IMHO, buy a new tank and be done with it.....

best advice yet......they are EXTREMELY well priced...especially from RockAuto since their tank prices (Spectra Premium) are great and just as importantly, their shipping charges usually beat the heck out of anyone else.

As far as preservation - yes, Boeshield is good but should be reapplied periodically....it's not a "coat and forget forever" type product. The new tanks have an oily film on them out of the box. You could remove that with some wax and grease remover and then Boeshield it.

Can you get something re galvanized?

Here is some interesting info from CRG website.

http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=11864.0

Sure.....IF you can find anyone that will mess with it...

Any galvanizer will be a huge outfit...industrial concern doing BIG stuff. First reaction will be "we don't do one-offs, small stuff, etc.

Next reaction, as mentioned in the linked-to Camaro site thread will be - we won't touch the part because it's thinner metal....too much risk of distortion, etc. I got this reaction from a galvanizing outfit down in S. TX many years ago when checking into it.

Can't blame them....they specialize in volume/thru-put and it's probably all done on a competitive bid basis. Folks like us are not worth their time and I can't blame them for not wanting to mess with us "retail" folks.

I did look into it in the Chicago area as well with a customer up there a few years back when I was doing resto work on his '72 442 convert. We found a galvanizer up there (think rust belt...plenty of need for protective coatings on metal) and they did re-galvanize his gas tank straps. I think they just figured, WTH, get this guy out of our hair and dip the darn things...no skin off our noses. We ended up throwing them away....the finish was way too thick/globby, etc (hot dipped galvanizing)..went with new galvanized straps from Inline Tube on the car.

The "thing" is the metal you see on these cars that was galvanized was done so IN SHEET FORM before the part was actually stamped. Probably done at the steel mill, again on a massive controlled-condition basis where they had the knowledge and equipment to put a nice SMOOTH galvanized finish on the sheet steel.

That is A LOT different from trying to have someone do it "locally", etc.

I do remember many threads, pics on the big Chevelle site years ago where people were having their Chevelle frames galvanized. Don't remember where it was being done at the time...seems like one guy had his done in Houston but probably others had it done at different places in the US.

Tank tone or new tank I’d say. I have the same dilemma. My 78 was painted back in 82. The guy sprayed undercoat on the tank to cover overspray. I want to drop the tank and strip all that crap off. Maybe it’s nice under. But I doubt it.

Burd that tank might be well protected and nice underneath. Some place, probably on crg someone did that and it was very nice

Whatever you do, don't spend any money on the Tank Tone stuff from Eastwood - it looks exactly what it is; paint.

Thanks for all the feedback gang. As with everything on this car I would like to retain the original "born with" parts if possible vs doing a "computer restoration" with a bunch of repro parts - even if it means a less than perfect appearance. The rust condition in my photos is on the trunk side of the tank so it would not be seen after install. We'll see how I do on this tank - I can always buy a repop if it turns out like dog$hit.

While we’re on this topic, what are the 2 straps to be pained or what? (GM)

Now you got me going on this, I’m going to clean a spot with something to see what it looks like. I remember seeing blue steel,company names on the tanks, i don’t want to remove that. Do all tanks have this mark?