Mild surface rust in tank is fine.
Minor dents are fine.
I've many years on tanks w/ visible interior surface rust.
I run filter between tank and fuel pump; don't have problem w/ large filter plugging.
Inspect tank closely and use dentist pick to check for cavities.

 

if it were up to me i would replace it, but im picky about that kind of stuff, the tank that was in my 66 looked brand new from the outside, but when it sprung a leak i found that it was most likely the original tank that some one had spray painted with a zinc coating so it appeared new, turns out it was so old that it had rusted through, and i also had to cut the filler neck off because it would not come off of the tank, what a p.i.t.a.

 

Could it have been a low quality reproduction tank w/ insufficient interior zinc corrosion protection?

 

I would replace the tank.

 

i suppose that could have been the case, but the tank didnt look more than 6 months old. Im guessing that those repo tanks are 19 gauge steel, i know it would take longer than a few years to rott through.

 

The tank looks like 6 mo old galvenized not spray painted?

 

it was silver and looked like the new one i bought, but after i took it out and picked at the rust, the hole was the size of a dime, i imagine it was pretty old