Two car enthusiasts in Australia went to the extreme by driving a 1978 Toyota Landcruiser seven kilometres under the sea, setting a new world record for the longest underwater drive ever.
It was gathered that on the morning of July 29, the enthusiasts drove an orange Toyota Landcruiser into the northern Australian Sea to the cheers of dozens gathered at Mandorah Beach for the historic attempt.
According to odditycentral.com, the 1978 model of the vehicle was bought online by a group of friends for about $5,000 and they converted it into an insulated electric vehicle able to drive underwater, at depths of several metres.
Named the “Mud Crab,” the old short-wheelbase four-wheel drive covered a distance of seven kilometres between Mandorah Beach and Darwin Harbour, and thus set a new world record for the longest distance covered by a car driven underwater.
According to the report, the team, made up of a number of mechanical engineers and divers, started by converting the old Toyota into an electrical-powered vehicle. Then, to improve the already waterproof nature of the driveline, all components were further insulated with silicone oil. This way, if water should find its way inside the driveline, the oil would leak out and protect the internal components.
Next, the conventional tyres were swapped out for two pairs of tyres that could handle the sandy ocean floor. Only they couldn’t be filled with air, but were filled with water instead, causing their weight to reach 150 kilogrammes each.
They were said to have tested the car once in salt water before attempting the world’s longest underwater drive.
The report added that the Landcruiser entered the sea at 9:00 a.m. and the team reached the Darwin Harbour by 5:00 p.m., but they were said to have faced difficulty of driving on the sometimes sandy, sometimes muddy ocean floor. The vehicle also got stuck about a dozen times during the seven-kilometre drive and needed assistance to continue its journey.
Also, because of the massive pressure deep underwater, the two drivers could only spend about 15 minutes at the wheel at a time, and this slowed the mission down even more. However, after many hours under sea, the 1978 Toyota Landcruiser emerged out of the waters of Darwin Harbour to the cheers of hundreds of excited car enthusiasts.
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