Is the Tank Paint Permanently Damaged?

Need the help of some paint experts on this one.

I'm good about cleaning off any gasoline spills from my tank ASAP. But it appears I spilled some particularly caustic gas on my tank this time. It shows a run of damaged paint from the cap down the side of the tank. (someone suggested to me maybe I got some gas with ethanol which is unusually bad on the paint?)

Is the paint toast? Is there anyway to restore it? I've used some polishing paste and it seems to have helped (some) but the damage is still quite obvious.

Any one know of any magic solutions other than repainting the tank?

 

What kind of paint is on the tank? Ethanol is not aggressive against auto quality paints. If what you got on the tank did damage the paint then no solvent is a cure for it. You can wet sand it using 1200 grit wet/dry sandpaper to cut the paint down to undamaged paint but be careful their may not be any good layer of paint left so don't be suprised if the primer shows up. When you wet sand make sure you sand the area not just the spot were the damage is. Then after you get to good paint use a fine polishing compound and then a wax to restore shine.

Art

 

The paint is the original 86 factory paint. Hard to believe over the years that I am the first person to spill paint on it. What made this particular batch of gas so damaging?

Perhaps I am into a new painting.

 

Obama

Sorry for your luck man, but serously get your self some of that good gritty rubbing combond and carefully rub out a wide area around the spill. hopefully the mark is just in the clear coat and you can basically buff it out.

Worst case senario alot of body shop guy will re paint a tank on the side for $100 bucks or less ----- I know not wha you want to hear---