When going through John's blog regarding his SAS build, he mentioned a 16 gallon fuel cell in one post, and in another post he says something about a 15 gallon tank. So, I'm not sure exactly.
Barncobob;
Who was the retailer? Thanks
Art
There are a few fuel cell makers that have some tanks if you have the room.
The Red Man has a smaller welded aluminum tank and I was told that, when nearly empty, Steve was able to squeeze 13.8 gallons into it. Whatever it holds, the car has more range than my butt can stand. I usually stop when it will take 7 - 8 gallons; That's far enough for me.
BTW Jethro, if the weather is favorable, why not just drive it home? Keep in mind that this is a Southerner talking and my days of no driving for weather issues are pretty few and far between.
"16" gal tank was from Cip1...i brought it to their attention it only holds 13 and they really didnt gives a rats ass, last time i bought from them/.
I think that '16-gallon' tank is really made by Apple.
Three of the gallons are reserved for the operating system.
Hoss posted:The Red Man has a smaller welded aluminum tank and I was told that, when nearly empty, Steve was able to squeeze 13.8 gallons into it. Whatever it holds, the car has more range than my butt can stand. I usually stop when it will take 7 - 8 gallons; That's far enough for me.
BTW Jethro, if the weather is favorable, why not just drive it home? Keep in mind that this is a Southerner talking and my days of no driving for weather issues are pretty few and far between.
Mostly because I can't drive for more than about 2 hours at a time before nodding off.
I would literally need to stop and walk around 6-7 times on the way home.
Barncobob:
Thanks for the info. As a small community, it's good to understand service from suppliers. Just this morning I paid $12.16 for shipping, on something that would fit in the smallest of pillow envelopes. Sierra Madre. 
I find my 8 gallon tank runs dry about the time I need to pee & stretch my back. That's German engineering for you :-)
I recently dropped one of my regular , long time parts suppliers because of excessive " shipping and handling" charges.
This--actual tank size--would appear to be a matter of controversy then? Cuz I'm seeing 10.6 U.S. gallons consistently on the old Beetle tanks online--and 10 is about what I get when I fill up...
edsnova posted:This--actual tank size--would appear to be a matter of controversy then? Cuz I'm seeing 10.6 U.S. gallons consistently on the old Beetle tanks online--and 10 is about what I get when I fill up...
That is what I get with my stock VW tank that was put in my Speedster and I filled it after draining it to replace the fuel line. My fuel gauge may lie but the ones at Costco don't.
Hmm, this is turning into one of those Zen questions - like what is the sound of one hand clapping?
How DO you know what your tank capacity is without running it dry?
And you don't really want to run it dry because all of the crud floating around in there will become concentrated and gum up the fuel filters and you'll get air in the lines and god knows what other horrible things will happen.
When you're growing up, you're told there are two things you must never do. Don't play with BB guns because you'll shoot your eye out and don't ever run out of gas.
When I started hanging out here three years ago, I seem to remember everyone saying the stock VW tank in most Speedsters is eight gallons and the oversized tanks are twelve.
And, when I fill up from 'three-quarters' on my wonderful Chinese gauge, it takes two gallons. 'Half' takes four gallons. A 'quarter' takes six gallons.
Do the math.
But that's as low as I ever let it go because of all the horrible things that will surely happen if I run dry. Not the least of which is the static I'll get from my wife as we coast to a stop by the side of the road in 'this stupid so-called car of yours'.
So, I guess I don't really KNOW how much my tank holds. And as long as I want to stay married, I'll probably never find out.
The Bentley manual (getting good use out of mine this morning) lists a Beetle/Karmann Ghia gas tank at 10.6 US gals (8.8 Imperial gals, 40 litres). I know the bigger aftermarket tank available holds more (30? 40?%). The Super Beetle tank is also a little bigger (11.1 US, 9.2 Imp, 41 litres) but will not fit in our cars.
