Gas Tank Advice

[tjsblazer]

I'm looking for some opinions on what to do with the Gas tank for my 72 Blazer. The body is currently off the frame and I have the original tank out. On the outside the tank looks very clean and solid, however, on the inside it is very rusty. It definitely got some moisture in it over it's first 42 years of life.

Should I:
1) Acid dip the tank ( this will clean off everything inside and out including the rust. It would be all bare metal again. Then I would need to paint it and I assume just leave the inside bare metal again unless I coated it with one of those sealer kits. Cost is about $200 to dip it plus painting.

2) Buy one of the replacement tanks and swap the fill neck over off of my original. The new ones are bare metal so it would need painting also. Cost is about $200 for the tank plus cost to swap the neck (I'm guessing $50). plus painting.

Decisions, decisions, thanks for any input. Jeff.

[72K5CSTDarkOlive]

I'm trying to make the same decision myself. I have an original tank and I can have it acid dip and relined for $175 but it has a couple of dents and he's not sure he can pull the dents out. I can get a new steel one and swap the necks and he said he would do it for $45..

For me, a new tank at $150 and $45 to swap the filler neck makes better sense for me. The original tank I have doesn't have the sending unit or lock ring so I would need to buy these either way.

I'm leaning towards buying a new steel tank and swapping the filler neck.

[69-72]

I would try and keep the original. por-15 or Eastwood make products to refurb the inside of the tank.

[pound41]

I swapped mine out. Friend who restores 100 point cars told me to get the oil off the outside of the new tank and clear coat it. Thats the way it was when it was new and it will last. So that's what I did.

[72K5CSTDarkOlive]

Agree ^

I actually changed my mind.. I'm going to restore the original. I heard the aftermarket steel tanks are all made in China and after having nightmares with the poly tank I'm not taking any more chances

[CrewCab59]

Apple cider vinegar works wonders on rusty tanks , if works great on small parts or even soak a towl in vinegar and put it on anything rusty.

I use it all the time on machiney all the time.

[grillzy]

Fill full of molasses/ water mix.

[vancelot69]

My tank was rusted and dented, and some of the dents were creased and possibly leaking a little bit, so I bought the tank kit from LMC for $200 and had the filler neck swapped at a local radiator shop for $85. After it was all said and done, the only thing I might have done different is I think I would have gone for a polyethylene tank rather than a metal one to reduce the risk of sparks rather than using the roofing tar paper. But it works, I'm not unhappy with it, at all.