For those of you who know me only as a Roadster owner, I should let on that
I'm the owner of a product development company. We design and engineer a
wide range of plastic and steel consumer products.
I've been doing some investigating into the costs of short-run tooling to
manufacture molded cross-linked polyethylene Roadster gas tanks. All
commercially available replacement "poly" tanks are either blow-molded or
rotocast. I have an associate who is well placed in a rotocasting company,
and have connections with a blow-molder as well, both of whom have done fuel
tanks before - not to mention hazmat receptacles.
Various levels of short-run, "prototype" tooling can be built for either
process, depending on a estimated number of pieces that can be produced
before the protoype tool begins to fail. I was planning on constructing the
simplest type, which can produce maybe ten parts, but then got to thinking
that others on the list might be interested in replacements.
My main reason for looking into this is that the tank on my '66 1600 is
rusted through, although some PO did apply some kind of coating.....afraid
to fill it to see if it leaks, and I got to looking at fuel cells, poly jeep
tanks, etc. but decided I want to keep the limited trunk space.
What I'd like to do is gauge the level of interest, as well as what you all
would consider a viable price for a tank to see if its worth persuing a
better quality tool that could produce more. Not asking for money up front
or anything, just a reasonably firm commitment so I don't get stuck with
more mold than I need.
Price for the tanks would obviously be tied to the number produced, since
machine set-up would be spread over that number. Price could be kept down
by making it a trim-it-yourself part, requiring the openings for the sender
and filler neck to be cut out by you ( using a router for the hole and
hacksw for the neck) - .
I also need to know if there is a difference between the low and high
windshield cars.
Let me know what you think.
Best Regards,
Mark Sedlack
Millenium Development Corp,
OROC
Cuyahoga Falls OH
66 1600 http://home.neo.rr.com/mark2000/images/datsun1600/
77 280Z http://home.neo.rr.com/mark2000/Myz.jpg
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