P38 Belly Tank

[frenchy dehoux]

Did you stick with VDub power for the tank?

Yes it will have a VW mid engine to start a 1500cc and later 2165 cc. At first a smaller engine to see how the car will handle than proceed with a bigger engine.

Thanks Frenchy

 

[Elmo Rodge]

Let us know when you're going to El Mirage and I'll keep my eyes open for you. I usually just drive down for the 2 day meets. Wayno

 

[36tudordeluxe]

That looks more like a Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star tip tank.

It sure does. Whoops, not so sure now as looked up some P-80 pics and looks like they had two styles, one mounting under the wing tip and another type mounting on the end of the wing tip.

 

[Tim Ayers]

Yes it will have a VW mid engine to start a 1500cc and later 2165 cc. At first a smaller engine to see how the car will handle than proceed with a bigger engine.

Thanks Frenchy

Awesome. Good luck with it. I'd love to see a fully dressed 2165 with dual Webers or the like.

 

[V8COOPMAN]

It sure does. Whoops, not so sure now as looked up some P-80 pics and looks like they had two styles, one mounting under the wing tip and another type mounting on the end of the wing tip.

Frenchys' tank obviously is not the long, slender tip-mount style tank. His tank has a pronounced seam and no obvious provision to mount under-tip style as pictured........not the P-80. DD

 

[frenchy dehoux]

Frenchys' tank obviously is not the long, slender tip-mount style tank. His tank has a pronounced seam and no obvious provision to mount under-tip style as pictured........not the P-80. DD

Mine is truly from a P38 on this picture you can see the seem but on the P38 the seam was up and down the way it was attached.

Thanks
Frenchy

 

[rotorwrench]

There were more than a few different tanks made for all of the WWII fighters. There were different sizes too. Some were aluminum but many were made from materials that were less of a drain on the war effort. Some were even made from non-metalic materials due to there throw away design. The one pictured looks to be a 150 gallon unit made of steel due to the corrosion evident there. Some had skirting where they connect to the pylon and some don't. It definitely may be for a P-38 but there were some P-80 tanks that looked just like that and they were also skirted where they attached to the bottom of the wing tip. These aircraft were manufactured by the same company so I wouldn't be surprised if there was some interchangeability.

The best ones to find are the aluminum ones that bolt together but they are also the most expensive if you can source one. Most folks now days just opt for the fiberglass copies in order to get one that is the right size for their application and ease of modification. A good original should be hanging from a wing in a museum.

 

[keith oh]

That is what it is rotowrench, I seen a bunch of them on T33s(2 seat F-80 trainers) at Webb AFB, Big Spring Tx in the early 1950s. I expect the old scrap pile with 4 or 5 of them in it, is long gone. Just an old mans memories.

 

[flatheadv8]

Neat project! I have seen one like that race at a road course over on the West side of Michigan. Fun to watch.

 

[38bill]

Here is a fun photo of a "very early" belly tank car.

 

[V8COOPMAN]

Here is a fun photo of a "very early" belly tank car.

Here's a funny photo of a funny-looking man having fun in a funny ol' tank. DD

 

[frenchy dehoux]

Sorry everyone i have been busy more than i had imagine since i have retired. Building a lot of VW and Porsche 356 engines. But today I took the belly tanker to a friend that is going to do some patch panels repairs from the rust you see in the first post. I will keep everyone in the loop what is going on with it .


Thanks
Frenchy

 

[frenchy dehoux]

Here what i am trying to see how i will fit the engine and transmission with a low profile fan shroud to fit under the tank. I also have a Ford front drop axle to see if I can fit it etc ...


Frenchy

 

[Flathead Fever]

That is definitely the small P-38 tank. They are made of steel and seam welded together. The larger aluminum P-38 tanks bolt together and are worth a fortune if you can find one. You can fit a V8-60 in the small tank and a full size flathead in the big tank.

My next door neighbor built the third bellytank at El Mirage in 1949. He just turned 88. He also ran it at Bonneville in 1950. Here is a rare Kodachrome color slide of it at Bonneville in 1950. He towed it from CA to Bonneville with his '41 pickup.

I too have the smaller version. I'm getting ready to hang it from my garage ceiling. I needed this like a hole in the head but I couldn't live without it.

The large aluminum tanks halves were stamped by Ford so we can officially talk about them here. I have a photo to prove it.

 

[Tinker]

this is so nice. looks fun.

 

[frenchy dehoux]

I really appreciate the pictures here and the story you had mentioned. I am building mine for the street . I will post pictures as soon as I get it back from my buddy that is doing the patch repairs.


Thank You



Frenchy

 

[SofaKing]

Needs a flatty, but an air cooled VW tank car is WAY better than the rat rod Beetles I have been seeing the last few years. You must have pistons sticking out of the tank though.

X2 on jugs in the slipstream.

 

[frenchy dehoux]

The way the engine will be laid out only the valve covers would be sticking out and for that I can always make some covers to hide the valve covers so they cant be seen. I am building this for the street to.




Frenchy

 

[Flathead Fever]

This has to be the only one left. Its the original trailer for my neighbor's bellytank he built back in 1949. He had owned a mini storage until a few year's ago and this stuff was piled up down there along with his '40 Ford junk yard. He was going to scrap these frames. I said oh no your not! I'm saving that bellytank trailer. Thank god for that little forklift, the bellytank trailer is that one on the bottom.

No suspension, it must have beat that bellytank to death on the way to Bonneville. Looks like they built it strong enough. As you can see it will also will haul an aerodynamic '33 coupe. This photo is proibably taken in 1950. That coupe belonged to my neighbor's friend. That was a neat coupe. They spent all that time putting the hood on it to see if it would make a differenece and when they got to El Mirage, the dry lake's meet was cancelled because of high winds.

He doesn't remember what happened to the bellytank's engine in this photo?

 

[frenchy dehoux]

Thank You so much for this cool story about the trailer and the belly tanker I have enjoy reading about it .


Frenchy