What's your opinion?

Biulding a Mk1 with a 2lt:
would you ?
1. have a standard side tank
2. put a mk2 drop tank in
3. have 2 standard side tanks in - one each side
4. aluminium in boot tank
too many options?
a drop tank makes it look low and fat
2 side tanks is different
what your opinion?

aluminium in boot tank .... Like the GRP4 Fabrications one...

If you work out how to convert a standard tank to the near side of find a source of left side tanks let me know.

Why do you need something different? Purely for greater volume?????

Shaun

What are you going to use the car for? What spec is the engine?
 
I would just stick with the stock tank, I have had three daily driver pinto powered escorts with the standard side tank and it never found it too bad.

^^^Agreed
 
It's very satisfying to fill up for $35 :D

One side tank is dangerous enough, but two!!
Alloy inside boot tanks look good as well as being more safe than side tank, however the cost
Capri (not 3.0), toyota celica or Gemini (is that how its spelt?) tanks will all fit and you still get large 13 inch spare (or two) in flat on the floor.
MK2 drop tank would be ok, as well as droping centre of gravity down lower as long as you stay out of the forrest

 
It will be a street driven car
The 2lt will be twin weber fed and mild cam ,easy to drive town or country
Fuel consumption would be the concern with one side tank
and looks for twin tanks be the other:
I have seen a skeleton image in an Escort book showing the twin side tanks but I read on the weekend in another book that the 2nd tank was an after market and not Ford done.The image of both tanks showed it was definately a right hand tank turned around and put in the spare wheel side.
 

I would do everyhting elae first and then worry about the fuel tank when and if it becomes an issue.
 
No doubt there will be plenty of other things that will l take up your time and money.
 
Cheers
 
Matt

I was worried about fuel capacity as well and just added about 20lt to the original tank. No other mods required. Original filler,fuel gauge and mounts. Would add pics if I could work out how.

Drop tank and side tank would get you, what, about 20 gallons?  Perfect for a cannonball run!

I had the drop tank and the side tank together in my Mk2 a number of years ago.  Even with twins, I could easily manage the Melbourne - Sydney - Newcastle run without stopping....  Capacity is around 90lts and you need 2 electronic cutoffs and a T piece to connect it up.  When the first tank runs dry, switch over the the second one (you only loose about 5km/h in the change over this way if you are paying attention).  I looked at connecting the 2 together (like a Jag or a Cooper S), however the levels are different and you would overflow the drop tank....  Filling both does weigh a little bit though... Could feel it a bit in a car with only one person.
 
PS - Don't drink too much Coke to stay awake on your long trip without stops, as you may still need a personal pitstop.....

Jim, is this the MK1 with bubble arches you're planning?
If so I would go with a centre tank in the boot (the photo below is of a Capri tank in a MK1 Escort) and the works style fuel filler.

 


 
 
 

I did that same mod to my MK1 2 litre Escort rally car in the mid 70's it worked well and also gave plenty of room in the boot.
Capri tanks may be hard to get now.

Nice mod. It look great with Peugeot 206 GTI filler cap ;)

Finally found paper clip to attach pics
 

like a few others on here, my original RS had a side tank and the drop tank.  The previous owner installed it as he used it on the highway a bit.  Mine was hooked up so that when the main drop tank was low, you flicked a switch and it would pump the fuel from the side tank into the drop tank.  I never actually used it myself as a pov 18 year old I couldn't afford that much fuel at one time.

The extension on the side tank is pretty impressive.
How much extra did that give you to the tanks capacity?
 
Hey Shaun,
I will get this image of the left hand tank out of the book and put it up.
 
I do have enough side tanks and petrol cap panel recesses to do a left hand,
but I do like the thought of a inside centre tank but I would want to adapt it to external fill access.
Jim

The internally mounted aluminium tanks dont have particularly high capacity (10-12 gallons?).
 
Have you considered the possible registration issues within your state of changing the fuel tank?  I would put the coin to something else and stay standard.

Adding 100mm to the tank gives you about 20lt extra capacity. And as the tank has about 37lt usable capacity the increase is about 50% more. What you loose in boot space is not worth worrying about.

lol I cut 25mm off of mine to fit the dry sump pipework

Put it on gas !
Use 1 of those donut tanks sunken in the boot floor...
Gemini tanks are slight effort to fit especially the parcel shelf. As Matt says, you will have plenty other obstacles to worry about before the tank.

Hey Marti & Matt,
planning ahead is the only way to build or repair these cars.
my biggest concern is earning enough money to keep playing with my toys and these share holder companies like IAG and SUNCORP who own all the insurance company names are destroying the Panelbeating and repair shop industry. People forget who owns the car and who pays the bills. The insurance companies only take the premium and it is the repair shop who give the warranties.
back to it now fellow enthusiasts.
Jim

I agree, a well thought and planned build is a sure way to keep your costs down.
 
My point was whether a modified tank was on the list of immeadiate things to work on. 
 
But then, it's not my build so what i say doesn't mean much at all.
 
Goo dluck with it all.
 
Cheers
 
Matt

A few pic from Factory Original Sporting Mk1



I would say it is the right tank turn around.