Fuel cell or original tank?

[regularjoe]

OK, 72 240Z that I had road raced a number of years ago. I had cut the spare tire well out to accomidate the race fuel cell but saved the piece. The car will end as a resto-mod. Orignal paint, interior, etc but certain mods will stay, ie: alum rad, 2.5" exhaust. Is there such a thing as a street leagel fuel cell that I could route the filler to the original location? Or should I go back to the factory tank, (I still have it). Thanks, Joe

[jmortensen]

I don't think there is a law against fuel cells, certainly a lot of drag racers use them on cars that get driven on the street. Personally I would avoid a cell at all costs unless it was necessary with the body you're racing with. My cell is 20 something lbs heavier than the stock tank, so just installing the cell will make my car slower. If you don't have a firewall between you can the cell, then you run the risk of spraying fuel into the passenger compartment if you get rear ended or have a rollover. Not to mention the stink in the car when you dribble a little gas filling it up. If you do the remote filler to the stock location, that makes the cell a lot more liveable day to day, but it becomes much harder to separate the cell from the passenger compartment. Then there is the cost of the cell and plumbing it. The only upside to a cell is that you can run larger fuel lines. Aside from that, there is no other benefit except the crash worthiness of the cell itself. Having been in a 72 Z that was rear ended at 50+ mph and seen that the tiny amount of fuel that leaked went outside the car, I just don't think it's a smart way to spend money. I'm sure others will disagree, but that's my $.02.

[regularjoe]

Thanks Jon, good thoughts to consider.