Well said and good comments. It basically comes down to practicality vs nostalgia and the choice is yours. A lot depends on the way you will actually use your vehicle and weighing benefits of many things against appearance. Many of the choices you make will involve not only appearance, but safety. Its really difficult to build a car that mirrors the 1950s and use it in a 2023 world. I understand what you are trying to do and wish you the best of luck with it. Thanks for engaging in a friendly conversation and expressing your ideas.
I should've done that ! I bought a mechanical float here on the HAMB it worked great until the gas fumes distorted the plastic and the bobbing level marker thing hung up inside the tube. I tried several different glass tubes but none ever fit right and it leaked, the sight glass thing would be the way to go if you could find something other than clear plastic tube.
That's the duck's nuts. Are the windows meant to indicate 1/4 increments? If so, shouldn't the longer slots be at the top and bottom due to the tank end shape? Still, very cool.......
If it's a zip code car (never gets out of it's home zip code) why bother I guess. But if you plan on doing some traveling put one in. Cars had fuel gauges long before 66
You're 100% right man. And somebody else said it. Any kind of modern gas gauge would be out of place in your car in my opinion. I wasn't taking the whole picture into account. A sight glass or dipstick makes more sense in your case m unless of course you could hide a gauge. Or rig it inside of the old stock gas gauge float thingy
I'd never go without one, Not true but for a serious driver...I remember 1925 T with a measuring stick...in the trunk...Adds an extra dynamic to the day really...Math...not to mention a stinky old stick in the trunk... I ran out recently...fricken embarassing......I have a rectangular aluminum tank with a Gage that's very dependable till 1/4 tank, then I'm living a poker hand with losing being a distinct possibility...it's funny that day I ran out I knew I was in the danger zone and was literally making one last local stop before getting gas...never made it...the missus was with me that day...she had chilly sidewalk duty while a friend that was with me got me to the store to get a can and then to the station... I now carry a 2 gallon can of gas... If you are going gageless an odometer would be a necessity... My sender actually looks more vintage than the other fittings on my tank...I have no idea of the age of these components but I'll bet there's some go fast stories behind it all...
His period, late 50s to mid 60s had lots of options for a gage...a period float/gage would be applicable... Was the one or two rides he used as inspiration strictly strip or were they dual duty as his ride is going to be...
There's one that has had a gauge in the dash that never worked from 1950-whatever to today. The car has always had a SW Blue Line and a tank in the trunk, neither has any provisions for the other. I have been doing research and I found a 10.25" long gas cap gauge that came on a snowmobile from the era. If the threads match, I'll run that. Then I will have both a 1950's washing machine part and a snowmobile part on my car, hahaha.
I guess with so many racers back in the day, I suspect some fabbed a gage in and hiding it wouldn't really have been necessary...I think this would be a grey area with no right or wrong with varied levels of fit and finish...both being plausible... I don't think it makes your ride overdone in any way...a weathered SW fuel gage or other period gage would finish it off at the other end...
Hey, Brent Real "Hot Rods" did not have windshield wipers, spare tire, heater, or an accurate fuel gauge, har, har. On the '33 Sedan Delivery we built which now has146,000 FUN miles, we have Dakota Digital gauges. Even though we have built many street rods since 1957, the fuel gauge is off by 15%. You guessed it = ran out of gas on the way to the Nats in Louyville on the top of Skyland Parkway. Fortunately our neighbor came along with a can of gas. Our fresh '32 Coupe now has 715 miles .... yep, the fuel gauge is off. Our friend that built it has built many super nice street rods. The best sender does not have a float on a wire that requires correct bending. The float is in a tube. It is preset. You buy according to your tank depth. I have a 10" for sale. I will upload a pic.......... Have fun, Jim Mothershead, 410 474 2244 cell, 410 535 1933, 410 535 1932 The best sender is I carry a stick marked off in one quarter measurements for safety, same as the old days. The best sender is
I knew that would spark someone. If it's from an early 60s snow machine and I can remove it how is that not good enough? No quotes for the digital gauges? Nobody would bat an eye if it came from some sort of military item or equipment... because it was common to rob parts. I do see the logic presented and I am actively trying to make it work. However, if you think parts weren't robbed from anything other than auto donors, you haven't been around authentic original modified cars, parted cars out, etc.
I just learned about this last night I came across it by accident this might help you and anyone else who has a fuel gauge that is incorrect because it is the wrong ohm ratings https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-Fuel-Level-Gauge-Sending-Unit-Interface-Module,66534.html I don't know about anyone else on this website I was totally unaware of such an invention existing whatever engineer made this deserves an award in my opinion.
My champ car is going to have a fuel gauge because I will license it for the street too. But champ cars of that era had a relatively austere instrumentation package - often only a oil pressure and water temp gauge - so I plan to hide the gauge under the seat upholstery, just under my armpit, so I can unsnap the corner of the seat back and take a look.
I see people making the case for the importance of having a panel fuel gauge, can't say I disagree, and yet all I can think of is the time I did some flying with a friend in an airplane called a Citabria. By design it had no panel fuel gauge; only a sight glass in the wing fuel tank. You had to look up to your right to check it. We had to use a flashlight to check it after dark. Whatever works, works! By the way, "Citabria" spelled backwards is "Airbatic"...
My OT Dart did not have a working fuel gauge. I have always said the only gauges I really need are oil pressure and coolant temp but evidently I needed a fuel gauge too. I finally added one after one too many times forgetting that I had made a trip to Fort Worth on that tank and getting stuck when I thought I had another day or two of gas left for my normal commute. My T has no provision for one and I don't know if there's any way to add one but at least it's pretty easy to check with a dip stick or just bang on the tank under the cowl to see if it's empty.
Brent, I'm sure by now you know which way you're going/gone but thought you might be interested in this. An after thought.....but remembered these T gauges.....have seen them come up for sale every so often. This guy's setup is similar to yours and he retrofitted this dash gauge (for a cowl tank) to his trunk tank.
I’ve seen more than one with what appears to be a radio antenna that’s really a rod with a float on the other end. Think I’ve seen them drilled threw the filler cap on a stock A before. Maybe someone’s already mentioned this method already
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