Fuel tank pick up

My solution is to weld in a bottom pickup actually two one 3/8" and one 1/2"

I'm using one for the fuel system the other is a drain or spare should I add NITROUS!

NICE looking welds on an early aluminum tank with fiberglass covering and AN fittings. Way to go!

You know I thought the fiberglass was installed on recall but it had the #1306 chalked on the tank like it came from the factory that way!

So far I have numbers matching fuel tank, passenger door, head light buckets, and maybe much more wait till I'm in the BJ Auction

good stuff Mark!

I need a new tank any body know our options ?? new ? fixing the old one is rather dangerous. Any ideas ? Whats the right way to fix the old tank ?? Fiberglass ?? Weld it ? but what do you do purge it with nitrogen?? I often thought of fabricating one but its a complex tank. I guess if some one had a template I could get one bent up and weld TIG it together... sounds like a lot of work ??

Hall has new tanks listed on their website under the monthly special listing. New steel tank is $800. I am sure the other dealers probably have them also.
http://www.hallpantera.com/monthly_specials.htm

Gary #06984

Tanks can be welded if you purge the tank with inert gas like Argon or fill with water and weld over the small air bubble. both proceedures should be done after a good rinse of soap and water.

But given the fact the motor has to be out to remove the tank. Might just buy a new one, could save some future labor cost if it were to start leaking again.

I would watch for an early aluminum tank. they should last forever..right? for $800 I bet you could take your old one to a metal fab shop and the could cut and bend one, weld with high frequency.Out of aluminum.

Aluminium is Ok but corrodes where it touches bolts etc.
If your going to have one made - why not get it done in stainless steel, that willlast for ever.

I was thinking that SS would be best. I can weld SS with my TIG. I have a vendor with a huge HVAC Sheetmetal shop. I think if I made a template on AUTOCAD 3D. I could plot it and have it cut and folded. Why I need a template is the corners are rounded. They would have to be sharp bends. The tank would have to be measured and drawn up. What guage SS would we use. IS there regulations ? Wouldnt the baffle be needed inside for slosh of the fuel ? Would this be some thing other memebers would be interested in ? Its do'able but would take some time. I think the hardest thing is making the template. The welding is one saturday afternoon. 4 hrs. Just brainstorming

I had a tank made for my '46 Hillman Minx.
They used 1mm stainless and duplicated all the baffle plates.
Looks like they MIG welded - TIG is much neater.

When I took the aluminum tank out of my 71 to have it modified for the 5.4 conversion. It looked brand new.

If you're going to have a tank manufactured, I would advise aluminum. Both aluminum & stainless are expensive & both have to be TIG welded, so the expense shouldn't be much different, in fact, most welders I know have a harder time with stainless than aluminum. aluminum makes a good fuel tank material & is lighter, the stainless tank would be a heavy bugger.

I drop hints from time to time that we need a plastic tank for the Pantera, light & corrosion/rust proof & indestructable. There are domestic manufacturers who manufacture motorcycle fuel tanks (Maier & Clarke). Their tanks retail for about $200. Even if a vendor paid $200 for a Pantera fuel tank & marked it up 100%, would any one of us hesitate to purchase a replacement tank for only $400? Not I !

This suggestion will hopefully sink in someday, one of our vendors will figure out he could sell the tank at 100% mark up & corner the market. Who would buy an expensive stainless tank when the plastic tank is available at less than half the price & 1/4 the weight?

Anybody reading this? Kirk, Larry, Dennis, Marino, Steve, Jerry/Dave, etc

Getting tanked with my friends on the DTBB, George

I picked up on those hints George..... I often thought of this heavy plastic....but consider its a little close to the motor for comfort..I could make this tank.. but as a contractor I always have labor hours on the brain.. If i wasnt so busy I would.. I~m still throwing it around.. and of coarse its not an easy tank to duplicate is probably the biggest reason it has not been done. For 800 to buy a steel repro is crazy..its not even galvanized. Thats not ahppening here. the bottom if mine is rusted and was patched. To get this on the road for spring I may just cut out the bottom and weld in a new galvanized bottom.

Roland,

Somewhere in the middle there are steel tanks .... becuase thats whats in mine. Have you an Aluminum tank for sale ??? email me if so... ronmarl@optonline.net

Ron

Roland,

Thats about what I thought, its the going rate and with the price of metals making it and the labor hours is a tough choice. Yes we spoke of this once before about shipping. I would look funny carrying it on the plane. LOL Any chance that someone has a template for the manufacturing of the tank. It just doesnt pay to make one tank, it would pay to make a hand full. That I could get done.

Look at the following site, they list new aluminum or stainless steel tanks for around $1100.00. Takes the guesswork out of it.


http://www.precisionproformance.com/enginebay.htm

Gary #06984