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History The First Belly Tank

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by Ryan, Jul 31, 2009.

  1. ronnieroadster
    Joined: Sep 9, 2004
    Posts: 1,069

    ronnieroadster
    Member

    So long ago as a kid growing up in the city of New Haven dreaming of things Hot Rod I remember seeing pictures of Belly Tank race cars taken at Bonneville meets. Pioneers like Bill Burke are responsible for my addiction to all things Hot Rod.
    Little did I know so long ago how far I would be able to get with my dreams as a kid. Heres my latest project being built in the tradtion set forth by Bill Burke and his belly tank.
     

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  2. What a great tribute

    A great car and Bill definitely had balls driving that at 135mph sitting on a bicycle seat half way out of the car, crazy! & what a legend. :cool:

    Pioneer of the belly tank yes, of the teardrop shaped streamliner no. That honour goes to Bob Rufi who designed his whole car around the principal of the most aerodynamic shape being the teardrop with the widest point 1/3 the way down.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Something I've often wondered is when Bill first saw the belly tank on the dock if he thought of Bob Rufi's car and saw a way to gain similar speeds at the lakes.

    I hope someone films when Bill sees this amazing recreation and gets his reaction.
     
  3. Jkustom
    Joined: Oct 8, 2002
    Posts: 1,686

    Jkustom
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Fuckin A! He went 130 ON that thing?? It looks like the wind in your face could blow you right out the back of it!!

    BALLS.
     
  4. Ol Deuce
    Joined: May 30, 2007
    Posts: 1,188

    Ol Deuce
    Member
    from Mt. U.S.A.

    What a nice tribute and a great story.

    Randy
     
  5. full race
    Joined: May 19, 2008
    Posts: 61

    full race
    Member
    from florida

    Great job the bulder did!!!!
     
  6. RodStRace
    Joined: Dec 7, 2007
    Posts: 3,911

    RodStRace
    Member

    Thoughts on the article and the comments
    Wow, I didn't know the first in this case. Cool history.
    Small, and it shares something with small choppers, it looks better without the pilot.
    Stunning work and I'm so happy that Mr. Burke is still here to see it.
    Not only did he sit on that little seat out in the wind, it was on the torque tube (unsprung), not the frame! And that flatty was giving everything it had just in front of you!
    I admire Jackie Stewart and others that have pushed safety so a driver can reasonably assume they will be alive tomorrow. However between that and technological leaps, most modern racing is less raw. That car is obviously built with only a single purpose, SPEED. Nothing else is in the mix.
     
  7. Royalshifter
    Joined: May 29, 2005
    Posts: 15,580

    Royalshifter
    Moderator
    from California

    What a bitchin story and history..thanks Ryan.
     
  8. GARY?
    Joined: Aug 15, 2005
    Posts: 1,631

    GARY?
    Member

    Incredible!. Great timing on this one Ryan. I hope to see it in person next week. Does anybody know if it will be there for a fact?
     
  9. Ted Kempgens
    Joined: Jan 8, 2007
    Posts: 205

    Ted Kempgens
    Member
    from Florida

    Left my shop today, Loaded and leaving Monday for B'ville. Ted
     
  10. CaliDreamin'
    Joined: Jul 30, 2009
    Posts: 179

    CaliDreamin'
    Member

    killer story. I wish I could make it to speed week. These pics are as insane and deffinetly a before seat belt moment. Here is a pic of a friend shawn's belly tanker, He will be there this week going for the 4 cylinder record that he almost got last year. Second pic is with a buddy colin's old truck.
     

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  11. 39cent
    Joined: Apr 4, 2006
    Posts: 1,569

    39cent
    Member
    from socal

    I remember seeing those belly tanks stacked on end at war surplus stores in L.A. Gads those stores were loaded with goodies for innovators.
     
  12. flamingokid
    Joined: Jan 5, 2005
    Posts: 2,200

    flamingokid
    Member

    A simple case of where function became fashion.What does Bill think of the re-creation?
     
  13. GARY?
    Joined: Aug 15, 2005
    Posts: 1,631

    GARY?
    Member

    Oh buddy, this gonna' be sweet! Maybe they'll let me drive it around the parking lot:D

    Nice work by the way.

    thanks, Gary
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2009
  14. Ted Kempgens
    Joined: Jan 8, 2007
    Posts: 205

    Ted Kempgens
    Member
    from Florida

    Gary, It's not a restoration, Its a recreation of Bill's first. It was done to pay tribute to Bill and his contribution to the sport. We built it from scratch in my shop here in Florida. Thanks Ted
     
  15. Jeem
    Joined: Sep 12, 2002
    Posts: 5,882

    Jeem
    Alliance Vendor

    Here's looking atcha.....
     

