Did Factory Undercoat the Fuel Tanks?

-
dibbons

dibbons

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2009
Messages
5,716
Reaction score
3,779
Location
La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico
I just noticed there is a thick coat of undercoating on the gas tank of the '65 Valiant Signet convertible. Is that a factory coating or was in done aftermarket? Thank you.

gas tank undercoated.JPG


Side View.JPG


gas tank undercoated 2.JPG
 
Magnum Valiant said:
Part of the underbody was undercoated, wheel wells, subframe and other areas but not the gas tank.
Click to expand...
We need to find somebody with the undercoating option to answer the question. Cars without the option still had minimal undercoating in those areas.


My 67 Barracuda with factory undercoating didn't have undercoating on the tank, likewise with a 69 Polara. I would assume 65 was the same.


Alan
 
X2. My 67 Barracuda FB window sticker shows factory undercoating, but photos of the underside show the gas tank was clean. Possibly what you have was a dealer-applied undercoating, one of those "extra cost" services they would do to jack up the final invoice.
 
I see that undercoating is everywhere, most likely not factory applied. A lot of good it did, floors are all rotted out anyway.
 
Heh heh.
MVH and Cuda Al are a couple of Calif dudes. They think rust had something to do with Neil Young.

In the rust belt areas it was very common to take a car to a local place and get it rustproofed. Drill holes in the jambs, rocker panels etc and shoot rust preventing goop in there and on the underside of the car. In the long run it does more harm than good.
 
My 63 Nevada Dart only had undercoating in the rear wheel wells. Everywhere else was completely bare. You can see where the undercoating started.

under rear.jpg


Dart mounted 1.jpg
 
Cuda Al said:
We need to find somebody with the undercoating option to answer the question. Cars without the option still had minimal undercoating in those areas.
I didn't know that factory undercoating was a factory option, thought it was done by dealer.

My 67 Barracuda with factory undercoating didn't have undercoating on the tank, likewise with a 69 Polara. I would assume 65 was the same.


Alan
Click to expand...
 
I think some under coating was splashed on the tank of some cars. The whole tank was not under coated, but over spray did hit the tank in some areas.
 
I have three factory undercoated Mopars
All have a undercoating over the whole gas underside of the tank. Two ‘68 A-bodies and one ‘71 Ebody

all have original gas tanks.

This is because frame and trunk pan areas all around the gas tank are undercoated.

but I’ve seen other cars with less on the gas tanks.

Leaky transmission fluid can eat up the undercoating. And the leaks fly back into the tank
 
Last edited:
An easy way to look at this is that the gas tank was in the car before they undercoated it, the intent wasn't to undercoated the gas tank but it may get some, every operator is different, have you ever used an undercoated gun?


Alan
 
The factory did not undercoat the tanks. Even on cars with undercoating. I’m talking from the build plant. I have several undercoated cars and the tanks are clean. The factory undercoating is,thick, like 1/4” to 3/8” thick on some areas. Is dries hard and sticks very well. This,thin stuff that flakes off or stays tacks is not factory.

The tanks have plating to prevent rust.
What a mess to remove the fuel sender or fill tube. All cars beside 426 hemi had a 5/50 warranty so they might have to take some apart in that amount of time.

It was very common for dealerships to sell undercoating, and make big bucks. And those guys sprayed it everywhere.

Anybody ever worked at a car dealership will remember this.
 
Last edited:
Every one I have ever seen had undercoating on the bottom and sides of the tank. The undercoating was sprayed after the tank was installed. Undercoating was pretty much a standard option here on the east coast.
 
413 said:
The factory did not undercoat the tanks. Even on cars with undercoating. I’m talking from the build plant.

The tanks have plating to prevent rust.
What a mess to remove the fuel sender or fill tube. All cars beside 426 hemi had a 5/50 warranty so they might have to take some apart in that amount of time.

It was very common for dealerships to sell undercoating, and make big bucks. And those guys sprayed it everywhere.

Anybody ever worked at a car dealership will remember this.
Click to expand...

i have three 60’s early 70’s car with factory undercoat all over bottom of the original gas tanks from factory.

Undercoating also helps sound deadening. Any time rocks get kicked up the undercoating deadens the noise.

Tanks still can rust when rocks scrap off the tank plating.

now more modern 80’s, 90’s up cars don't seem to have that undercoating on the tanks.
 
Last edited:
A lot of things happen to a car after it reaches it's point of off load from the rail cars and I worked at a place in Kent Washington that would hold new cars that came in off the train and would install things that were ordered from the dealer before they were shipped out by truck and back in the 70's that's what I did but not the undercoating a friend of mine did that and I think there was 3 levels of undercoating that could be ordered and trust me my friend would put it on thick at times or barley cover it depending on his mood at the time. So I have no idea if the factory applied undercoating to any car.
BTW if you have a Ford Courier pick up from 1975 till 1977 with a factory step side box that came from Washington State than I was most likely the guy that put it together.
 
My Coronet had the factory "protection option" (undercoating, bumper guards and something else I am forgetting) and the gas tank was clean.
 
Jim Kueneman said:
My Coronet had the factory "protection option" (undercoating, bumper guards and something else I am forgetting) and the gas tank was clean.
Click to expand...

Is it the original gas tank?

How long have you owned it?
 
I know the Mark Harmon haters will pile onto this, but here goes. I was watching Graveyard cars a while back, and Mark talked about this. According to him, the tank did not get sprayed.
 
harrisonm said:
I know the Mark Harmon haters will pile onto this, but here goes. I was watching Graveyard cars a while back, and Mark talked about this. According to him, the tank did not get sprayed.
Click to expand...

On non-undercoating optioned cars, it did not get sprayed. Did he specifically say on undercoating optioned cars?

I’m surprised Tony D told him to say that.... cause most all the info come from him.
 
My 66 Valiant, moderate undercoat but nothing on the gas tank. It's a pure survivor car, never been messed with.

My 69 Dart, lots of undercoat that I stripped off and re-applied, but again nothing on the gas tank.

YMMV.
 
halfafish said:
My 66 Valiant, moderate undercoat but nothing on the gas tank. It's a pure survivor car, never been messed with.

My 69 Dart, lots of undercoat that I stripped off and re-applied, but again nothing on the gas tank.

YMMV.
Click to expand...

was the valiant optioned for undercoating?

was the Dart?
 
autoxcuda said:
Is it the original gas tank?

How long have you owned it?
Click to expand...

Bought it from the original owner. It was in storage since 1984. The only things that has ever been replaced where filters, battery, tires, belts, hoses and the heater bypass valve for the AC. 80k miles. A true survivor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top