This was a CLASSIC "do it twice Mike" weekend.
Maybe a month ago, I bought a new gas tank and set about modifying that thing as an alternative to the ground draggin', dropped sump piece that was currently in place. I decided to run a -8 out the side of the tank and have it exit behind the rear passenger tire. I installed a tube type fuel sender as opposed to the "not registering properly" conventional unit in the current tank. I relocated the pump assembly from the rear, to in front of the tank because I wanted to use that space for the Gila hole exhaust tip that I made.
I did all of that a few weeks ago. I haven't thought twice about it after that.
On Saturday, I spent the day trying to get the G hole paint ready. That basically meant several hours of priming, and blocking trying to get it flat, and smooth.
On one hand, you might be asking yourself "why is he obsessing over what will essentially be just a plain ol' exhaust tip"?
I asked myself that question numerous times as I went through the process.
My justification was that it would draw attention to itself because of it's very nature. After all,...it's not everyday that you see this trapezoid looking ding dang deal hanging beneath the bumper of a Fairmont. I didn't want to disappoint the naturally curious folks that will be wondering about "What the hell is that thang"? hanging back there by cheesing out, and not at least trying to make it look nice.
I have decided that it will be body color (Competition orange) after all, so that basically was a large portion of the day.
In between waiting on the primer to dry, I also spent way too much time cutting and grinding, then stripping and painting the invisible bumper brackets, and "welded closed" shock absorbers that the bumper mounts to.
This is what one of those ugly little suckers look like after hiding in the bumper for 35 years.
And after it had a session w/ Dr Plasma cutter.
The rest of the day Those parts, (brackets, shocks, bolts) took turns bathing in straight muriatic acid. By the end of the day, I had breathed so much of the fumes, I'm convinced that I now have some sort of brain damage. If I was younger, and was still in the child raising years, I'm sure that any future offspring I may have had would end up as little mutant C.H.U.D-lets as an additional side effect.
Fortunately, that part of my life is long behind me.
Despite the Drain Bamage, I'm confident that I'll not be adding any mutant sub creatures that will end up living in the Birmingham Sewer system, eating homeless people stupid enough to venture down there.
When all the parts were stripped, and were going through their own various stages of primer, and paint, I turned my attention to mounting the tank.
Didn't fit.
It hit the relocated pump bracket assy that was now firmly interfering w/ the tank, not allowing it to go far enough forward. It wasn't by much, but that didn't matter.......
It wouldn't fit.
I removed the bracket, and finished installing the tank. While I was looking at possible alternative locations to mount the pump assy, I started to look at to the side mounted -8 fitting that was supposed to be the fuel supply orifice.
How much consideration did I give to the location of this fitting when having to also consider possible road hazards ripping the fitting/hose out of the side of the tank, and causing a massive fire?
** For those of you reading along at home, touch the tip of your first finger to the tip of your thumb to get the answer to the above question.
View attachment 539936
Maybe I should just do this instead?
So,.......The pump assy, and now the -8 fitting that supplies that pump was relocated to the side of the tank, in the middle of the car, as opposed to the areas that were most likely to cause me future grief. The -8 fitting behind the tire has been capped.
I made a mini sump and welded that onto the tank, the bracket assy that holds the pump is bolted to the trunk floor. The -8 hose had to have the loop put in it to avoid a "really too tight turn" to get the supply into the first filter.
It'll work.
Now those modified bumper brackets, shocks, and bolts are all painted and reassembled. Did I think to take a "after" picture of that?.........Nope, and for the sake of any " what the hell is that"? I'll not show you the assembly inside the bumper, that is now bolted back in place,...but I will show you the G hole again ( I was laying on the creeper, at the end of the day, and I thought what the hell)
I painted the grille, but that is as far as I'll go w/ it until we get closer to painting. Although you can't see it in the pic, the bottom of that thing is as flat as Kansas.That piece will be painted separately along w/ the rest of the monster pieces when that day comes.
irate:
