Ride along in Flathead Lakester at 172 MPH

Fastest Gas burning blown Flathead East of the Mississippi in the standing mile.

 

There's got to be a lot of satisfaction making a flathead perform like that. Thanks for posting the run.

Frank

 

Even though it's not built to be a dragster, it seemed to me that it did the first 1/4 mile in about 9 seconds!

 

i agree, very cool

 

Leaving the line the rear tires are actually spinning I had to steer the car to keep pointed straight. The rear tires are drag radials and my old six spline Halibrand centersection with a 280 ratio is taking a beating.

 

Very cool!


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Love watching the tach reaching for 7 grand. Sounds soooo good.

 

amazing!

 

Here is another slower video...driving on the street from our friend Steve's shop, to Ron's Hobby Shop about 1/4 mile away...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7KgS0WkTLg

 

Now that is a great video, driving down the street. He just can't keep from goosing it and "Clearing" the engine.

 

Impressive, can't believe it only was a 2 minute video!

 

This is another story of a street driven tank. It was published on the HAMB previously.

Tom Beatty story as told to me by himself.
Time: 1953
Place: Los Angeles

It's 0300 on a Wednesday morning. The garage door swings up.
The driver straps on his helmet and climbs in the car.
Wife climbs in the 39 panel push car and fires up the 296 flathead.
A gentle nudge and the #100 car rolls out to the street.
She eases up gently to the push bar. The car rolls easily down the street a
half block to the freeway entrance. (Remember this is 1953 and there are numerous
single lane freeway on-ramps in LA.) They roll up to the edge of the freeway
and ascertain that there are no cars coming or going. They roll off, the flathead
in the push car straining to gain maximum speed as rapidly as possible. The engine
in the tank lights off and the car screams down the freeway. The tach climbs, the
blower whines, the rear end gears whine, the tach touches 7000,(over 150 mph) off
the throttle and on the brakes, such as they are, (2 wheel), back down to 40 mph
and drop down on the off ramp, sharp right turn at the end of the ramp, run the
red light at the intersection, back up the side street to home.
Back in the garage, jack the car up, change gears, load up tools, fuel, 4 spare
engines and get ready to leave for Bonneville later in the morning.

 

Hi Pete1
What a great story about one of the true legends of Belly Tank racing. Tom Beattys tank has certainly been a huge inspiration for my build. Many years ago when the Rodders Journal was located here in CT I had the pleasure of seeing and sitting in the Beatty Tank after the car came outside from being in the photo studio.
At the time I had no idea I would build a Lakester. Toms Lakester now powered by I think an Olds motor had a 671 blower and a half dozen stromberg carbs on top of the blower which was driven by at least six vee type belts so many of the engine parts were one off pieces truly an amazing site for me at the time.
To help cheat the wind Tom put the early Ford front axle upside down doing this allowed the axle arch to match up with the arch of the front spring it was an interesting concept that certainly worked. The rear suspension was also very interesting using a six spline Halibrand center Tom made it independent suspension by using torque tube bells for the slide and pivot joints in the center I was amazed at each detail.
Now that video of me driving my tank on the road is taking place just up the street from where that studio was located where I had the pleasure of seeing the Tom Beatty Lakester in person.
Ronnieroadster

 

Oh wow! That is so neat.
Yes, he went from the flathead to Olds power and I pretty well remember all the construction details of the car. He was one of the great innovator's of the time.
He made those V belt blower kits for several years.
They didn't slip under normal load and they had the big advantage over cog belts in that if the engine burped it didn't break the belt. They had just enough slip to save it.