The problem is I don't have a Beetle gas tank. I have a cheap, Chinese repop made to sorta look like a Beetle gas tank. Its actual properties are a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
It's like my headlight buckets. The Bentley manual explains a nice, neat procedure for adjusting the lights. This screw for lefty-righty. That screw for uppy-downy. But on my car, that does absolutely nothing.
The headlight buckets - probably made in the same sweatshop as the gas tank - are just made to look like headlight buckets. I doubt that whoever commissioned them bothered to explain to the factory what they're supposed to do. "Here's a drawing, just make two million of these as cheaply as you possibly can."
So, when my things-that-look-like-headlight-buckets are screwed onto the car, the inner bucket is jammed so tight against the outer piece that no amount of screwing or unscrewing is going to make anything move.
And when we're off on the side of the road, having tried to use the ninth gallon in an eight-gallon tank, I'm sure my wife will have her own suggestion as to what I can do with my Bentley manual.
I chuckled, I know my right seater is NOT very cooperative either.
Whatever build quality you live with is as broad as it is wide. Are you enjoying it is the question? Ray
Sacto Mitch posted:
Hmm, this is turning into one of those Zen questions - like what is the sound of one hand clapping?
How DO you know what your tank capacity is without running it dry?
And you don't really want to run it dry because all of the crud floating around in there will become concentrated and gum up the fuel filters and you'll get air in the lines and god knows what other horrible things will happen.
When you're growing up, you're told there are two things you must never do. Don't play with BB guns because you'll shoot your eye out and don't ever run out of gas.
When I started hanging out here three years ago, I seem to remember everyone saying the stock VW tank in most Speedsters is eight gallons and the oversized tanks are twelve.
And, when I fill up from 'three-quarters' on my wonderful Chinese gauge, it takes two gallons. 'Half' takes four gallons. A 'quarter' takes six gallons.
Do the math.
But that's as low as I ever let it go because of all the horrible things that will surely happen if I run dry. Not the least of which is the static I'll get from my wife as we coast to a stop by the side of the road in 'this stupid so-called car of yours'.
So, I guess I don't really KNOW how much my tank holds. And as long as I want to stay married, I'll probably never find out.
My wife is an amazingly resilient woman. In a previous life, I dragged her (pregnant and with a 2 y/o in tow) across the Pacific to live with me in a hut with no electricity or well water (we caught rainwater and had a kerosene fridge) 1/2 hour off the "highway" (a two lane gravel road that frequently washed out) in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. We bathed in a "bucket shower". She cooked on a wood stove.
She's silently borne me up through many, many Homer Simpson moments (most recently, last night).
She happily motors around with me, as long as I follow three simple rules:
1) No single stretch can be more than an hour and a half without stopping.
2) Absolutely NO spirited driving will be tolerated, unless in a caravan (and then only when motion-sickness drugs are involved).
3) NO STOPPING TO DORK WITH THE CAR. Ever.
Plugged idle jets? Loose exhaust? Slipped timing? Nothing short of a fire or oil plume will impede our progress. It's a lot like flying a single engine aircraft. It's made me a better pre-flight engineer.
When I drive long distances, she flys or to meet me. I may think fixing the car with three zip ties and a rag under an overpass during an early snow shower in the Rockies (top down, of course) is awesome fun, but that's the kind of "fun" that's a solitary pursuit.
When it's "us", we just don't stop, unless she needs to stretch her legs, and then I'm free to tinker til the cows come home.
Want to know for sure? "Expirement" by yourself.
Happy wife, happy life. Words to live by.
Jethro: this brings up an interesting question, usually only proffered by one who is (a.) retired and (b.) somewhat into long-distance driving. To wit:
Where (generally) is the car now and where does it have to get to?
Someone here - see my hand in the air? 
- might be willing to drive it to where-ever, for air fare to it and air fare (Economy or Business, please) home, ya know?
I'm jus' sayin'.........
Oh, and by the way, Lawing usually uses fuel cells in his creations, not VW tanks, so a 16.8 gallon tank makes a lot of sense (which is what I remember Eastman saying it had).
