1949 gas tank question

[Monsterbeetle]

The '49 tank in the beetle we're restoring has "dents" or stamping high/low spots that are the same side to side on the front top and rear top of the tank. Should they be there or should the tank be completely smooth and straight? Going for most originality. I've seen mostly smooth tanks like this:

My has "dents" like this:

Which is correct? Thanks.

[Bengt H]

Your tank is welded together with acytelen/oxygen welder (cant find the correct name for it now...), in that process the thin metall dents of the heat from the welding so that is "correct" dents. Later on the tanks was welded with another method and they where smooth and straight.

[virtanen]

Also deep drawn process could causes this kind of waves if the tooling has big gaps.
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Mika
Split beetle restoration panels
Oval beetle restoration panels
New projects

[Monsterbeetle]

I thought it was odd looking through the gallery that I found some tanks with waves in roughly the same shapes and locations as my tank.

[Bruce]

It is from the very deep drawing of the steel with very little draft angle. All tanks have this effect. That's why in 56 the tanks have pressed ribs on those vertical areas to eliminate the wavyness.
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[bndouglass]

THANKS so much for that reply, I was just about to straighten out my 1955 oval tank!