Fuel tanks

My daily drive 88" has failed its MOT - a lot of cracks have appeared around the mid cross-member around the rear spring hanger. I've removed the fuel tank to fix/bodge these and in the process discovered a lot more welding that needs sorting - whoever repaired it in the past seems to have used some 0.75mm sheet and hammered it round the chassis then welded it then used filler to make it look right!

The fuel tank isn't looking too pretty either. After I'd dug all the mud and crap out and found a few tools that had wedged between tank and chassis the tank is quite pock-marked and probably too far gone to bother with for now.

The thing is the tank doesn't look like any of the ones on ebay/*addocks rather than being square like this one: Land Rover Series 2 3 SWB Fuel Tank | eBay it is more rounded and looks like a military reserve tank but with filler and breather...kind of like this: Fuel-Tank Land Rover Series 2A /3 Carb/Dies ( FAU101 ): AARON RADIATOR – UK CAR RADIATOR WAREHOUSE – new and reconditioned it has a galv type finish but most of it has rotted through except on the top where it's been protected by fuel and muck.

Which is best? A square one or are the more expensive ones worth the money? I'm not sure about the galv finish and modern ethanol petrols.

In the long run it looks like this motor is going to end up either being scrapped or re-chassis'd the rear cross member is a bit thin, its covered in dodgy repairs and seems to need more work than I'd like...for a 1980 motor I'm not sure whether to bin it or buy a decent older motor or get a new chassis...

The expensive one you showed is an aftermarket pressed tank - I've had them rot out on me more than once.

Go with whatever fits and is reasonable quality. I wouldn't get too excited over the shape of the tank - that changed several times in the lifetime of the Series truck. You want an annoying tank to get hold of, try finding an early Series I type...

As far as rechassis - were it me I would and have, but then again I had a truck that was mechanically quite sound and was just succumbing to age. Take a serious look at the general condition of the truck both mechanical and physical and then compare that to whatever kind of condition you'll get out of the small ads for whatever your budget is.

Running gear has all been kept well or sorted - I'm in the process of rebuilding the gearbox for my project and was going to swap that into the daily drive - at which point the only stuff that hasn't been brought up to a good standard will be the bodywork (which I like a bit rough and ready to put off the robbers) and the chassis....

I know there are plenty of people who reckon to do a chassis swap in a couple of days but I can't see me being that quick...it took me two days of hard graft just doing the rear tub floor!

I'll just order a normal tank then - I suspect the one I've got was and expensive after-market one at some point in its history. I've just no idea where to get a good cheap one. I suspect the £99 ones on ebay will be made of tin foil and hope....a bit like the chassis!

D

I just ordered a Bearmach one from LRDirect. Now to find the time to patch the patches on the patches on the patches on the chassis. I'll try and takes some pictures of the horror of it all when I next go up there...for now its too depressing and I'm too busy.

The thing I'm worried about is that if I grind off all the patches to make good that the whole thing will come down on my head while I'm welding it up!

funnily enough I was looking at my tank today took the cover off under the drivers seat to put some fertan on the chassis rail. Washed the mud off the tank and its bare steel.

Showing no signs of rust though and I have had the car since 2009, the lazy sod that installed it - can't be original - just painted the bit at the bottom that could be seen.

Its a spectra, made in Canada, only place I could find it stocked is in the us so that is no good, must be good quality though if you can find them as it seems to have worn well, some signs of slight surface rust on the bottom where stones have chipped off the paint.

If I were you I would keep the car and get a new chassis, maybe build up a rolling chassis over the year once its mot'd or when you have the lwb on the road then just transfer the rest if it has another bad fail.

link to the one I found, looks like the aaron radiator one

1972 Land Rover Fuel Tank - Auto Parts Warehouse