How do you fill your tank without spills?--'68

[PNewitt]

With the "wonderful" ways that gas stations seem to shoot gas into late model cars...you drive your '68 up to the pump, and you have to nurse the gas nozzle (shoot...click..shoot..click....), and pray that you get more INTO the car than ONTO your bumper, lower valence, and all over the ground (drip, splatter...).

Then the gas station guy is tossing kitty litter under your car as you're pumping the gas....

Some people use a towel, so the gas cap doesn't scratch the bumper...but then you have a "gassy" towel in the trunk... Great.

How do you cope with this problem? Ideas--suggestions??

thanks--Paul N.

 

[Mustanglvr]

I turn the handle of the gas nozzle to the left and upside down to get gas into my GT/CS. It looks a little weird, not to mention I`m bent over and have my ear to it so I can hear when it`s full. I`m not sure what people think I`m up to. :smile: I use a paper towel to keep from scratching the bumper and for wiping up spills.

You should see some peoples faces when I grab the airhose and have to lay on the ground under the car to put air in the shocks. One guy came up to me and was trying to explain where the tire was so I could put air in it. I had to remind him that some shocks still take air.

 

[GT/CS S Code]

Ditto ....

Yes, I've taken to doing my GT/CS exercises" too when filling our tank. You have to tilt the nozzle at an angle and get your ear up close to the filler to listen for the fuel level approaching the top. I got really tired of the gas slopping out over everything after the first few fills.
On my 65 Mustang fastback project car, which is becoming a GT-350 Shelby clone, I'm seriously thinking about solidly fixing a 66 Shelby Cobra logo gas cap to the outer panel just for looks and then having the real filler mounted vertically on the inner edge of the trunk panel. Might also go to an oversized fuel cell mounted in the stock location at the same time as we're not going to worry about hauling much around in the trunk of that car when it's done .....

By the way Paul ..... "There is a lot of Little Red in our GT/CS"
:wink:

 

[murf104]

Paul, you picked a sore subject with me. The filler tube location combined with the fiberglass panel for the T-Bird lights makes putting fuel in a CS a difficult job. One of the "Better Ideas" from Ford during that period. We all probably turn the nozle sideways while putting in gas, but no matter how alert one is, a spill seems to happen. I just never "fill up". When it sounds like the gas level is getting toward the neck, just quit! Yes, a poor method, and yes, a poor design. Hope someone has a clever method that we all can use.

 

[Northern Pony]

Yes Paul, you have hit on the most troublesome aspects of the 68 model. When I fill; I do it painfully slow, and go slower as it approaches full, and the nozzle is angled down as much as possible. It does get boreing standing there so long, and sometimes I just quit because I have been at it long enough.

Once in awhile I get a station with an attendant and they are more than happy to let me fill my own. I search out stations that are not level. The best have level concrete at the pumps and the asphalt tapers away on a down slope. This way the rear wheels are higher than the front, and it definitely helps. Of course when you do have it gush out, it is in the gas cap. The only thing to do here is paper towels supplied by the station and try to adsorb it before you close the cap.
BoB

 

[hcsstang]

I have a piece of PVC plastic pipe I use. But I never fill it completely up. I keep it under the cardboard in the corner of the trunk.

 

[Timmknz]

Ummm

HCS Stang-
Won't the PVC "melt" and put some unwanted additives into your gas? Might want to get a large diameter chunk of fuel hose rated for all the junk that is in today's fuel. Maybe even a piece of the same hose they use on the pump at the station?
BTW- Oreogn is one of the last 2 states in the nation where you "can't" pump your own gas- but as soon as they see me coming, the attendents usually let me pump my own, now if I can get them to stop flipping open the gas cap and hearing a plonk on the bumper before I can get around back....sheesh...

 

[6t8-390gt]

I don't think this was a poor design on Ford's behalf. The gas nozzles from the 60's had a different radius bend in them. The "new" unleaded nozzles do not have the same bend or diameter of the older leaded gas nozzles.

Yes, it's a PIA for every Mustang owner.

Danny

 

[aemoo28]

One of those things I wish I'd known on this '68. Instead I frantically thought I had a hole in the gas tank because the gas was leaking from underneath. "NO, said my mentor" after he stopped laughing, "I'll show you how to do it."

