Early '50s Bonneville Streamliner

[W-409]

This could be a long project, but let's kick it off while waiting for parts to dry on my '61 Impala in Drag Racing Models section.

I've always wanted to build a Bonneville Streamliner from the early '50s. The problem has been the starting point, or the lack of one. Now finally I was able to score an affordable Hawk's Bonneville Racer on eBay. I'm not sure if I should call this a model kit or a toy, the very few parts that are included in the box, need to be assembled, but after that you could drive around with your rubber-band powered Streamliner!
Anyway, this thing is supposed to be 1/32nd scale, but as far as I know, it's trying to represent a Streamliner that would have a big aircraft engine for power. And, that kind of Streamliners were huge. If you compare the size of this thing to a 1/25th scale Hot Rod for example, it looks natural, so it's about the correct size if you're replicating a Streamliner powered by a regular automotive engine.

In this project, I will use the body, wheels and tires from this kit, everything else has to be either kitbashed, modified or scratchbuilt. So a lot of work is ahead, but also we need to keep in mind that most of the frame, axles etc will be hidden once this is finished and the belly pan is glued on place. I will have a removable hood on this thing so I will do my best on engine detail.

Speaking of the engine, it will be a 239 Cid Ford Flathead with a front mounted Blower. This puts it in B/Streamliner class.

The kit:

The engine is a 3D printed product by Iceman Collections. It's actually really nice, but has the usual 3D-printed texture so that needs to be taken care of.

First thing was to test fit if the engine will even fit between the rear axle and driver. There's definitely no extra space, but I think it'll fit, and I'll be able to fit a stubby transmission in there as well.

The body is really low, though. The engine would not fit under the hood. And by looking at pictures of these things, I thought I need to modify the body a bit taller to make the frame and engine fit properly between the belly pan and body. This is just a cardboard template taped to the body to see if the shape would be nowhere near acceptable.

I'm not very good at photoshopping pictures, but this is the cardboard template "painted by computer" with body color. I think the shape is reasonable, so I might need to cut the required pieces from styrene and glue them on.

 

 

[absmiami]

You got me …

[Belugawrx]

Very ambitious project there Niko...but you won't be using those tires...? surely

Look forward to what you come up with here.

[Pierre Rivard]

Oh yes Niko, my kind of project! Stay focused and go for what you have imagined this would be. Caution, I don't want to derail you from your vision but...I'm just curious here, is the plan to keep the driver ahead  or set it up more traditional with him in the back?

[jomartin]

If you dry sump the motor it will fit lower in the body...

[Dave B]

Hi Nico, I'll be watching this as I have an unbuilt Hawk kit and I took intend to build a Bonneville streamliner.

Dave B

[Codi]

Good morning Nico, I've always loved the salt cars of all era's and this one really catches the imagination.  With your abilities, I can't wait to see where you take it.  No doubt it will be well worth the effort.  Good luck.  cheers, tim

[Lunajammer]

Yes. Interested.

[Straightliner59]

I love this concept! I have one of those kits sitting here, and had considered something similar. I'll be watching, Niko!

[Scott Colmer]

This is a cool project. I'm in.

[stavanzer]

What a Great Build, Idea!

I'll be watching too.

[Paul Payne]

I like it!

[W-409]

Thanks everyone for the interest!

This is a project that I've wanted to do for many many years, as I've always found the early Land Speed cars, and especially Streamliners, very cool. During the recent years I've been in El Mirage twice and that has not necessarily helped the desire to build one... I definitely want to visit Bonneville some time, but being in Finland, it's not always so easy to make happen.

Anyway, the biggest issue with this project has always been the body. Now that I finally found one of these at an affordable price, it's time to build one.

On 2/18/2025 at 10:09 PM, Belugawrx said:

Very ambitious project there Niko...but you won't be using those tires...? surely

Look forward to what you come up with here.

 

Let's see, I'm not sure yet on the tires, but I might be using them! We'll see once I get the thing un-assembled and the remains of those old rubber-bands that go around the tires removed, I can see how they really look like. After all, I'd like to use the original tires, and they can't be seen much on the finished model anyway.

 

On 2/19/2025 at 12:34 AM, Pierre Rivard said:

Oh yes Niko, my kind of project! Stay focused and go for what you have imagined this would be. Caution, I don't want to derail you from your vision but...I'm just curious here, is the plan to keep the driver ahead  or set it up more traditional with him in the back?

