64 Galaxie... hacking the floor for a gas tank

*****adding pics as I go*****

My trunk floor is rotten, my gas tank is missing, and the strap-attaching points are ripped-through. The correct tank for my Galaxie (with sender, filler, and straps) is $560 with shipping and takes 3 weeks of lead-time to get it.

Plan B: the 1969 Mustang tank is 20 gallons, has the same 73-10 ohm sender, and fits through the trunk floor (with a screw-flange all the way around, it will actually cut-out most of my rotten steel). It is also $185 for all of the same parts. I know I'll need to do some fab work to fit it and attach the filler, but I think it's a win-win decision.

Oh... and the extra 4" of ground-clearance won't hurt my slammed-ass car either

Opinions?

 

Not sure I see a down side, but pictures of the proposed adventure may be help full. How does the fill neck of the mustang tank compare to the fuel door location on the Gal? Make sure to put a trunk floor back over the tank, but otherwise good luck.

 

Sounds like a good solution to your problem. Go for it!




Malcolm

 

The Mustang tank is made to be the trunk floor right? This may be one of those obvious solutions that no one has done!

 

It's great until you get rear ended. I was in a Mustang that got rear ended. The gas tank ruptured and since Ford saved $3.50 per car by using the top of the tank as the trunk floor the trunk filled with burning gas. We got out, but it burned right through the back seat and gutted the whole inside. But Ford in it's infinite wisdom did a cost study, and found it was cheaper to pay off any law suites then put a real metal trunk floor in the Mustangs. Just my two cents, do what you want.

 

Important info, thanks.

 

I was thinking of doing this to my 63. Just wondering, I know the mustang tanks have been used in other applications before, do most people put the extra trunk floor in when they do it? I know all about the explosion problems they had with these before just wondering what everybody did.

 

I am installing a sheetmetal firewall (literally) behind the back seat. It will insulate me from the gas tank, and from road noise in the trunk.

Another case of solving 2 problems with one piece of steel

 

just alittle clarifing the 69 mustang tank is 19 gallons and the 70 mustang tank is 20 gallons yes im serious ive bought them i know look close at my avatar you can see my 69 in the pic


edit maybe the 70 tank is 22 gals they are the same price the differnce is the top part of the tank the 70's is acouple inches taller

 

The Mustang gas-tank-as-trunk-floor was one of those old-time $0.43 thrifts that are a really dumb idea. Same basic idea as what they did on the Pinto, they just got away with it because Mustangs had more room (and most had the transverse muffler) between the tank and the rearend housing to keep the tank from rupturing so easily.

No one hangs tanks out in back any more, they're all under the back seat. GM went thru fits of apoplexy over bringing the Monaro into the US (as the GTO) because the tank was under (completely under, not like Mustang/Falcon/Pinto) the trunk floor; even though the car would pass collision and fuel-leakage tests as-is, this was at a time when Ford was being sued by some cops over some suspension bolt threads tearing open Crown Vic tanks in rearend collisions so by the time it was ready for the US market the Monaro/GTO lost over a third of its trunk to a tank up between the rear wheels.

My '65 Mustang convertible now has the tank bolted up from underneath into a steel-angle frame around the tank opening in the floorpan, an 18ga steel trunk floor over the tank with a doghouse that covers the filler pipe up thru the trunk-latch support.

 

FWIW there is a ready made setup to cover the Mustang tank, although it would be a pretty straightforward item to fabricate:

http://www.tankarmor.com/

I stupidly never even considered the dangerous aspects of the tank as floor design. Glad to know, my 15 year old wants a 65-66, and yes I know they are OT.

 

DROCK6570 on the hamb has a tank for your car that I think might be for sale. you should shoot him a pm

 

Nine out of ten custom shoebox fords are running a mustang tank...

Rod and Custom did a tech article on it....

It MUST be safe

Rich

 

The other obvious advantage you have too is that your car has a full frame that extends beyond the tank to absorb impact that the Mustang and Pinto doesn't. I don't see a problem with this deal myself, as a matter of fact, almost went that route with my '48 Plymouths tank a while back.

 

I never thought about the frame issue. It probably does add some level of safety to it that a unibody car does not have.

 

exactly.

Sure, it can be made more safely, but if that's all I was concerned about I would have bought a Volvo to match my wife's.

It's no different than driving a Mustang, or a Model A with a cowl tank, or any pre-70's truck with the tank behind the seat.

 

Bingo! Exactly my point to most. Old cars do have a different set of risks than new cars. We except this when we jump in and turn the key.

 

This is exactly what I was thinking about doing in my 60 galaxie. The guy that owned my car before me lowered it and I think he saw how close the gas tank was to the pavment. So the tank has been strapped in the trunk since.

