C1:Fiberglass 24 Gal. gas tank

[Gene #39090]

Just removed my glass gas tank today for leaking problems. Over the last 30 years I have used boat resin and glass cloth from Checker to seal the leaks and a friend put some liquid sealer from a boat racing org. in it and sloshed it around to try and seal it. Didn't work very long. I think the next step is to cut it open at the seam and fix it from the inside. What materials will seal it and hold gas without leaking? Also I painted it white years ago and forgot what the original color was, white, plain glass or the redish primer that is on the breather tube and oversprayed on the breather hose? Is Mike Ernst the same as lived in California a few years ago and has a tank Vette and wrote a great article on tank Vettes? Thanks for any help. HELP!!!
fuelie1962@aol.com

[Mike M.]

Re: C1:Fiberglass 24 Gal. gas tank

mike ernest, former 61-2 team leader now lives in central part of country(wisc?) and posts here regularly. Dennis clark, current 61-2 team leader also very knowledgable on the C-1 tankers and he too posts here. good luck

[Dennis C.]

Re: C1:Fiberglass 24 Gal. gas tank

Gene...

Contact Vinnie Peters, Prez of NCRS, to put you in touch w/Bill Armstrong. He owns a '61 tank car and did a "restoration" of the tank to cure leaks. He may be the single most qualified NCRS member on the subject, as far as tank "repair" is concerned. Good Luck. DC

[Joe L.]

Re: C1:Fiberglass 24 Gal. gas tank

Gene------

One of the problems with the C1 24 gallon tanks, as well as the C2 36 gallon tanks, is the fact that fiberglass-reinforced PLASTIC, being an organic material, is not completely impervious to an organic solvent (like gasoline). Fiberglass, or more specifically the resin used to create the fiberglass-reinforced PLASTIC, is RELATIVELY impervious to gasoline, but with over 40 years of time for the gasoline to "attack" the material, it will be degraded to some degree.

Assuming that the fiberglass material still has enough structural integrity to serve as the "shell" of a gasoline tank, the only effective means that I can conjure up to repair such a tank is to coat or otherwise apply a "liner" to the inside of the tank which is gasoline "impervious" and try to repair the substrate fiberglass structure of the tank, using conventional fiberglass repair techniques, to retain as much structural integrity as possible.

I would expect, however, that 40 years contact with gasoline has rather seriously compromised the structural integrity of the tank. Given that a fuel tank is a very important safety item, I would want to be absolutely certain that any repair rendered the fuel tank SAFE and leak free for the long term.

[Mike M.]

Re: C1:Fiberglass 24 Gal. gas tank

i have had experience with Eastwood's tank liner, a viscous liquid that resembles contact cement, in the repair of the gas tank in my 49 chevy which we redid in the early l980's for one of my daughters. its had been in our family since l954, was my first car and was subjected to the salt treated winter roads ofg western mayland from 49 till 63. its had so many pin holes in it by the time we redid the car in the 80's that it resembled a collander. Eastwoods product has held up for nearly 20 years now.

[Wayne M.]

38 years and counting (fingers crossed)...

with my '65 N03. Talking with previous owners, they rarely used the top half of the tank, so if it eventually needs re-sealing, it will probably be in the 2 sumps (to either side of the driveshaft tunnel).

These failures might also have something to do with today's formulation of gasoline (special additives for this and that), versus the "straight-run" blends of days gone by.

[Gene #39090]

Re: C1:Fiberglass 24 Gal. gas tank

Now I have two 12 gallon gas tanks. Not as bad as I thought inside, the leaks are repairable now that it is two pieces. I guess boat resen with glass cloth might do the job. If anyone knows of better glass please let me know. Thanks for the replys. fuelie1962@aol.com

[Wayne M.]

RESTORER reprint on making a 42 gal from 36 gal

Gene -- This was part of GM racing directions, and described where and how to cut into an N03 tank, extend the sections, patch. I think it describes the materials to use. I could look it up if you don't have it.

This was feasible in C2's 'cause the tank was well forward of the rear bulkhead, for center-of-gravity reasons, and there was plenty of room under the cover for extending the tank (or smuggling).