Carb Hatch Fuel Tank

[plumster]

Well, after spending many hours cleaning up this tank:-

 

 

Rubbed, scrubbed, scraped & sweated over to get it to this state:-

 

 

All pipes & connectors replaced & looking pretty good from the sad thing that came out.

 

 

 

But, I've got another.... yippee, this is a better starting point, so started to clean this up ready for repainting & swapping over. 

 

 

I will probably flog the other one once I get this finished.

[opelmantagsi]

this is what the old shitty fuel breather line clips look like after being blasted and powder coated.

 

I could not find new ones anywhere so for 15 quid it worked out a nice easy option for me in NZ

 

[plumster]

Those clips are the dogs, would love to find some of those knocking about... anybody??????

[MicsManta]

the tanks look good it took me a while to grind down weld and wax oil my tank and then put it back in way back when.

[MANTAMAN]

 i restored the tank on my Gold hatch last year, i'd repaired a small breather pipe a couple of years before which had prevented me filling up more than a few gallons but it still smelt of fuel every time i filled up, so i thought take the tank off and check all the breathers, then i thought whilst the tank is off it would be a good oppertunity to clean it a bit, that soon turned into a full scale restoration !!

 

 

 

 this was the cause of the fuel smell whilst refuelling

 

 

 

 this is the tank as it came out of the car, not bad but some areas had started to pit, i found the most effective weapon to tackle rust was a synthetic type abrasive wheel, it got into the pitting very quickly, would be easy to cause damage, here's the tank now nice and shinney -

 

 

 

 Next it was on with three coats of Red Oxide -

 

 

 

 Then a couple of coats of Dulux Weathershield paint, they claim that this extrerior paint will last ten years and it drys to a semi gloss finnish not unlike original opel componant paint -

 

 

 

 all the pipes were renewed so i expect the tank to be good for very many years to come

 

 

 

Another Oddity is on the top of the rear flange of the tank, a date stamp, 21 -1- 83, this is a full 19 months before the Manta was resgistered, i don't believe that the car was made on or around this date and sat in a show room all this time, i have been told GM Europe batch produced pressings which could explain the manufacture date on the tank -

 

 incidently the quality of the pictures isn't brilliant as they are taken on my phone, ( though being from a generation where a phone was something plugged into the wall in the hall the idea of having it your pocket and it also can take photo's like your old 35mm roll film camera but have them instantly accessable and able to instantly send them round the world is mind boggling !! )

Edited September 2, 2014 by MANTAMAN

[opelmantagsi]

this was my go at it, back to bare metal, weld up the one rust hole at the top by the filler, epoxy prime and I gave mine a few coats of stone guard

 

[opelmantagsi]

[plumster]

Well....... that makes mine look like shit, I'm going to set it on fire for the insurance money this afternoon.

[opelmantagsi]

good to see hatches being worked on

Edited September 15, 2014 by opelmantagsi

[plumster]

Stage two:-     Car should be back home soon after a bit of fettling & have spent a bit of time on Tank Two, this is a better starting point than the original one so thought what the hell lets do another one up.

 

Now then, at the painting stage & a question: has anyone done one in WHITE?????

 

Might leave it white after another couple of coats, what do you think?

 

 

[MANTAMAN]

 

question: has anyone done one in WHITE?????

 

 If your not striving for total concours originality why not, i think that looks really good, infact i would go further and do the front and rear suspension the same, keep the theme going with a black engine and white cam cover and air filter housing, tie in with a white car perfectly.

[plumster]

Originality is long gone, when I 1st changed the wheels, carb, air filter & put skirts on in 1984.

 

I will see what it looks like after a bit more paint, don't intend the car to ever be a daily driver again so it shouldn't be a problem.