The first time I filled it up, I was in Beverly Hills. I didn't know any better, and just stuck it in like I do on my '08, and left it in running. It clicked off after 10 gallons and I removed it just fine. That's why the second time I filled the tank, I thought the car was just giving me attitude.

 

[PNewitt]

I think if someone wanted to be an instant millionaire, they'd come up with a product, like a rubber seal thingy, that you could place on early Mustang gas openings that would prevent gas from spilling out--with some sort of venting hole at the top, to make this a whole lot easier.

I think that the gas stations, over the years, sped up the flow rate to where it is today. I noticed it back in the late 1980's.

I also wondered about the PVC--and gas breaking down the plastic. And--as thet discourage filling gas cans, it might be a fire hazard to do it like that--with a funnel.

Paul N.

 

[franklinair]

Sorry, I just don't get it. I bought my first Mustang in 1968 ( '65 289 coupe). For 40 years I've never had a problem fueling a Mustang. - I carefully remove the fuel cap, gently placing it on the rear bumper. Then I squeeze the nozzle trigger about 1/2 way and fill the fuel tank. When the tank is nearly full, you can tell by the sound eminating from the filler. Then I ease off the nozzle trigger. This doesn't seem too difficult to manage. What am I missing??

Neil (no fuel spilled) Hoppe AKA
Neil (no scratched bumper) Hoppe:wink:

 

[J.Bart]

are you serious?

 

[Midnight Special]

Sorry, I just don't get it. I bought my first Mustang in 1968 ( '65 289 coupe). For 40 years I've never had a problem fueling a Mustang. - I carefully remove the fuel cap, gently placing it on the rear bumper. Then I squeeze the nozzle trigger about 1/2 way and fill the fuel tank. When the tank is nearly full, you can tell by the sound eminating from the filler. Then I ease off the nozzle trigger. This doesn't seem too difficult to manage. What am I missing??

Neil (no fuel spilled) Hoppe AKA
Neil (no scratched bumper) Hoppe:wink:

...Granted, they're a little more sensitive, but with all the Stangs I've had I can't say it's been a problem either. I've always filled by hand and never relied on the automatic shut off. I also release or remove the cap BEFORE having the nozzle in the other hand, so the cap doesn't slam onto the bumper. You just have to refine your technique a little w/ these vs newer cars...

P.S. Correct. You cannot pump your own in Oregon.

 

[rvrtrash]

are you serious?

Oregon doesn't trust it's citizens to perform this difficult task on their own, so they have 17 year old high school kids do it. One of them broke the pop open cap on my '72 Mach 1 once, and the station refused to pay. I only go there with my diesel now, because they will let you pump your own diesel.

Steve

 

[franklinair]

Omigosh. I have long believed that we will eventually legislate & regulate ourselves out of existance!!

Neil (Pump your own) Hoppe

 

[di81977]

Similar problems, similar solutions.

My bigger issue is with the sending units and getting the measurements correct. There have been helpful threads on this topic as well.

david

 

[Mustanglvr]

I believe New Jersey is the other state that won`t let their customers pump their own gas.

My car is tempermental so I have to be careful with putting gas in it.

 

[Diesel Donna]

Yes, its New Jersey. I found that out when I went to fuel up my ambulance. I started to fuel it and the attendant comes up and grabs my ATM card out of my hand. Welllll you just don't DO that to me. I almost punched him in the face. We had a little discussion and I ended up fueling it myself.

Diesel (what is a gas station attendent?)Donna
....and in CA we would consider what he did as attempted robbery....he didn't even have a uniform on!

 

[sam]

I've got the same difficulties filling the tank. I find some stations have more
"68 Mustang friendly" gas nozzels than others which helps. When I gass up, I usually have an idea about how many gallons she'll take and also go by sound.
Kind of a s.w.a.g. but that's what works for me.
Sam

 

[PFSlim]

Yep, I kindof know how many gallons I will need, then I take my time, let it fill slowly, and listen. I always shut it off before it gets close to overfill. A few times I have not and have cleaned gas off my car, license plate, rear bumper, etc. I was on my way to a show and had to smell gas for the rest of the day. Worth paying close attention to while fueling.

Paul