Anyone using Model A cowl tank for storage?

I plan on using the cowl tank in my model A for the battery, relays, wiring, fuses, etc. and will need to cut it open with from top or bottom, make a hinged front, something so that it is accessible.

Anyone else done this? Any pics?

 

same plan with mine.
im still working on it ,so no pictures.
but my fuse panel, instrument wires, heater controls, 56 olds instrument pod, and possibly a glove box will be all a part of mine.
I have made 2 access holes in the bottom, that will end up having hinged closure panels put in place once its done.

 

1: Make sure tank is empty of gas or in my case pine needles. Really, do not leave pine needled in there, the plasma makes em smoke a tad

2: Cut bottom of tank out. You now have room for all yer schtuff.

3: For a variation, PM fltblk, his pickup has a cowl panel that removes for the outside to access his electrical and brakes.

 

I have my gauges, fuseblock, coil, voltage regulator, cigarette lighter, wiring, inside the gastank, the bottom has been cut out.

 

It's a street car but it's not going to see any weather really, I had a bucket before so I'm used to things getting a bit wet in the off chance it sees a sprinkle come through.

Yeah no gas, and no pine needles however i cant guarantee that its completely junk free but I have tried to blow it out with air a few times. There hasn't been gas in this tank for decades.

I have had an itchy plasma finger, and the bottom coming out definitely seemed less intrusive however I was thinking if I followed the seam lines all around the top I could make it uber accessible - as long as I had a good way to re-secure it.

 

Brakes, I never thought about that I could probably put my MC in there.

 

i just cut the bottom out on each side, leaving a strip in the center for rigidity. seems like cutting the top of for access would open a big can of worms. sealing,fitment, strength issues. that being said, one of the "slo-poks vancouver wa" has a roadster with a flip-up cowl tank top. evreything is super accessible. no bending over or worming your *** under the dash to work on stuff. this is an area of concern for us old fat farts!

 

Any other pics of that A? I like the gauge setup there too, I plan on something similar.

 

I store gas in mine...................

 

There is a good tech on here by someone who added a glove compartment to an A VERY neatly, maintaining stock face appearance and actually incorporating the baffles as walls. Do one on each side and have one for your gloves, the other for your electrical stuff.

 

That's not a bad idea, I haven't opened it up yet to see how the baffles lay out.

 

i think on the 28-9's it is one either side of center

 

Here is mine (sorry for the bad picture)

 

How are you accessing it? did you cut the bottom out of it?

 

i don't think there's room for a a battery in there.

 

A friend of mine made a panel on the front/engine side in that area on his '32 5w that's removable with quick release fasteners. Under there he has his fuse panel, master cylinder, clutch master cylinder, battery - pretty slick and accessible!

 

The battery I am using is:

Length 6.700 in.
Width 3.900 in.
Height 6.890 in.

 

My current thought is cutting from the outside, making tabs for the back and then locking the front with dzus fasteners on the firewall.

 

It was mine. Here it is http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97450
the baffles are placed for a nice size glove box. I hid all wiring/fusebox, and steering stuff up there.

 

X2

Here's a thread with pictures showing how I did it.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=222387

 

Probesport,whats the cranking amps on that odyssey? It looks like the battery in my Road King.Dry cell,right?

 

I have all my electrics under the seat. I did however put speakers on each side inside the tank. Have to take the instrument panel off for access. I just drilled little neat holes for the speakers. Makes for a good sound box, looks original from under neath except the little holes.

 

i like that idea..just need to score another 28-9 tank..
and weld back in the bottom of mine on that side

 

with a 28/29, if would be easy to build a removalable upper section. remove the tank build a lower pan (similar to the lower section of the original gas tank and have it go from cowl panel to cowl panel (or get a second tank.. they are pretty cheap and cut the sides off the tank leaving the mounting lip and bottom pan)..Where the bolts go through the cowl to bolt the tank in, make them locating pins (several of them of them) . Leave the two inner (closest to the door inside) and a few of the ones on the firewall lip. Gut the tank to leave the firewall and top section and front (dash side) of the tank (so the bottom is gone), weld a short pin to the tank on a few of the firewall holes to keep the firewall firm when it was back in stalled (so the cowl would have some going up to hold the sides and the tank would have a few on the front firewall lip to keep the firewalls lined up.. Use some thin weather strip on the cowl and lower firewall lip to help seal the tank when bolted back on. you would mount all your electrical and other stuff to the pan.

With the removal of about 6 bolts the upper tank section would come but allow it to be bolted back down and seal decent (how often once its all finished will it really come off and removing 6 bolts would only take a few seconds, even on the road it would accessible. come off.


I almost did this to my 29 sedan but decided I could leave with crawling under the dash to get at what a needed.

 

They really work good as a gas tank too.

 

captain obvious

 

Nice pics/thread replies I am liking the glove box door idea - not a big fan of the gas tank idea

Can the 30 tank be removed at all like the 28/9? Or has this become integral?