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Old 03-14-2020, 08:43 PM   #1
bullrunmotor
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Default Need 55/56 Gas Tank Help in identifying what I have

Working on a "Ranchero" style vehicle built in 1959 out of a 55/56 Ford . I've posted a picture of the rig-it's been off the road since '69.. I thought it may of been based on a 55 Victoria based on conversation with family members I bought it from. I dropped the tank today and it's in pretty bad shape. My tank has (2) 2 bolt brackets on the forward section holding it to mtg. posts and (1) one bolt mounting bracket centered in the rear that mates to a bracket. My sending unit is centered on top. The replacement tanks I see for Fairlanes/Victorias all use "Straps' and appear to have offset sending units -Mine clearly does not use straps. I saw some pictures of guys working on 55/56 'wagon' tanks and I can see the brackets I mentioned. I can find plenty of repro tanks which use the straps but can't find information that verifies a 'wagon' tank has the brackets I've mentioned., There appears to be what may of been a spare tire well over the gas tank. I'm thinking my donor car may of been a wagon and not a sedan as according to family members. Can anyone recommend a source for the tanks-possibly wagon tanks- with the brackets I've referred to. Thanks in advance
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Old 03-14-2020, 09:03 PM   #2
Daves55Sedan
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Default Re: Need 55/56 Gas Tank Help in identifying what I have

The '55/56 Ford wagon and Courier sedan delivery models all have a different gas tank than the sedan and hardtop models. The wagon has a 3-point mounting system with two brackets (each having two holes at bottom and two holes at top). The bottom of the brackets are bolted thru the front flange of the tank. The top of the brackets bolt to the bottom of the frame crossmember, just in front of the spare tire well. At the back of the gas tank there is one "L"-shaped bracket with one bolt holding the bracket to the back of the rear frame crossmember and one bolt attaching the bracket to the tank flange.
You seem to describe a station wagon frame and gas-tank
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Old 03-14-2020, 09:12 PM   #3
bullrunmotor
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Default Re: Need 55/56 Gas Tank Help in identifying what I have

Thanks that describes my tank perfectly-I think I can assume the donor car was a wagon-make sense for the tailgate assembly-now to find a supplier for the wagon style tanks
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Old 03-14-2020, 09:15 PM   #4
Daves55Sedan
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Default Re: Need 55/56 Gas Tank Help in identifying what I have

The car in your picture appears to be a radically modified 1955/56 Ford Crown Victoria (2-dr hardtop). It appears that he is using a 55/56 Wagon frame and gas tank due to the side-mounted filler neck (although he has modified the filler neck with an exposed chrome gas-cap). It wouldn't require any frame modifications to do this, other than welding two new body mount brackets to the frame for mounting the last two holes of the "Ranchero" bed floor.
I think his idea is a terrible waste of a restorable Crown Vic, and destruction of a wagon model to make one radically modified car. He could have just cut the rear portion off the top of a 2-door station wagon model.
But to me, 2-door wagon models are popular in their own right, without modifications.
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Old 03-15-2020, 12:38 PM   #5
bullrunmotor
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Default Re: Need 55/56 Gas Tank Help in identifying what I have

Thanks for your help. Car was built in 1959-donor car was most likely a wrecked car. If anyone knows of a source for wagon style gas tank please let me know. I'll start advertising for a good used tank also. Thanks again
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Old 03-15-2020, 01:12 PM   #6
steve fritz
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Default Re: Need 55/56 Gas Tank Help in identifying what I have

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call AUTO CITY CLASSIC in Isanti MN , 763-444-5880. They sell the Ford station wagon gas tanks. I bought mine there last fall , very nice tank.
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