My Fairlane Wag is seeping from the bottom of the fuel tank. I have not taken it out yet, but will, soon. I understand that the regular body style fuel tank will not interchange. If I cannot repair mine, what are the alternatives. Will any other tanks work, but have different volumes? Can others be adapted? Can I build a suitable replacement? Does anyone make a repop for a reasonable cost? Thanks, Randy
I did a little checking, Randy. It seems that all the mid-sized Ford wagons through the '77 LTDII had a filler on the left side, like yours. So that's where I would start my search. All these wagons should have the gas tank in the same approximate placement*. Falcon, Fairlane, Torino, LTDII, or the Mercury equivalent - anything from '66 up through '77. This is not saying that they all (or even any of them) will fit, but this course is probably your best chance for finding one that does. Keep in mind that your Fairlane is a bit smaller than some of these listed, so dimensions of a larger tank could be tight. Take your tank out, take pics, take measurements, then start 'yarding' *I can't say for sure that this is the case with ALL these models. Only possible choices would be behind the left quarter panel, or under the floor between the frame rails. Good luck with your search.
If it's real rusty on the outside it may be too far gone but if it's just a small hole or seam leaking any good radiator repair shop can fix it. The older the shop and guy that repairs it the better.
Two things: The tank from a Falcon or Comet/Meteor wagon should interchange with the tank in your Fairlane. They all used the same floor pan. That would cover about 1960 through 69. Check a Hollander's manual, and it will tell you for sure what tanks are the same. Also, there are shops out there that repair tanks. They are able to fix very rusty tanks, and then line them, and for not much difference in price compared to a brand new one. The good shops offer a very good warranty, too. A friend did that with the tank on his 78 Newport hardtop sedan. A new, or even good used was just not available in a timely fashion. 3 days later, he had the car back with a tank that looked as good as new and never leaked a drop.
Tank repair Shop in Conyers Ga. splits them, cleans and refills holes, then puts a three part sealer , re welds and tests. Looks like new inside and out, cost 300.00. My wagon is a 63 Impala and NOBODY has a replacement tank. Custom stainless would be over 2 grand...so I went with this shop. They specialize in antiques and trucks. Should have a shop near you that performs same.
Thanks for all the great info. I am going to try to drop the tank to see what is going on. I am hoping that it might be just the seal around the sending unit leaking. The tank doesn't look too bad from what I can see. Just a dirt/wet track back from the front of the tank. We'll see! Randy
If you are a member of the Fairlane Club of America you might want to post a WTB for a good stock tank there.
