from Monaco to Imperia (on the owner's fuel bill) with a stiff vodka tonic in my hand. Once the second bank of turbos were on song we got everything trimmed and were trucking along at 45+ kts - 6000 horsepower has a way of being persuasive... and it *was* therapeutic.
But that Riva restoration is something else. Love it. Iron fist in a velvet glove. Exhilarating. Exquisite.
devoid of charm except for the surge of inevitability you got throttling up the triple 32 litre MTU V16 diesels in the 96 tonne Predator.
I’d love to have been in a position to be able to make that quote.
Yes, but Brigitte Bardot!!!
Just to be clear, the Riva is a thing of beauty and anything but pointless.... the Hacker on the other hand.... hmmm.
Sadly both engines rotate in the same direction and coupled with the offset driver’s seat a degree of asymmetry is inevitable.
A counter-rotating prop on one final drive gets rid of the torque-steer.
True, but you probably would have trouble getting a couple of Italian starlets drinking champagne along for the ride to a nice waterside dining venue.
Loch Tay with a the cooks (a Glaswegian and Mancunian) wrapped in layers of Polartec and Goretex, while sharing a flask of hot chocolate not good enough for you?
A counter-rotating prop on one final drive gets rid of the torque-steer.
I was joking.
