Lakester

[Kelly Wood]

It's just resting on it in the notched out part. This way I can move it around, etc. The rear axle will probably go back a slight bit. Just depends on where the firewall, engine and trans end up sitting.

I can see perfectly sitting that low... Yep.

[itsid]

recently at ebay germany...
http://www.ebay.de/itm/130712285810

*sigh* no money, no room, no possible way.. but boy that tickled my brain when I saw it...

'sid

[Kelly Wood]

That is killer! There's a few like that here, 35 footers!

[itsid]

looks nice, doesn't it..
just found a cheaper russian MIG aluminium tank as well...
http://www.ebay.de/itm/141571235544

that is in monetary reach... sad enough, that's just one issue I had with the first one

'sid

[Desertduler]

Those are so cool!

[Kelly Wood]

Originally Posted by Desertduler

Those are so cool!

There's two of em up at Smith & Edwards right now Bret.

Update:

I've switched gears here. Sure, vintage running gear is what most might try to accomplish here, but as some here may know... I don't roll that way. I make do with what I have.

So, for running gear I think we're going with a more modern V6, auto and rear end from either a Chevy Astro/s10 type setup, or a ford of some sort. This way, I'll actually be able to use it... find parts like brake parts... you know, stuff that makes it run?

It'll all be inside a tube anyway so it won't matter. It'll LOOK OLD and that's all that counts for this project.

More soon. On the hunt for a running donor car... and a front axle.

[Desertduler]

It would be kind of crazy to find a smaller aluminum drop tank and make a three wheeled lakester some what like you are doing and use a motorcycle front fork assembly on the front end and a differential on the rear end with wheel fairings around the rear wheels with a transverse mounted bullet bike engine as a power plant.Maybe you have started something here Kelly with that mind of yours!

[Kelly Wood]

That would be pretty neat to do, but as I'm hearing from my friends that do race at the flats... there are rules.. and a rule book... and you gotta buy the book too. They're not free.

If you do find an aluminum one, and it's cheap enough I'd snag it personally. They seem to go for a bit and are hard to find in usable shape.

This thing's gonna be mobile between a few places so after I find a front end, a trailer for it is next. I figure an old steel boat trailer would work as this doesn't weigh that much.

[Desertduler]

I did not know that you were building this to run in sanctioned events, I thought you were building this lakester just for fun I see! Do you have to run an onboard fire suppression system and have a full caged cock pit for the driver? Fuel cell? etc.

[Kelly Wood]

Not yet, not yet, and not yet. Let's just call it a project for now. We'll see where it goes.

[Kelly Wood]

Update:

A failed morning on some fronts... a success on others.

A quick trip to my friends this morning... which is darn near the beginning of the Utah desert has me marching around his 300 x 100 shop... and around his property.

It's one of those properties that seems to eat old cars alive so I've been told.

Anyway, after much talking and looking around... (really, we were rummaging through is shop for hours... and it's amazing how he remembered where everything was) we finally had this pile of stuff he figured would work.

And I'll take his advice of course, he's an old rodder.

We then talked a bit... and he just starts looking at some pics of it... then drawing on them... says he wants to be involved in it and is offering all kinds of help... and like a puppy dog, I"m just sipping coffee and listening... taking everything in.

Then, he says "follow me" where outside... in the back 40 (literally, hundreds of feet out to the back fence is the matching rear end to this stuff... the banjo. Complete.

In all, there's only one missing part to all this.

Quite the day.

And yes, I'll tell you how much I paid. 200 bucks in traded race kart parts... and 200 cash.

Looks like we're going the ford route... and as someone just told me like a moment ago, I must have a horseshoe up my butt... because today, I got lucky.

[Doc Sprocket]

Possibly, more than one horseshoe. Great score, Kelly! That thing is going to be a very cool machine. I am indeed jealous!

[OzFab]

Ooh, I hate to bring you down but, is that a solid housing on the banjo? Is it removable?

The only thing I don't like so far is you clipped the wing but, hey, it's your project, not mine

[Kelly Wood]

Originally Posted by Fabroman

Ooh, I hate to bring you down but, is that a solid housing on the banjo? Is it removable?

The only thing I don't like so far is you clipped the wing but, hey, it's your project, not mine

No, the housing (front part... if that's what you mean) comes off. They make a kit for it.

I think we'll be ok.

And thanks!

[Doc Sprocket]

Yup. Torque tube. Its an extra step to adapt, but doable.

[itsid]

for now I'd say both axles are a bit wide...
looks wider than the first rear axle you had *shrugs*
I like the clean look of the banjo rear end though...
one more reason to have it stick out of the bottom IMHO

'sid

[Desertduler]

Nice finds Kelly indeed, Say does that guy live out in Rush Valley by chance and his name starts with a B?

[Kelly Wood]

Originally Posted by itsid

for now I'd say both axles are a bit wide...
looks wider than the first rear axle you had *shrugs*
I like the clean look of the banjo rear end though...
one more reason to have it stick out of the bottom IMHO

'sid

It's just an illusion really, they're just as narrow as the other axle.

[Kelly Wood]

Originally Posted by Desertduler

Nice finds Kelly indeed, Say does that guy live out in Rush Valley by chance and his name starts with a B?

Bret, Thanks. And nope.

You should build one of these, it's fun!

[Desertduler]

Originally Posted by Kelly Wood

Bret, Thanks. And nope.

You should build one of these, it's fun!

I am really thinking about it but I do not like to copy people.
I have always loved the belly tanker racers and I had and uncle that was killed in world war 2 that was a B26 pilot and if I did make one I would copy his nose art from his plane and paint it on the front of it!