Open the trunk of a ’65-’68 Mustang and what do you see (besides the folding chairs and a milk crate full of cleaning goodies)? You’re looking at the top of the gas tank. For those who are just getting into the hobby, it’s a shocking reality to find out that all the junk they’re throwing into their trunk (including the jack and the spare tire) is resting directly on top of the thin-walled gas tank. If a forceful jab with a screwdriver can puncture the top of the fuel tank, imagine what a rear-end collision could do.
Various products and owner-fabricated custom block-off plates have been designed in the past to protect the occupants from possible fuel splash, due to a damaged fuel tank but were usually body style–specific. Tank Armor is the first product to tackle the problem of differing body styles by installing directly over the fuel tank as a replacement “trunk floor” for all three Mustang body styles.
The gas tank itself has very little—if any—structural strength on its own. Tank Armor, which is made from 11-gauge steel (it weighs in at 30 pounds!), acts as a reinforcing plate between the rear framerails—dramatically improving rear body strength. The isolation of the fuel tank (installing the Tank Armor over the gas tank is akin to mounting the tank “outside” the car) will make the fuel tank virtually impenetrable from the top. The Tank Armor should do an admirable job of preventing fuel from entering the car in the case of a rear-end collision, though we do not claim to make any guarantee on such prevention.
Greg Hayman of Arizona designed the Tank Armor. With more than 10 years experience in metallurgical and mechanical analytical testing, Hayman believes he has devised the best possible solution to solve several of the vintage Mustangs’ problems. Available through either Antioch Mustang Stable or directly from the Tank Armor Web site, the Tank Armor sells for $158.95 plus shipping. We decided to try the Tank Armor on a ’65 hardtop to see if it is a viable solution to our concerns.