It's strange how things pan out sometimes. While I've been sporadically working on the gas tank over the past few weeks, which you're about to read about, it was never intended to appear in the same issue as the fuel system in my project '49 Chevy, which you'll read about elsewhere in this issue. The two fuel-related stories effectively bookend carbureted fuel system technology, from a high-tech, pump-in-tank system equipped with a return line to a basic tank/filter/mechanical pump system. In fact, the only way this system could be more basic would be if it were a gravity feed system with no pump!
1 Here's what I started with:...
1 Here's what I started with: a Ford Anglia gas tank that I bought some 15 years ago for a "future project". That project finally presented itself, so the tank was pulled from the shelf of old rusty stuff.
While working on the gas tank before finishing the rolling chassis may seem a little odd, it was a small job I could work on at my bench in my garage whenever I had a few spare minutes, and it's all got to be done at some point, right? I bought the tank, an oval-shaped item that was original equipment on an English Ford Anglia, at a swap meet some 15 years ago, though I had no particular use for it at the time.
I figured it'd fit perfectly on the back of the Modified I'm building though, and once the original mounting brackets were removed, the filler neck and drain plugs cut out and the subsequent holes welded shut, it began to look pretty good. Flipping it over to hide the heavy seam that ran its full width improved things, and with a sight gauge fitted to one end, and a neat vintage-looking flip fuel cap from Crafty-B mounted in its center, the grungy old tank was looking pretty cool. But I wanted to seal the inside to ensure trouble-free use without flaky rust and debris blocking the fuel lines.
2 The original tank mounts...
2 The original tank mounts had to come off, which meant drilling out the spot welds. Lightly grinding the surface revealed where they were.
The Eastwood Company is known for all manner of restoration materials and products, and their gas tank sealer looked perfect for my home-brewed budget tank resto project. While the required muriatic acid, acetone, and chemically resistant gloves aren't included (and couldn't be anyway or it couldn't be shipped), everything needed to flush, treat, and seal a gas tank up to 20 gallons capacity was delivered to my door. With a Sunday afternoon set aside for the job, which has to be completed in one session, I now have a leak-proof, old-style tank and the Modified is one step closer to completion.
A Word of Warning ...
Never weld, grind, or cut a gas tank that has recently had gas in it. They can and do explode, even if they've been drained for a while. Find a specialist gas tank or radiator shop to perform the work for you or at the very least get them to thoroughly flush it so it's safe to weld on. This tank had been in my possession for so long that I was absolutely sure it had been empty for 15 years, so I felt confident in working on it. If I'd bought it recently, I'd be sourcing a specialist to perform the work.
3 Taking care not to drill...
3 Taking care not to drill through the tank itself, a Rotobroach cutter made light work of the spot welds.
4 The stock mounts are different...
4 The stock mounts are different at each end of the tank, but the same method was used to remove them. However, it was hard to locate the spot welds in this heavily rusted C-channel, so starting at one end I drilled the first weld, then used a chisel to pry the channel up, noting that where it started to bend was where the weld was. This was then repeated along the line of welds.
5 A cut-off wheel was used...
5 A cut-off wheel was used to remove the original filler neck. Obviously, cutting and welding gas tanks is dangerous if they've had gas in them recently, and I'd recommend getting one flushed and thoroughly cleaned if that's the case. This example had been empty for at least 15 years.
6 The fuel gauge sending...
6 The fuel gauge sending unit/gas outlet was removed from the top of the tank. This hole will eventually become the outlet as I elected to flip the tank over so that ugly seam (arrow) was hidden underneath.
7 Removing the drain plug...
7 Removing the drain plug revealed a little rust and I was beginning to wonder what this tank was going to be like inside.
8 With the lead melted away...
8 With the lead melted away (using a heat gun) I could see and drill out the spot welds.