This is Phil Weicker and Duncan Forster, who are living currently living in Los Angeles, but went to school in Canada. They were attending McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario where they were inspired to create a one of a kind mobile hot tub. That was in 1996. They've been planning this venture for a while and every single detail has been covered.
They needed something big, yet beautiful, and unique as a platform. In order to be the world's fastest hot tub, they needed something with a powerful motor. They decided on a 1969 Cadillac Coupe DeVille convertible. This was an ideal chassis because of its sheer size, cool looks, big engine, and strong frame. It was mechanically sound and only cost $800.oo!
After bringing the Cadillac back to the shop, they got started on tearing out the unnecessary interior and bracing the body and frame to accommodate thousands of pounds of water.
They had to completely redesign the interior structure of the car. This included removing the dashboard, all of the seats, and the rear seat panel. They needed as much space as possible in order to lay back and relax in the world's fastest hot tub.
Once the interior was cut up and customized to their liking and design, they had to mock up the future hot tub using plywood and MDF (medium density fiberboard).
They took MDF and more plywood and created a negative mold. They had to form the corners and make this surface absolutely perfect. They sanded for what seemed like forever and covered the mold with a special material to give it a perfectly smooth finish.
After the mold was perfected, they covered in with layers and layers of fiberglass and gallons of resin. Once the tub was dry, they used compressed air to remove it from the smooth mold.
Once the tub was removed from the mold, the duo carefully inspected the finished product, did a little trimming, and deemed it perfect!
The tub was set in place and was a perfect fit. They started to mock up the controls and steering. On top of that, they needed to route the plumbing for the jets, pump, heater, and filter.
A marine grade instrument panel was created using the same fiberglass technique as the tub itself. All of the gauges will be perfectly waterproof and safe from splashes.
The two engineers put their skills to the test when it came to mounting the pump, filter, and overflow tank into the trunk. They had to route the plumbing up through the interior to the desired locations in the hot tub itself. They will be using the car's engine to heat the water at a steady 102 degrees via the heat exchangers in the image above which are mounted to the passenger floorboard.
After the interior and the plumbing were completed, they got started on paint and body. The car was going to be the world's fastest hot tub and it needed to look great speeding down the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah.
After the interior and the plumbing were completed, they got started on paint and body. The car was going to be the world's fastest hot tub and it needed to look great speeding down the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah.
With the body prepped and the interior masked off, they decided to give the Cadillac a beautiful light blue paint job that would compliment the hot tub interior.
Along with a beautiful paint job, each emblem was restored by hand!
This also meant that they had to restore and polish all of the chrome. Cadillacs are notorious for the massive amount of chrome that come with the car.
After the visual details were addressed, it was time to strengthen the frame and suspension in order to carry thousands of pounds of water comfortably while taking on the challenge to be the world's fastest hot tub.
This meant that the entire sub frame had to be reinforced with steel, repaired and painted.
With the frame strengthened, the next step was for adequate suspension. They decided to use a custom made air bag setup for added strength and its ability to adjust.
The power plant was a whopping 472 cubic inches of power! It should do the trick nicely putting out roughly 375 horsepower.
With the final details covered, it was time to test out this bad boy. They rightfully named it the "Cadillac Carpool DeVille" and it is guaranteed to turn some heads.
From a distance you might never know that this car is actually a mobile hot tub, fully equipped with functional controls, water jets, and soothingly warm water.
If you take a look right behind the driver's side mirror, you will notice a set of boat throttle controls. These operate the engine and control the speed and braking. You push forward to drive and pull back on the lever to slow down. You have to be sure to slow down very slowly or you risk all of the water rushing into the windshield and splashing you in the face.
Here is a closeup of the interior. The two are still waiting on the gauges but you can see how cool the throttle controls look along side of that custom chrome steering wheel.
You might be slightly shocked to see these two driving down the road shirtless. When you pull up next to them, you will realize why and may just ask if you can jump in for a fun and relaxing soak.
After years of planning out a dream, they are finally sitting in a soothing pool of success. I'm sure the "Cadillac Carpool DeVille" is already the fastest hot tub in the world but they have crowd funded their way to the Bonneville Salt Flats to officially prove it. They were asking for $11,000 in order to rent a hauler, pay for the gas along with other trip expenses, and they have reached their goal. These boys set out to do something no one has ever tried before at Bonneville's Speed Week.
All I can say is that I am incredibly envious of the world's fastest hot tub and I love the creativity and fun that was involved in this build.
Take a look at a video of the build and the world's fastest hot tub, the Cadillac Carpool DeVille, in action below.
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