A Fuel Tanks

Robert Watson

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I am restoring the original fuel tank from FXC 577 (1939 A Rapide) and soon will be painting it. I have a "new" tank that was made in the early '70's - one of a batch of half a dozen - or so I am told. I am trying to determine where the gold stripes should be. The 'repop' tank has them 5/32" wide and just inside of the cover strips on the top-to-sidepanel joint. Other pictures I have seen show some with them on the edge of the paint outside of that upper joint, where the paint ends at the stainless steel side panel, and others like the repop! Anyone got any thoughts??

Robert
 

roy the mechanic

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
The chances are there are so few folks either old enough or wise enough to accurately advise you, it's time to suit yourself! Just do it "in the best possible taste". Regards Roy.
 

Ian Savage

VOC Vice President
VOC Member
Robert
The picture of the works Prince and A Rap together has the line below the cover strip on the join between paint and stainless. It’s difficult to scale even though I’m looking at an 8x4 picture, (8x4 feet that is!!) I’d say 5/16” is too wide, 3/16 to ¼ is more like it.
Ian
 

Alan J

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Fuel tanks

Ian's right, a "thick" gold line looks horrible!! no gold line looks even worse! I've looked in various books -they are not much help-it varies considerably!{congrats , Ian, {D.S.O. M.B.E. Order of the British Empire e.t.c. } on becoming the new M.D. !! I've broken "the duck" and ridden me "Vin" 3 times!! this week_that's what retirement allows you to do!!I Know,apart from a total rebuild, what spares do I need?- If it isn't broke, don't fix it!!:confused::confused:
 

timetraveller

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I do not know about 'A's chaps but lines on fuel tanks are tricky things. Years ago after the Eddie Stevens articles in MPH about where lines should go on tanks etc. I decided to make a fibreglass moulding to cover the top of 'B', 'C' tanks using Eddies measurements. This was so that I had a jig around which to lay the gold tape; my artistic skills not running to painting the lines. Having done all this I then checked it against a tank for which the history from new was known. That was on a Shadow which belonged to the late Bob Peacham who was Kent and Sussex section organiser for many years. This tank had never been repainted from new. It transpired that the lines were differently positioned from side to side and the rear left was 3/4" different from the right rear. No one had ever noticed. And for a final kick in the pants it turned out that the line thickness on this particular tank was 5 mm. Yes gentlemen, millimetres. I think that the lines were all hand painted and ended up where they were with no great effort made to ensure that they were all in the same place from bike to bike. Good luck. :)
 
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