Lakester

[Kelly Wood]

Here's what I'm up to. Other than Kart Rods... my new project is just beginning. Perhaps I'll start a thread right here.

Enter the Belly Tank Lakester. Google that, you'll see.

I'm on a mission to build something and I'll be starting it... well, today.

I fell in love with these things and decided to build one.

1st & 2nd pic, one I love and will base my build on... 3rd pic and the rest, my beginnings.

Seeing a belly tank from a WWII plane is a bit hard to come by (like 50 years too late) a trip to a massive military surplus place 60 Miles away have turned up my starting point.

Meet the beginning point: Paravane, a minesweeper. It's 12 feet long, made of 1/8 steel.. and the body for my new project.

Why? It's steel, makes the project easier and less sub frame to build.

With some luck and my talents, I'll soon take my creation to Speedweek on the Bonneville salt flats... and just have a good ole time.

It's just a big Go Kart really, so I thought I'd share here.

Yup.

 

[Poboy kartman]

Crap. Kelly....I'll give you my trolling motor....you can paint one of those things black and white....and charge admission to ride Okra....the killer whale rod thingy....oh wait....thats. right....ocean front property is scarce in your parts.....neer mind......

 

[BirdFanatic]

Use a de-active bomb cut a notch in the back ad wheels a motor and now you have something.

 

[Poboy kartman]

Use a de-active bomb cut a notch in the back ad wheels a motor and now you have something.

Something stupid. You obviously are too young and ignorant of the history of the salt flats to understand what Kelly is doing.....

He's trying to recreate the innovative and historical belly tank racers of the salt flats infancy.....

Your idea.....well it just bombed.....

 

[BirdFanatic]

Something stupid. You obviously are too young and ignorant of the history of the salt flats to understand what Kelly is doing.....

He's trying to recreate the innovative and historical belly tank racers of the salt flats infancy.....

Your idea.....well it just bombed.....

They where one of the first to set the land speed record i watch discovery all the time

 

[Poboy kartman]

They where one of the first to set the land speed record i watch discovery all the time

Could be....but I kinda doubt it...they were fast....but it's hard to say...because they were also using rockets and rails about the same time....and the streamliners were so close to the same time frame...but you could be right...belly tankers were the poor guys streamliners....

Edit: Yeah....I checked....you should have been watching Discovery closer....the earliest "record setting Lakester" did @188mph in 1954......fastest. "OPEN WHEELED " vehicle at the time......a Mercedes Benz did 288mph in 1933.....so no land speed records there.....

 

[itsid]

the first one is a real beauty...

That minesweeper... very rocket-ish indeed!
two more fins and it looks almost like a V2...

I guess it's quite a task to fit an engine inside that narrow back..

Ohhhhh please allow me to get nuts for a split second..
PULSE JET!

There.. I said it!

'sid

PS SWII: Operation Padawan... call it Yoda

 

[landuse]

This will be an awesome project Kelly!

 

[BirdFanatic]

Could be....but I kinda doubt it...they were fast....but it's hard to say...because they were also using rockets and rails about the same time....and the streamliners were so close to the same time frame...but you could be right...belly tankers were the poor guys streamliners....

Edit: Yeah....I checked....you should have been watching Discovery closer....the earliest "record setting Lakester" did @188mph in 1954......fastest. "OPEN WHEELED " vehicle at the time......a Mercedes Benz did 288mph in 1933.....so no land speed records there.....

http://cmcpros.com/new/page.asp?PID=1
The where running for record speeds

 

[Young One With A Manco]

http://cmcpros.com/new/page.asp?PID=1
The where running for record speeds

I'm going to go ahead and assume the is supposed to be they...
And the where is supposed to be were...... But 4/6... 2/3 (reduced) of the words were correct.
And a period on the end... Cant forget that.
You and Dougs argument was over who actually set the record... Not who tried to...
Therefore your post (yet again... Some might add... Not me of course) is irrelevant.

I understand it may seem like im trying to be that guy correcting you, but thats not the mission here. Over and over guys have said "please use proper grammar so we can understand."
Well this is supposed to be a family forum, so im helping you... Like a family member would.


Now...

