Author Topic: Australian Belly Tank  (Read 3171425 times)

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Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #255 on: October 03, 2007, 06:03:56 PM »
Hi Bebop
Our car was built solely with the salt in mind there being no Maxton type event here so traction rather than power to weight was what we were concentrating on.John lynch who runs a P38 "style" KB powered Fuel lakester ( that ran Bonneville on the 50th anniversary)that's done 301 and John Broughan who with his brother Paul has an F class 'tank that has run 211 both said make it heavy because when you're finished and you need ballast , you mightn't be able to fit it anywhere. That may not be applicable to you. Our car has very little space in it as we wanted to keep the tank in it's original dimensions.

What type of chassis are you designing? I sense you are going for a trad type ...one thing we found was that the space frame has allowed us flexibilty by allowing it to be non-symmetrical if required (....WTF???)...as you may have noticed there has been a lot of chopping and changing in our build and the cramming in of gear means that at times we've needed to "make" space that we didn't have ..mostly this has been at the front where the design of the superstructure has finally settled after going through quite a few changes in order to accommodate everything and make it useable.

In another conversation I had with John Lynch he looked at a draft of our car in profile view and said " no suspension hey? , you know there's arguments for both" ( his car is sprint car based and has torsion bars) I said "yeah well one thing we've realized in this John is we can't take too many people's advice seriously" ( too much conflicting advice!!!!!!!!) to which John laughed and shook his head , laughed again and said " you're on you're F#@$#%^$N' own aren't ya ! ....no-one realizes.....everyone wants to tell you what they think ya should do but in the end all of these things , bar very few , are completely different and you've just gotta build it yourself"

That's the nut of it Bebop , unless you are copying a very established design such as a P38 you will be designing every single part and it will be a series of compromises between available space , time ,money ........and how cool you want it to look. Spend your time learning the important aspects of the game that makes LSR unique and aim your car at that , it's a huge job but it'll be your baby . Personally I couldn't think of a more fun thing to do. :wink:
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Offline simplybebop

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #256 on: October 04, 2007, 03:57:43 AM »
thanks for the wisdom, i would like to go after a proven design if only such specs were available online. But yeah my frame will be traditional style with a model A front axle and a solid mounted rear axle although the condition of maxton may warrant some type of rear suspension. Ive got to decide how long to make it , idk if you have ever seen a f15 600 gallon but there are several feet across the center that are the same diameter which i could remove, but im going to get everything installed up to diff. before i make the final cuts on my tank. I guess its going to be a challenge at the least.  the only thing im shooting for in the whole project is as little weight as i can get away with since ill be working with only low 200ish whp.
« Last Edit: October 04, 2007, 04:02:12 AM by simplybebop »

Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #257 on: October 06, 2007, 03:25:43 AM »
Hi Bebop
Here's a link to John Broughan's tank which he home built from a Sabre Tank...

http://www.users.bigpond.com/jbrough/lakes/lakes.html

gee , those F15 tanks are pointy , mind you don't hurt yourself... :-D

Quote
there are several feet across the center that are the same diameter which i could remove

Have you considered a modular chassis/subframe ? it might allow you to experiment with different rear ends , AND different engine bay arrangements.........I'm just dreaming coz we don't have that option

You didn't say whether you were building a "bellytank per se or a lakester , so , are you gonna sit up front or go Seth Hammond style??????

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 Dr Goggles

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #258 on: October 16, 2007, 05:42:36 PM »
Hi Everyone ,
got a busy fortnight coming up here , a mad thrash actually....this coming Sunday the Bellytank is being wheeled out of the shed for the very first time !!And going to a show , huh? One of the DLRA members wants to have a little exhibit of salt stuff at the Early Fords show that his car club is having and has talked us into letting him have the tank there........worst thing is I can't go.It's a long way off a show car at the moment but it's going all the same.
The following weekend another DLRA member has hired Mangalore airport North of Melbourne for a test and tune day and the tank is going for it's first run .The engine has run , the clutch has been engaged and wheels have turned but not while the car was on the ground ......we'll let you know how we go.
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 Sumner

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #259 on: October 16, 2007, 06:00:05 PM »
.................we'll let you know how we go.

Neat, be sure and take pictures and write it all up and don't have too much fun,

Sum

Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #260 on: October 16, 2007, 06:32:23 PM »
Neat, be sure and take pictures and write it all up and don't have too much fun,Sum
Thanks Sum

Too much fun , that's news to me ,
Too much fun there's bound to be ,
A whole lot of things I ain't never done
'Cause I ain't never had too much fun.

dunno who wrote that one but it always made me laugh.....

I'ts already been heaps of fun , thing is I'd almost forgotten that one day we'd be driving the thing....can't believe it's actually leaving the garage , ( cue 2001 theme music) CROSSING THE THRESH-HOLD!!!!..............ten bucks it doesn't get into top gear before something goes wrong....last night The Rev was looking at some oil stains under the gearbox...." how did that get there...?"  ...."well , um it's got oil in it"....this is just the beginning  :roll:
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 Reverend Hedgash

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Mangalore
« Reply #261 on: October 16, 2007, 07:23:28 PM »
Yeah, there are not enough "x's" in "excited" to describe it properly.

It's fantastic to have this opportunity to test before the big week next year, and only two hours away!

Just to see it out of the shed is going to be very educational. I want to have a look at it from every angle to tune its shape, its livery, blah.

As you know the DLRA only has one event a year so this is a much needed pre-season training session.
There is talk of holding a Maxton style event but I think test and tune is the go.

