Projects Belly tank jig

I have researched alot about belly tanks on here. I am interested in hand forming my own tank. Does anyone have pics of jigs or skeletons used for this ? I have only seen one I believe. Just seeing what's out there

 

The reason that belly tanks are used for land speed racing is because of their smooth aerodynamic shape. To use an existing bellytank, you have to make your drive-train and chassis fit within the tank. If you want to build an accurate belly tank to fit on a historically significant aircraft, then you need measurements.
If you are building a belly tank/lakester, the dimensions of the shell are somewhat flexible.
Tell us what you want to build, it will be easier to answer your question.

All the best,
Dale
Cleveland OH

 

To be perfectly honest I wanna build a tank that will probably never leave my garage . I'm not gonna race it anywhere . Belly tanks have what got me so interested in salt flat racing and custom cars.. I'm not looking for something dimensionally perfect or one that passes race requirements .. Just one to mess with and build a car

 

"To be perfectly honest I wanna build a tank that will probably never leave my garage . I'm not gonna race it anywhere"
I live by the rule of "perfectly honest". Ok, that makes life a lot easier. If you want to build a belly tank, the dimensions and shape are all yours. Next question, are you going to build the shell of aluminum or fiber glass? (makes a difference for the mold/buck)

 

I thought about glass but I have no clue even how to attempt a mold.. I thought about 20 gauge steel. I only have a dc tig welder so it would make it easier to fab out of steel.

 

This tank will be one that sits in the corner and gets talked about and fired up and that's really about it. Maybe throw it inu enclosed trailer and take it a few places

 

rough dimensions...find and engine, front and rear axles and start fabricating. With fiberglas you will have to make a mold or buck.
some use large foam blocks and cut them down to the proper shape then coat them with mat and resin. Working with steel will take some skill and a wood form for the proper shape. Aluminum may be easier to work with. Your skill level will dictate what material to use.

 

I like what you want to do here. I was lead to believe that repro tanks are available in glass. Best of luck with this ,cool !! JW

 

I seem too remember a place in Florida that makes glass tanks. If you look around you'll see tanks for sale. Check the for sale forum at landracing.com and you might find one. Landracng also has a wanted forum. Finding one would be a damn sight easier than trying to build one.

 

You can indeed buy repro glass belly tanks ... There pricey and its not built by me

 

check out metalmeet.com, Ron Lile just finished a belly tank and there is info on shaping the metal to do your own.

 

You can get a glass tank here
http://www.classglassperformance.com/P-38%20Belly.html

Dont know anything about the company other than looking at the website and thinking some day.....some day

 

There's something I can understand. The bodywork on my LSR sidecar is fiberglass. My neighbor is very talented with aluminum and offered to make me a body in aluminum. I turned him down because "its not built by me". If you have the equipment and the talent go at it! And the best of luck.

 

I make fiberglass molds and parts, if theres enuf interest I would do a run

 

If you were to go onto allshops.org or metalmeet.com i think there is a realy good build thread on there for making a belly tank. Mite be worth a read.
Hope it helps
Llewellyn

 

Here`s the one I built. It`s 13'6" X 42". After I was finished with it I didn`t want to throw it away, so I hung it over the spray booth.

 

Dont know anything about the company other than looking at the website and thinking some day.....some day [/QUOTE] some day some day is my thought too so im not putting it off anymore

thanks im gonna try to make a hand formed tank. i think it will be nice.. even if its just a tank sitting in the garage.. thats enough of a conversation piece for when the guys stop in...

lot of guys i have read would like one, but 900-1200 is a litte high for one in my opinion. just because i have seen fibergalsss products of that size and that simple of a design for less.

do you have any information on your build?

 

do you have any information on your build?[/QUOTE]

Go to my website for more information about the build.

www.mccainautomotive.com

 

Wow, I gotta get that 18" one and build a mock up!

 

looks like i may just suck it up and buy a glass one. i called scottzrods in ohio, they dont make them, so far i only found one company that makes a glass tank. and thats classgass.

i really wanted a metal tank to make it more real.

 

http://landspeedbelgiumteam.blogspot.fr/





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Talk to Elmo Rodge here on the HAMB, he makes glass tanks with Jack Kellys old molds.

 

i have two , i would sell one

 

Please message me with details.

 

I dig what you are doing here,I thought about doing something similar years ago. JW

 

thanks. im working on drawings in auto cad getting a chassis lay out and alot of small parts fabed up like break and clutch petal assembly.. with autocad and a high def plasma table.. i make just about everything

 

Ok now im thinking again of building one,well why not,i have a 26T that was at Bonneville in 1950. I also have Willys cars so a hot Willys 4,mmmmmmmm just need to finish a couple of cars then well why the heck not !!!!!!! JW

 

my thoughs on the belly tank are, its not like it is going to be road legal, so i mise well jsut start slowly putting one together... instead of rushing my ass of so i can DRIVE it in the spring... i have the room to have a tank sitting on stands and not have to keep moving it around. so thats the plan.hopefully next weekend ill be heading to pick up the tank im buying.
not sure weather to throw the flat head V8 in it or put that in my model a and then pull the banger and put it in the tank.. hmmmmm....decisions decisions,

 

Here is a link to one that is being constructed in Dayton Ohio area and they had theirs(belly tanker) made in Dayton.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=763913&showall=1

 

Excellent threat . Thank you