 

[Poboy kartman]

http://cmcpros.com/new/page.asp?PID=1
The where running for record speeds

And.......................wait for it...................they didn't get there!!!!!!

They were running for record speeds of some type maybe....but not LAND SPEED RECORDS as you stated.....if I'm wrong.....post one up.....it ain't hard to find the 1933 Mercedes that did 288 in '33. .....and 300 in '34.....

Now....if you have no more irrelevant links......I have things to do......

 

[itsid]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_eYSuPKP3Y

'sid

PS whistling.. strolling away

 

[Kelly Wood]

All good info!

Here's an inside pic of the same one I'm basing my ride off of.

This one's body is only 10 feet long and mine's longer than that. Cramming a V8 into it won't be all that rough really, the pic is deceiving. The white tube I'm starting with is 12 feet long and 2.5 feet in dia... although I'll probably start with something more simple... like a turbocharged inline 4cyl with an auto trans.

But it doesn't matter, it's all about just doing it and making it work.

I'm just doing it because I feel like it... and I'm sure I'll creatively come up with something nifty.

The mock up (2nd pic) is potentially what I'll go for.

I love the salt flats and it's only 80 Min away... plus I have the help of... and get to pit with my buddy, Mike Nish and his 425mph ride and crew. (3rd pic)

And I have the light too... vintage glass! (4th pic)

We'll see what happens. ... it's just a bigger go kart anyway.

 

[colestreasures]

All good info!

Here's an inside pic of the same one I'm basing my ride off of.

This one's body is only 10 feet long and mine's longer than that. Cramming a V8 into it won't be all that rough really, the pic is deceiving. The white tube I'm starting with is 12 feet long and 2.5 feet in dia... although I'll probably start with something more simple... like a turbocharged inline 4cyl with an auto trans.

But it doesn't matter, it's all about just doing it and making it work.

I'm just doing it because I feel like it... and I'm sure I'll creatively come up with something nifty.

The mock up (2nd pic) is potentially what I'll go for.

I love the salt flats and it's only 80 Min away... plus I have the help of... and get to pit with my buddy, Mike Nish and his 425mph ride and crew. (3rd pic)

And I have the light too... vintage glass! (4th pic)

We'll see what happens. ... it's just a bigger go kart anyway.

I thinks is cool what your doing I have been looking around here for a old belly tank also, I have been wanting to build one for years just have never got around to it. Keep us posted with you build.
Cole

 

[Kelly Wood]

Thanks Cole. I'll continue with this post as I go.

 

[Poboy kartman]

Definitely cool.....what is your anticipated target top speed?

BTW....Holy Coincidence Batman!!!!! Just got through watching' State to State' ......and the featured State: Utah!!! And of course....they had a Bonneville segment......

 

[Kelly Wood]

Let's just go for 100-120... and go from there. Utah is a great place if you can get around some of the strangeness that seems to plague the place.

The answer to your next question is "no, I'm not." I'm agnostic.

 

[itsid]

This one's body is only 10 feet long and mine's longer than that. Cramming a V8 into it won't be all that rough really, the pic is deceiving. The white tube I'm starting with is 12 feet long and 2.5 feet in dia... although I'll probably start with something more simple... like a turbocharged inline 4cyl with an auto trans.

Wow, not much room for fuel inside a belly tank, is it?

Anyways, I was baffled that a smallblock / flathead does fit inside a belly tank already, but yours looks narrower (maybe because it's longer... hard to tell by pics)

But you'll get it running I'm sure.

for the mockup.. an ambulance.. cool idea
some quick salvation anyone?

let me guess.. it'll be called "the fast cure"

'sid

 

[Kelly Wood]

LOL Sid. There's a lot of reasons for the ambulance really... (like 3) You'll see down the road I'm sure. There's a method to my madness.

Anyway, a quick search turned up a 1949 1/2 ton front axle for 100 bucks. Hm... where's my cutoff wheel?

Maybe on this... dunno yet.

 

[Kelly Wood]

And of course, I had to go digging in my special place for the parts I once put aside... that will work perfectly with this.

All the nifty gadgets & chrome stuff. All vintage.

And maybe this rear end I tracked down.