[DeTomaso] Brilliant fuel filler modification

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

Hi guys,

When I bought #3960, it had the stock early-style fuel filler arrangement, 
which was borderline in the pre-smog days, and completely unworkable with modern 
fuel fillers with accordian-style rubber boots.

The very first thing I bought for the car was a gooseneck fuel filler, which 
profoundly improved my quality of life.

It's been years since I've seen an early car without one of these things, but 
amazingly #3535 (which spent its whole life in California) was lacking this 
crucial modification.

Getting one used to be as simple as phoning your favorite vendor, but now the 
supply has dried up.   They are cast aluminum, and the mold (which Gary Hall 
had made in the early 1970s) is worn out; it would be too expensive to tool up 
to make a new one, since most thinking people who need one, already have it.

So I had to hunt around pretty hard to find one; Dennis Quella had a damaged 
one on the shelf (the threads were boogered up).   I was successful in getting 
him to have the threads recut (I think they whacked a half-inch off the end 
and then re-threaded it), and when I opened it up, I was surprised to see that 
it had further been modified by Dennis:

http://www.poca.com/index.php/gallery/?g2_itemId=4260

A piece of pipe has been added to the bottom, extending down into the fuel 
tank.   This mimics the arrangement of the stock filler.   This pipe creates an 
air bubble in the top of the tank, preventing overfilling.

Mine lacks this feature, and as a result, it is very easy for me to fill the 
tank to the point where fuel flows out of the overflow valve and onto the 
ground (only because I don't have the stock canister; presumably it would flow 
into that canister otherwise).

Ironically, one of these impossible-to-find fillers (with a less-nice cap) is 
sitting on E-bay right now:

http://tinyurl.com/bez6kt

If you happen to be one of the poor souls who has an inside filler and you 
don't have this thing, do not let this opportunity pass you by!   Bid on this 
sucker, and if you win it, make sure you modify it before installing it.

(I think the steel pipe is attached to the aluminum filler using JB weld?)

Mike (going to pull his filler and do the same thing!)


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