Has anyone has installed an original or reproduction 356 fuel tank in a Vintage Speedster? I've done a few searches and it looks like it might fit but I just want to know what it would require. I don't really want to do any major modifications. Thanks, Greg
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What's the bottom look like, Greg?
Here's a picture of the bottom of a tank.
Robert M posted:I believe Teby has an original 356 fuel tank in his car.
...heck, Teby went as far as using only Ferdinand-approved fiberglass when his car was built, straight from Stuttgart...
Well, Ferdinand did approve of building his cars in fibreglass.
Porsche 904: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_904
Tell that to the PCA purists...
It's reinforced with Adolf's mustache hairs! So how much is a repro 356 tank? Sure is madness to pay for something that is unseen under the hood and probably covered with carpet. You can buy new VW ones from CIP1 with the under hood filling cap in either std capacity or large capacity for under $170 (plus cap).
Bob: IM S6 posted:Well, Ferdinand did approve of building his cars in fibreglass.
Porsche 904: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_904
Tell that to the PCA purists...
What do you mean you're not good at 1 liners...
WOLFGANG posted:It's reinforced with Adolf's mustache hairs! So how much is a repro 356 tank? Sure is madness to pay for something that is unseen under the hood and probably covered with carpet. You can buy new VW ones from CIP1 with the under hood filling cap in either std capacity or large capacity for under $170 (plus cap).
The reproduction tanks start around $400. I know its madness, but my current tank has an issue of a fuel smell when its full and I make left turns. I've read posts that other VS owners have had similar issues. Just exploring my options and I already dressed the engine compartment so I figured I might as well look at the trunk. Heck almost every time I stop to fuel up I get asked about my car with trunk open. : )
What the Fetch posted:WOLFGANG posted:It's reinforced with Adolf's mustache hairs! So how much is a repro 356 tank? Sure is madness to pay for something that is unseen under the hood and probably covered with carpet. You can buy new VW ones from CIP1 with the under hood filling cap in either std capacity or large capacity for under $170 (plus cap).
The reproduction tanks start around $400. I know its madness, but my current tank has an issue of a fuel smell when its full and I make left turns. I've read posts that other VS owners have had similar issues. Just exploring my options and I already dressed the engine compartment so I figured I might as well look at the trunk. Heck almost every time I stop to fuel up I get asked about my car with trunk open. : )
With that tank installed when someone asks you if it's a real Porsche you can reply (loud and clear), "Yes"......and then mumble under your breath, "the gas tank is". 
Somebody asked me yesterday if my car had a lot of 'after market' stuff on it.
I replied that it certainly does. Then, I had to go through the whole spiel.
"Well, you see, it's like this..."
It's got to be much wider since it isn't deep like the VW tank. I've seen fuel cells with what looks like open cell foam rubber in it. wonder if you can buy that and stuff it in your tank to solve the sloshing. Have you lenthened the breather hose and looped it up and into the wheel well with maybe a one way valve on end? How about a new non-vented cap with fresh rubber gasket?
Here's fuel cell foam - 8x8x4" for $10.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RJS-RA...-30152-/282105954480
Apparently, dirt trackers go with these -
What the Fetch posted:
...my current tank has an issue of a fuel smell when its full and I make left turns. I've read posts that other VS owners have had similar issues. Just exploring my options...
Yes, this is a pretty common VS problem, but there's an easy fix.
There's probably nothing wrong with your tank. It's almost always the vent hose that's spilling fuel under the car, in the front passenger wheel well.
You just need to get a longer vent hose and route it with a loop high up in the wheel well.
There are quite a few threads about this in the archives here.
Here's how I rerouted the hose in my car, but you really don't need the fuel filter. You just need to get the top of the loop up as high as possible.
Exactly. Simple 15 minute fix. Just extend the vent tube (with a loop near the tank) to the rear of the car.
Thanks, I will definitely extend it and add a loop... So would you recommend the loop inside the trunk?
I added a loop inside the trunk first, thinking that might help, but it didn't make much difference.
The reason for putting the loop in the fender well is that you can get the highest part way above the level of fuel in the tank.
When you turn hard to the left, the fuel sloshes to the right, reaches the level of the vent in the filler neck, and flows into the hose. The higher it has to climb inside the hose, the less likely it is to spill out the end of the hose.
Find a hose that's a snug fit on the little bib in the filler tube and add a hose clamp if there isn't one there already. The fitting on my tank needed 3/16" (or 5mm) hose. The hose that came on the car was the wrong diameter, was much too loose, and there was no hose clamp, either!
Lead the bottom (open) end of the loop as low as you can get it, so that if fuel ever does drain out there, it will drip onto the ground and not down the inside of the fender well.
Putting one these on the end of the hose helps:
When I did this on my first Speedster, the blue Super widebody, I had no idea if it was a good idea or not, but I used drip irrigation tubing, which fit perfectly, to extend the original hose. I guess it was ok, because it was on there for the 7 or so years I had the car and I never had a problem.
Thanks for the great info!
Hopefully it resolves the issue. The fuel smell sort of gets your attention.. I never fill up my tank all the way to try and avoid it..
