Projects Belly Tank Build, NZ.

That's gonna leave a mark!

 

I made the before mentioned car show with the Belly Tank to show it off and it had a lot of interest, all positive and was interviewed by some guy and will do something in one of the local papers. Some who are following the build on line got to see it in person. Now back to working on it. JW

 

About to unload after the show, it got lots of looks out on the road. JW

 

Wanted to get a photo out on the hi-way but it was raining most of the way home so got it in my drive way...where it was nice and sunny. JW

 

Wait, you're in NZ. Isn't everything upside down there?

 

Yip JW

 

Looks good. Is the unique trailer design about getting into the container?

 

It is, Andy. I built it four years ago to fit in a 20 ft container with my RPU on it but later for the Belly Tank also. JW

 

No real updates this week. I'am checking the chassis and body mounts as when i put the top on to take it to the show there was a 3/8'' gap on the left side tapering from the front and ending by the engine. I have put several straight edges across the chassis and eye balled along the length and it's within 3mm ( just under 1/8'') so i will look at the mounts next as i need to sort the mating of the two halves so i can finally make a start on the firewall. More soon with photos. JW

 

Hi J W I haven't checked in for a bit but just had a good read through, looks like you've been busy, tank is coming along nicely. You must have a first race day in mind by now?

 

Thanks, Jamie. I have a date in February at a local bike sprint over a 1. 6 mile flat straight, this will be a test run only. I will get the engine going first and rebuild after i have tested the Tank. More progress soon. JW

 

As i mentioned earlier i had my pic taken with the Belly Tank by a small town reporter, well this is what transpired from that. That's my RPU in front and Mrs W's Turquoise O/T Mustang behind. World famous in small rural town, NZ JW

 

Congrats on the local show!

 

Small update, I have removed most of the bolts holding the lower body section on and the top lines up rather well now, just a small bit to sort between the exhausts and rear axle. I welded the mounts on very early in the build and it wouldn't have taken much for things to move just a tad. The fix...some may be cut off and redone and others just weld the taped holes up and re drill. JW

 

Needed to take a break from this to tackle some summer things around the property and sort out whats next on the Tank like the battery, engine bay fire extinguisher, mounting for fuel tap, pump, and other electrical things. JW

 

Not exactly how they will be but giving an idea of things. There will also be relays, fuses and some other necessary things. JW

 

Really like that shifter, I was doing yard work yesterday, still have another truck full of leaves t get rid of.

 

Also mounted the isolator switch and a jump start plug thing. Will cut the openings for these when i have the body mounts adjusted. JW

 

Thanks, Bob and as for yard work, it never ends, i have two acres of it. JW

 

This is where i plan to mount the engine bay fire system. Was going to mount it lower down but while looking at it i thought about a wayward con rod doing it some harm so will mount it level with the top chassis tube. JW

 

A Lucas battery? Knowing what we know about Lucas is that a good idea?
Here I am shoveling snow and you are thinking about summer projects. Doesn’t seem fair.
Happy new year.

 

Happy New Year, Andy and all who are following along here. The battery is an empty case from a battery display stand from the late 70's, great for set up or tossing it to someone and saying ''catch''!
Most of our summer has rained. JW

 

Hi JW , do you want to or could you fit a much lighter battery than the std size. A buddy has a small one on his big caddy powered model a coupe , starts great. Are you using an alternator?

 

I have made it to suit the larger battery as i won't be using a charging system, by
having provisions for the large battery i can then make an adapter for anything down to a motor cycle or quad battery and just push or jump start, i will have the choice. I have fitted a 175 amp jump plug for jump start or charging, its mounted just behind the ''kill switch'' just in front of the back axle on the R/H side (post 618). JW

 

So I'm not the only one who has a display battery from the 70's. I used mine in a dirt modified after weigh-in. Took quite a bit of weight out. That and draining the water from the frame rails, and changing the trailer tires for the race tires, and a couple of other tricks...

 

Tricky.....but did you win or was everyone doing it? JW

 

We were running an injected 350 on methanol against unlimited displacement big blocks on gasoline with a single 4 barrel. Everyone was running light, but having been caught once put a target on us. They ran us across the scale weekly. So we got creative. Here's an example. I had a 30 gallon fuel tank in the car. A seam split so it needed to be repaied or replaced. And the rules said 30 gallons max with methanol. So of course I bought a new 40 gallon sprint car tank from Speedway Motors. Because who would know?

When it arrived it was marked with magic marker 40 gallons and the part number. Which was 1 digit different from the 30 gallon tank. So wipe the 4 off, write in a 3. Wipe out the part number and write on the one for the 30 gallon tank. Oh and ratio what 22/30 would be in a 40 gallon tank which is 29.3 gallons. Put that much in the tank and draw a line at that level as you could see the level thru the tank. Mark it 22 gallons and have that much in the tank when it rolled across the scale. The picture is of the 2nd chassis it was in.

Compared to another car running injection we weren't illegal at all. 360 cid limit, they had a 400 block and who knows what the stroke was...

We had a stock bore AND stroke 350. But enough of that. How long before you get running? We're hanging in here waiting!

 

Mrs W keeps asking me that too! It was going to be very soon but i need to get cracking on it and also all the summer stuff around here. It will be a few months away at the least.

I have been running numbers on ratios. Back in 78 i had my 37 Willys Sedan upto 85 mph with a stock but recond engine (50 bhp),4.3:1 rear and a 600x16 tire. I worked out from that the engine was turning at 4,500 rpm. The 37's crank has no counter weights and the reciprocating bits were not balanced.....SO with this 46 Jeep engine being 63 bhp and with its counter weighted crank and what i have planned for it (more research needed) and a 3.5:1 axle i should have something cool to power it, remembering i have been a Willys guy from1975. Now, if i can get it to turn at 5,500 rpm i have options in tire sizes, i want to go with 700x16 and that will get me in the 145ish speed and if that,s not achievable i will go with a 650 size tire. Not trying for a record, just trying to make what i have go as fast i can without building a grenade, if all this fails i have 327 that will fit but i would rather build a 283 i have had for 30 odd years.
Just chasing a dream. JW

 

Only having had 1 Willys, a 62 cj5 f head that i managed to blow up, I'd go with the 283, but that's just me. I'm anxious to see what you can get out of that 4 banger, so stick with it. And I know, easy for me to say...

 

Started mounting a few things, moving forward. From left; fuel pump, inertia switch, fuse panel, three relays and room top right for a bracket for the fuel tap. More soon. JW