Great project, beautiful work ! Regarding power source... Ford 4-banger is/was used and classic. Early V8 requiring more space and heavier ? What gauge aluminum is body ?
Yes a bit of a shortage of saltflats in the UK but I do live a half hour drive from Pendine, so the racing will be on the sand.
Hi Hardtimes I did think about a four banger but its gonna be a beast with a blown flathead. Body is made with 2mm 14 gauge 1050 aluminium.
OK sorted out a few more photos to post , I'm not quite up to date but the next couple of posts will cover the last four or five months of work done on the tank. Started work on the chassis, box section, cut in half to make C section then pie cut every six inch or so to form curve, this was quite lenthy process to get the shape of the tank and keep it that shape once all welded up. Front crossmember bolted in, at this stage everything is just tacked or bolted together till I get ride hight/ suspension travel dialed in. Rear axle is solid mount with magnesium vintage Halibrand center section. Unfortunatly I havent got a magnesium rear cover so brought a aluminium one, will have to figure a way of aging it to match the magnesium, any tips on this would be appreciated, or any leads on a magnesium one.... I know im chasing the unobtainium again. Then on to front end , Im using a model A axle but with 36 wish bones, bones are split so need spring mounts to be heated and bent straight. First photo shows before and second shows them just after straightening. I havent got oxy aceltylene so a big propane torch and some paitence was the tool of choice. Got the lathe going and turned up a couple of bungs for the wishbones and welded um in. Well thats it for today..
Hi Sailingadventure Nice to see you posting here, Ive looked through your tank build on your website many a time in the past, its a great build with lots of usfull info. Have you got any video online of it racing?
Part four of my belly tank build, as I have said earlier I started this build about 18 months ago so this insalment will cover the last couple of months and bring the thread up to date so ongoing posts will be about what I'm actually doing with the tank rather than whats already been done. So I've got my 49 flatty and my mercury 3 speed box ready to go in so it was time to get busy on the lathe again and make an adapter to couple the gearbox to the quickchange, rear axle is solid mount so no propshaft. This was a bit of fun on my litle Myford lathe, but after many hours of chip making the adapter was ready and it was time to see if the engine and gearbox would fit. Well it all fits and thers still a bit of room left for me to squeeze in. Time to put some wheels on and roll it out of the corner. The back wheels are space savers and are being used as they are the right hieght but will not be used on the finished car. I'm waiting on a set of Vintiques 18" gennie steels from the states at will be used on the rear.
Marvellous stuff, will you be boxing the rails eventually? Looking forward to seeing it run at Pendine, if I ever manage to get my'28 Chevy down there.
Stunning project. Excellent workmanship and engineering. Subscribed. I am amazed any time a hot rodder not in the USA takes on a project using vintage American powerplants. It is hard enough to do it here but must be doubly hard with an ocean separating you from sources of many parts.
That looks the nuts mate , wish I hand the sold mine in some ways ! But to many projects ! Hope to see that at pendine ! Tho I fear it won’t be the only one !!!
Yep an extra foot or two would been nice for fitting everything in but wanted to keep that early belly tank look, anyways I'm a skinny short *ss so wont be to much of a squeeze for me.
Will box the rails, not all but in key areas, plan is to have full roll cage so that will stifen the chassis up some. See you at the sand, hopefully running my coupe this year, if were allowed out to play..
Hi Frankyboy your right I dont think I will be the only one running a tank, this thread has aready caught the attention of another VHRA member building a tank to run at pendine.
Hi Mart been watching your youtube channel, I brougt a Buma boring bar last year and googled "how to use Buma boring bar" low and behold your youtube channel pops up with not only a Buma but a Buma boring a flathead..aewsome.
Great job, Love this build...just wondering why not clean the axle tubes up rather than try to distress center section to match?
Brilliant . Look forward to seeing this one at Pendine should we be fortunate enough to get there this year ..
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