Replacement wagon gas tanks

[benzo]

HI Everyone 

 

Mainly directed to fellow wagon owners. I've been trying to source a replacement fuel tank and looking at companies that can make a plastic or polypropylene replacement tanks for wagons and one company said they may be able to produce it if enough people are interested and willing to buy them to warrant them making the mold and putting them into production.  I am trying to get info as to how much they will charge for a unit but initial talks stated they would need around 150 people/units to consider putting them into production. If any fellow wagon owners are interested please let me know as this could be a huge help for keeping our cars on the road.  I am also waiting to hear from a couple other companies and searching for others.

 

Update: Received an email from Liland Global who makes a replacement metal tank for sedans and coupes and they say if a sample can be provided tooling would be around 30K to produce a metal unit. 

 

Thank you

Edited September 18, 2023 by benzo

[Duncan]

I honestly don't think you could get even 12 wagon owners who would buy a replacement tank.  When I restored my last wagon, I threw the tank into a hot tank and coated it.  As I recall, it was about $50 in total and good as new afterwards.

 

I hit up DA Supply for wagon taillight seals/gaskets and paid about half the cost for the protos.  We both thought a lot of folks would want them.  I don't know how many he has sold, but the response was lukewarm at best. 

 

I admire your effort, but personally, I prefer the metal tank, and would rather restore an original one vs replacing it with a plastic one.  I suspect I may not be alone.

 

 

[benzo]

@Duncan that may be so will see.  I personally may end up doing what you did but as these cars get older hoping to get support like how some older American cars have to keep these cars going.

 

If a company is able to produce metal replacements that would be another option.

[yenpit]

I sell lots of 510 parts, here on the forums, on FB pages & on eBay.  I get asked OFTEN for Wagon tanks, but I struggle to ever get my hands on one.  As you guys are aware, it is ALL about the end COST to a buyer & having a proper tank made, will be costly, no matter if poly or metal.  I have been in the British parts industry on & off for 39++ years & have watched intently as the reproduction market grew.  There are MANY more MG's Triumph's, Jaguar's etc out there, compared to the 510...........MANY more!  That said, actually reproducing British parts can be lucrative!  It is completely about the cost to make vs how many would sell & how long it would take to sell them.  Somebody would have to make that monetary investment.............it would be risky.

 

TJ

[Dadsun]

I'd be interested Benzo. I'm still kicking myself for not making it out to Refresh60 when I was in Japan in June!

[benzo]

@yenpit Thanks for chiming in and giving insight to the hoops and hurdles for vintage car enthusiasts and lovers. Always a goal is get a part that is well made and affordable but yes initial cost to produce or get the ball rolling is a big factor. I just got an email from Liland who makes the 510 coupe/sedan steel replacement tanks that sell on some sites/vendors and they said if a sample can be provided the tooling cost would be about 30k then they would consider making a wagon unit. I am still waiting to hear from others but this is the start. I am going to update as I get more info and hoping the datsun/wagon community can get behind this to keep these cars going.

 

@Dadsun Hey John! Good to hear from you. Yeah bummed you couldn't make it out to see Obata San but seems you had a great trip regardless. I will keep you updated on this as I myself am looking for a replacement tank. 

[edekalil]

I brought several gas tanks for my Goon and Sedans to a radiator shop in New Orleans and they cleaned it out in a tank of solution and coated the inside and painted the outside. So far so good.

[Claudman]

I had a tank fabricated for my wagon.  Used the stock mounting point and filler tube.  I have the drawing of the tank and used Boyds Welding for fabrication.

[Claudman]

Should have made the flange on the rear of the tank another inch longer, but it works well.  Internally baffled.  I have had it on the track and had no fuel starvation.

[benzo]

@edekalil I may have to go that route for my tank. Always looking at ways to keep these cars going or have more support for them like how the coupes and sedans do.

 

@Claudman Thanks for the pics! That looks real good. Another option or maybe these can be produced to be readily available. Would you be able to share info on it as to where to get the tank and your drawings? Is the tank capacity same or about the same as a stock unit?

[Duncan]

Just curious, but why do you need a tank replacement?  Can yours not be repaired for some reason?  I added a second filler neck, and relocated the sending unit on mine.  I cut out and replaced quite a bit of metal with no problems.  A rusted one can repaired the same way.  They don't leak if it's properly welded.

 

 

 

 

[Claudman]

https://fueltankparts.com/

Boyd Welding did the fabrication.  Drawing is below.

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by Claudman

[Duncan]

Here's my wagon tank I modified.  I built a recessed box and mounted a fuel filler that was under the cargo floor.  I then put a door in the cargo floor to put gas in it.

 

It was all tig welded, no problems with leaks. 

 

[yenpit]

19 hours ago, Duncan said:

Here's my wagon tank I modified.  I built a recessed box and mounted a fuel filler that was under the cargo floor.  I then put a door in the cargo floor to put gas in it.

 

It was all tig welded, no problems with leaks. 

 

 

That's pretty dang cool mod!  I think the biggest issues are lack of knowledge on HOW to accomplish that, of course lack of welding skills, but also the cost to pay somebody else to do work like that!  We even had customers decline spending the money to boil out, clean, & line the inside of tanks!!  Almost always lead to further fueling issues..............😆

[Duncan]

1 hour ago, yenpit said:

 

That's pretty dang cool mod!  I think the biggest issues are lack of knowledge on HOW to accomplish that, of course lack of welding skills, but also the cost to pay somebody else to do work like that!  We even had customers decline spending the money to boil out, clean, & line the inside of tanks!!  Almost always lead to further fueling issues..............😆

 

I also made a metal filler tube that replaced the all rubber piece.

 

 

[yenpit]

50 minutes ago, Duncan said:

 

I also made a metal filler tube that replaced the all rubber piece.

 

 

 

Nice!  Those rubber tubes are impossible to find soft enough to be able to remove!!

[benzo]

@Duncan It was something that popped in my head and as I was searching not much info or support like the sedans or coupes so wanting to see what would be needed to have a product made. My tank is due for a clean out and I'm sure it has rust and the sending unit is not working correctly but I can get that repaired or replaced.

 

@Claudman Thanks for posting up the link and drawing. Sorry did the tank fit for the most part in the factory location/mounting? 

 

Edited September 19, 2023 by benzo

[Duncan]

On 9/19/2023 at 12:46 PM, benzo said:

@Duncan It was something that popped in my head and as I was searching not much info or support like the sedans or coupes so wanting to see what would be needed to have a product made. My tank is due for a clean out and I'm sure it has rust and the sending unit is not working correctly but I can get that repaired or replaced.

 

 

I worked on my wagon at a friend's shop.  My tank was thrown into a hot tank for a few days, and it cleaned up nicely.  I forgot where I got it done, but I had a company rebuild my stock fuel sender for about $100 total with shipping both ways. 

 

With adding the extra fuel filler, I had to do quite a bit of welding on the tank, and had no problems with it leaking.  As I said previously, any rust can be cut out and a patch easily welded in.  It's easier than doing body work as you don't really have to finely finish it like you would on a body panel.  The metal on the tank is also a bit thicker than the body sheet metal, so it's a bit easier to weld.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[benzo]

@Duncan Thanks for the info. I have to check out a shop in my area if they can clean it out but if they or other shops aren't able to I'll just do it myself.