Land speed record cars tend to be low, pointy, claustrophobia-inducing things. And nothing seems lower or more claustrophobic than this famous belly-tanker built by Roy Fjastad for Don “Beachcomber” Johnson, circa 1961. If it looks scary here, can you imagine what it was like at more than 247 MPH?
Image: hotrod.com
Last Call indicates the end of the Hooniverse broadcast day. It’s meant to be an open forum for anyone and anything. Thread jacking is not only accepted, it’s encouraged.
By Peter Tanshanomi
Tanshanomi is Japanese [単車のみ] for "motorcycle(s) only." Though primarily tasked with creating two-wheel oriented content for Hooniverse, Pete is a lover of all sorts of motorized vehicles.
Jeff Glucker
I’m surprised they didn’t add fairings for the cylinder heads, or discs for the wheels – might have got 250!
And I thought my Lotus was small. At least I sit above the tires!
This is why they are called the greatest generation
On bias-ply tires, no less.
Bias-ply is still The Shit for straight line performance.
http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/drag-tires/et-street-r-bias
Imagination and a few spare parts , and off you go ! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/37ad69d12c268079d293edddc191a14a48f22cbd8c010e1e7d6bc4bee9574ae6.jpg
I had a friend who bought the raw components (namely, a belly tank and various mix–and-match driveline components) to attempt to build one of these. Unfortunately, he didn’t live long enough to see his dreams through.
I imagine it could have gone faster if it hadn’t been towing that ’57 Ford.