Charley Strickland and the Surface Orbiter

Tales of a Gearhead

Charley Strickland from STRICKLAND MOTOR RACING INC is back in the shop. He and Stacey discuss his long planned next project - THE SURFACE ORBITER 2. “What’s that?” you’re thinking? Well, it’s Charley’s take on the Dobbertin Surface Orbiter, which was an amphibious vehicle designed and built by Rick Dobbertin in the 1990s. The DSO started out from a 1959 Heil milk tank trailer and was modified by Dobbertin over the course of 4 1/2 years. On February 23, 1995, the DSO became the first car to transit the Panama Canal.

Then Stacey answers some listener questions about wanting to add a winch system to a vehicle with plastic bumpers, installing an Edison Diesel Electric Kit, and when to paint, powder-coat, or get a liner.

*Image from Dobbertin Performance