mushaus

I was hit hard by a Nissan Frontier truck and my tank didn't rupture. Looked like the truck was totaled to me.I think the spare tire bolted to the trunk floor may have helped a little because the rear caved in to that point. After the wreck I did install the steel behind the seat and some headrests. I would worry more about the low seatsthan the gas tank rupturing.

Here is a pic after the wreck.

[IMG]local://upfiles/58008/A0C516BEE9E949BA92D70E60615B9840.jpg[/IMG]

tarafied1

OUCH!
If my Stang gets crunched hard enough to explode I will want to die anyway! (just kidding)
Did you save it? Is that it in the sig?

mushaus

Yep, Iwas able to save it and that is it in thesig. I was worried about it being totaled, but the guys adjusterliked old cars. After this I changed my insurance to Haggerty as well.

TexasAxMan

I'm putting in the steel barrier. I plan to have my son in the back seat (front seat when he's big enough) and the price of the barrier is nothing compared to him. You can call it Bull Butter or whatever you want, but you're a moron if you don't take the initiative to correct a potential hazzard.

6mustang6

Lol, i have always though the older cars were safe too because of all the metal. You just gotta think, new cars have crunch zones, air bags, bars inside the doors etc.... all surrounded by plastic.

jspagna1

I measured the rear opening behind the seat and cut a pc of 18 gage sheet metal and screwed it in place. It didn't cost me a dime. I already had the material. It's cheap safety.
Buy a peice of sheet metal and do it yourself.

ponyX65

dam, now thats scarry !

Makurai

Okay, so I looked up the trunk dividers on Canadian Mustang's website, but they only seem to have them for coupes and convertibles. I have a 1970 fastback, with non-reclining rear seats. Is this an unnecessary mod for my car?

289FB

This discussion comes a life every few moths when somebody post or read about the tank location on the early Mustangs, several months ago my friend's 65 fastback was rear ended by a truck, the result was total loss and at the time the tank had several perforations which caused a severe gas leak but no fire, one of the fireman at the seen told him that he was a very lucky person.

After inspecting the trunk area we both agree that unfortunatelly the designdon't provide the greates protection for a possible fire occurrence, few weeks after while attending a local automobile swapmeet I found a brand new tank armor and the price was rigth, I was impress by the construction, made of a 11 gauge steel and weigthing 30 pounds I decided to installed on my 66.

After completion was apparent that it give the trumk area an excellent structural sttrength, installation is very simple and takes no longer that 30 minutes.

As somebody mention before the back seat protection isonly for coupesand convertibles but not for fastbacks.

The questions are:

Is the best protection?..I don't thik so, I been around race cars for many years and in my opinionthe best thing will be a cell tank but at the price of over $1,000 few of us are willingor canspend that amount, in the other hand the armor tank is more affordable.

It work?..I don't know and for the safety on my family and my I hope that I never have to find out.

The main thing is what do you feel in upgrating possible safety issues?each one of us have different opinions and no answer is the wrong one.

Here are some pics of the armor

[IMG]local://upfiles/31083/28BBBF947BC2430AA805AC1F472EC959.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/31083/9B0E78A2A32E4591815C45E76325D64C.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/31083/DC9DCAF228AC4443B85AFC7B2948FFE4.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/31083/49E22A882D6A4227A87E84734A588652.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/31083/6FC04146184344418069C4CD41E48B36.jpg[/IMG]

69stangcoupe

in my brothers fj-40 you sit directly on the gas tank. and i still ride in it.