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Tri-Five Hidden Gas Door - Relocation Program

Hidin' Out In The Back Of A Taillight

By Grant Peterson, Photography by Grant Peterson
  • 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    We had to figure out a way to anchor the top of the filler neck plate to the inside of the quarter-panel. Brett quickly drilled a hole in a little piece of angle iron then we put everything back in and marked a spot on the filler neck plate to drill the matching hole. Disassemble, drill 1/4-inch hole for the 1/4-inch 20-bolt, bolt angle iron to panel, install, and then weld the angle iron to the top of the inside of the quarter-panel.
    1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    We had to figure out a way to anchor the top of the filler neck plate to the inside of the
  • 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    The stock taillight socket has to be removed or it will interfere with the gas filler. We cut the end off with a cut-off wheel and CAREFULLY ground the rest off with the angle grinder with a 60-grit disk.
    1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    The stock taillight socket has to be removed or it will interfere with the gas filler. We
  • 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    We used the template in the kit to mark the hole for the new taillight socket. Center punch your mark, drill an 1/8-inch pilot hole, and finally we used a hole saw for the socket hole.
    1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    We used the template in the kit to mark the hole for the new taillight socket. Center punc
  • 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    Bingo! In goes the new bulb and socket. There is a plug in the kit to plug the old hole.
  • 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    Brett came up with a simple way to mark the blind holes in the motor plate to mount the tail light housing. First, cut the heads off two 1/4-inch 20x3/4-inch bolts. Next, grind and dress the cut end. Screw them into the motor plate and leave maybe 1/4 inch out.
    1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    Brett came up with a simple way to mark the blind holes in the motor plate to mount the ta
  • 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    Brett had this piece of 5/8 inch tube in the scrap pile and quickly cleaned it up. Now, place one end over the cut off bolt in the motor plate. Grab some spray paint and give a couple of squirts inside the tube.
    1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    Brett had this piece of 5/8 inch tube in the scrap pile and quickly cleaned it up. Now, pl
  • 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    Doing this will leave ample paint on top of the cut-off bolts, but won't get everywhere else. Quickly put the taillight housing in its place in the quarter-panel and plant it firmly on the motor plate while trying not to move it around too much and smear the paint. When done right, it will leave two little paint spots on the bottom of the taillight housing.
    1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    Doing this will leave ample paint on top of the cut-off bolts, but won't get everywhere el
  • 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    After center punching our marks, we drilled 1/8-inch pilots and then 5/16-inch holes. Start with that to give you a little adjustment. Check that out! It worked perfectly!
    1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    After center punching our marks, we drilled 1/8-inch pilots and then 5/16-inch holes. Star
  • 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    We bolted the housing in place and just so we didn't get ahead of ourselves, we hooked up some temporary power to the motor and did a test run. Not bad for the first run, but we needed to do some trimming.
    1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    We bolted the housing in place and just so we didn't get ahead of ourselves, we hooked up
  • 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    Since the taillight isn't permanently attached to the quarter-panel anymore, we can trim these tabs flush with the rest of the opening. Other than that there were just a few spots around the opening that the housing was rubbing on.
    1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    Since the taillight isn't permanently attached to the quarter-panel anymore, we can trim t
  • 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    Next, we slid the new filler neck in from the taillight side of the mounting panel so we could leave the cap on it and install the taillight to check for clearance from the back of the taillight to the filler cap. Make sure the filler is on a downward slope toward the gas tank. With that looking good, mark the flange position on the filler neck and take it all apart. Slide the flange on the filler neck to your mark and make sure there is room enough to thread in the 90-degree fitting for the vent tube. Now, we can tack the flange to the filler neck.
    1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    Next, we slid the new filler neck in from the taillight side of the mounting panel so we c
  • 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    This is what the filler neck looks like after everything checked out, it was welded and got a coat of paint put on it. Notice the hole for the vent tube fitting.
    1955 Chevy Bel Air Hidden Gas Door
    This is what the filler neck looks like after everything checked out, it was welded and go
By Grant Peterson
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