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  16. GARY?
    Joined: Aug 15, 2005
    Posts: 1,631

    GARY?
    Member

    Thanks for the info Ted. You guys really hit the nail on the head from ehat I can tell. What did you guys have to go by for the recreation? Any drawings or mostly pics and did I read that you had input from Bill too?

    I have a tank that I found last year down the street just after B'ville last year, don't know what type (I otta' figure it out) but I really dig the recreation idea.Recreate something else ?
     
  17. There were other HAMB hands in on this recreation

    Oh and it's near DADE CITY, FLORIDA...
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2009
  18. dv8
    Joined: Apr 15, 2001
    Posts: 1,097

    dv8
    Member

    Florida? I thought we only produced clown cars?
     
  19. Thats a common misconception Jon... You see, very few people that live in Florida, were actually born here. People with poor taste are kicked out of normal states, and they end up here.:D
     
  20. silverdome
    Joined: Aug 23, 2007
    Posts: 556

    silverdome
    Member

    BIG BALLS I guess! Man sittin' on a bicycle seat attached to a torque tube going 130+ mph, WOW. Good thing he had those goggles but I bet he had to pick the bugs and dirt out of his teeth, because you know he had to be smiling or saying "OH SHIT what am I doing?". Either way I know he had fun or he wouldn't have kept on doing it.
     
  21. Jeem
    Joined: Sep 12, 2002
    Posts: 5,882

    Jeem
    Alliance Vendor

    See, I thought it was you guys that bred the bad taste and shipped it abroad!:)
     
  22. 5window
    Joined: Jan 29, 2005
    Posts: 9,517

    5window
    Member


    Not so new. If you survey the fastest swimming fish in the sea, you'll notice they are tear drop shaped with the widest point a third of the way down.
     
  23. Ted Kempgens
    Joined: Jan 8, 2007
    Posts: 205

    Ted Kempgens
    Member
    from Florida

    Well plans have changed, Tom Bambard and myself are leaving for the salt Sunday morning. We will be there Sunday afternoon and Monday. Looking forward to shaking hands with some HAMBers. Look for us around the Burke pit area. Thanks Ted
     
  24. Cyclone Kevin
    Joined: Apr 15, 2002
    Posts: 4,223

    Cyclone Kevin
    Alliance Vendor

    Glad to see that both Bob Rufi was credited as well as Bill. Bob handcrafted his tank in like 1938 and had the 140.mph fast time by 1940 with a banger powered Chevy. That Pre-tankster was wrecked and Bob spent like 4 mos in the hospital. Car was sold and returned to the lakes after the war with a different configuration powered by a Cook/Cyclone 4 port.

    From what I had heard from Bill, he indeed was in the So. Pacific and on a barge across the way was a belly tank that resembled what Rufi had back in 1940. Heck, no tin pounding needed as Rufi had done, so this made quick work of making a streamliner.

    Once home he found that these tanks were ending up in surplus yards for like $10-$20 depending on size.(That was expensive even then considering).

    He built the 1st one as an experiment, it worked,was sold and next came the larger P-38 tankster that really put Wally Parks, Bill Phy, Bill Burke (all SGV-Road Runner boys)on the Hot Rod map.

    The 2nd one so sucessful that Alex Xydias asked him to build him on as well, The labor was like $75.00 all parts supplied by Alex. He said that he went on to build like 20 more including his 50th anniversary Doc Jefferies powered tank.

    The Burke's are in a world all by themselves, lots of outside the box thinking going on all of the time.;)

    Wish that I could get the ball rolling on mine:rolleyes:.

    Truly Nice Recreation of that 1st tank, Too bad it isn't purple Bill's favorite color:D.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2009
  25. I thought I would bump this thread with a Ken Crawford photo, Ken helped with the original and even drove it.
    [​IMG]
     
  26. Mike Chiavetta
    Joined: Dec 6, 2009
    Posts: 2

    Mike Chiavetta
    Member

    I just went to a Youtube post that showed a recently found 8mm film of El Mirage racers about 1946. Its full of famous cars. Go to it and see if you recognize any vintage cars. The only thing missing is the sound. Click on the below address and enjoy...

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5ENn_hxv64
     

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    Last edited: Oct 3, 2013
  27. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,791

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    Wow! Had to bookmark that. Thanks!
     
  28. That looked like Neil Patrick Harris driving that Bugatti LOL. Very cool video, thanks for posting.
     
  29. Ryan,
    Thanks for the great history lesson.
     
  30. This is from the first couple of minutes of the movie 'Hot Rod' (1950). Footage is from '46

    <object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/CXkVsC2CmpY?hl=en_US&amp;version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/CXkVsC2CmpY?hl=en_US&amp;version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
     

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