Why is this like that?

Generally it is on the opposite side as the exhaust. So why are exhausts distributed right and left? As a driver I would prefer them on the passenger side :-).

- Bob Headrick

Get an old jag xjs. Gas caps on both sides. Exhaust on both sides as well?? :) But recall '60s Merkin cars, gas cap behind the license plate. :) :) But the Boxster has the exhaust dead center. Which kind of reminds me of my goddamm sitting on my chest and then raising his tail..... Exhaust indeed.

"Jeff Wisnia" wrote: (clip) Jeff (Whose first car had its gas filler a couple of inches in front of the center of the windshield. It was a '31 Model A Ford. ) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Jeff, what was really neat about that was the gas gauge. It was in the middle of the dash--a glass window that allowed you to see the dial, which was connected directly to a float in the tank.

BTW, the gas gauge on our '29 Graham Paige was a yardstick, which my mother would shove down the filler pipe.

Those are for fat people. No really. You'll never see skinny people with a gas filler on th' pasengers side. Face it Jeff, th' salesman where ya bought that car figures you need to lose a few pounds.

Snarl

My memory is a little dim, but I think I remember that when the tank was partially full you'd see the fuel/vapor interface sloshing around behind the glass when the car was moving.

And it had an inlet "fuel filter" which was a closed bottomed screened cylinder about 6 inches long right under the filler cap. Whatever you poured through the filler opening passed through the screen.

Sing to the tune of "My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean"......

My Bonnie looked into the gas tank, The depth of its contents to see. I lighted a match to assist her, Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

Jeff

I generally fill the car , and I'm about as skinny as it gets . The filler is on the right side ... Another theory blown to s*it .

Buy a car with the filler on the right if your passenger is doing the pumping :-)

As a former full service filling station attendant I saw every gas cap location. My favorites were the old VW beetle--inside the front trunk and the '56 Chevy--the left turn signal folds down.

Fred

An explanation I've heard is that gas tanks are among the lowest priorities in an auto design, so they make 'em to fit in available space.

Then there are the chebby trucks with dual tanks and a filler on both sides .. how handy is that??

That's what I would have thought. Though, I wonder what's back there that could make one side specifically more favourable than the other?

Regards,

Robin

Exhaust pipe routing, spare wheel well. A car with a transverse-mounted engine is assymetrical to begin with, that could affect economical exhaust pipe routing.

According to ff :

What about the Caddys -- 1959 was it -- which had the filler cap under one of the tail lights up on those big fins? It was hinged to give access to the filler cap.

Enjoy, DoN.

Hmmm. If that were true wouldn't we still have pickups with the gas tank in the cab behind the seat and Ford still making the Pinto?

Art

And when the tank was nearly full, you could see the line formed by the surface of the gas,between the glass and the dial drum.

Mother's '57 VW had a wooden dip stick and if IRCC a toe operated valve to utilize the last gallon in the tank (don't forget to flip it back up after you gas up.) Gerry :-)} London, Canada

'54 Landrover pickup - gas cap (and tank) under passenger's seat.

Ken.

available

But the SWB Landrover Series 1's had the petrol tank and filler under the seat for a very good reason - to stop the locals nicking the petrol! Remember they were mainly exported to some very dodgy parts of Africa in the 1950's. They also had a very wide filler cap (3" iirc) so you don't need a funnel with a Jerry can.

AWEM

I liked this one and modified it a bit for a .sig.

I have been told by a member of the SAE that the automakers try to globally balance out left-fuel and right-fuel cars, mostly for the reason you suggest:

Every time I rent a car on a trip, I never think about looking for what side the filler is on UNTIL I get into the gas station. I believe this is the real reason: to make it take longer for me to put gas in rental cars. A couple of rental car companies put a little sticker on the dashboard telling you what side the fill is on.

I seem to recall a Chevy Chase movie (Vacation?) where the filler location (and it's unfindability behind the license plate) was a major gag.

Tim.