A Red Letter Day for me!!

[wdfifteen]

After something like 12 years of sitting my '56 coupe is running on its own power! It's filthy inside and out but it's running - and running well!!
I parked it after the fuel pump sprang a leak and I didn't have time to fix it. I think that was somewhere between 12 and 15 years ago. After sitting so long the entire fuel system had to be rebuilt from the fuel tap to the carburetors. Gas tank was boiled out and relined, all hoses and filters replaced. It fired up and ran on all 4 cylinders as soon as the carbs got gas.
I farted around on PPOT all morning, reluctant to take the last step to get it running. Anything could have gone wrong after sitting so long and I didn't want to find out what else needed to be done. I am so relieved.
Going out to celebrate now. The clean up begins tomorrow. Then brakes, then tires. It never ends.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Very cool and congratulations, looks like a beautiful car! Post some more pics when you get a chance.

[Evans, Marv]

Hey congratulations. That's a beautiful car. I totally get it about "farting around" not wanting to have something else go wrong. Glad it turned out well.

[Bill Douglas]

Excellent. Love the color too.

[GH85Carrera]

Congrats.

I will offer 20K for that 56 year old car since I am a nice guy.

[Seahawk]

1956, the year I was born.

We are both old!

So delighted it is back!

[gordner]

Well done and congrats! Looks great.

[astrochex]

Beautiful car, congrats on the major progress!

[rusnak]

Very nice!

BTW where do you take a gas tank to be cleaned out? I'm asking because I need to remove a diesel tank and have it cleaned out somehow.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by rusnak

Very nice!

BTW where do you take a gas tank to be cleaned out? I'm asking because I need to remove a diesel tank and have it cleaned out somehow.

When I had the gas tank for 73 cleaned out, I took it to a tractor trailer/semi oil cooler/radiator repair shop.

they dipped it which cleaned out the tank and stripped the schutz and then epoxied the inside and then painted the outside so it wouldn't rust. Worked like a charm. Some people report their plastic swirl pots were damaged in a similar process so check on that.

[rusnak]

^ It's a plastic diesel tank in a Magnum light tower. I bought it from some carnie who ran a rodeo grounds. I think he must have lost the cap to his diesel storage tank because I've had to change the fuel filter at least 6 times already. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and pull the tank before October.

Patrick, are you running Solex carbs?

[id10t]

u are getting me motivated to do the same. any issues w brake lines etc?

[rusnak]

Now I remember I have to pull the 914-6 gas tank too, damn. I had to spend $900 on a new fuel pump from Porsche and don't want to do that again.

[unclebilly]

Dammit… where is the ‘Like’ button?

[fastfredracing]

That has to be a great feeling . I am feeling great for you right now. I can almost smell it from here

[speeder]

Originally Posted by rusnak

^ It's a plastic diesel tank in a Magnum light tower. I bought it from some carnie who ran a rodeo grounds. I think he must have lost the cap to his diesel storage tank because I've had to change the fuel filter at least 6 times already. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and pull the tank before October.

Patrick, are you running Solex carbs?

If it's a plastic tank, you should be able to get it really empty and then clean the heck out of it with a pressure washer, then just leave it in the hot sun upside down to dry. At least that is what I did with the tank from my diesel PU truck years ago. It helped that it had a large opening on top once the sending unit was removed.

Just spray it and dump it out...rinse and repeat. Diesel tanks wind up with regular old dirt in them.

[speeder]

Otherwise, radiator shops can usually boil-out fuel tanks.

[Sooner or later]

Sweet!

[jyl]

Congratulations! Beautiful car, nice to see it getting back on the road.

[herr_oberst]

This is great Patrick. That car just looks terrific.

(You chose the time to do this correctly - if you'd tried to get it going during a downturn in your life's luck it would have turned out totally differently.)