LACK OF SKILL KILLS PARTS
If you’re getting someone to fix your precious vintage components, make sure it’s a competent craftsman
Why would anyone take a pretty sound vintage tank and weld on a stainless base, with no mounting holes or tap bosses and without bothering to seal the bulkhead between the main tank and the oil compartment at the front? The hacked hole is an investigation of the bulkhead issue and it all points to one thing – a leak or split in the base led to someone falling for that fateful line: “A mate of mine’ll sort that for you...”
It’s a communication problem. Ask a welder to ‘stick a new bottom on this’ and he will grab a bit of sheet metal and tosh it on. But ask him to replicate the original base, transferring the fittings to exactly the right positions and to de-solder the front panel in order to seal the internal joint between oil and petrol compartments. Add that the tank is soldered, not welded, and irreplaceable and he will either do it right or (more probably) tell you to take it away. Either would have been better than this – if this tank can be saved at all, it will now entail a whole lot of work.
Just because someone can do something you can’t – like welding – doesn’t automatically make them right for the job, but when you’re out of your own depth, how can you tell those swimming from those just splashing about? Irreplaceable items deserve specialist attention and however expensive that may be, it’ll be nothing compared to putting right someone else’s failed attempt.