I think the tech term for this kind of operation is called a "channeled gas tank"
the only reason I have done it yet is because I'm plannig on running a bass amp in the trunk and I'm not to sure how safe that would be. Lol

Post pics of your progress.

 

I think the Mustang tank is a great idea.Every 60s midsize Ford product had the tank as part of the trunk.I had a 69 Mustang that got hit by a couple idiots street racing,pushed the whole rear of the car forward,didn't leak a drop,the two other cars were towed away.I've had my 65 Comet for 44 years,no issues,had Falcons and a Cougar too.If I was concerned I would put in a rear firewall. ROY.

 

i"ve seen this done in a 61 fairlane, the craftsmanship was shitty but done right it would be a good setup. i'm considering the same thing for the same reasons on mine.

 

If you get another Galaxie tank , . . . . ..I got some straps if you want em. just pay for shipping

 

I've owned a few '64 Fords and they are built like tanks out back. I'd say go with the 'Stang tank. I like the added firewall idea.

Bob

 

the mustang tank will be fine. i have put firewalls in mustangs to protect from fire. it's a great idea.

 

The new '69 tank will be here by the end of the day. I ordered it yesterday morning from Mustangs Unlimited in Georgia... talk about a fast turnaround!!!

I spent last night cutting rot out of the trunk. I think I have more rust than metal. The previous dumbass decided that laying fiberglass and roofing mastic over some flashing was a good fix... he never fixed the rust holes in the weatherstrip channel (the source of the water in the trunk).

I have the back basically gutted. I have the rear body mount leaning against the wall as a template to fab a new one. The rear panel was loose and floppy whenever I closed the trunk because all of the structure had rotted away. I need to fit the bumper and close the trunk to "locate" the exact position of the rear panel and weld-in some braces before I start fabbing a new rear floor.

This pic was after removing the flashing and resin... the air hammer with a rounded hammer-bit did beautifully to destroy that caked-on mess.



This is after removing the body-mounting crossmember and part of the filler-tube tunnel.

 

I put one in the Merc and it worked out great. You cant beat the price and availability. I paid the big bucks for a galaxie tank in my daily driver and would have saved the money if I did it all over again. The only thing I can tell ya to watch out for is the spotwelds that hold the sending unit retaining ring on. I had them pop on two tanks for the Galaxie. Make sure they are good or just for insurance, drill them a little and weld them good with a roset weld. I did it on the mustang tank and the second Gal, nothing worse than a leakin sending unit!!!! Glad to see your on it and keep us posted. Let me know if you need any more Galaxie stuff!!!

 

Oh... I will!

Actually, I'm doing pretty well right now. The manual steering parts I got from you work beautifully... I'm getting new tie-rods pretty soon. The dash and bumper are still in the shed. I had to take care of the gas tank situation... the car had a small fuel cell just sitting in the trunk. I had enough of that!

I cut 1 coil from the front springs and got the front where I like it... add my rebuilt Z'ed frame and some 2" blocks in the rear and it should really drag ass. The "frenched" gas tank idea came when I measured ground clearance and found the tank was going to be the lowest point. Now the bumper is the lowest... I'm going to make two grind-plates out of some 2 x 2 box tubing and 3/16" plate to protect the bumper.

New ride height with 15 x 7 steelies and 225/70R15 cop tires:





I ran the numbers and measured the stroke on the old FE... what was supposedly a 352 4V is actually a '66 390GT 4V... SCORE!!! I need to freshen it up and maybe do a little cam-swap for one of the Crower "Beast" truck cams. It already has the good medium-riser heads and intake, and the previous owner put a 650 Holley on there. I need to ditch the bullshit Duraspark he put on there (no advance at all) and find a good points dizzy. That, the cam, and some headers should wake this old girl up.

I'm thinking 2" exhaust from the headers. I have a set of 2" spiral-core glasspacks I will run until I can buy some good ones.

 

WooHoo!!!

The '69 tank, '69 sender, and '66 filler tube are Out for Delivery

 

that is a good idea. i would like to see pictures as you get it finished up. i had to patch up my tank and put a new sending unit in it and the gauge still doesnt work. i wish my front end sat like that, i cut one coil and it didnt drop it at all.

 

Have you already z'ed the frame? The frame kicks up on these things stock and I have seen them layed out without notches or z'ing the frame. You have sparked my curiosity... please elaborate

 

It's a "Z" out of necessity... a "ghetto Z".

The back of my frame was rotten and the rear spring perches had been cut/bent/welded into garbage.

I used a section of Isuzu truck frame and sunk the spring mounts into it. Still waiting on bushings