This weekend, I worked on cleaning up the trunk floor so that I could install the new fuel tank. I used a few unconventional options but the final product looks good.
I started with a small, sharp chisel to scrape off the original sealant used to seal the gas tank to the trunk floor. This was rather effective on flat areas but not along contours. I switched to some degreaser and a Scotch-Brite pad but that had a very small effect. I considered a wire wheel but thought better of it. What I ultimately used was the degreaser with pieces of 220 sand paper which removed the sealant but also prepared the surface for paint.
With all the sealant off, I switched to wiping everything down multiple times with mineral spirits. As you would imagine, no one has cleaned the trunk floor in the Mustang likely since production. As a result, it was rather dirty. I essentially wet sanded with some mineral spirits to as it helped smooth the areas of the rough trunk floor where I planed to overlap the new paint.
I used Rust-Oleum Rusty Metal Primer (#7769830) on the areas where there was some rust and generally where I sanded down to metal. I then coated the mounting surface and a little out on to the trunk floor using Krylon Fusion Matte Black (#2754). The final product looked rather nice so I went to eat dinner and let it dry overnight.
I set the fuel tank in place the following morning and marked locations for the bulkhead fittings that will be used to run the fuel lines from the trunk back under the car. The bulkhead fitting holes are .55" so they are rather large but I was able to put them just off the edge of the tank and they were still on a flat surface.
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