Come to think of it, doesn't that car have a Subaru automatic in it?
It has a Subaru transmission, but not an automatic.
It needs to go from Arkansas to Ohio... About 11 hours, give or take.
the car is Subaru, from the wheels all the way to the motor, including ABS breaks and traction control.
Sounds like a perfect job for Jack Crosby. He's from Hot Springs and has done more long distance Speedster driving than anyone.
Where in Ohio, Jethro?
I would only drive my Speedster on a long trip---might be happy to caravan to Ohio with you and bring you back.
I'm not retired---still selling businesses but I make my own schedule and am free whenever I want to be.
I am in Hot Springs, where are you, Jethro?
I'm in Central Ohio. The car is in Rogers, AR. I seriously thought about a one way ticket to go pick up the car and drive it home. But I suffer from chronic insomnia, and would never make the drive home.
Jethro-
Shipping shouldn't be much more than $1000. It's not that far.
Thanks for the info, Stan!
I have to admit...I'm looking forward to a truck showing up to deliver a 356 replica!
Thank you, Troy, for helping me through the process of using a reputable broker. I signed a contract earlier today.
pickup is estimated for next Tuesday, for estimated delivery on Wednesday.
i hate the word "estimated" but I do understand that schedules are sometimes hard to keep. It's an 11 hour drive, so I kinda doubt it gets here next day, but you never know...
I was pleasantly surprised to get a phone call informing me that the shipper was picking up the car in Arkansas as planned. No delays... at least not yet (knocks on wood).
It'll be delivered either tomorrow late in the day, or Thursday Morning. I'll be out of town, but have arranged delivery to a friend's shop that is open until 8:00PM. I get back in town late Thursday evening... too late to go drool over it.
So here's the question: Do I take a day off on Friday? I have to go out of town all day Saturday with my daughter for a college visit, which is much more important than a car.
So what do you all say? Should I take Friday off?
YES! Then you can have it off your mind for the weekend :-)
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Driving rule with working odometer.....local driving around town, 120 miles....road trip highway, 180 miles. 18mpg vs 26 mpg. I have never run out of gas and I never trust that POS Chinese gauge.
Jethro posted:Thank you, Troy, for helping me through the process of using a reputable broker. I signed a contract earlier today.
pickup is estimated for next Tuesday, for estimated delivery on Wednesday.
i hate the word "estimated" but I do understand that schedules are sometimes hard to keep. It's an 11 hour drive, so I kinda doubt it gets here next day, but you never know...
The 1st thing you need to know about transporting a car is that there are a lot of very flaky brokers out there. Robert, the guy I gave been using and recommending, has received a lot of business from me personally and from my buyers. In other words, I have been a really good referral source for him and he knows that if he screws up, it's going to cost him. So, you can pick someone blindly or you can use someone with a track record of taking care of SOC members. His name is Robert Martin and you can reach him at (786) 802-2081.
If you use him, be sure to report back here about how it went and what it cost you to move your car from point A to point B.
My car is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow at 11:00. Too bad I'll be hundreds of miles away in Chicago at a Board Meeting...
We know what you will be thinking about all day�� Congratulations
Congrats for sure ! Ray
It's there... And I'm still in Chicago. Busy day tomorrow. Looks like Saturday, now.
majorkahuna posted:Driving rule with working odometer.....local driving around town, 120 miles....road trip highway, 180 miles.
When I first read your post, I didn't get it. I put about 400 miles on my new-to-me SAS Cabriolet this past weekend! And I never got more than 20 miles away from my house, LOL!
When me gage needle reads ~ half, that is the time to pull in and fill up. Never run out of gas?? Words to live by. AAA card in pocket also a good idea.
Congratulations Jethro enjoy the ride. We still need some pictures though. 
Forgive a slight 'tangent' to this thread...
My gas guage needle flops over to totally empty (but I have at least half a tank of juice) so that means the float thingy is no longer afixed to the arm. Is this repairable...(if so, how?)... or do I simply replace the unit?