Gas tank thoughts?

[drtidmore]

My Reatta has led its life in locales where rust is not an issue.  When I pulled my gas tank the other day the lines and the outside of the tank were still pristine with absolutely NO external rust anywhere.  Things were a bit different internally.  I found a build up of rusty particles in the sump area which I cleaned out as I had done 3 years ago at the last pump replacement.  I am blaming that damned ethanol content in our modern gasoline due to its affinity attracting moisture.  The interior area under the sump is still shiny, so the rust is coming from parts of the tank that I can't see. 

 

As I wanted to get the Reatta back on the road, I chose to clean out the tank and install the new pump, but the internal rusting presents me with sufficient concern as to contemplate action.  

 

Obviously, a new tank is one option and from what I can gather from reading the various threads here on the forum, there seems to be a consensus that the Dorman is superior that the Spectra.

 

Another option is to clean out the tank, apply a rust convertor to the interior, then use POR15 tank sealer to seal up the interior. This is certainly the lower cost option and given that the OEM tank seems from the discussions to have had superior internal baffling, I sort of hate to toss the original tank for an inferior design if it can be salvaged. 

 

I think I will do the POR15 tank sealer even on the new tank as it specifically states that it is now formulated to withstand modern ethanol blends.

 

So, the question, given the excellent exterior condition, should I go with the later option or am I deluding myself that such is even a viable option and should just go with the new tank.  

Edited April 2, 2017 by drtidmore (see edit history)