Reproduction Aluminum Fuel Tank

fhalperformance

New member
I am in contact with a company about getting a reproduction aluminum fuel tank made and am curious who else is interested in a new tank. I have no pricing information right now as we are still working on a the specs, pricing & lead time. Unfortunately the fabrication shop that deals specifically with custom tanks is not local to me although I do have feelers out to local shops at the moment. If you are interested please post up with any comments or suggestions you may have. I need a fuel tank within the next 2 months if Im going to have my car ready for watkins glen in june so Im pretty motivated. Once I have my tank installed I will have all the details sorted for a group buy.

Working Specs:
Fit in the stock location
May require new fuel tank straps
Will probably reuse the fuel level sender
Will not be an exact replica of the tank
May have a capacity bump just for ease of construction
Factory filler neck location
Fuel Feed & Return lines off sender, rollover valve for fuel tank vapors

Ideas I was kicking around:
Increase the width of the tank with a slanted bottom to allow for clearance for a diffuser
Have a wider fuel sender so more pumps can be installed on it
Foam for the tank to prevent fuel slosh

Link to the shop Im talking to.
http://www.boydwelding.com/
 

fhalperformance

New member
Looks like multiple order discounts don't kick in till you buy 10 tanks. I'm making an accurate dimensioned drawing to send for an exact price while I wait for an estimated cost given the rough exterior dimensions I gave them.
 
umm yes put me in for one of these. Im very curious to hear more details on pricing. If they want to have it picked up and shipped(or you?) i have 2 OEM tanks (rusted) i would donate one to them for measurements. The tanks cant really be used again but it would let them get fitment down pretty good with the real deal infront of them. Let me know if there interested or you are.
 

underscore

Well-known member
I'm interested, are there any known downsides to an aluminum tank? Since the design is being modified a bit from stock, could we get it made level (vs that stupid slant the stock one has). Would it be a bare tank, or would it have a cover similar to the stock one?
 

ALLensTRAC

New member
underscore":2nff8jpm said:
I'm interested, are there any known downsides to an aluminum tank? Since the design is being modified a bit from stock, could we get it made level (vs that stupid slant the stock one has). Would it be a bare tank, or would it have a cover similar to the stock one?

Man I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't stand that!!!

I might be in for one but it would depend on if they make it with clearance for a diffuser and level mounting as underscore said.
 

fhalperformance

New member
Im glad there is a good amount of interest already. I am entertaining two options at the moment that range from complete solutions from the supplier to just a tank. I am planning to get the sketch nailed down this weekend so I can post it up here and send it to the two companies Im in contact with to see what price tag we are talking about. Depending on turn around time and pricing I may order one from each place to see which I like better. There probably wont be any cover made since it shouldnt really need one. I had kicked an idea around about making tank straps that had an incorporated diffuser in it but it seems that everyone wants the bottom of their tank flatter then factory which may or may not make that harder to accomplish.

First Option: The place I have been in contact about an aluminum tank wants the detailed sketch of the fuel tank before they speculate on a price. I linked to their website earlier which has examples of their work and its a professional product which is why I was interested in them in the first place. I imagine their tank will be pricey in comparison to the second option.

Second Option: I have also finally heard back from one of the local places I contacted as well. They say they can make a tank out of mild steel that would have to be powder coated. They dont normally make fuel tanks which has me concerned but they have made some before. Id have to source senders and do a little more work to make it happen.

Any ideas on a replacement fuel level sensor would be appreciated.
 

underscore

Well-known member
If we can get tank straps that accommodate a diffuser then presumably the tank itself wouldn't be visible, at which point I don't really care what shape it has to take since nobody could see it.

What's the issue with using the stock fuel sender?
 

fhalperformance

New member
Boyd Welding is telling me 400-600 given the rough dimensions & the complexity of the tank. Im trying to get a full description of what that includes. That's all the new information I have as of this moment more updates to come this weekend.
 

athousandleaves

New member
I'm interested but damn $400-600 is steep! :doh:

edit
Still cheaper than an ATL cell but those are explosion and impact proof, what kind of safety features would they put into these tanks?
 

fhalperformance

New member
EDIT: (ATL fuel cells are explosion and impact proof...) When mounted inside of the roll cage structure.

If it comes with senders (waiting on a detailed break down of the product) it is $400+ cheaper then new oem and they arent available. Its cheaper then just a new bare tank either way. No more safety features planned except for maybe a roll over valve and thicker material construction compared to factory. The extrusions on the front of the tank will be used to attach the car to the chassis & add mounts for a diffuser setup possibly. Should prove to be a better setup then gas tank straps. I still have to measure those for position but now that the model is done I can just go back and modify the dimensions to make any changes I want.

I got a rough sketch done based on some quick measurements of the tank. I didnt have time to position the tank back in place as I got stuck working on a family members car last minute. The design of the tank doesnt appear to truly follow the "hole" it bolts into on the car and want to see exactly what clearance issues there are if I simplify the tank design.

 

fhalperformance

New member
I dropped my old tank off at at a local performance shop so he can start on the reprodution tank. He is a pretty talented aluminum fabricator judging by the examples of his work that Ive seen. Im told that it will be 2 weeks before the prototype is done then we can test fit & go from there. Tank comes with a new level sender & fuel sender with roll over valve & -an fittings as I have discussed with the fabricator.

Once the prototype is done and ready to go we will price out what theyd cost in bulb getting the aluminum cut from the supplier to exact dimensions so all he has to do is weld everything up. Right now he is building me a tank that slants towards the back so total fuel volume is unknown at this point. It doesnt necessarily have to slant if people dont want it to I just figured get it done the way I want mine so I dont have to worry about getting another one later on.
 

fhalperformance

New member
I just got the tank back late this week and am working on fitting it right now. The end result wasn't what I had speced out but im running out of time to get the car ready for the track so I have to run what I have. I'm still working on the tank straps and the filler neck. I will update when I'm not spending 40 hrs a week after work on the car. I got about 800 bucks into the design of this tank and it looks like I shouldnt have delegated the design process to the fabricator. He couldn't figure out how to use the lock ring for the new sender so it is screwed to the tank instead
 
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