Thinking about replacing the current vinyl (or whatever material it is) with button snaps cover setup that was on the car when I got it with a solid 2 piece hinged cover setup. I got a pretty good idea of how to go about making it just wondering if someone has something similar I can use for reference, and what kind of hardware to make it look nice. Reason I want a two piece is because I have to stick the gas tank vent through it. Which maybe I don't even need? My buddy says you don't need a tank vent and my father says otherwise, what do yall think? Here's a picture to see what I'm dealing with. Thanks!
You absolutely need a tank vent of some kind if your fuel cap seals tight (as they do on fuel cells). It doesn't have to go through the cover, it can loop down to and go through the floor of the bed. Maybe a 90 degree fitting at the fuel cell will still fit under the cover, and then what ever fittings and hose you need to get it through the floor. But you need something. I try and use either 5/16" to 3/8" for the vent line, I tend to favor the later when possible. You can add a cheap fuel filter on the open end to keep debris out of the line.
Okay, that's an idea, didn't think to vent it down. Now what I'm wondering is how do you fix a 1 piece cover on so it won't fall off but still easy enough to get it off to fill the tank. Guess you would use a hinge on each side but what kind.
With that pea sized tank; I can see why you want easy access. Maybe hinge a one piece cover at the back and use a couple "wing nut" style dzus fasteners under the bed lip at the front. On one "T" I built; the one piece upholstered bed cover just fit snugly in place with no fasteners at all. Still there after 40+ years last I saw the car. Personally, I would build a bigger tank, that uses all available space and put a neck with a vented cap thru a snap down tarp bed cover.
Maybe do like my brother did. His is hinged at the front to get to the gas tank. you could hinge it to the rear if the front was a problem. This picture is from the 70's so overlook the Vega taillights, padding and shag carpet underneath . They have all been changed.
why not extend the gas filler neck, add a flip gas cap and make a bolt on hard cover out of marine plywood covered in the material of your choice.
Unless you have never yet driven the car the fuel cell has to be vented somewhere or the engine is going to stall out when the fuel pump creates a vacuum on the sealed tank and the vacuum won't let fuel flow. I'm thinking that the round piece setting on the fitting in the upper left corner of the tank is your tank vent that has been there all the time. Some guys have the disillusion that tanks are only vented to let fumes out but actually they are vented to let air in to replace the fuel that the pump pulls out. That cover was done the same way my buddy did the one on my 48 back in 1973. To have a solid panel that hinges you may need to make a section a couple of inches wide that matches the curve of the back of the body that has a straight back side to match the front side of the hinged cover. You could use some hidden hinges that had a dip in them like a lot of trunk hinges that you most likely made yourself to hinge it with. You might snoop around the boat supply houses for hidden hatch hinges. some are kind of spendy but there are probably some way less expensive ones and a boat salvage place might have some.
A search brings up this vent that is probably pretty close to what you have. No roll over protection though. https://poske.com/item/1657964-8an-...ry=61462&price=100&keyword=8an+fuel+cell+vent There are pages on the net on venting fuel cells that can be found with a simple search to give you ideas if you want more ideas.
Hinge at front or rear and gas shocks the length you need for the weight of the cover,probably anything from a suv trunk lid would be plenty
I made mine out of marine plywood and it is hinged with a brass piano hinge. I only use one gas shock and it seems to have worked for the past 30 years. The bed is upholstered the same as the interior, roll and pleated. My latch is from Magoo's!
More pics would help. I ended up having my filler neck poking out of mine, and held it in place with 4 magnets rated at 60lbs each. Havent had the car on the road yet, But i think theyll do a plenty fine job. Youve gotta grab it pretty good to get my lid off in the garage. Prior life it had 4 hood pins. My dads bucket he had a bungee strap from the bottom and you released it by crawling under the car.
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