Just got off the phone to Cameron frOm Brown Davis regards a 65lt for my 93 swb Vitara. He said he will get someone to call me back today sometime.

He said as they were not a big seller they may need me to take my car to them for the install as it may not be straightforward? Hmmm. Either that or they will organize someone in Bendigo to do the install. So I'm guessing they have done limited runs on the SWB Vit tanks and there might be some customizing to do.

I'll let you know what he says when they get back to me.

$1200 is cheap.

I suppose jerry cans are still the way to go then.

Yes, I was oversimplifying. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough about being facetious. No, you weren't

I do appreciate that there are costs involved with design, but surely that's a one-off cost. Even different models of vehicle would involve adaptation of concept rather than ground-up design? More likely than not, they have a very expensive bit of gear called a 3D scanner. They will have minions in the office who will model a concept in solidworks or CAD based on the 3D scan of the floorpan and every other components under the vehicle. The shape of the tank will dictate where and how it is mounted. Mounts would most likely have to pass a stress analysis test ( during modelling stage, possibly at physical stage aswell) Baffle positioning would be fairly similar for most vehicles. Things like sender size fuel pump size etc will dictate the mounting bosses for both. These are not likely to be the same for every vehicle, so there is more time in the hole. I'm sure I am eaving heaps out.

Materials and welding consumables are negligable (in terms of a $1200 product) even including wear & tear on tools and machinery. Fittings, tubes, bosses can't be worth that much. As for labour - as exact and highly skilled an art as that standard of welding is I'm pretty sure they aren't paid what they should be (I'm assuming that small volume products mean not machine welded, but would be machine cut?)

Wonder what a large workshop has to pay in overheads? I wonder what maintanence and depreciation are like on capitol purchases such as guillotines, Press brakes, Pressure rigs etc? There are costs added to each product that fall far outside the basics of materials and labour. This could be built into labour units, or a % added to the cost of each product before markup.... either way, you pay for it.

The time involved is possibly the easiest way for me to come to terms with it, even if sinking it in a tank of water or dropping it off a roof don't exactly sound time intensive

Unfortunately the bottom line is that paying half the cost of our cars again for the sake of two Jerrys full of fuel capacity is just not a realistic option - or at least not a priority.

is there room under them for a second fueltank? my sierra is getting a lwb vit tank in the stock position and the
sierra tank is going beside the tailshaft with a simple clacker pump to transfer the fuel.

But on the other hand, you are working through a possible $10K engine conversion on a $5k car, so maybe a $1200 tank isn't that bad after all?

Yes, I was oversimplifying. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough about being facetious. I do appreciate that there are costs involved with design, but surely that's a one-off cost. Even different models of vehicle would involve adaptation of concept rather than ground-up design?

Materials and welding consumables are negligable (in terms of a $1200 product) even including wear & tear on tools and machinery. Fittings, tubes, bosses can't be worth that much. As for labour - as exact and highly skilled an art as that standard of welding is I'm pretty sure they aren't paid what they should be (I'm assuming that small volume products mean not machine welded, but would be machine cut?)

The time involved is possibly the easiest way for me to come to terms with it, even if sinking it in a tank of water or dropping it off a roof don't exactly sound time intensive

Unfortunately the bottom line is that paying half the cost of our cars again for the sake of two Jerrys full of fuel capacity is just not a realistic option - or at least not a priority.