Here’s Why Warplane Fuel Tanks Make Some Of The Most Badass Hot Rods On The Planet


I hadn’t heard of ‘belly tanker’ hot rods until recently but I feel like I’ve stumbled onto a culture here that I really want to become a part of. For starters, these are some of the most badass looking hot rods around. They pass the eye test and then some. Seriously, just feast your eyes upon these badass cars below and tell me they aren’t incredible.

Furthermore, the structure of these discarded fuel tanks from World War II fighter planes are aerodynamically perfect to be repurposed into hot rods so they’re not only aesthetically badass but they also pack a serious punch on the track.

This clip from Business Insider video breaks down the myriad of reasons as to why these are such sick hot rods and honestly, I’m sold. I just need to know where to send the check and I’m ready to buy one and get in on this type of racing. Why not? It looks fun as hell, doesn’t it? What else do you need in a hobby?

To recap, Belly Tankers are a fusion of leftover parts from WWII mixed with modern hot rod ingenuity. They come from the fuel tankers found on WWII fighter planes like the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The parts are out there, it’s just a matter of putting in the elbow grease and creating your own.

Now I just need someone to go in on this hobby with me because I don’t know jack shit about building a hot rod by myself.

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Cass Anderson is the Editor-in-Chief of BroBible. Based out of Florida, he covers an array of topics including NFL, Pop Culture, Fishing News, and the Outdoors.