Update for March 21, 2009
Hello again all, last time we visited I was in the throes of removing my leaking gas tank and finding it was a bit more of a job than I had anticipated. Now, with the weather warmer and days longer, I am happy to report that I have made yet another jump in the process of this wagon restoration. To recap the effort:
DONE:
1) Bad brake system rebuilt (new master cylinder, hoses, hardware)
2) Rusty floors repaired
3) Dash pad restored (pics will be in another thread)
4) Gas tank restored
TO BE DONE:
5) Cowl hole repair
6) Pull windshield and replace gasket
7) Remove/restore dashboard with window out
Restore/rebuild front end
TASK #4 - The gas tank was completed today. All undercoating was removed; pinholes were patched at a radiator shop. Then, the "welds" were gently ground down, and the surrounding surface was smoothed with a small bit of bondo. I also purchased an NOS sending unit, and new valves/gaskets from SSCenterprises
.net.
The tank was flushed with POR-15 materials to properly "degunk" it and etch it for sealing. Then, the tank was treated with POR-15 gas tank sealer, which did a GREAT job of lining the tank with a hard, durable surface.
To finish, any other dents in the tank were also filled, and the whole think was carefully sanded down to bright metal, at which point I used POR-15 "Metal Mask" paint to cover the surface. This is an excellent coating that dries in a natural metal shade.
My wife realized how tedious the restoration process was, and looked at me and kept telling me "hey, it's only a gas tank, nobody will ever see it". You know, I love her to death, but she just doesn't get it...
The pics here reflect the final stages in the process before reinstallation; one of the pics takes you back to where I started after the radiator shoppics. Judge the results for yourself. I also spent part of the morning wire brushing the old undercoating around the gas tank and up under the rear wheelwells in anticipation of freshening up the undercoating and reinstalling the tank. I love this stuff....one step at a time.
NOTE: There was no particular reason I turned the tank in the opposite direction for the "painted" phot, I just shot it that way. There is NO evidence of the welds whatsoever, the tank looks nearly new. The ONLY caveat I have is that the paint dried VERY fast for one reason or another (see the shading issue?) - and went on thicker than I wanted it to. POR 15 is GREAT, but this particular can/batch/formulation did not behave well.