theosagekid

I have bad luck with the search engine, so bear with me if it's been done and point me to the right thread.

My '98 Hawk needs a chunk of maintenance before spring including an air filter and a battery. The other night I had occasion to pull the tank bra off and discover a big, beautiful, knee-shaped dent in the right side of the tank. (I don't want to discuss it further.)

I've been hoping to find a way to get the wife let me spend the money for a tank swap, and looking at my baby's tank I realized that the only way someone would be able to fix it to my satisfaction would be to come at it from the inside.

Hmmm... as long as the seat and tank are off for the filter and battery...

What's the difference between the Gen 5 and Gen 6 VFR tanks as far as suitability for a swap project?

Has anyone ever decided to skip all of the reshaping and plumbing work by having most of the bottom of each tank cut out, doing the majority of the bodywork on the VFR tank from the inside, and then welding the cutout from the bottom of the VTR tank back onto the Interceptor's tank?

If so, point me to the thread or tell me how you did it - or had it done.

My DIY skills don't extend far beyond oil changes and chain maintenance, so this idea sounds like it would take some $$$ for a specialist, but it also sounds like what could be a very elegantly fitted tank swap.

I've seen a couple of EBay VFR tanks recently that looked like they were in pretty good condition for $150 - $200 USD plus shipping.

Is this realistic, or was I seeing the wrong model years?

TIA for any help.

RobertLever