The Mistral originally came equipped with a Lucas PI system. However, this car was converted to a trio of DCOE Webers in the 1970s. Whoever installed the carburetors did a pretty good job dialing them in – the same can’t be said for their modifications to the fuel lines, filters, and pump.
The existing fuel line was an absolute fire hazard. It was comprised of plumbing copper, hardware store T-fittings, and soft solder. We fabricated a new setup with nickel-copper line, steel banjo fittings, and a modified 4-way junction (adapted from a Porsche 356 – shh!). Instead of soft solder – which is weak and susceptible to fatigue from vibration, we silver soldered all joints and fittings.
No plastic fuel filters. The Malpassi Filter King is the only choice.
A custom bracket to secure the filter/regulator to the frame next to a new Facet pump.
When it comes to cleaning out old fuel tanks there are few options. I prefer to use a local furniture restoration shop. They have a heated tank full of caustic chemicals designed to remove old paint and stain, which also does a good job at removing old fuel and gunk. Their stripper also leaves the base metal and factory galvanized coating largely untouched. The Mistral has two tanks behind each wheel well, so we cleaned out both tanks and resealed them with a two-part ethanol safe coating, and reinstalled them with a new crossover hose.