Coolant overflow.

Ok I have a 34 chevy truck, and it's a rat. No hood, fenders. There's a black and green thing going on this one's color scheme. I need to do something cool for the coolant overflow tank (cause I don't have one now) and I'm just drawing a blank. It's got to be heat resistant, not glass. I mean sure I could use one from pep boys, but for $60 and it's yellow plastic?

So some ideas would help.

Here's a pic of the space I have to work with. I know, y'all know what a radiator looks like, just thought it'd help.

An old brass fire extinguisher, army canteen in it's cover, old oil can, any old can.

I like the army canteen one. Great idea.

Brass fire extinguisher... I'm not sure I could get it in there.

Take a look at this one.....

http://www.bonanza.com/listings/Old-Vintage-Small-Brass-Fire-Extinguisher-with-mount/3275147

not sure but I thought it said 8" long that would probably be about 3 or 4" in diameter....and cheap too.....

How about a tube style trans cooler out of a radiator? They're either copper or brass. A rad shop should have all kinds of them for scrap.

Like this,

Sinclair oil can would come close to that green.

I checked out the sinclair, it's a bit dark, I dig the can. The radiator tube is a good idea, the shop over here has some, but there all 16 inch. Now this fire extinguisher looks like the right size. I haven't painted bras before either. I might need a couple just to have around.

I think I have some better ideas than I did before. Thanks guys.

I have small one like this I'm going to use. I wouldn't paint one.

It depends on how you want it to function. An overflow tank is different than a recovery tank. All an overflow tank does is store any coolant your radiator might puke out, it never returns it back to the radiator. But a recovery tank stores the coolant, THEN when the engine cools down it allows the coolant to be sucked back into the radiator, filling it back up.

To make an overflow tank you just need any container with an inlet that goes to the radiator overflow hose and a hole so air can escape as coolant comes in. To make a recovery tank you need two tubes that sit inside the tank, one for liquid to come in, and the other (slightly taller) for any excess liquid to dump onto the ground if the level gets too high in the tank.

You can also make a recovery tank by putting one inlet tube deep enough into the tank so it is always covered by coolant, that way it will not suck any air into the system, just coolant.

It takes a little more work to make a recovery tank but it is a better way to go, and you also need a cap that is designed to work with one. A regular cap just lets coolant out, a recover type cap allows it to also come back in.

Don

See this one's in good shape, the one I found had the label worn off. Luckily it's etched in as well, but either I grind it off or I repaint the label. If I get time I'll get a pic up of it.

Besides, I'm a pin striper, I can't help myself.

The overflow tank on my coupe has a "black and green thing going on". It's one of those polished stainless street rod units that I modified to look worse....

dmw56 said:

I have small one like this I'm going to use. I wouldn't paint one.

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That is cool..where did you find it?

Rusty one said:

That is cool..where did you find it?

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Swap Meet but I've seen them in antique stores and ebay.

chris blohme said:

Ok I have a 34 chevy truck, and it's a rat. No hood, fenders. There's a black and green thing going on this one's color scheme. I need to do something cool for the coolant overflow tank (cause I don't have one now) and I'm just drawing a blank. It's got to be heat resistant, not glass. I mean sure I could use one from pep boys, but for $60 and it's yellow plastic?

So some ideas would help.

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Find an old beer can in a color scheme that matches the rest of your car.

Heck our whole color scheme, graphics etc. ended up being built around the old beer can we found at an antigue store.

DMW

Where you able to convert that Fire Extinguisher? If so can you tell me how you did it I am wanting to do the same thing to one that I have.

Thanks