Bonneville Belly Tank

Mr. Tsukagawa has a deep interest in the golden years of hot rod building which immediately followed World War 2. When the soldiers came back from war they were full of new ideas thanks to the training they received in the armed forces, and also thanks to the different cultures they were exposed to. In the years following the end of the war hot rodding exploded first with racing on the dry lake beds and Bonneville, and then with the invention and popularizing of drag racing.

One intrepid young service man (and dry lakes racer...) named Bill Burke was stationed in the Pacific. He worked on the airplanes that flew in combat, among them P38 Lightnings. These aircraft uses what were called drop tanks to extend their range. These tanks were filled with fuel and when they were empty, the tanks were dropped over the ocean for a speedy trip back to base. One day Bill was looking at a pile of these tanks and thought that a flathead Ford V8 would fit nicely inside, making for one very aerodynamic race car. When he returned to the States he actually built one from a surplus tank. The car went on to become the SoCal belly tank, one of the most successful land speed cars of the era. Later on other racers built similar thanks, most notably Tom Beatty.

It has been a dream of Mr. Tsukagawa's to construct a period correct and competitive flathead powered belly tank racer. The biggest problem is finding a real P38 belly tank. They were made from aluminum and most were sold for scrap after the war. These things are very, very hard to find. My friend Bobby Green who runs the record setting Old Crow belly tank spent many years trying to find a real P38 tank.

Last month Mr. Tsukagawa finally located a real P38 belly tank in very nice shape right here in California. After some negotiations over price and delivery, he was able to procure the tank. Last week it was delivered to my shop, and here it is! This will become a period correct, Ford flathead V8 powered racer. Judging from the quality and perseverance I have seen with his Deuce Roadster project I am certain that together we will build a very beautiful and competitive race car.