Bellytanks.......a study in alternative uses

The limited info I have so far is that it was built in CA and then ended up in Mt. Sterling IL. The only name I know associated with it is Harold "Spud" Lewis. It was sold from his estate after years of sitting outside on the farm. If anyone can find any info or photos of the car please let me know.
thanks for any info,
Byron[/QUOTE]


Byron,
I spent all morning looking into this. After Spud died, the car sat on his property with a bunch of other stuff until his widow wanted it cleaned up (which wasn't very long, Spud didn't pass too long ago). She sold everything for scrap and a local guy named Daniel Vining got wind of it. He works with Mrs. Lewis. He thought it was a flathead powered dragster and sold it accordingly. The car was possibly last run at the Beardstown Illinois dragstrip which I believe still exists. You might find pictures at http://www.beardstown.lib.il.us/community/BeardstownDragStrip.html
Dan has no other information about the car other than it has sat in this pasture (seven miles from the dragstrip) since the 1970's. Hope that helps.

 

Is that the one you had Scoob?

 

Here's a couple of buddies down in Radcliff KY a couple years ago, although I don't think they got any "use" out of them....

And the bellytank I'm starting on soon. I just split it and stripped all the reinforcements/bulkheads out, what a bear that was.

.

 

the early B-52s had dropable 3000 gal drop tanks, the G-H models were unable to drop theirs. I think they were only 1200 gal. may be wrong on the size.

 

Those pics are cool...would love to see more

 

This is Cpl. Ray F. Messimer 8th AF, 374th FS, 361st FG in Bottisham England 1944. I checked when I was there last but the air field is now a housing developement. Photos are propertyof Ray F. Messimer, Do not reproduce the photos elsewhwere without written permission.

 

There's a drop tank being used as a sign for a bait shop out on hwy 132... been there for years!

The thing is made to look like a big ol' FISH!

Sam.

 

Unclescooby: That is great, thanks for the help. I spent a whole night and only came up with the town population. I will look into everything you came up with. The drag info should help find someone who knows its history. I would be most interested in its Bonneville history and wonder if there was another owner before Spud. The two styles of workmanship make me think there has to be another owner out there. The frame has a distinctive shape so if it shows in a photo it should be easy to spot.

I tried to buy the car last month on ebay from a guy in IN that bought it thinking it was a flathead V8 drag car. The distance from FL and dark photos kept me from bidding much. I ended up second bidder. It then showed up again on ebay last week when the new NC owner decided it would not work with Mazda rotary power and relisted it. I drove to NC and bought it Saturday morning.

I have a tank, V8 60, and a few speed parts so I should at least be able to pile it up to look like a car.

Thanks again.

 

I want to find one of them little ones to make a sidecar for one of my bicycles

 

This is a photo the IN seller sent me showing the car still in the weeds and just pulled out.

I am still amazed at how much info you found in one night. Thanks again and let me know if you come up with more.

 

My secret is that I am the guy from Indiana. That's how I got so much so quick. I'll keep working on it for ya...

 

Thought so! Knew I should have bought it.

 

The dragstrip is still there, the farmer owns it, we just went over there and shot our MG's, he has a little range off to one side and we have permission to use it.

The main reason for this post is that a friend here in town named Bob Gibson knows just about every drag car that ever ran in the midwest, and most nationwide for that matter, people & restorers call him to authenticate cars all the time. He's owned Jungle cars & historic F/C's & FEDs, he owns the Chi-Town Hustler thats in the NHRA museum now. He's been into the history of drag racing for a long time. If that's the guy's name or with pics of the chassis he probably knows something about it.

http://www.70sfunnycars.com/lost.html

 

I still need to hit you guys up for something cool for me in exchange for the Lincoln stuff...I should have thrown in the dragster and had a good front end for my truck! It needs it. That thing is scary on the interstate. I was worried about the cheater slicks in the rain but the front is much scarier.

It is a cool piece. I'm curious to hear the total history of it as well. Thanks McQueen for the info. Hope it works out for Byron.

 

Sam,

Can you take a picture of the fish?

 

Yeah, I hope to see some historical shots of it pop up soon.

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you. We'll figure something out.

 

Ron; that clears things up. I know I am not great on the computer but I was feeling stupid after your post with so much info in one day.

I dropped off the bare chassis to be sandblasted today. I will keep you posted on progress.

 

Small world Huh Byron!!

 

New Braunfels,TX
The Schlitterbahn Waterpark uses a pontoon on the Comal River to ferry Tubes from one end of the "West" waterpark to the other by way of the river. The pontoon uses 6 belly tanks for the pontoons 3 rows of two.
Its just a flat deck with an electric trolling motor.
The ends of the tanks that were on the ends of the pontoon were all smashed in pretty good from years of running into the docks imagine.

I would have taken a picture but its a waterpark, I didn't have a camara!