1963 Painted Gas Tank - Original?
The gas tank that came with my '63 coupe is painted black. It appears to have been done at the factory before body drop. The front and rear areas of the tank where the cushioning material is cemented and where it rests on the crossmembers show little or no paint, but the tank has paint everywhere else, even in the areas where the retaining straps contact the tank. It appears that the tank was painted while it was sitting on the frame just before the retaining straps were installed. The '63-'64 JG states the tank should be bright galvanized metal without paint overspray, but mine shows every indication of having been painted at the factory. The paint is applied thinly but evenly (not a spray can job) and is semi-gloss black. Gasoline will not remove the paint. When I acquired the car the tank was not installed, it was sitting in the passenger compartment, so I don't know if it is original to the car. Did any mid-years come from the factory with black-painted tanks? I think I will buy a repro tank when I restore the car but I would like to solve this puzzle.
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Re: 1963 Painted Gas Tank - Original?
Not a puzzle - what part of the northern salt/snow belt did the car come from? -
Re: 1963 Painted Gas Tank - Original?
no midyear gas tanks were painted. mikeComment
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Re: 1963 Painted Gas Tank - Original?
Loren,
It is a So. Calif. car that I purchased from Ivan Bailey in 1974. It has been sitting in my garage ever since. It had a Cal State Northridge parking sticker on the rear bumper and has a LA Valley College parking sticker on the windshield. This, and the relative absence of any grime or corrosion on the frame, and the absence of any additional paint or undercoating beyond what the factory applied makes me believe the car has been in So Cal all of its life.Comment
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Re: 1963 Painted Gas Tank - Original?
Thanks Mike, that's what I thought. I guess I will remain puzzled about this.Comment
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Re: 1963 Painted Gas Tank - Original?
Eric,Assembly line photos do not show a painted gas tank on a 63. But they do show that just about everything else on the chassis was black. Much more than most of us with 63's care to admit. JDComment
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Re: 1963 Painted Gas Tank - Original?
63 and 64 have pretty close to the same amount of blackout coverage. The 65 model was the one that changed all the rules.
As far as black on the fuel tank, the only ones that I know of that were painted were some or all of the pilot line 63 cars.
For regular production, it would be common to see some chassis blackout on the sides of some tanks. This may have been a result of overspray during the muffler blackout process.Last edited by Michael H.; May 6, 2009, 09:22 PM.Comment
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Re: 1963 Painted Gas Tank - Original?
I have never seen or ever heard of, an original mid year (unrestored) tank with paint on it. Knowing the way they threw these cars togerther back in the day, I suppose there could be a LITTLE overspray MAYBE on the tank, but flat out painted black??? No way.
JMHO, and im no Carlton Colclough, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.Comment
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Re: 1963 Painted Gas Tank - Original?
thank god yer not carlton. mikieComment
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Re: 1963 Painted Gas Tank - Original?
Michael,
still have original tank for 19367 sitting under my work bench - no paint to be found on itRick Aleshire
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