Patching Trunk Floor
 

Since it has been pointed out to me how dangerous and irresponsible I am for running a plastic marine tank in the trunk of my 52 Mercury, some of you will be relieved to hear I am taking steps to remedy or at least improve the situation. I have removed the plastic tank and begun patching the rusted out trunk floor with a veritable jigsaw puzzle of metal pieces. Since I am fairly new at welding rusty car bodies with a wire welder, I though it would be best to learn in a location on the car that will not be visible once it is done.
And for those that didn't know, Meteor(Ford) gas tanks are not a match for Mercury tanks. The Merc has a slightly longer tank. I'm hoping to make this Meteor tank work but right now I'd say the odds are 50:50 that I'll be back to using the plastic tank next spring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6vri27Mplk

Re: Patching Trunk Floor
 

Hey practice can't hurt. Good luck trying to keep the door open.

Re: Patching Trunk Floor
 

Ralph: can't you bring the sending unit access hole closer to the rear bumper to match the new tank?, since your welding in some new floor anyway.

Re: Patching Trunk Floor
 

Yes, I will probably make a new access door for the sending unit once I'm sure of it's location for the Meteor tank. I don't think I'll be spending $400 on a new tank made specifically to fit the 52-54 Merc. I'm not sure if that included shipping either.

Re: Patching Trunk Floor
 

Not sure whether EMS makes trunk panels for the Merc. Those for the Shoebox Ford fit fairly well.

Re: Patching Trunk Floor
 

Just from memory I don't think EMS makes a trunk floor for the Mercs. A lot of the body side and floor panels will be the same on the Ford but they do point out a few differences.

Re: Patching Trunk Floor
 

Welding around a gas tank is an invitation to disaster. We use pop rivets to secure floor patches. They can be installed from the top, and the mat will cover them. Just be careful when drilling the holes for the rivets so you don't hit the tank.

Re: Patching Trunk Floor
 

You might have missed in the video where it showed the gas tank is out of the car. I did have a piece of sheet metal screwed and pop riveted in place for a few years but I'm trying to make something a little more strong and permanent if I'm going to install a real gas tank.

Re: Patching Trunk Floor
 

Absolutely. The gas tank was still in the Tanks box when the floor was welded in place.