A Removing the fuel tank from an E-type can be a bit of a fiddle, as the filler neck is close to the bodywork inside the boot. Having made sure that all mountings have been removed and all pipe connections undone raise the right-hand side of the tank slightly and manoeuvre it around to get the filler neck under the metal lip of the boot floor. Once the filler neck is free, the tank can then be removed from the boot.

With all cars, fuel tanks are always fitted after the bodyshell has been finished and sprayed, so there should not be any need to cut away metal to release it after installation, unless the car has suffered some accident damage to the rear panels resulting in distortion around the critical areas of the boot.

We are not aware of larger capacity fuel tanks being fitted for the American market, the only change came in 1972 when the tank incorporated extra internal venting into a sealed system to prevent vapours escaping onto the road (see Q&A January). The apparent larger capacity of the fuel tank could be due to the US gallon being smaller than ours: 10 gallons of UK fuel = 12 US gallons.

E-towing

Q Could you tell me the best way to attach a tow rope to the front of an E-type without doing any damage (Sll 4.2 FHC if it makes any difference)? I hope never to have to put the information to practical use, but it would be nice to have the answer in the back of my head just in case.

A  We tend to favour using a tow-rope made from strong flat webbing, which can be securely attached to the inboard end of either front lower wishbone and, being flat, should not damage the underside of the bonnet.

A Replacing the wheel spokes on wire wheels is not an easy DIY job as truing up the spokes after fitting requires a lot of skill and patience to be 100% successful. New spokes are now available in stainless steel which are more durable than the chrome-plated ones, and less likely to get marked whilst tightening the nuts. Also, the new nuts should run easily on the new spokes, reducing the likelihood of damage to the spokes by slipping clamps.

Professional repairers use special spoke spanners which incorporate a torque gauge to ensure that all the spoke nuts are tensioned to approximately 60in/lbs, this is done with the wheel on a mandrill, being checked constantly to ensure that the rim stays true.

Fortunately, wire wheel specialists such as Motor Wheel Services offer repair facilities if you decide that some professional assistance is needed.

Your second question is easily resolved, yes, alloy wheels are available for your car and will fit directly onto your splined hubs without adapters or modifications. If you check through the advertisements in this magazine you will find a couple of companies who will be able to assist you.

Series I Not stopping

series I Slow Revver

Issue 26

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Issue 28

Issue 28

Issue 29