I've had the car apart for over a month now, and just finally got it back together, but while the hood is still off and I'm in that 'work on car' mood, what are some good ways to downsize/improve look of where the coolant reserve tank is? I went ahead and took out my wiper fluid tank and I love the look on the driver side but now that coolant reserve looks even tackier and bulkier having nothing opposite of it on the other side.

I'd like to keep a coolant reserve for sure, but wondering what are some efficient, simple, and good-lookin ways to get rid of that factory reserve tank? Gimme some pictures if ya got'em! Thanks!

 

There are round billet style 3"x14" you can get from say Griffin. Jegs and Summit have some that look good and can be clearcoated to protect it and can mount anywhere in the engine bay.

 

Hey buddy,
The best bet for a 'clean looking" engine is just to ditch that ugly POS coolant reservoir and buy a smaller spherical one and hide it where the air filters are (in the top portion of the nose).

 

Ya, check Jegs they got a whole bunch of smaller plastic overflows that you could simply hide. Thats my plan at least.

 

Look into the 4th gen overflow/battery tray.

 

You could always try what I did with my 91 1LE:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/auto...her-fluid.html
That was my car back in January. I've taken the red POS out and replace it with the same while/natural bottle as the passenger side. I'm running my coolant and squirt the same way. I'm going to post more pix of the way it looks now soon.

 

....that's what I did.

 

I wanna see more pics! I can't do that reserve up front like you did in your 1LE. I have no prob putting something in place of my reserve, I just would like something smaller and smoother looking instead of that big bulky thing.

If you HAVE done a swap for something, gimme links to what you've used or get your pics up there! Was there any cutting/modifying to make it work or did your new reserve hook right up?

 

 

MN! What's goin on buddy. So what did you use for your coolant, take it out of another car?

 

Cam-aro,

I believe MN's piece is out of a early 90's ford explorer. It has both rad and coolent compartments built in. A few guys have done this swap.

 

You should definitely look into the 4th gen setup!

 

I got it from a 1991 Ford Exploder, I did this roughly 5-6 years ago, and have had several other people here send me pics of them having done it since.

The only thing I really had to do was wire the Ford Washer pump to the factory wiring, And get a longer hose for the fluid, and it works just like factory.

If I didn't use the washer fluid, I would go with the 4thgen battery tray/Coolant Overflow setup myself.

 

The 4th Gen coolant thing universal on LT1-era cars(V6 & V8) or just on the LT1 cars? I know where several V6 4th Gen's are sittin in salvage yards if that's the case... does the hosing hook right up?

 

If you want a perfect stock bottle, Modern Day Muscle has them. A few people localy here have gotten them. I'm too poor, so I'm just gonna paint mine white (in my white car) and mask off a strip so that I can see the fluid inside.

I wouldn't mind doing the Exploder coolant/washer fluid combo mod.

 

A couple years ago I did exactly what MNformula350 did. Looks amazing and its cheap. Plus, you can keep your washer fluid; if you're into that sort of thing! I don't even have wipers anymore

 

Looks fantastic

 

I personally love the way NEW overflow and windshield bottles look.

That is an older picture, ALL of that tar looking stuff on the Strut towers and the upper sides of the engine bay are now completely gone.

I don't like the look of no visible bottles, just makes it look like something is missing, that and the holes you see where they were mounted show also.

Oh well, personal preference I guess

 

I'm with you on that one Quisterio

 

I am in the process of doing the same thing to my camaro.

 

how much are the coolant and windshield fluid tanks? where do you guys buy them from? direct fits? and do we still get to use our sensors?

 

Modern Day Muscle They are OEMs. 2 styles...82-99 & 89-92

 

What does the LT1 Coolant Reserve look like? *at work and can't pull up many pictures or sites*. As for a question I had, are the '93-'97 reserves all the same or different between V6's and LT1's?

 

I believe they are all the same. I do not have a picture but they are hidden, they are underneath the battery tray on 4th gens. All thats visable from the top is the cap and part of the filler tube. To install in a third gen your gonna have to cut a hole under the battery.

I actually picked up a small qt size overflow at a speed shop last night gonna get it in sometime this week ill post pictures when i do.

 

How about this?



Made by Canton products... http://www.cantonracingproducts.com/...ion_tanks.html

#80-223

 

I'd prefer hidden vs a big, stainless tank being obvious.

 

Aluminum and smaller than the org... to each there own though - this looks good IMO

As for the nose, its a 91-92 firebird nose... signals are down in the bumper...

 

That stainless tank does look good.

Tommaro ill get some pictures of the qt size overflow i installed today. It looks great, fits right under the airbox completely out of the way of the radiator and is hidden.

 

Where did you get that battery hold down? I was going to make something like that.

 

Maybe this will help---paint them to match color of the car-- https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/auto...installed.html

 

that aluminium overflow tank that fb305svs showed is 140.00 from that sight. if you buy it from tpis.com it is 95.00. i think i will buy one too.

 

Going to try and answer two of your question only quoting this post. First of all, the tank thats in MN's car also comes in the same year (and style, what ever that style ran for, I think) ford pickups (Explorer, F-Series, Ranger/Bronco (not 100% sure on this one)).

Second, 4th gen style tanks (washer fluid and over flow) are the same, V6, LT1, LS1. The over flow tank goes under the battery, with a tube sticking up for refilling. I will get a picture (if someone else doesn't beat me to it, or at least post the link to the thread talking about it. If you want, try searching: "4th gen overflow bottle" and/or variants) as soon as I can. It might be worth installing the washer fluid bottle, in case you need it, since its hidden as well.

 

fb,

Liking the alum. tank look

 

Here are some pics from last year with the smaller aluminum tanks that really clean up the engine bay

 

A picture of the fouth gen tank. I still like the looks of the stock tanks when they are nice. I use a bottle brush and cleaner on the tanks, won't whiten them up but gets all the brown out of the inside, helps some. (how come I can't upload a pict to the site?)

 

Sinister,

Very nice clean engine bay.

 

How about these http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OBX-U...WDVWQQtcZphoto

 

Nice looking one, but the box shows 2 fittings, and the one sitting besides the box only has 1 fitting. What gives?

 

I think it may be down to what it is for as he has a few on there for oil catch tanks and power steering catch tanks?,don't know why anybody needs one of them, but that may be why they look different out of box.

 

Thanks guys - i like the tank - might strip and polish it over the summer

Well, it was a jegs mount for the optima batteries - it took a fair amount of effort to put in - definately NOT bolt in... had to rim the radiator support that goes across the front, my battery tray was cut out and had a flat piece welded in to allow the bottom holder to fit (it's larger than the battery bottom)