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 Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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A 'Lakester' is a car with a streamlined body but with four exposed wheels. It is most often made out of a modified aircraft drop tank such as that from a P-38 Lighting. The main attraction is the drop tank's excellent aerodynamics, due to it being streamlined for aircraft use. Building lakesters became popular after World War II when surplus tanks were sold for around $35 a piece, and hundreds were stockpiled in surplus yards!
During the late 1940s Bill Burke of the "So-Cal Speed Shop" built the first "Lakester" from a surplus aircraft drop tank. The idea of using a tank as an aerodynamic car body came to Burke when he saw some drop tanks on a barge being taken ashore at Guadalcanal. Burke went aboard and measured one of the tanks. He knew the dimensions of a Ford rear end and engine block, and he could see that the automotive components would fit.
Burke's first Lakester was created from a 168-gallon tank used on the P-51 Mustang. However, with experience it was found that the 315-gallon tank used on the P-38 Lightning was more practical due to its greater size. The tanks consisted of two halves bolted together, however since the top half had fuel openings and all the necessary hardware to fasten it to the aircraft, usually only two bottom halves were used to create a Lakester.
The Lakester's first race appearance was at Bonneville Salt Flats, even today, Lakesters can still be seen racing there. A Lakester is on display at the Ford Museum.
Tomick attached the following image(s):
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