Clear coat gas tank or no?

[nsmall]

My gas tank is about 2 years old and it should clean up pretty nicely.  Before it goes back on my restored car I was wondering if you folks think it would be good idea to clear coat it to make it easy to clean up in the future or is that just bad idea?

Also....would it be okay to use some 0000 steel wool to freshen it up a little?

Thank you.

[1 Wild R/T]

On my Challenger that I built back in 95-96 I waxed the tank a few times through the years & it's held up pretty well.... I replaced it with a EFI tank recently & it looks visually new....

[Cuda Cody]

Yes and yes.  You can scuff it and clean it up.  Make sure not to get anything inside the tank.  And a clear coat should be fine.  If you buy a new tank, David at Roseville gets me stainless steel ones and they will never rust.  They look a little nicer then OEM, but I'm okay with that.  But if your is good, just clean it, clear coat it and reuse it.

[61K T/A]

I had a body shop clear my new tank. When I strapped it to the car the clear pealed off around that area and continued to come off. When I told the BS he basically told me your SOL. Stainless is the way to go.

[Burdar]

They already come with some type of coating on them to help prevent rust.  Obviously over time, it's going to rust anyway.  How long that takes just depends on the conditions the car is subjected to.  I think a light scuff with steel wool and spray it down periodically with some WD-40 will work better than a clear coat.  Metal can still rust under clear paint.

[RUNCHARGER]

I like that WD40 idea for a driver. I'll buy stainless next time though, I didn't know it was available.

[Shane Kelley]

I would be worried about long term. It will more than likely peel because you have nothing etching the surface like a primer. Gas tank will be changing temperatures and expanding. All the ingredients for failure. 

[Spikedog08]

I clear coated mine before I installed it and have had no issues.  Been 10 years or so now . . . 

[Shane Kelley]

I clear coated mine before I installed it and have had no issues.  Been 10 years or so now . . . 

That was some good clear. It's always a crap shoot doing something like that. I have done some things and they do fine and done others that you would thing would be fine and they fail.

[Gary]

What we have done in the past, is seal the tank with DP90 and then paint it with Eastwoods  tank tone.  It looks somewhat like bare metal.  It holds up good on a driver.

[Crash520]

I wiped down my new tank with acetone then used an epoxy clear coat from a rattle can, not super heavy but it's been shiny new looking for almost four years now, now flaking or peeling

[Shane Kelley]

Wow. I never heard of epoxy clear. Something like that would be really good. Who makes that?

[nsmall]

@Crash520 @Shane Kelley

Is this it crash520?  Is this considered epoxy clear?

http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-s-2k-aerospraytm-high-gloss-matte-clear.html

Thanks for all the advice.  I live in a sunny dry climate so after reading these posts Im thinking....clean the tank and leave it alone.  I can always clean it down the road if it gets ugly.

Thanks again.

Neil

[Crash520]

I guess you could use that, I simply used a product from the hardware store, rattle can epoxy clear, just a generic clear in satin, I think it can be used on anything from furniture to metal, give Lowes or Home Depot a go, I think mine was a Wattle brand (that might only be an Aussie product )