[Roadsters] Gas Tank Strap Broke (left), Bent Support Member (right) - 1963 Fairlady 1500

[Gary and Cindy Ault]

    Seth,

I see you have had a number of responses.  The best advice I saw was from 
Phil Hall, although the mobile home tie-down idea wasn't bad.

You should replace both of the straps.  While you're at it, check the rear 
mounting brackets, which are/were spot-welded to the trunk floor.  No need 
to screw around with attaching the tank straps to the frame.  Mine had a 
couple of broken spot welds, so I drilled out the broken welds (in my case, 
two per side) one at a time and replaced them with either 8-32 or 10-32 SS 
pan head screws and washers -- screw heads inside the trunk under the mat. 
Use whatever length is required to give you adequate threat engagement 
underneath with a flat washer and lockwasher.  Use Locktite red on the 
threads.  (Given the cross-section of the small spot welds, 8-32 is probably 
OK, and I can't tell from the screw heads just what size they are.  I didn't 
crawl under the beast to look.)  I am pretty sure they'll never come loose 
again.

Gary Ault

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Seth Asher" <sasher at olympiawest.com>
To: <datsun-roadsters at autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2007 2:21 AM
Subject: [Roadsters] Gas Tank Strap Broke (left), Bent Support Member 
(right) - 1963 Fairlady 1500


> Left hand gas tank strap broke, going over a wallow in road tday.  AAA 
> towed
> me to a muffler shop that spot-welded the strap back together for $40. 
> But, I
> fear the right hand side is weakened because as the tank swung down when 
> the
> left strap broke, it separated the last 4" inches rearward of the support
> member under trunk that is sandwiched between tank and trunk bottom
> sheetmetal.
>
> I am thinking of wirewheeling and JB Welding the lengthward straps, and 
> also
> the sandwiched lengthward support beams, kinding of "painting" them with 
> JB
> Weld...as it is it makes me nervous to drive the car over bumps.  Kind of
> ruined my day with this unexpected random event.
>
> There is no one around Hollywood I know who could affordably and quickly
> install new straps, and even if they did, the sandwiched beams are still 
> weak.
> Anyone have any suggestions?
>
> Anyone have any comments about whether my JB Weld idea for reinforcement 
> is a
> good or bad idea?
>
> This is a pretty new car to me...anyone have any tips so I can ANTICIPATE
> random things happening like the gas tank falling out?!?!?  I haven't
> inspected the whole car, so advice about major known-issues to check would 
> be
> very helpful.
>
> This car is my new daily driver.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Seth
>
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> 8:43 AM
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