Author Topic: Australian Belly Tank  (Read 3171453 times)

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Offline Kiwi Paul

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3975 on: October 06, 2013, 07:09:24 PM »
Chewton Cemetary? Wow......My old mate Harry Wright lives not far from there. Actually--anyone that lives in Chewton lives not far frm there... :wink:

Offline SPARKY

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3976 on: October 06, 2013, 07:42:21 PM »
Dr. G  you are spot on---" Oh is that one of them rocket cars???"n  :cheers: --- yeah bro  be sure and watch out for the jest blast!!!   :wink:  lol
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

We are going to explore the racing N words NITROUS & NITRO!

Offline twodear

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3977 on: October 06, 2013, 09:33:32 PM »
...it wasn't the toughest or maybe the coolest car there, but it was the fastest.......I didn't bother pointing that out to anyone who didn't already know.

And?.......that's what it's all about.

Priceless! Cool... :mrgreen:
If enough is good and more is better, too much should be just about right.
Motorcycle Enthusiast - Sold most of my bikes but still have a 1963 Honda 150 Benly and just acquired a 1939 Indian Four

Offline grumm441

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3978 on: October 07, 2013, 03:39:08 AM »
My favorite question was "so is it a replica of..........."
Oh and that guy you left me with on Saturday
He was still talking to the car when I drove out the gate
G
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Spirit of Sunshine Bellytank Lakester
https://www.dlra.org.au/rulebook.htm

Offline tauruck

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3979 on: October 07, 2013, 07:25:43 AM »
Doc, You should write a book. Seriously!. Reading your post was like watching the movie if you know what I mean. I could actually see the guys you spoke about and imagined what they looked like. Excellent read. I'm waiting for more. Most average Joes only ever heard the term small block from other average Joes. Maybe a small block suspension would really make you go fast. 8-) :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Offline SPARKY

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3980 on: October 07, 2013, 10:09:21 AM »
Maybe a small block suspension would really make you go fast. cool

love it--lol
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

We are going to explore the racing N words NITROUS & NITRO!

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3981 on: October 07, 2013, 11:28:09 AM »
My favorite question was "so is it a replica of..........."

You know, I think I'd take that as a compliment.  The "classic" bellytank cues are all there - people recognize it as something that they should know something about.

But I'd still dick 'em around a bit . . . create a backstory with just enough historical cues to make it seem viable . . . test their depths . . .

Indeed - good eyes, mate!  It's an exact replica of the '63 Kelvinator Special.  Bob Wills built the original in an abandoned ice house outside of Bakersfield, almost completely from cast-off oil derrick pieces and a surplus CIA surveillance submarine.  

The original car only made two passes at Bonneville before the clutch gave out.  Bob moved to Alaska that fall - he was an oil man, you know - but the car was lost in the Good Friday earthquake in '64.  

We were actually able to source our shell out of Cape Canaveral.  The sergeant at the auction thought it might have been used by the Brigada Asalto 2506, but we weren't able to document that.  

Still, a nice piece of history, eh?

The engine?  Yeah, it's a small block.
« Last Edit: October 07, 2013, 11:31:55 AM by Milwaukee Midget »
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline manta22

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3982 on: October 07, 2013, 12:53:22 PM »
"Brigada Asalto 2506", eh?

 Damaged in a training accident at Base Trax?  :-D
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline smitty2

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3983 on: October 07, 2013, 01:55:44 PM »
Rev... be careful of your Iranian Scientist. The Iranians are working on a "Lifting Body" project to deliver a warhead. He might be fishing for ideas.
 Be careful you don't get put on the No Fly List...

Smitty     :cheers:

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3984 on: October 07, 2013, 02:02:29 PM »
"Brigada Asalto 2506", eh?

 Damaged in a training accident at Base Trax?  :-D

We've been in communication with a military hardware surplus specialist who lives in Arizona - seems he has a theory on it.

See, Neil - it's practically writing itself!  :cheers:
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline manta22

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3985 on: October 07, 2013, 02:20:38 PM »
Goggles, your description of the car show spectators certainly rang true with me. I used to take my car to local car shows and the spectators were certainly similar to the ones you described.

Occasionally there is someone who does know something and who is interesting to talk to. But--

There is always the "expert" who feels compelled to explain the car to the rest of the crowd-- even if he hasn't a clue as to what he is talking about.

