Topic: Help me! Fiberglass body fitment.

[Honda?]

Sorry guys but I have to ask you what you would do with the following options.

Here is my dilemma. The gas tank for my tracy body was terrible. Metal plate for the petcock was rusted out along with some of the fill cap surround. The inside is ROUGH looking.


I stopped by Motorcycle Performance on University(Madison, WI) to get some ideas. I decided to have an aluminum tank made to fit under the fiberglass tank after I hollow the bottom out. Yeah I know$$$.

After hollowing out the bottom of the fiberglass tank I highly doubt they will be able to make anything reasonable to fit under it. When I say reasonable I mean

A)mounting the petcock will be very tricky because there is not much room between frame, fiberglass, engine, and carbs.

B)The capacity of the tank will be 2 gallons IF I am really lucky.

Moto Perf also wanted me to relocate the WHOLE body forward a few inches to get the tank section closer to the neck of the frame. (pics and options below)

Original position. (note how far back the front of the tank is from the neck)


Where Moto Perf want's me to move the body to give them more room for the tank and to snug up the front. Keep in mind I will have to have considerable glasswork done to the rear bottom edges of the body to fill gaps.


The tank is pretty narrow and won't give me much of a grip area for my legs. Below idea will solve that.


My Plan

My plan is to cut the whole tank section of the tracy body off and have a larger capacity wider tank made that I can either but the tracy body up against or have a new mold placed over and attached to the tracy body.

If I do it this way:

Moto Perf can make:
  *A reasonable sized tank.
  *A good shaped tank the way I want it.
  *Easy petcock placement for them.
  *The tank will be mounted to the frame separate from the body.
  *Price will be the same.
I won't have to have any heavy glasswork done to the rear half of the body.

I can keep the same profile line that the body has right now. The tank will just be wider and hang a bit lower(over the frame rail). That should give it a clean look. Here is my attempt to show what I mean.




What do YOU think? Do you know any fiberglass places around or in Dane county WI?

[scottly]

How about fixing what you have? Clean up the inside, lay in a few layers of 'glass, build a new bottom, using the old one to make a mold.... Just a thought.

[Honda?]

Ethanol which will inevitably find it's way to my tank eats away at fiberglass. That and I don't want to go through all of the trouble of glassing it and sealing it just to have the sealer fall off or glass rotted away. Aluminum would be a permanent fix and I'm not a giant fan of how narrow the existing tank is. 

[scottly]

OK, it was just a thought. BTW, most common molded 'glass products are made using polyester resin, while more high performance stuff uses epoxy resin...

[Honda?]

Don't get me wrong I'm really happy that someone is helping out.

This Tracy body is most likely from the 70s so it's old school. I don't know if poly and epoxy are compatible. It's going to be a trip either way.

[Hondell]

I have a Tracy that fits just like your's. If you move the tank forward too much, the fork tubes will hit the tank. Just be aware of that when modifying.

[scottly]

Yeah, I remember Tracy fairings and body kits from way back. Always thought the body kits were pretty sleek looking.  

[Retro Rocket]

Ethanol which will inevitably find it's way to my tank eats away at fiberglass. That and I don't want to go through all of the trouble of glassing it and sealing it just to have the sealer fall off or glass rotted away. Aluminum would be a permanent fix and I'm not a giant fan of how narrow the existing tank is. 

Use fuel resistant epoxy when you repair it and you will have no problems with ethanol.......do a search or talk to someone who makes fibreglass products, it is definitely doable.

Mick

[Quartza]

Don't get me wrong I'm really happy that someone is helping out.

This Tracy body is most likely from the 70s so it's old school. I don't know if poly and epoxy are compatible. It's going to be a trip either way.

Epoxy over poly is the proper way to go for a fix.  Poly will not adherer well to old, cured polyester resin

[Honda?]

Anybody have a rough estimate about how much it would cost to have new glass laid in and a new bottom made? Right now I am looking at about 450 dollars for a custom built aluminum tank with a new petcock.

[scottly]

Hey Honda?, I understand your reasons for wanting a wider tank, while keeping the lines of the Tracey. I think you might be on to something. I am curious, though; just how much to have a custom alloy tank made?  

[scottly]

Dohh! As Retro said check around for someone that does glass work, or, better yet, do it yourself.

[scottly]

Actually, $450 for a custom alloy tank sounds almost too good to be true....

[Honda?]

Well 450 was the quote to build a tank that would fit underneath the existing fiberglass in the picture. Logic would suggest building a wider tank with less size restrictions would cost less. It will also be a lot easier to place the petcock.

[scottly]

Yeah, but the quote was for a tank that no one would ever see. To make a nice looking custom alloy tank takes a lot of time and skill

[Honda?]

Bah I'll just put a paper bag over it. 

[scottly]

HA! Damn punk kid 

[Retro Rocket]

Don't get me wrong I'm really happy that someone is helping out.

This Tracy body is most likely from the 70s so it's old school. I don't know if poly and epoxy are compatible. It's going to be a trip either way.

Epoxy over poly is the proper way to go for a fix.  Poly will not adherer well to old, cured polyester resin

Exactly,    i should have mentioned that..  Actually if i was to ever make a glass tank it would all be epoxy..

Mick

Mick

[Honda?]

Yeah, but the quote was for a tank that no one would ever see. To make a nice looking custom alloy tank takes a lot of time and skill

If the aluminum tank looks like poo there is nothing stopping me from making an epoxy mold over it that would attach to the tracy body. It would actually be easier that way because the tank would be the mold.

It's easier to form epoxy over aluminum than aluminum under epoxy riiiiight? 

[Retro Rocket]

It's easier to form epoxy over aluminum than aluminum under epoxy riiiiight?  Cheesy

I'm not to sure what you are trying to say there as both examples are the same.... in both cases the aluminum is under the epoxy....


Mick

[scottly]

If you use a mold that looks like poo, what do you expect the end result will look like?

[Honda?]

Haha this is getting out of control. Epoxy is easier to form than aluminum. That is what I ment.

I also expect a work of art if I use poo as a mold. I expect nothing but the best!!  

Btw I'm pretty decided on my idea of cutting the tank section off and going with the aluminum tank.

[scottly]

Haha this is getting out of control. Epoxy is easier to form than aluminum. That is what I ment.

I also expect a work of art if I use poo as a mold. I expect nothing but the best!! 

Btw I'm pretty decided on my idea of cutting the tank section off and going with the aluminum tank.

The only other thing I might suggest over the custom tank, at least cost wise, would be to look for a tank that looks good to you, and see if you can make it fit you bike, then cut the body to match. Good luck, and keep us posted!!
Scott

[mystic_1]

There aren't many of those Tracy bodies floating around out there any more.  My vote would be to restore the one you have with epoxy fiberglass, and then use it as a template to reproduce the rear section for use with your aluminum tank.  You could then sell off the original body to recoup your costs.

mystic_1

[55fbomb]

why not just mold a stock tank into the tracy rear section, maybe with some indents for your knees?