Volga Hydrofoils Messageboard

Hi every one . I just found this site after of being made fun of for over 30 years by a few of my oldest friends as the owner of a 68 volga . They called it the Batboat , because of the fins ,and as the TV show Batman was on at the time . At one point they even bought a cape for me . I found my Volga at a marine dealer in Kema . Texas .It had been setting out in the weather for some time . Seats and floors rotted beyound help .The dealer Basil Smith caught me looking it over , and came over to tell me that U.S. customs had confonscated it from the owners for lack of documentation . Then he dared me to make him an offer as he was told he could have for storage . After looking it over and guessing what the scrap metal was worth .We made him an offer thinking we'd never get it bought .Suprise !!!!!!! He took our offer and told to get it off his lot and off his trailer . I ask for time on the trailer , And he agreed but I was to hurry as much as posible . We were the new owners of ( the Batboat ) a Volga . I must go now. I will finish the story later .( It's very long .) Thanks for listening . Bobby .

Hello Bobby,

A genuine batman-boat - cool! Is it black and with a rocket-engine perhaps? And do you combine the cape with some tights and a mask while flying over the rivers and lakes in ?

Where do you use the boat? If you're located in Austin TX, then I guess Lake Travis is hte only nearby stretch of water big enough to have some fun with this boat.

Thanks for the story so far, hope you find time to continue soon! Pictures very welcome too!

Welcome to the forum and kind regards,

Maurits / Volga70

Hi everyone . I've got a few minutes ,so . We borrowed a 1ton truck as the trailer the Volga was on required one . Hooked up and took it home . It started within the first mile on the freeway . The weight on the trailer was all wrong , we were tail heavy . As i got near 60 MPH the front wheels would leave the ground ' When I'd slow down the engine wouldn't pull the load in 4th gear and 3rd was far too many rpm's . This is on I 45 the freeway with the worst traffic in Texas . Talk about a fun trip home ! I pulled up on a side street next to my house and dropped the trailer .Then left to return the truck to my friend . After thanking him and drinking a couple of beers I headed home . My wife and a couple of neighbors were waiting on me when I got there . I soon found out that my wife ( used to me bringing home strange looking machines) Hated it , the neighbors said it was too big to stay overnight and it had go . All this within 3 hours of leaving the boat yard . I did my best to explain that the truck I used to bring the boat home would not be available again untile next weekend and we'd have to make do some how . Before everyone was settled down , thought I'd need a lawyer and a couch for the garage . Wakeing up early the next day . I started pulling what was left of the insides of the boat out ( I didn't know it was a Volga yet ) I had worked on Euro. cars before and was way too young to be intimated . After changing the fluids and mounting a battery . The engine wont' turn over . So we pull the plugs ? These things were huge ! I'm used to 5/8 or 3/4 in. these were I think 1 @1/4 what the heck ? After soaking in WD40 , they came out. The parts supply house had never seen anything like these plugs and they were badly fouled . So back home . to sand blast them and guess at a gap setting .After soaking the pistons overnight it took 2 hot batterys and the charger to turn the engine over and that was very slowly . I called in some help for the floors as I hate carpentry . At least we'll have a floor to walk on . while helping inside the hull I found something about this being a Volga engine ? My friend at the parts house started looking for something Volga . This is the mid 70's , No internet , no Russian phone books Certainly no Russian parts books for Volga's , Not even at the library . If it turns over and has some compression we can make it run !
I must go again , I'll be back soon . Bobby .

Dear Bobby,

We all go thru the same story! We find a boat, we think it is crazy we buy it and then we find out it is not the boat, but ... our wifes when they see it! Then they don't understand why you buy a boat that has no toilet(?)! Take it easy! What they don't know is, that you have stumbled by mistake over a classic, which can - according to what I believe - if repaired well and outfitted properly can stun any Chriscraft or a Riva. The boat for itself a real pleasure to ride with its smoothness and a big surprise for anybody around when you pass by flying. Any runabout has to envy this!

There are only few people among all ignorants that are able to value such boats. This is what this site is for here to support.

If you do not get the original spares for the engine and can not make it run, take it easy I have the original one and it is not the best
engine in the world! You can easily replace it with a US engine. Try to keep most of the original equipment like seawater pumps, coolers and egshousts as you may reuse them for the replacement engine. What is left is to arange for the water-cooled egshaust manifault, which you may have to have produced unless you don't find any marine one.... this is also not a problem... I am renovating presently as well....
The boat will be very spacy.

Stay in touch and ask whatever you want. We are from time to time online and will try to help. Otherwise you may reach some of us directly on our e-mail address.

best regards,

It's nice to see someone else in the USA has this boat. I live in Fort Pierce, FL and mine has an in-board - out-board with a Volvo 280 duo prop out-drive not the V drive. The Chevy 350, 310 hp has way more power than I need but the price was right and parts are easy to find. What does yours have?

It's nice to see someone else in the USA has this boat. I live in FL and mine has an out board not the V drive. What does yours have?

Hi,

According to my knowledge, this is the only boat in Turkey. I have an inboard engine, original russian 4,25 litre GAZ 53 V8 with 90 HP at 2800 rpm and reduction gearbox with 1.5:1 ratio. The boat is not an export, but a russian ''Lokalska Volga''.
It is a extremely big an bulky engine and on the test stand it was louder than 8 harleys.

Hi Bobby,

I'm still checking the forum regularly, hoping for another episode (with pictures) of your story!

meeee, toooo