Have replaced the fuel tank in my '56 and want to recondition the original one for possible future reinstallation. Any tricks?
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Re: C1 Fuel Tank Resto
steve
I had my 57 tank recoditioned at a local raditor shop it was a three step process with the resulting inside being a green color c.c. and other co's do sell kits but I would rather know that it was done by professionals that way you have someone to turn to if something goes wrong it cost me about $166 for process
paul -
Re: C1 Fuel Tank Resto
Eastwood sells a kit to do this. I used it, and it came out great. The kit's about $75, and you'll need to buy about $25 worth of chemicals locally. When you finish, you'll have about 3 gallons of hazardous waste that you'll need to dispose of. The hazardous waste is lacquer thinner and muriatic acid. Most towns have a hazardous waste day where you can get rid of this stuff. You'll need some upper body strength to pick and shake the tank to slosh the chemicals around. The kit cleans the tank their way. But if you could get a radiator shop to "boil it out", I believe that would be better.
The Eastwood kit will clean, prepare, and coat the inside of the tank with a white goop that seals it. You're on your own for the outside. But Eastwood also sells some zinc galvanizing-in-a-spray-can paint. Don't forget that even if you clean the tank and make it all pretty, the metal may be thin from rust. Do you trust it?Comment
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What about tin plating??
There is a guy in IN or IL who advertises in Hemmings and who does tin plating. I've spoken to him about doing mine and think it runs a couple hundred to have it done. It costs about the same as replacing with an aftermarket repro which is a poor fit. Of course, the tank has to be worth saving. If it's already a leaker, or is too badly rusted, replacing it is probably the only option. The advantage is once tinned it will never rust, inside or out. It will also have a similar appearance to the original plating which is no big deal on a C1 since the tank is hidden anyway. The main thing is the fit. You have to send him the tank already cleaned out, as I recall. He only does a light pickling before plating.
I'm not big on the liners, etc. Has anyone tried plating?Comment
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Re: What about tin plating??
Hi Clare
I never tried Tin plating but when I bought my 62 vette, I pulled out the tank to give it a good cleaning. I bought a kit from Eastwood. It did a good job.Then I started to clean the little rust on the outside.Thats when I realized I wasted my time and money. Under 4 rust spots, there were good size holes.I gave up right there and ordered a new tank from Quanta.I won't take a chance on repairing holes in a gas tank, especially for my corvette.Not because of fear of explosion. I had it completely cleaned. It was for fear of leaks down the road.If your tank is in good condition then the Tinning could be good. Otherwise buy a new one.
Good Luck........JohnComment
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How'd it fit?
The new tank from Quanta? I've heard they are a tight fit and somewhat difficult to get the straps around.Comment
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Re: How'd it fit?
Hi Clare
It was a tight fit.It has the OAL logo on it as original.You might have to bend the area on the tank where the straps go a little more than how it's bent now to get the straps to reach easier for a better fit. I found out that this tank fits better than the one from corvette central.I got mine in and all is well.
Here are Quanta's numbers:
Order line - 1-800-BELTS-88
Inquires - (410) 658-5700
Fax - (410) 658-5758
WWW.QUANTAPRODUCTS.com
Good luck...JohnComment
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Re: What about tin plating??
Original tanks were galvanized (hot dip) vs. plated (electro-deposition process; very uniform coating) and, to a trained eyeball, the difference is visually evident. If you go the route of replacing the tank, you get all new/fresh metal & gal coating but sacrifice a touch of factory originality as repro tanks are reported to be 'slightly' different in size + the ones I've seen have the 'A' emboss applied 90-degrees out of phase compared to factory originals...Comment
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Re: How'd it fit?
I put a Quanta tank in my '57 (plus filler neck hose, vent hose, etc.) when I restored it; was a close fit, but so was the old one when I took it out. Last thing I'd do is waste money on trying to save a 40+year-old tank; if there's one pinhole, many more are close behind it, and I don't need a pool of gas on the garage floor.Comment
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