As an on going theme of the Morgan family’s Chevy Belair project we are going over top of what is essential,
I present a 120l sheet metal aluminium fuel tank for a street car.
The tank was designed using Autodesk Inventor, incorporating several bent pieces of 3mm thick 5005 aluminium. The objective was to minimize welding and ensure ease of construction.
The tank features an internal structure, serving as a secondary smaller tank to keep the fuel pumps consistently supplied while turning corners.
For the fuel system, we opted for the Nuke Performance CFC Unit – Low-profile Competition Fuel Cell Unit, which includes an integrated fuel surge tank. This system is theoretically capable of maintaining a steady flow of fuel at 2000 HP.
To maintain the appearance of a typical road car, we placed the tank in the boot (trunk) of the vehicle. By doing so, we were able to lower the middle section of the tank, creating space for the fuel cell. Additionally, we installed four billet mounting points with rubber dampeners at each corner to prevent excessive stress on the aluminium and minimize the risk of breakage.
The tank’s manufacturing process involved outsourcing the laser cutting, folding, and welding. Unfortunately, we didn’t capture images of the separate plates prior to assembly.
A few notes: In hindsight, the slots made in the top of the tank were unnecessary for assembly, as the welding would be done from the bottom before adding the top plate. However, other welding considerations, such as tabs and flanges, facilitated the assembly process.
The tank fit well, with the four mounts aligning perfectly with the chassis rail, and it dropped into place comfortably between the exhaust pipes.
The next step will be installing an engine that can truly make the most of a fuel tank like this!
