I have a new gas tank and I was wondering if I should apply any sort of paint or protective coating, to keep it looking good. All replies appreciated.

 

Once upon a time I painted my wife's new tank grey and it still looks pretty good, but my new tank for my convert will be clear coated so it will still look like bare metal..

 

I took the gas tank out of my '67 Delta 88 to get at the fuel gauge sending unit, and while I had it out, I cleaned it up and primed and painted it with some leftover gold spray paint my daughter had used in making a float for the high school homecoming parade some years back. I did it mainly to protect it and, while I know that gold isn't really the "correct" color for the tank, I had the paint, and who looks at the @$% gas tank, anyway?

It'll be nice that you'll keep yours looking good, but you don't really see the gas tank much when you look at a car unless you get down on your knees and peer up at it. At the next car show, the spectators probably won't get much out of it, but the judges might.

The bottom line is, anything you can do to protect it and help extend its life is worth doing. Taking gas tanks out and putting them back in isn't the most fun thing in the world, so the less often you have to do it, the better.

 

I know POR 15 and Eastwood make products to paint and seal gas tanks. I've only heard good things about their products.