There is also the guy who is impressing his girlfriend with his knowledge of all things automotive... "It's a Lamborghini."
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline Stainless1

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3986 on: October 07, 2013, 03:42:37 PM »
Wow Neil, who's the kid in the picture....  :-D

I had the Bockscar at Mid America Powersports, the local sponsoring bike shop, for their open house.  I didn't have a single person think a small block would fit in it, let alone suggest I should have one.  They were all a little amazed that I fit in it and had gone 245MPH with an 84ci engine.  I let kids of all ages sit in it, closed the canopy for about 15 seconds on the older kids (20-70) and told them that was how long it took to travel a mile.... folks in Kansas don't see a lot of landspeed cars.

I would go with the MM story, except you have to tell a different story every hour... Then hope folks talk about it over a beer  :cheers:
Stainless
Red Hat 228.039, 2001, 65ci, Bockscar Lakester #1000 with a little N2O

Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3987 on: October 07, 2013, 04:23:38 PM »
Thanks for the encouragement folks but really it's all I can do to help me bite my tongue,and not laugh at the great unwashed. The aforementioned "VW mechanic"looked like a long lost Marx Brother and had I think what was the biggest bunch of keys I've ever seen hanging off a dog clip on his belt,that is usually a diagnosis in itself.


Chris, I'm pretty sure your script outline will quickly be adopted by Dik as a basis for a funding pitch for an art film.

But,as always ,the truth, is stranger yet again. The show,or the story, wouldn't be complete without me admitting that I managed to assault at least one member of the crowd with information that they couldn't digest, one particular guy I remember was very keen to move on after I trained my talkzooka on him and loosed off a couple of stories that left him saying,"yeah,ok,what a fascinating story,thanks for that,very very interesting,yes,anyway,thanks" and made those eye movements that a cornered sheep makes........ I'd told him the story of WH700 the Canberra bomber that our tank originally came from,that it flew spy flights over Kasputin Yar,that it was suspected of being the plane that the Migs hit,but didn't bring down, that it was in a film,that it was now in South Australia and we'd had our photo taken with it. I suspect that guy walked over to his friends and said "keep walking, that bloke is nuts"....then he would have gone home and busied himself on his 350/350/9 inch fibreglass 32 while his wife made him a cheese sandwich and tried to digest what he'd seen and heard.

« Last Edit: October 07, 2013, 04:42:06 PM by Dr Goggles »
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

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Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3988 on: October 07, 2013, 04:38:04 PM »
See, buried in Stainless's post was some sobering info, told.

Seeing that, and reminiscing , I looked at some shots. Stainless and his friend Alan took the Colonel and I on a flight from Wendover airport, I post them without comment, we had a tremendous time....yes they are my fingers in the shot...not entirely sure why I chose that one out of the row...it just gave some perspective.....








It was an older model and didn't have a very high operational ceiling...........
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.

Offline salt27

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #3989 on: October 07, 2013, 04:41:01 PM »
Thanks for the encouragement folks but really it's all I can do to help me bite my tongue,and not laugh at the great unwashed. The aforementioned "VW mechanic"looked like a long lost Marx Brother and had I think what was the biggest bunch of keys I've ever seen hanging off a dog clip on his belt,that is usually a diagnosis in itself.


Chris, I'm pretty sure your script outline will quickly be adopted by Dik as a basis for a funding pitch for an art film.

But,as always ,the truth, is stranger yet again. The show,or the story, wouldn't be complete without me admitting that I managed to assault at least one member of the crowd with information that they couldn't digest, one particular guy I remember was very keen to move on after I trained my talkzooka on him and loosed off a couple of stories that left him saying,"yeah,ok,what a fascinating story,thanks for that,very very interesting,yes,anyway,thanks" and made those eye movements that a cornered sheep makes........ I'd told him the story of WH700 the Canberra bomber that our tank originally came from,that it flew spy flights over Kasputin Yar,that it was suspected of being the plane that the Migs hit,but didn't bring down, that it was in a film,that it was now in South Australia and we'd had our photo taken with it. I suspect that guy walked over to his friends and said "keep walking, that bloke,is nuts"....then he would have gone home and busied himself on his 350/350/9 inch fibreglass 32 while his wife made him a cheese sandwich and tried to digest what he'd seen and heard.

It is somewhat disturbing to know that you ewe (Dr. G) would know the eye movements of a cornered sheep.   :-D
« Last Edit: October 07, 2013, 04:45:11 PM by salt27 »