Hey folks newbie here. I'm looking for help on which tank i should purchase. I'm looking at a new mustang gas tank. I've seen 16 gal -22 gal tanks. My question is which one should I go with and which is easier to install. I've researched and I've seen some build a whole frame for the tank and some have just "reinforced" the hole with 1" angle iron. If I go with a 20 gal tank can I just reinforce the hole using angle iron or should I build a frame like some other guys have.whats the best way to install this. This is going in my olds in my avatar. Any advice I would appreciate.
It depends how much gas your engine burns and how many long trips you want to take. If you have a giant gas sucking 500 cu in engine that gets 10MPG and you go on long trips in the desert, running out of gas every 160 miles will just make you mad. On the other hand if you have a near stock small V8 that gets 20MPG and you use it for going to local cruises, tooling around the neighborhood and only drive it 50 miles a week, 16 gals will last you 6 weeks. That is 320 miles on a tank full. Going only by size, the smallest tank will be the cheapest and easiest to install because it is smaller and lighter. You could measure your car and measure the tank, and see what you have room for. With the price of gas today I would be leaning towards the small engine, small gas tank. As for how much you need to reinforce the trunk floor, you have to use your own judgement. How strong is it now? Remember gas weighs 6 pounds per gallon plus the weight of the tank and you don't want it to fall out even over a big bump.
I'd suggest that if your trunk floor is good stay away from Mustang tanks and mount a tank underneath the floor where they belong. if nobody makes a tank for your Olds look at what they have for Chevrolets and see if they can be made to work.
I agree, possibly a 48 Chevy gas tank would work,,these guys offer a reasonable tank. HRP http://www.autocityclassic.com/inde...rt&page=shop.browse&category_id=919&Itemid=64
Thanks for the responses guys. 49 ratfink I still have my trunk intact. I heck I still have the original tank but I haven't had it pressure tested or anything. I've found online a new sending unit but it was 250 alone. So that's why I was considering the mustang tank. I can get everything for about 150 shipped to my house. If I go the route of the 48 chevy tank are they essentially the same tank? Can use my original Guage from the olds? I'm not trying to go all original just trying to get my project up and going. Hrp- thanks for the site. I'll definitely check it out
if your tank is good maybe just a good cleaning will do. as far as the gauge you didnt say if you went to 12 volt yet so that might be why the gauge is so expensive. i have a 41 olds and i do have 12 volt system now. i bought a aftermarket gauge and sender for 50 bucks.
Hey rusty-o - toole thanks for the info. I was considering the 20 gal tank just cause I don't want to always have to stop. It'll be more for around town cruising but I want to be able to go to take the occasional long trip here and there.
Oldsman41 thanks for the reply. It'll be a 12 volt system. When I bought the car the wiring was all but cut up and gone. I was already thinking about an aftermarket guage. But after seeing how much the sending unit was I was trying to out weigh my options. Spend money to see if the original was still good or buy a new mustang tank. Any advice on testing my original tank. I read using water and putting air to pressurize the tank. any suggestions I would greatly appreciate. T
I'd say use water, and if it holds water follow that up with some POR15, just to make sure having the water in the tank doesn't corrode anything.
how big is your bladder? When you get right down to it your tank only needs to contain enough fuel to run the amount of time between having to stop and pee.
I just hate planning my road trips around rest room locations. It's a real pain in the a**,if you know what I mean. Get the biggest tank you can afford to fill. ........................Jack
lmao. thanks for the reply spooler41 and da tinman. i definitely know what you mean. like i said i was considering my options. i like the idea of having a new tank and being able to go to the parts store to pick up a new sending unit when i need too. oldsman41-you said you picked up a new sending unit and aftermarket gauge for around $50. what sending unit did you use? was it an original unit or did you just find one that fit? thanks for the responses guys.
Using a 20 gal tank, means you can run further with few worries about finding a fuel stop. Best choice I made was a 20 gallon model.
I use Mustang tanks as a go-to tank on a lot of builds. There is no history of them proving as safety issue, versus any other tank. Mounting is the same on all 16-22. They are all the same under the floor. The smallest has a flush flat top, the larger has a rise above the floor, and the largest, an even bigger rise. Build a perimeter frame, mount the tank, move on.
http://www.tanksinc.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=276/mode=prod/prd276.htm These are pretty reasonable, should be easily adaptable and no where near the fus of reworking. You need to know the ohms your gauge operates at and you'll need to drop the voltage to the guage. That's all been done a million times and I'm sure that you can find out how to do it with 2.00 worth of radio shack parts. If your tank is good I'd really think about options
Gimpyshotrod, 31vicky, thanks for the responses. I'm definitely weighing my options. I'm limited to tools but I think I can make it happen if I go the route of the mustang tank. I really appreciate the help and advice everyone.
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