Re: today was unique, good, bad and unusual....

Posted by Dave Brownell On 2014/6/9 10:39:31

While my 56 shows evidence of the gas tank being removed sometime in the last decade, the what and why is still a mystery. It is prettier than the surrounding body metal, but since it doesn't leak, I will be happy to keep it. Given the thoroughness of the previous mechanic owner, I would imagine it was taken out and cleaned before reinstalling, using a (Eastwood?) tank coating.

My 1987 BMW tank and fuel lines were replaced a few years ago with internal and external corrosion causing smells and leaks. My 1967 Corvette tank was replaced by me and club friends as a Saturday project. This was made more interesting because my car still had the factory glued tank sticker still in place after 46 years, showing details of production and content. A piece of paper, somewhat protected from the elements, lasting that long is strange when the tank, itself, seemed to be corroding on the bottom interior. Makes me think of Ethanol and what we've already talked about with outboards, lawn equipment and chain saws. I have never seen a Packard with a Flex-Fuel badge, but therein may be the reason for all of these failures in the past ten years.

I suppose the biggest blow to the car collector fans will be if 85 Ethanol is ever approved and adopted. Right now, finding the good gas is an adventure none of us want to take. At our business, my sons have three colors of new metal safety gas cans (diesel, 40:1 oil/mix, ethanol-free) and plastic for the current 10 percent ethanol. That new 10% is never put in a nice metal can per their ruling. I wince a bit when I put it directly into the Packard, BMW or the Corvettes. White plastic tanks seem the new normal, so the car makers may know something collectors don't.