I've posted updates on this from time to time, but thought it might be appropriate for inclusion in the "Winter Builds". It all started out innocently enough when my buddy Steve and I took a drive down to Bonneville to see what "Speed Week" was all about. To make a long story short, a real serious case of salt fever had us both in it's grip. The week after I got home there was an ad for a bellytank in the local paper. One phone call and two hundred dollars later our project was underway. We got together a working team and agreed to meet every Sunday to work on the project. The car will be a B/Gas Lakester with front wheel drive powered by a potent Chevy smallblock. The crew has been absolutely faithful about meeting for work, and the enthusiasm grows with each work session. The framework is primarily 1 5/8 .120 wall tube, Some work sessions really stick out in our memories. Like the day we inserted the tubular chassis into the tank's skin. I still smile every time I think about that day. There were some real frustrations too, Like the time we tried to form some aluminum over a wooden buck to form the tail section.. Didn't have a clue. But perseverance is everything. We found ourselves fabricating parts and pieces we didn't even remotely think we were capable of doing. When the need arose we even built the tools we needed to do the job. Here is a arc roller that was constructed mostly of stuff around the shop This project has taken so much time, money and emotion from all of us that some days we have to question our sanity. Yet each Sunday when the crew arrives we are eager to go at it again.. And ya know, this project is at the point where we are sure this thing is gonna happen. We will be some of a privileged group that gets to see the salt from INSIDE the*****pit. Here's more pictures of the build: The front wheel drive quickchange. Welding the*****pit safety plating: The seat brackets: A view into the drivers cage: Cockpit body sheetmetal: A steering brace: Parachute tubes: Push bar and Chute attachments: Fire system bottles: I've documented the entire build here if you are interested in a closer look. http://kaparich.homestead.com/Bellytank.html
WOW.....what a post! Keep um coming.....it fires up my interest. Gonna (is) be a real cool ride. Thanks, Skot
Well now you have our interest peaked ..............I like the front wheel drive unit.....that is some trick***** right there........I hope to see more soon
Great!!! It looks fantastic. Your tank is really coming along. Do you have a team name or car number yet? I'll look you all up during speed week. Lucky667
is the FWD just to make the rear engine work better for length or something? What is the purpose? really fricking cool, but just wondering why
Check out the build thread or look up the Strange Days belly tank threads to read all about the build. We figured the front drive would be more stable and not apt to swap ends on us as easily. Basicly Pulling the car from the front eliminates the chance of the rear of the car trying to switch ends with the front of the car at high speed if you loose traction.
Both the engine and the drivetrain are up front. It puts the weight over the drive wheels, and pulls the car along. Lots of cars add huge amounts of weight to increase stability, but that in turn requires more horsepower. We witnessed a lot of rear wheel driven cars (especially roadsters) spinning . As the air resistance pushed on the front of the car , the rear simply powered around. Its a center of gravity/center of pressure issue. There seems to be a new generation of cars with frontwheel drive appearing on the salt, and we feel there is a good reason. All of this is of course theory. We will probably fall flat on our**** when we actually hit the salt.
NOT! No matter what you guys do when you get there you have to remember you are a success just TO get there! I for one can't wait to see you run!
This is really cool. Great thread. Thank you for sharing your project with us. People dream of building a belly tanker, and you've done it.
Here are a few more pics of some of the stuff we have fabricated for this project. The parachute release system: And the Steering wheel:
How are you going to reverse the trans rotation so the car goes forward ? Can the ring gear in the quick change be flopped over ?
The Quick change was ordered as a reverse rotation unit specifically for this purpose. We are starting to paint the inside already as we take things apart to finish up details. we still have to make a few more holes in the skin for exaust and such so it may be a bit on that. We will be sure to let you know when we are ready. Right now our goal is to just be able to go over 200mph, after that we will see how big our balls are! The record in this class is somewhere over 250 I think.
Chaz,Steve,Dana, Be sure and give us a heads up before the debut so some of us can take off and join you on the salt. Doc.
That is so cool you were able to get the tank for that price. My buddy traded work on a full chassis build + materials for one that was beat to hell. Looking great.
We sure will Doc. We might even let you sit in it if you are good. Hell we may even let you drive it.
Some of us dream about doing this while some actually do it. Congrats and great work! We'll be keeping an eye out for you. BayDog
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