My original fuel tanks were badly rusted and dented so I wound up using the tanks from my '54 148W parts trucks. They were both just about empty so I thought I could clean them out by using hot water and Simple Green.
I put a long chain in the tanks, filled them with 2 gallons or so of the Simple Green and hot water, and started rolling them around my yard. My hopes were that the chain would knock free any debris inside. Needless to say that didn't work. The chain actually tied itself in a know around the pickup tube! So I had to cut a hole into the bottom of each tank, one on each side of the baffle. Here is a picture of the knot!
Then I wire brushed the inside of the tanks out with a stuff cup brush on a grinder. When I was done with the wire brush, I wiped the inside of each tank out with thinner, tack welded a 1/2" wide back plate around the patches I cut out, tacked a bolt to the middle of them (so I could hold them in place to weld them), and then welded them back in.
After I was done welding them, I used Eastwood's gas tank sealant kit on each. It includes an oil and grease remover (like Simple Green), an metal wash (some type of acid) and a sealer. I did put gas in each tanks after they were painted and hung on the truck and so far so good...
As for the glove box, I made my own since the truck never had one to begin with. You should have a key switch though since that will turn the ignition on and off. I won't start the truck though since the older trucks had foot operated starter buttons either on the floor board next to the gas pedal or on the firewall by the clutch pedal.
I was able to reuse the windshield gasket from the 148W parts truck but a new gasket is available from Restoration Specialties in Windbar, PA.
Tom
My truck is pretty rusty but nothing like that good old Finger Lakes Road salt rust that you've had to deal with
