Guest Author: Don (soupup on The Samba) from Soup Up Magazine
(Don, Soup Up Magazine, or ILoveVWBuses.com are NOT liable for damage you do to your ride... consider this entertainment only!)
I recently purchased a 1966 Deluxe 13 window VW bus, which had been sitting in a field for nearly 25 years. Not being familiar with VW Buses at the time, I purchased several manuals, talked to several bus owners, and spent a lot of time searching Forums and the web. One of the issues I ran into was what to do with the gas tank. After 25 years, it was in very bad shape.
I was disappointed to learn that you had to remove the engine to clean the gas tank! After we removed the engine (a whole other story), I discovered that the gas tank was in really bad shape. I took the gas tank to a local radiator shop where they estimated it would cost at least $125 to clean and they were really concerned about the rust! I had already noticed in several VW parts catalogs that they made repro gas tanks for 1966 VW Buses and decided to explore this option.
WolfburgWest listed a fuel tank for 1966 VW Buses, but had no real information on it. I called them and they said the tanks did not fit and they wouldn’t sell them. I started asking around with local VW Bus owners and they didn’t speak very highly of them either! What to do? I decided to call another dealer, JBugs, who also listed them in their catalog. I told the guys at JBugs that I heard that the aftermarket tanks don't fit. They told me that they had sold about 100 tanks in 2008 and had no complaints! So I ordered one.
JBugs sells a gas tank for the 1966 VW Bus for $109 plus shipping, and I ordered one along with a new gas sending unit which sells for about $50. Guess what? They don't fit. But, with a little work, we made it fit.
The problem is the neck is too short. The solution was to cut the gas vent tube.
This allowed us to move the tank to the right about an inch. A rubber hose was added to the vent tube. We also adjusted the neck slightly so that it would line up better.
After the gas line was hooked up, we added gas and checked for leaks. The tank seems to be working fine now.
So, the bottom line is this... aftermarket gas tanks do not fit 1966 VW Buses out of the box. However, with a few work-arounds, you can make it work and, for just a little more than cleaning the old tank, you can have a brand new one that you can have confidence in.
I love VW's, I really want a bus!
Someday I will have one, I want to fix one up myself with my nonexistent car repair skills(:
Read my blog, see I love them!
http://yovia.com/blogs/kimberly/2009/06/29/someday-i-will-have-one/
Posted by: Kimberly Sepulveda | June 29, 2009 at 11:18 AM