Prefect - 1st build

[SimonG]

Hey Simon,
Where are you up to now?

Or have you run out of sheet to roll?

Chris

Hi Chris I have got a little side tracked as I need to fit in a fuel tank somewhere and didn't want to cover it all over before I had a solution. I have a tank out of a fiesta that I am working on at the moment so hoping to have that mounted in the next week or so and then I can roll some more sheet metal as even my 10yr old is pestering me to help roll more things

Thanks everyone else for all the positive comments as it really keeps me motivated

[Gojeep]

Ha ha, perfect age then that he is keen to help. When they get older they might not want to anymore!

[SimonG]

I got a little time over the weekend to get my fuel tank brackets made and tacked in. The tank is from a donor Ford Fiesta Trio that I bought at the start of my project for the interior, but it just keeps giving parts . The original tanks was just bolted in with 4 bolts under the floor so I have kept the brackets simple.









One advantage of this tank is that it has all of the breathers/ recirculation all attached in a simple bundle at the filler neck so it should be a lot easier to mount up, fingers crossed.

It is nice to tick another small project off and now I just need to make a recess for the filler neck so that it is seperate from the passenger compartment

[ramp]

The tank fits great.. Nice simple brackets. Roger.

[Sly Fox]

That tank looks right at home in there Simon.

[Gojeep]

Using your donor saves a lot of leg work crawling under cars at the wreckers too!

[SimonG]

Thanks for all of the positive feedback but I now need everyone to offer some advice on the mounts for the tank.

It was originally just bolted up with 4 bolts from underneath but hard up against a crossmember front and rear. Someone on anther forum has mentioned that 4 seperate mounts/bolts may not support the tank flange properly so should I have some extra support under the flange to help support it and if so any ideas on what might work best?
thanks in advance for any help or ideas

[46 deluxe]

Another option could be running supports between the chassis rails and support the tank with metal straps ?

[rattyrod]

Possibly make a frame out of angle or box tube that runs under the tank lip all the way around to support it and fixed into your existing bolts from your brackets , if it needs some centre support then add a couple of straps front to back

[Gojeep]

I must admit that I was worried about mounting it that way and thought it must have sat on the floor of the donor rather than under it. But re-read what you wrote an that wasn't the case. The above suggestions would help it a lot.

[Chrisso]

What Ratty said Simon makes perfect sense and it is a simple solution to a simple problem. The set up looks as if it was made for the Prefect.

[SimonG]

Thanks for all the advice everyone and after studying a lot of modern vehicles the idea of a frame under the lip is what they all seem to have if anything at all.
I did see a tank in a hilux today with similar mounts to mine, on a tank twice the size with a thick bash plate mounted underneath, so I think the brackets I have will do the job but the support under the lip will definitely give me some piece of mind.

What Ratty said Simon makes perfect sense and it is a simple solution to a simple problem. The set up looks as if it was made for the Prefect.

When I first took it out and sat it there I couldn't believe how lucky I was especially as it has the in tank pump that I can change to suit any motor choice.

[Mudgy]

under supports are good insurance. 4 x small mounts under tension may end up having dramas, depending on vibration etc.
So a sturdy "square ring" under it couldn't hurt. I know, sometimes it's like "buying a tank to go shoot rabbits" but you can sleep at night knowing it will never stuff up.
Maybe that's the Industrial Mudgy brain process... or OCD..... dunno !

Cheers, Mudgy

[robtus]

When it comes to fuel, belts and braces works for me. In my first build back in the 70's there were a lot of failures that luckily were able to be fixed and kept running, but it teaches to look carefully where the forces are and in what direction, and what the clearances are. Even recently I have had to add to get the clearances I want, even though in the build stage it seemed ok, now it looks just a little tight.

[SimonG]

It has been a while but I have finally found some time to work on my car

I was still playing around with the fuel filler but had one of the larger sections of rust holding me up and after a lot of procrastinating I just bit the bullet and am happy with how it is coming along





There was so many different angles I thought it would be too hard to do as 1 piece but I have managed to get it very close. I still can't bring myself to cut a hole for the filler yet so decided to keep moving forward with the floor.
I made the tunnel fit the 1st panel but rushed it and made a mess, but think I redeemed myself on the second panel.





I then made up the first of the boot sections and made an access panel out of an old cover from the original car, so I am still keeping some the the original car intact.





Seeing some progress has definitely got me motivated to try and do a little each week again to feel like their is some progress