Ok so post number one. My name is matt. My friends call me rookie. I have an interesting project that i am just starting now and would like to post my progress here. My reasons for doing this here are as follows: 1. ever since i started thinking about this project, everytime i do online research i wind up here. 2. the look i am going for and the type of knowledge and expertise i need seems to be here in what i have read. So for now i just have alot of questions and ideas that i need someone to shoot full of holes so i dont make the same mistakes as all the other guys that say "naw i can do this myself". As a reference if have a pic of a b50 tank so the visual is already there. as soon as i find a suitable camera the home pics will start. my intention is to build a street legal machine fully enclosed for 2 people in a tandem configuration. the engine will sit directly behind the back seat and be attached to a auto tranny which in turn is coupled to a rearend with as short a driveshaft as possible.
the first question i have is i would like to know the handling characteristics of the transverse spring frontends. it would be correct for the vintage but im worried about highway speeds and such. does anyone have any comments on this?
nope i have it now. i also have a 4.3 V6 with tranny and I.S. rearend. Dont really want to use them cause id rather lift the hood at a show instead of putting a lock on it.
ok no response there. how about radiators. i was thinking of placing radiators sideways up agianst the side ofthe body and using airscoops to provide fresh airflow. maybe two to try and make up for lack of efficiency. has anyone tried something like this before?
Not sure I see how big the tank is ! But I built a Bonneville car (Lakester )last fall ,and it was 16 ' long by 42" wide (big drop tank) .All tube chassis 32 ford front end set up , 9" ford rear , 302 GMC straight 6 cyl. The radiator set in the back of the tail , and I ran one inlet for it . You might want to check out www.landracing.com there is quite a few lakesters on there ,even my build thread is on there . Hope this helps !
I havent seen your tank, But I know for sure there's a lot less room in it than you think. ask ANYONE who's built a bellytank.
Cool project, I've been tossing around the idea of building a street legal belly tank for some time, just gotta get my other 3 cars done first.
chaz the tank is the same size as the 17 dracing post above yours and shooter im working on that. maybe this weekend if i can get a hold of a camera. 17dracing that was the kind of help i need and ill take a look and get back to you on that.
I know Chaz already replied but here's a direct link to the Strange Days Garage and their belly tank project. I've been following it for a while. http://kaparich.homestead.com/Bellytank.html
If you've got a tank that's 42 inches wide you could put a dance hall in it! (two couples, no swinging out) Geez, ours is 16+ feet long but only 29 inches in diameter. Most tanks are in the 24 to 30 inch range. You've got a monster! If I was gonna build a streeter I'd probably use a small (144, 170 ci ) Ford six. It'd fit in a tight space and be easy to cool.
ok i have measurements on the tank. 17 feet 4 inches length. 40 inches diameter. those are confirmed. i still dont have pics cause i got out there after dark but ill be posting them as soon as i can. 17dracing has a midwest lakester build over at landracing.com and after seeing that beauty last night i have some ideas. i still need to know some more about those transverse leaf spring front ends. i want the car to drive smoothly at highway speeds and if someone can weigh in on that i would be interested to know what you think. you guys are awsome. and yes im puting a v6 in the car for that reason chaz. small, lightwieght, and easy to keep cool. 4.3 chevy right now but that could change.
after going and seeing 17dracing on landracing.com it gives me some ideas. i want to throw away the canopy idea i had because the way you have those windows man is too cool. how is the headroom on that by the way. i went out tonight and confirmed the measurements on the tank. still no pics cause it was after dark but ill do it asap. 17 feet long and 40 to 42 inches diameter. on the advice of guys who are no doubt wiser than me i will be on here for a while trying to get as much info as i can before i go to any serious part of the build. in the meantime i still need more info on the transverse spring front end and its handling and application to normal street driving. I also need more info on radiator solutions. 17dracing if you have any info on this yours would probably best apply here. i intend to run all the normal comforts including auto transmission and air conditioning so those have to be included. at current my idea is to use two smaller radiators placed up against either side in the back with a scoop to feed each one and a fan to help. this means the air would have to turn 90 degrees but it seems like it would work. tell me what you think.
ok i screwed up and havent gotten the hang of this posting thing yet but ill get better. sorry about the double posts but i keep thinking that the first one didnt make it so i redo it.
The biggest problem you will have with the front axle is lack of weight (on it) I had my car scaled and it was well balanced . If you make a two seater you might want to add balast (weight up front ). You will have no problem with a good old straight axle . but make sure you get one with the spring behind the axle . that way you can get the belly lower to the ground Also keep in mind that it is going to be a long wheelbase car so watch out for speed bumps . For a street version of mine I would have to make the bottom flat !!! Just some goodies to think about .
Hi, We are looking at Re-poping these tanks out of fiberglass ( OK not these tanks , a bit smaller , around 12' long 28" dia), maybe offering a roller as a kit .... Is there any interest?
Rod 'n Race Fiberglass does a P-38 and at least 3 other molds already exist around the country. Probably too many sources already! Photo is of Ron Richardson's lakester built using the 20" stretched Rod 'n Race body.
Figure 24" OAL (belt, etc.) for your 4.3, 20" for a shorty (dragster) powerglide, minimum 10" center to center for a driveshaft, and about 8-10" from the ujoint to the rear axle centerline. That's around 54" or 4 1/2 feet from the front of the engine to the center of the rear axle. Since youre going to want the rear axle "inside" the tank, lop off another 3 feet or so from the tip to the rear axle. You've got about 10 feet to package a radiator, front suspension, and 2 people front to rear. Should be enough room, anyway. Maybe run dual radiators along the sides of the tank behind the passenger with air scoops to feed them. A split wishbone or ladder bar rear with a buggy spring would look right and be as tidy to mount as anything else... Sounds like fun. Got another tank laying around????
could you elaborate on the rear suspension? i assume the buggy spring is a transverse leaf spring? i know what a double wishbone is but not a split wishbone and also what is a ladder bar. ill go and look those up on a google image search to find out more. I do have a suspension in mind but i dont know what it would be called
ok guys i just got the pics so here they are. i dont know if they are too big but ill resize them if i have to.
you can see the size of the tank in these photos. when i bought it someone had used an old ford frame to mount it as an old fuel tank probably on a farm or something. anyone have any idea how old the frame is or if it might be worth cleaning up? i took some photos of the floor board so that might help. if i need to take any others let me know
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