Belly tank cars

[slownlow]

Does any one know of a source for a 1/24-25th belly tanker kit?

[Ace-Garageguy]

You mean as in dry-lakes cars?

[slownlow]

Yes, to me they’re the ultimate in repurposing. 

[Fat Brian]

If you have a 3d printer there are files out there of varying quality but I don't of anyone actively printing them for sale. I'm really surprised one of the 3d printing guys hasn't taken this on yet.

[Ace-Garageguy]

If you have access to a lathe, it's really pretty easy to turn a master you can vacuum-form a shell from.

The P-38 Lightning tank was by far the most popular, and there are plenty of dimensioned drawings on the web...like here:

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

And there's this...in 1/25 scale

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325865176683?hash=item4bdf13fe6b:g:qQYAAOSwcUFZm4CU&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4OYgNMi4xh0nn4k8gsUBvCpuvek1%2FROzUg6UZaqFzd5TsMwPfeUmFSYObEy3nCio1M3ulVNrfUg7xGRM9RZ1f8OTPSvad21FER2KZt5UjNTvtwXB4ZgT5PGd0i6d0LCnDduiz1KRWu3vuabViFIBa5rqvspbSU0BEpqVeA6II99APwrWkbI9fyyMf34SpBuyJno8xxGpbkcfE9foStaC2e3Oks4YlNfo2PbQMzX%2FNecuLkSGKSRqcs9SnKSZScuJMAKASvIqeE2KU0PgT72eASeQwTNEEF9W5wTT4eICG1FR|tkp%3ABk9SR8ql1uH0Yg

Edited November 7, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mike 1017]

Search results (spruebrothers.com)

[Ace-Garageguy]

8 minutes ago, Mike 1017 said:

Search results (spruebrothers.com)

Did you notice those are all relatively small-scale (1/32 and smaller) ?

And that none of those represents the 315-gallon P-38 tank that was the preferred starting point for a lakes car build ?

Edited November 7, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mike 1017]

Just now, Ace-Garageguy said:

Did you notice those are all relatively small-scale (1/32 and smaller) ?

Yes, Just a suggestion to search Model Aircraft sites.  A 1:32 Drop tank could be built fairly easy using 1:32 Slot car parts.

[Mike 1017]

There are a lot of 1:24 WW 2 Aircraft available. IMO it would cost too much $ to score a Drop Tank

Mike

[slownlow]

On 11/6/2023 at 1:30 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

And there's this...in 1/25 scale

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325865176683?hash=item4bdf13fe6b:g:qQYAAOSwcUFZm4CU&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4OYgNMi4xh0nn4k8gsUBvCpuvek1%2FROzUg6UZaqFzd5TsMwPfeUmFSYObEy3nCio1M3ulVNrfUg7xGRM9RZ1f8OTPSvad21FER2KZt5UjNTvtwXB4ZgT5PGd0i6d0LCnDduiz1KRWu3vuabViFIBa5rqvspbSU0BEpqVeA6II99APwrWkbI9fyyMf34SpBuyJno8xxGpbkcfE9foStaC2e3Oks4YlNfo2PbQMzX%2FNecuLkSGKSRqcs9SnKSZScuJMAKASvIqeE2KU0PgT72eASeQwTNEEF9W5wTT4eICG1FR|tkp%3ABk9SR8ql1uH0Yg

Thanks for all the help. I think I’ll try the one suggested above.

[Jiml0001]

I did this using resin 3D printing in 1/24 scale

 

[Fat Brian]

3 hours ago, Jiml0001 said:

I did this using resin 3D printing in 1/24 scale

 

That is very cool. Is that from a warehouse site or your own design?

[Jiml0001]

I found the tank on line from a model airplane.    It was a solid piece.    Everything else is my design pretty much.   I found the engine on a warehouse site for free but made substantial changes.    The big challenge was the sheer number of parts.   In all I have well over 100 3D files to make everything.     I will share these files if anyone is interested

[Fat Brian]

3 hours ago, Jiml0001 said:

I found the tank on line from a model airplane.    It was a solid piece.    Everything else is my design pretty much.   I found the engine on a warehouse site for free but made substantial changes.    The big challenge was the sheer number of parts.   In all I have well over 100 3D files to make everything.     I will share these files if anyone is interested

If I'm able to get a printer here soon I will certainly take you up on that. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

If y'all are wanting to do reasonably accurate period belly-tank lakes cars, I'd suggest investing time in some research.

The frames were usually pretty simple, as weight is the enemy...even in cars with big honking blown hemi Chryslers.

Proportions matter too.

Here's a good start, as far as reality goes, very representative of the era. 

Be sure to look at all three pages.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/found-ted-fryes-belly-tank.1238702/

Edited November 11, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[LDO]

I hope my post isn’t too much of a hijack. I made a master to vacuum form a drop tank from aircraft parts. I believe one half was from a fuel tank and the other was from a fuselage. It’s a generic fuel tank; not a replica of a real one. I can dig out the model if anyone wants to see it. 
 

