used tanks

What's up with all the junky fuel tanks for sale online? Dents, chips, rust and ugly repaints. eBay and salvage yards have all these trashed out tanks that they want a fortune for! And if it turns out not as advertised - good luck getting satisfaction AND you pay return shipping. Local body people won't touch the big dent along top of my present tank. Send it out of state for repair where it's out of my control? I think NOT. Trying to find decent replacement for an 86 VFR750F is a headache. What would you do beyond eBay, country wide online salvage and local salvage????

 

I hear you. Motorcycle tank restoration is probably a really good business to specialize in.

Seems like I always have to buy a parts bike to get reasonably priced parts.

 

I've got a tank off of my 700 that I'm parting out for sale right now. It does have one dent on the upper left side, not sure if it's worse than yours. My original plan was to just putty/bondo/sand/repaint it but sadly I had to kill the project. Here's a couple pics of it:













If that's better than yours and you want to consider it let me know.

 

What year / bike did the 700 tank come from?


I also have a similar situation as the original poster. Does anybody know if the tanks from the newer generation VFR's will fit the first gens? I'm particular interested in the 1986 750.
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Or if any other bike's tank will fit?


I'm also curious if anybody has repaired their tank. I've asked a couple guys, they all say it's too thin for them to weld. Ive temporarily repaired a large hole in the bottom of mine with a mesh screen and some gas tank putty repair stuff. Then I sealed the inside of my tank with a kit I got online. It holds fuel and doesn't leak but I wouldn't consider a viable long term repair.

Any thought/comments welcomed, awesome thread.

 

It's from an 86 VFR 700, which I believe is the same size tank as the 750, but I could be wrong.

 

Only way I have repaired those dints is to drill the tank and pull the dints out with a puller and then bronze the holes up. Not a huge problem but near impossible to get any shop to do this sort of work, just too hard for them to bother with, they can make better money doing easier things

 

I would bring it or send it to a guy I know in Tucson. I would only do it if it was a bike I'd want to keep, or if it was a rare bike.

 

Warriorhunter: You are right. Also '87 tanks will fit.

 

NormK: I think that will be my last option if I can't find one without large dents. Very shallow fillable dents would be no problem.

 

MoFo: Sending it out is possible but I really hate for it to be further than driving distance. Not being able to get my hands on it in short order is not an option.

 

I understand. He's done work for a couple of friends of mine who have restored vintage and collector bikes, but I'd be in the same situation you are.