Australian Belly Tank

[Reverend Hedgash]

Our tank is from a 1953 Canberra Bomber, apparently sent over Russia to photograph Kasputin Yar by Winston Churchill at the request of the Americans. (Pre U2 days)

Chased out by Mig17's, old WH700 saw the end of its life doing Blue Jay Missile trials in Woomera Australia.

It will soon return to near this base, in March 2006 in battle again, this time racing against the clock.

Dr Goggles and myself have spent 2 years designing, building, redesigning this project. It has started to become a complete obsession.

Powerplant is a 3.6litre V6 Holden Commodore engine. Hopes for a run in March.

Rev.H+

[Glen]

Nice looking hotrod, best of luck in March
Glen

[Reverend Hedgash]

Thanks Glen, these pics are a little old now, things moving quickly at the moment with seat construction on the weekend and our seven point harness being readied for fixing to the car.

I'll keep posting if the interest is there, er.. here.

Rev.H+

[Glen]

Keep on posting, we are all interested and have several headed your way in March
Glen

[Sumner]

It looks good.  I wish I could bend round tubing like that.  How much castor do you have in the front?  I'm still trying to figure what I want.

I like the shape of the body a lot .

Good luck and for sure post more pictures,

Sum

[Reverend Hedgash]

G'day Sum,



Our Castor is 30 degrees. We heard Rod Hadfields car was under that and the steering was "light" over 200 so we thought that since we were having the front axle made we would go for the ideal

We are running Holden (GM) EH stubs with Ford hubs (trailer hubs) so we can use the same wheels that most people are running so we can borrow if we get in trouble or lend if someone else needs them (friendly lot on the salt and we are not zillionaires!).

We have no suspension save two bits of rubber. We are very lucky at Lake Gairdner as the salt is of exceptional quality. Other belly tanks here have suspension in the design but have welded it up so we thought just design the system without and save the complexity. Less in the wind, better looking.

We have 1936 Ford split wishbones giving some extra support out wide.

Steering box is from a beetle.

Thanks for the comment re: bending. We did it with a combination of a manual pipe bender and a car jack stuck under a steel saw horse.

Photos below concentrate on the front end, show the tank and the plane it came from, plus the girlfriend hard at work on "tank day."

Keen to hear from fellow belly tankers. It is a peculiar disease isn't it?

Reverend Hedgash

[Reverend Hedgash]

Extra attachments

[gazza414]

A pictures says a thousand words....... we'll have some to share in March.

That is SICK!!!!

[Drewfus]

Looking good.

I take it you're familiar with Wayne's belly tanker (wazavudu) ?



If not, email or PM me and I'll put you in touch.

Cheers,

Drewfus

[Reverend Hedgash]

Know him? We're related!!

Well our tanks are at least (there is some rumour that Dr Goggles may be a distant relative though...). Wayne gave us the remains of the tank he used for the canopy for Wazavudu which is the silver half tank you see on the top of ours making our creature its strange cousin.

Thank you for suggesting the link though. We met Wayne at Lake Gairdner two years ago and have been hasstling him with questions ever since.

Wazavudu is a very nicely made vehicle indeed and we look forward to its return in March with a new engine.

(I believe you have a fairly new photo of the tank given its lack of nose art...)

Reverend H+

[Drewfus]

I believe you have a fairly new photo of the tank given its lack of nose art...

Actually it's the opposite, a really early photo prior to the nose art.

I think Wayne has told me about your project, looking good.

Cheers,

Drewfus

[Dr Goggles]

Hi Drew (and the rest o' ya)
I've spoken to Wayne a couple of times lately ,he's our own St Christopher.He said to us early on ,"just keep going , don't stop" which plain as it seems has been a bit of a mantra for me..but I keep forgetting to ask about the 'tank that he sold to some guys in Shepparton , rumoured to be there for 2006..what is it I wonder .We're in E class which is a lonely little segment( suits us) at the moment , I hope it doesn't become the new black..What about Al Fountain ? he's up your way .That 440 B52 job is sure gonna add to the atmosphere out there .Apparently there's some Americans going too     ...........

[Sumner]

Looking good.

I take it you're familiar with Wayne's belly tanker (wazavudu) ?



If not, email or PM me and I'll put you in touch.

Cheers,

Drewfus

That is one of the nicest looking lakesters I've ever seen.  Tell me more about it.  Looks like he is running vintage 4 class.  What motor?  How fast?  Do you have anymore pictures you can post?

Thanks,

Sum

[Dr Goggles]

Hi Sum'
Yes it is beautiful , both in design and build .I'll try and get Wayne to make an appearance and fill you all in on the details.It was running V4 but it's now a Toyota 2 Litre (that's hard to say...unblown so far)He was at Bonneville this year , the car stayed home.

[Drewfus]

Al's tank is looking a treat, will lift the spirits of everyone out there.

here's some old pics of it Craig sent me just after painting...







Wayne's car was running a 'b' engine, but that died before it even left the test track which was a disappointment.

Will be back this year with avengance, this time running a later model 4 cylinder.

Chuck Sharpe will be in attendance as well.

Here's some old pic's of Wayne's tank...











Cheers, and like Wayne Say's, keep plugging away, don't worry about what anyone else is doing, you'll get there, and it will be all worth while.

Cheers,

Drewfus