Pin holes in trunk above fuel tank

While I haven't even bought a welder yet, let alone figured out how to work one, I'm starting to deal with the rust repair on my 74 Dart.

In the spare tire well, driver's side, above the tank are some pin holes. Is there a good way to deal with this without pulling the tank?

If they weren't above the tank, and if they were in a flatter piece of the trunk pan, I'd just drill a larger hole and insert a grommet. But, I can't drill the hole without drilling into the tank.

I know fiberglass is less than ideal. JB Weld? Seam sealer? Anything?

Really, you need to get to both side to clean up the rust and apply some type of treatment/corrosion protection. Pinholes/perforation, it's best to cut and weld.

Save yourself some time and drop the tank it's not that
much work.

Clean it up with some 220 and Everglass it.

The path you take depends on whether this car is a beater or something you want to be repaired right.

roadrunnerh said:

The path you take depends on whether this car is a beater or something you want to be repaired right.

Click to expand...

The car was my wife's grandfather's. The rest is minimal. So far it's the pin holes in the trunk, a small spot in the forward portion of both sides of the floor pan, and a spot in the inner wheel well where some undercoating cracked and was packed with dirt. I assume there's also some rust around the front and rear windshields, but I won't know for sure about that until I have the windshields pulled.

Although I'm fixing rust now, final paint and non-rust body work may be years away.

All that to say, I want to do it right, but, there are various degrees of right. It does sound like, in this case, right is to pull the tank and clean the metal from above and below.

I suspect that the metal below is fine. The rust in the trunk (and the footwells) is a direct result of leaking gaskets. Not 100% sure exactly which seal is leaking in the trunk (the footwells I know) but all the seals will be replaced before I really have the car on the road. And, I don't see this car being used for much more than cruise nights, possibly shows, but it's gonna be a bit of ratrod until I get after the paint and body.

Anything I should look at replacing while the tank is out of the garage?

maybe the fuel sending unit and new "sock" at the end.
Any rubber seals (filler tube to tank, etc.) that look shaky.
short rubber lines from sending unit to fuel line.
ground strap?