Drop In Gas Tank Design

[Fordrevhead 29]

Hey guys... new member here.

 

I know this is old, but interesting... being a big fan my entire life I always wondered about this... first time I ever stumbled upon an article though.

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1999/05/17/60II/main47539.shtml

 

I'll be posting some pics of my projects soon. I have a 69 Boss Clone that is a basket case, and a 70 coupe... currently stripped and I'm building a rotisserie.

[RogerC 136]

That is an old story and there is a danger there because the fuel tank is the trunk floor. There are 3 ways to address it, a direct fit Fuel Safe fuel cell, tank armor (a steel plate fastened to the trunk floor over top of the tank) and a steel plate behind the rear seat replacing the fiberboard. Any one is suffecient or a combination of the 3.

[69GT 0]

They may find an unlikely ally in Lee Iacocca. At 74, he's out of the car business--and into te business of selling electric bicycles. His advice today to owners of classic Mustangs who are concerned about safety: "If you really want a real safe one, trade up. After 35 years it's time to dump that old Mustang."

 

Geez, you'd think coming from the person who designed and made the mustang what it is, he wouldn't be telling people to ditch them. :001_huh:

[bnickel 10,004]

yeah, he's an ass. i personally haven't seen ANY early mustangs that gone up in flames after being rearended and i used to work in a mustang salvage yard and believe me there were plenty of cars that had been hit really hard in the rear. if the car is an occassional driver i don't see a lot of need to do anything, if it's more of a frequent or daily driver then i can see adding some extra protection, or just for piece of mind if it bothers you.

 

i don't have any kind of extra protection in the stang because i just don't drive it enough right now to worry about it, the cougar will be more of a frequent driver so i may add the tank armor and/or a divider to it just for piece of mind though. i'd also like to add a fold-down rear seat by modifying a fox body fold-down or something similar too, so i'll probably just use the tank armor or something like it that i'll make myself

[Pakrat 1,043]

This guy only drives once a year but sometimes the odds are against you.

 

[bnickel 10,004]

This guy only drives once a year but sometimes the odds are against you.

 

 

 

damn to top it off he looks like he's constipated or something too, the look on his face. sorry, i'm sure this guy was in a lot of freakin pain

[badwolf69 10]

Can anyone remember the website of who sells the metal for the rear seat protection. I saw one once in a catalog but can't remember where... Thanks.

[d.reese 13]

I seem to remember the Pintos were the bad ones of the day for rear accident and flames. Wonder if they ever recalled that little bean?

[d.reese 13]

Yea, here is the rest of the cars from ford!

 

http://www.autosafety.org/cas-recall-request-william-clay-ford-jr

[Pakrat 1,043]

Can anyone remember the website of who sells the metal for the rear seat protection. I saw one once in a catalog but can't remember where... Thanks.

 

It could be available from a variety of vendors these days but I seem to recall the original being offered by Canadian Mustang or something like that?!?!?!?!??!

 

We have talked about it several times on the board too so do a search for "divider" and I'm sure you'll turn up lots of info. I think i saw one on ebay recently also specifically for a 69', it had a buy it now of like $50 or something.

[bnickel 10,004]

Yea, here is the rest of the cars from ford!

 

http://www.autosafety.org/cas-recall-request-william-clay-ford-jr

 

 

does anyone remember the corvair? you know the "unsafe at any speed" car made by GM?

 

as far as i'm concerned every time someone climbs into a motor vehicle they are risking their lives and it is no fault of the auto makers, but really the fault of anyone who causes a collision, in some cases i can see where the auto makers may be to blame by using faulty brakes or other systems but when people start blaming auto makers for cars exploding when hit by some damn fool who hits a car from behind at over 50-60 mph then there is something seriously wrong in the decision making process

[Pakrat 1,043]

does anyone remember the corvair? you know the "unsafe at any speed" car made by GM?

 

as far as i'm concerned every time someone climbs into a motor vehicle they are risking their lives and it is no fault of the auto makers, but really the fault of anyone who causes a collision, in some cases i can see where the auto makers may be to blame by using faulty brakes or other systems but when people start blaming auto makers for cars exploding when hit by some damn fool who hits a car from behind at over 50-60 mph then there is something seriously wrong in the decision making process

 

But aren't these the same folks who make that faulty 3 point seat belt system you hate so much? Surely they are just out to inflict pain with that death trap design. :whistling:

[Truck 12]

http://www.autosafety.org/cas-recall-request-william-clay-ford-jr

 

Doesn't say 69's....

 

cheers!

[bnickel 10,004]

But aren't these the same folks who make that faulty 3 point seat belt system you hate so much? Surely they are just out to inflict pain with that death trap design. :whistling:

 

 

i never said they were faulty, i just don't feel safe using them. i have had 2 friends die because of them and part of the reason i have so many problems with my back is because of them and because of getting t-boned by a 15,000 pound truck doing about 35-40 mph. they certainly didn't save my life in that instance and likely caused more damage than they prevented, however if my door had come open, which it cold easily have done, i might have been ejected from the car in which case they would have saved me from being thrown from the car.....or maybe not as i would have been wearing a lap belt anyway which possibly could have kept me in the car as well

[d.reese 13]

I don't know if the 3 point is the answer, I just know it feels weird to get in the 69 and put on that lap belt. Hell at my age, I can remember 69 quite well and nobody wore belts, you were a puss if some one saw you put those on. It was probably all the way up to the early 80's, before I started wearing any type belt.

[bnickel 10,004]

I don't know if the 3 point is the answer, I just know it feels weird to get in the 69 and put on that lap belt. Hell at my age, I can remember 69 quite well and nobody wore belts, you were a puss if some one saw you put those on. It was probably all the way up to the early 80's, before I started wearing any type belt.

 

i can still remember when they enated the seat belt law here in Texas, i'd had my license for less than a year, they also raised the drinking age from 18 to 21 about the same time too......bastards!!!!!!!!!!

[Pakrat 1,043]

We still have no seat belt laws (or helmet) in NH for 18 and over.........Live free or die baby!

[bnickel 10,004]

We still have no seat belt laws (or helmet) in NH for 18 and over.........Live free or die baby!

 

 

oh well, i guess you have to pay a price for living somewhere where isn't a big concern during the winter and clean, fresh air with nothing but blue sky above ya. :biggrin:

[428scj 10]

Ive been a firefighter for 16 years and have been to hundreds of accidents.Only once have I seen a car go up in flames due to collision and it was a battery short which caused it.Yes the tank gave the little pop and vent sound that they do but that was after about 8 minutes of being fully involved.Its not like the movies ..Its all media hipe but its still good practice if you have kids in the car I think.

[Pakrat 1,043]

I'm trying to remember what movie it was, probably back in the 80's or so, one of those wacky airplane type of movies but a very slow rolling pinto backed ever so gingerly into a tree and barely tapped the bumper and then BOOM, huge explosion. Basically making fun of the hype surrounding the pinto blowabout as we called it. Anyone recall that at all?