 

This is what I was thinking myself when I got this thing. It would be fairly easy to turn the body "backwards" and have the driver behind the engine, but then I decided that I want to go with the driver in front and engine in back.

 

On 2/19/2025 at 1:49 AM, jomartin said:

If you dry sump the motor it will fit lower in the body...

 

This is an excellent idea that never came to my mind when I was planning this one. Thanks! I did some research on the subject and I think I will build a dry sump setup for the engine. It will be a big help with the clearance issue.

 

I'm still a little in the planning stages as far as the body shapes go. With the idea of using a dry sump, I don't have to make the body as much taller as I originally mocked up. However, I think I'll be adding a little thickness to the body to make everything fit properly, but not as much as I originally thought. A small bulge will be added to the hood to help with clearance and I will have to re-design the front end a little, so that air doesn't go under the body and lift the car up in higher speeds.

[Belugawrx]

4 minutes ago, W-409 said:

 

Let's see, I'm not sure yet on the tires, but I might be using them! We'll see once I get the thing un-assembled and the remains of those old rubber-bands that go around the tires removed, I can see how they really look like. After all, I'd like to use the original tires, and they can't be seen much on the finished model anyway.

Oh..I thought those yellow rubber band things were the tires you were talking about....lol

[W-409]

Haha, luckily not, the 65 year-old rubber bands have seen better days!

Well, been doing some bodywork on this thing. It's still on rough stages, but I think it's heading into a better direction. First I added a little material to the bottom of the body, to make the body a little taller, but not as much as on my first mock up. 

Then I started working on the nose. After looking at photos several different early Streamliners, I decided I need to stretch the nose a little to make it a lot more aerodynamic for high speeds. This was done with sheet styrene and a piece of round plastic rod. It looks a bit out of place in the pictures, but once it's molded to the rest of the body, I think it should be pretty good. At least now it will gain a few mph of top speed and the air doesn't go under the vehicle that much.

 

 

[Paul Payne]

Definitely on the right track! Regarding the tires, I suggest replacing them and the wheels with 1/25th scale items.

[Pierre Rivard]

I like the nose job. The original design was a bit short and that undercut was the recipe to get this thing airborne at high speed. This design alteration really works.

[W-409]

Thanks Paul and Pierre, much appreciated!

Regarding the tires, I haven't decided on them yet, but honestly I'd like to use the kit tires just because they are part of this kit. They are about the correct size and they look good enough, because they're not seen from the finished model basically at all. But, I haven't decided yet so things might change.

 

The front end is taking shape and looking already much better than on previous pictures. So these pics are taken after two rounds of putty and sanding. Still in rough stages, but the basic shapes are starting to be in the neighborhood of correct.

I was also digging through my parts boxes and found a starting point for the frame. That frame is from some unknown Funny Car kit and while it needs lots of modifications to fit this thing, I think it's still easier starting point, compared to building the frame completely from scratch. Also I found one front axle which might work on this.

I already cut the rear section of the Funny Car frame off as that's unnecessary. Now I can't get much further with the frame though as I don't have a rear axle yet. Once I locate one Quick Change axle from somewhere, I'll be able to build a new rear section for the frame.

 

In the meanwhile, I think I'll work on rear end of the body and fabricate the belly pan.

[styromaniac]

You're right...I've been thinking along similar lines for awhile now and those ancient HAWK Bonneville Streamliner rubber band powered    " toys " are a great starting point. But as you noted...a desire to render one in 1/24-25 scale necessitates adding height to the body shell to make room for even a low profile front blower engine. I used Evergreen sheet to add about 3-4 inches to the body height. Lot of putty and primer coats to get it smooth.

[W-409]

That looks excellent! Hopefully we see it finished one day.

Made a little progress with this one. Here's the frame after cutting the Funny Car rear section off.

I mocked up the frame inside the body, to determine where I want my rear axle to be. Then I fabricated a new rear section from plastic rod. I don't have the axle yet so I'm not able to build any mounts for that just yet, but now I'm able to test fit other parts so I can get a little further.
Keep in mind that the rear section of the frame is not done yet, the frame will need more modifications to make everything fit properly... But now I was able to test fit the engine.

With engine mocked up to the frame, and frame mocked up to the body, I was able to notice that the engine does fit between the hood and belly pan once I change the stock oil pan into a dry sump system.

Then I added one crossmember in front of the engine and built simple engine mounts out of L-shaped plastic profile. Nothing fancy, but they're not seen very well from finished model anyway, so once I add bolt ends to them I guess they'll be ok.