Even the name is good; "Mangalore"...

Shall post photos of both events.

Reverend H+

Offline grumm441

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #262 on: October 17, 2007, 09:51:23 AM »
Well I've never had so much fun
No I've never had so much fun
I can't remember when i've never had so much fun?
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Offline revolutionary

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #263 on: October 18, 2007, 11:06:10 PM »
Hey crazy Aussie guys, while cruising around Melbourne, try to find Michael who owns Ice Ignition components there.  Super nice guy and makes a good ignition system.  Tell him the redneck hillbillies from Tennessee said hello and he'll probably sell you an ignition system for twice jobber price after he stops laughing.
Breaking Wind #9614
  ECTA Record AA/BGALT 214.8
  SCTA Bonneville PB AA/BGALT 237.4
Breaking Wind "Spirit of Effluvium" #451
  SCTA Bonneville Record SC/BF100 48.931

Offline Dr Goggles

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After all this time
« Reply #264 on: October 20, 2007, 07:46:55 PM »
Yesterday was a long time coming. For the very first time the Bellytank left the garage. I'd had a mad thrash this week, one of the club members Peter Quick ( yeah funny that ) is a member of the early Ford club and although the 'tank is a little short on Ford bits he wanted to have an exhibit of salt stuff at a show they were having today. One of the bands I play in (andrecamilleri.com) has had gigs at the Melbourne International Arts Festival so there's been rehearsals , and the gigs ....and I have to earn a living as well ....in the mean time I've been out in the shed . One day we'll be able to do a proper detail on the car but so far it's a continual process of coaxing things together , shrinking the gaps , making things work better , fit neater .The paint that has been on the car since March was a two hour job we did the night before we thought we were leaving for the salt , this last week I've spent a lot of time on the canopy , getting the skin attached properly and then reworking the catches and shut lines , it's the butterfly effect ....the tiniest adjustment here changes everything there....sometimes I thought I was going mad..." why don't the catches lock in , they used to?...." grind , file , fiddle , open close , open , close , file , curse , open ,CLICK !!!......Gig Friday night ,back in the shed 7am Saturday , a quick rub, a shot of spray filler , a rumage through the left-over paint supplies to find some white and then the final fit-up of the nose to kill time before I start the aircompressor too early and my neighbors want to beat me to death..... If you ever want advice on how to paint things really, really quickly , and not very well drop me a line , I could paint your car in the time it takes you to go to the can and wash your hands.The new billet front hubs arrived this week but I didn't have time to fit 'em....the fuel tank isn't in it either so it won't be getting started at the show.

I clear the shed and Vaughn gives me a hand to get a trailer out of the driveway...the time is drawing near , Vaughn goes leaving me to do the roll out. I set up the hoist and lower the car off the stands front first then the rear , gee it's low!........I start to roll it out of the shed , it won't make it over the 2 inch rise at the door....I put some boards down and hey presto it rolls into the sunshine for the first time :-D Greg Watters rings about the airfield meet next week " how's it going??"... "mate , it's going very well I'm staring at it in the driveway!" Grumm arrrives , we just stand there and stare at it , it's low ,low ,low!! I have to get down and loosen the tailpipe in order to fit the tail piece of the bodywork on ...now that's an annoying job when the car is on the stands , on the ground it's nigh impossible , I'm lying face down on the driveway.....ideas on how to hoist the whole car quickly going through my head......

Pete arrives with the trailer and it takes about half an hour to get it on , this is the first time we've been able to look at it from any further away than three feet... it looks great , they pull out onto the street , I take a short video stroll around it on the trailer and they drive away , our baby!!!!!

I'll post the footage on youtube soon .

I started at work at 7am this morning so I can't go to the show( but I can write this!) and I'm here til 8pm.......race cars , as you all know ....ain't cheap. :wink:
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 Sumner

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Re: After all this time
« Reply #265 on: October 20, 2007, 07:54:33 PM »
Yesterday was a long time coming...................I'll post the footage on youtube soon ...........

What are you waiting for??? You don't need no stinking sleep, food or income .

Oh by the way, congrats on making it this far,

Sum

Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #266 on: October 21, 2007, 07:32:14 AM »
OK , it went to the show , word is it attracted a bit of attention, here it is yesterday on the trailer before it left...


here ,walk around it on the trailer.....

 http://s190.photobucket.com/albums/z187/fourdoorshitbox/?action=view&current=PA200028.flv

while it was at the show it got a little striping done on the water tank...



the guy who did it was Ryan Ford his dad is Aussie Hot Rod royalty Eddie Ford , his brother Kyle wrote a salt book and although I have no pictures or punctures myself I reckon this little ink on Kyle's arm is pretty cool..

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 JackD

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #267 on: October 21, 2007, 07:46:29 AM »
SMOOTH ! :-D
"I would rather lose going fast enough to win than win going slow enough to lose."
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Offline Sumner

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #268 on: October 21, 2007, 11:08:34 AM »
Wow!!  If a picture is worth a thousand words a video must be worth at least 1000 pictures.  I've always liked it in the pictures, but they don't do justice to what you guys have accomplished.  I think you are going to go fast, have fun and you had better get use to people taking pictures of the car.

Just curious where is the air intake??

.......also I think your trailer plates have expired,

Sum

Offline 4-barrel Mike

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #269 on: October 21, 2007, 11:24:35 AM »
Terrific!  You guys need to get out more often!

Mike
Mike Kelly - PROUD owner of the V4F that powered the #1931 VGC to a 82.803 mph record in 2008!