



This cool custom vehicle was inspired by vintage salt flat racers, with a healthy dose of retro aviation style.





Unless you grew up in the middle of the twentieth century you’re probably not aware of what a “Connie” is. The Lockheed constellation, affectionately known as the “Connie,” is a four-engine, triple tail, piston-powered airliner conceived quietly in the late ’30s. It became one of the most widely recognized airliners in the world in the years following World War II.

As retired Connies have gone to the bone yard, not to mention other World War II vintage aircraft like it with slippery wing tip tanks, it has became popular to salvage these tanks and build just about anything with them, including hot rods. Ed Pettus is one such person who decided to build a Lakester replica rod using the wing tip tank of an L-1649 Super Connie and a lot of imagination.

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This particular tank comes from a USAF EC-121. The number “51” is the year Ed was born. A Lockheed L-1649 tip tank turned roadster is taking raw material and turning it into something to be enjoyed. Call it rolling artwork for those who dream.

He wanted a cohesive package where all of his nuances dovetailed into a replica Lakester that looked sharp and was interesting to be seen in. He wanted something fun he and his wife Kathy could cruise in when the spirit moved.

Because Ed has an extensive aviation background, it made sense for him to build a cruiser that was also an extension of his passion for aviation. He wanted to take his seat in an aircraft cockpit without leaving the ground. He copped a pair of pilots’ seats from a Lockheed Connie cousin, the Navy P2V Neptune, as well as a control wheel, also from Lockheed.

When you examine an old Stearman biplane, you’ll note that the instrument panel offers airspeed indication, but not road speed. There’s also an altitude indicator just in case Ed happens to get sideways or, heaven forbid, upside down.

The highly polished aluminum 700-gallon Lakester tip tank body is clad with the timeless winged Lockheed logo in matte black. These are air scoops from a classic Chris Craft wooden boat melded into the slippery Lakester body. Eddies took 1935 Cadillac side scoops and had them recast and machined as new for the rest of the body.

Although it’s easy to presume this custom tip tank Lakester would be powered by something like an old 60 series Ford flathead, this street-legal vehicle is powered by a 200hp turbocharged 1980 Toyota 3TC HEMI 4-cylinder engine, mated with a 5-speed manual transmission.