29 cowl tank removal Part 2 + question

[1929 Roadster]

After about 10 days of applying penetrating oil to the welting , the gas tank finally came free. I then removed as much rust as I was able by dropping a length of decorative lamp chain in the tank and shake rattle and roll .. I got more than a quart of rust out of it doing this . Much to my surprise I found a small rock, (stone) inside the tank. Only God knows how it got there and when? LOL I got most of the rust out with compressed air then plugged the holes up with compression plugs and washed the tank with acetone to remove lacquer ,petroleum distillates and the residual rust dust. Then I put in the polymer sealer.. I left this stuff in for a week. Rolling and flipping the tank throughout every day and leaving it in a different position every night. So today I drained the tank and will wait several days for it to cure.

Also buffed out the lips on the tank and cowl where they are bolted/clipped together and painted them with POR 15. The cowl welting on the dash rail and tank was literally welded on by time or some sealer ? I don't know if the factory used anything and am wondering if anyone knows? This welt was the original and has been on this car for 86 years and it took quite a bit of wire bushing and razor blade scraping to get it off It is now clean and I am wondering if any one has used something like paint or permatex between the bare metal and the welt. There was nothing between the lips of the cowl and tank so I have only buffed and painted .. One hot rod guy on line has used some of that foam door/window stripping to prevent rattle... Any advice here will be appreciated.

Thanks Jeremy

[Barry B./ Ma.]

Good job ! Should last another 90 years. I'll bet the rock came about when some kid opened the tank and dropped it in (along with a little bit of sand). My father went through that in the fortys when my brothers added some stones and gravel to the tank of his 30 Hudson coupe to make it go faster, it never ran the same since as he had to stop every mile or so to clean the sediment bowl. He never had the extra cash in those days to have the tank removed and cleaned out so he sold the car for $100 and bought a used Plymouth sedan.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I removed & cleaned the tank from a '46 Chev, his kids had dumped in a mess of CHINA BERRIES & filled the tank with a garden HOSE!!!
Bill W.

[1929 Roadster]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Barry Haha..yes you are probably right.. Some kid long ago whose family couldn't afford a car and were still using horses..

Bill I went 3 years of HighSchool in Fresno. Graduated in 70 from Bullard. This Roadster was there at the time as it was my Dad's.

Incidentally This polymer product only cost me 28 bucks and when I drained my A tank I drained it into a Sportster tank which also had the chain and acetone treatment . I stillhave about a third of the quart for future projects ... Good stuff