The Ford Barn - View Single Post - 1930 Roadster gas tank removal and install

Razkid · 09-26-2020, 03:35 PM

I'm taking the gas tank out of a friends 1930 Roadster to clean it and then reinstalling it. I have a couple of questions about the process.
1. Are the screw heads along the front edge of the tank, over the firewall, supposed to be the body color or more of a cad plated color (unfinished)? I have a 1931 Phaeton that the screw heads are unfinished. I'm going to try and run a razor blade around the heads of the screws to try and avoid chipping the paint on the tank when I remove the screws.
2. Whoever "restored" this Roadster didn't use any welting between any panels so I don't have anything to go by when installing the welting around the tank. Does anyone have a pattern of how and where to cut the welting to make it fit around the tank. I know you have to cut v's into it but are there set locations to cut these v's and is the point of the v right at the bead of the welting? I have heard to staple cloth strips to all of the edges of the welt so you can pull on them to bring the welting into place.
3. This car sat for four years with a tankful of gas that had gone bad. I drained out the gas and when I looked into the tank, the gas gauge rod was a crusty mess and stuck into position. I was told by a person at Rust911 to use Zep purple metal cleaner to get all of the varnish off of the tank before using the Rust911 to remove the rust. Has anyone else used this process?
4. After soaking the tank with the Zep I figured I should fill the tank with water and flush it out several times to get rid of as much crud as I can before using the Rust911. Does this sound like a good idea?
5. Any comments or ideas are greatly appreciated. If all else fails, is there a place near the south shore of MA that professionally cleans tanks?! Thanks in advance.

09-26-2020, 03:35 PM	#1
Razkid Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: MA Posts: 16	1930 Roadster gas tank removal and install I'm taking the gas tank out of a friends 1930 Roadster to clean it and then reinstalling it. I have a couple of questions about the process. 1. Are the screw heads along the front edge of the tank, over the firewall, supposed to be the body color or more of a cad plated color (unfinished)? I have a 1931 Phaeton that the screw heads are unfinished. I'm going to try and run a razor blade around the heads of the screws to try and avoid chipping the paint on the tank when I remove the screws. 2. Whoever "restored" this Roadster didn't use any welting between any panels so I don't have anything to go by when installing the welting around the tank. Does anyone have a pattern of how and where to cut the welting to make it fit around the tank. I know you have to cut v's into it but are there set locations to cut these v's and is the point of the v right at the bead of the welting? I have heard to staple cloth strips to all of the edges of the welt so you can pull on them to bring the welting into place. 3. This car sat for four years with a tankful of gas that had gone bad. I drained out the gas and when I looked into the tank, the gas gauge rod was a crusty mess and stuck into position. I was told by a person at Rust911 to use Zep purple metal cleaner to get all of the varnish off of the tank before using the Rust911 to remove the rust. Has anyone else used this process? 4. After soaking the tank with the Zep I figured I should fill the tank with water and flush it out several times to get rid of as much crud as I can before using the Rust911. Does this sound like a good idea? 5. Any comments or ideas are greatly appreciated. If all else fails, is there a place near the south shore of MA that professionally cleans tanks?! Thanks in advance.