Update by Tim Suddard to the
Austin-Healey Sprite project car
Jul 5, 2023
|
Austin-Healey,
Moss Motors,
Sprite,
Bugeye Sprite,
Austin-Healey Sprite,
The Blast Masters
Photography by Tim Suddard
As we mentioned in our last update, the fuel tank mounts in conjunction with the Panhard bar.
We were able to reuse the fuel tank that came with our Sprite. We just had it media blasted and primed by The Blast Masters.
[What you need to know about media blasting]
We then scuffed it and painted the tank with Eastwood Chassis Black paint–our favorite chassis paint as it is durable and coats very nicely. We have been using it on project cars for years.
The Sprite fuel tank mounting system is simple yet clever as it simply mounts to the 5/16-inch fine thread studs built into the bottom of the trunk floor.
The tank mounts on rubber pads sourced from Moss Motors. These pads prevent metal-to-metal contact between the fuel tank and the body.
The Sprite tank is small (about 7-gallon capacity) and therefore the tank is relatively light and easy to install, especially if you have the car up on a lift as we did.
Before installation, you will need to mount the fuel level sending unit into the tank. There is no access to it once the tank is installed.
We sourced a new sending unit and Neoprene gasket from Moss Motors. We used a little bit of fuel-safe sealant when installing the sending unit.
You will also not be able to get a wire onto the sending unit once it is installed. We ran a black wire with green markings as was originally used and let it hang down so we can connect it to the wiring harness once we install it.
The fuel filler is integral to the tank which is again clever and simple (and most likely cheap to build). There is a felt washer that goes on the filler pipe to keep water and dirt from entering the trunk floor. Don’t forget to install this washer.
There is also a gasket between the rear deck of the body and the filler neck that goes right underneath the gas cap. We sourced these two pieces and a nice shiny new gas cap from Moss Motors.
To fit the tank, you’ll need one person beneath the car lifting the tank and catching the nuts onto the studs and one person on top of the car to guide the filler neck through the newly installed rubber gasket on the body. We used a little rubber lubrication both to mount the gasket onto the body and to guide the filler neck through the gasket.
View all comments on the CMS forums
You'll need to log in to post.