Other aircraft can be converted to land speed racers. The Pegasus 1/18 V-1 “Buzz Bomb” has the General shape of a drop tank. Take measurements and see what it equals in 1/24 or 1/25 scale. 
 

The Lindberg/AMT “Snark” missile can make a good thrust powered LSR. The airframe is round in cross-section but flat on top. Turn it upside down and now it’s flat on the bottom. It can be something like The Blue Flame, Budweiser King rocket car, or Bloodhound type jet car with intake on top.  
 

The “Skipjack” submarine is also generally drop tank shaped. Moebius makes one in 1/72 scale (IIRC. Whatever scale it is, it’s big.) It could be a 1/6 or 1/8 belly tank. 
 

In order: 1/18 V-1 parts

Lindberg Snark model built up

Skipjack submarine under construction, showing its size. 

 

Edited November 11, 2023 by LDO

[slownlow]

7 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

If y'all are wanting to do reasonably accurate period belly-tank lakes cars, I'd suggest investing time in some research.

The frames were usually pretty simple, as weight is the enemy...even in cars with big honking blown hemi Chryslers.

Proportions matter too.

Here's a good start, as far as reality goes, very representative of the era. 

Be sure to look at all three pages.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/found-ted-fryes-belly-tank.1238702/

This will be a great resource. Thanks

Edited November 12, 2023 by slownlow
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[slownlow]

Thanks it’s an excellent resource. This will be a big help.

[OldNYJim]

I picked up this file of a 150 gallon tank today to play with:

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/belly-tank-lakester-150-us-gallons-model-kit-custom-diecast

Looks like this, straight off the printer:

Measures at around a scale 12 feet at the size I printed it at (so a touch shorter than the ‘big’ tanks, but actually bigger than I imagined one of these would be, having never seen one in the flesh…)

For anyone who’s ever interested in buying a 3d print of something that you find a FILE for, but not a vendor selling prints, Cults3d offers an option to have the items printed and shipped to you when you check out.  I haven’t used it personally, but may be of interest to any of you who don’t want to invest in a printer…

Another tank size from the same designer:

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/p38-bellytank-extended-20-streamliner-lakester-body

Edited November 27, 2023 by CabDriver

[MeatMan]

On 11/11/2023 at 11:54 AM, Ace-Garageguy said:

If y'all are wanting to do reasonably accurate period belly-tank lakes cars, I'd suggest investing time in some research.

The frames were usually pretty simple, as weight is the enemy...even in cars with big honking blown hemi Chryslers.

Proportions matter too.

Here's a good start, as far as reality goes, very representative of the era. 

Be sure to look at all three pages.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/found-ted-fryes-belly-tank.1238702/

I saved this article a while back when I was planning mine. Like you said, very simple frame.

https://www.motortrend.com/features/belly-tank-racer-east-coast-custom/

[Ace-Garageguy]

On 11/27/2023 at 12:07 AM, CabDriver said:

I picked up this file of a 150 gallon tank today to play with:

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/belly-tank-lakester-150-us-gallons-model-kit-custom-diecast

Looks like this, straight off the printer:

 

Measures at around a scale 12 feet at the size I printed it at (so a touch shorter than the ‘big’ tanks, but actually bigger than I imagined one of these would be, having never seen one in the flesh…)

Another tank size from the same designer:

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/p38-bellytank-extended-20-streamliner-lakester-body

Looks great. 

Just a reminder: the 315 gallon P-38 tank was by far the most prevalent choice for lakesters, as packaging constraints within the shell were the number one concern. Others were used, but the P-38 tank was pretty much the "just right" size.

[MeatMan]

46 minutes ago, MeatMan said:

I saved this article a while back when I was planning mine. Like you said, very simple frame.

https://www.motortrend.com/features/belly-tank-racer-east-coast-custom/

Though this one defies that assumption.

https://www.streetmusclemag.com/news/hot-rods-you-should-know-tom-beattys-1951-belly-tank-lakester/

[Ace-Garageguy]

11 hours ago, MeatMan said:

Though this one defies that assumption.

https://www.streetmusclemag.com/news/hot-rods-you-should-know-tom-beattys-1951-belly-tank-lakester/

Of course, Tom Beatty was head and shoulders above the "average" lakes car builder in terms of engineering ability and professionalism.

Just the swing axle rear suspension fabbed up from Ford torque-tubes and front UJs is evidence of that...and he was working with guys like Barney Navarro and Frank Kurtis, both racing legends in their own right.

AND...note the small diameter of the frame tubes. This little car has technical sophistication with more in common with a birdcage Maserati than the typical lakester.

[OldNYJim]

On a related note, my buddy Joey was playing with making a belly tank out of one of these:

I picked one up to try it myself but didn’t mess with it yet.  His mock-up looked cool enough for me to want to try it - and these kits aren’t super expensive as a starting point…

Link to his Instagram (he has an awesome turtledeck T and a little tiny VW-based C cab truck that are worth the price of admission alone…):

 https://instagram.com/wagtag_rodshopandfab?igshid=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA==

Edited November 29, 2023 by CabDriver