The weather isn't freezing cold anymore, and work is progressing on the truck.
The fuel tank is securely hung in the proper location. The fuel filler neck that was ordered to go from the side of the truck bed to the fuel tank turned out to be too short....by two feet. Several hours of shopping on the internet didn't turn up any suitable hoses, so it was on to Plan B: create a filler neck from scratch using pre-formed sections of muffler pipe, hose clamps, and rubber fuel hose.
The pipe and hose clamps were easy to source. The 2" fuel-rated rubber hose was a surprisingly difficult item to find. It took several trips to the parts store, a special order, and robbing a Brink's truck to get some - this stuff costs $1.53 per inch. I needed two six-inch sections - a total of $18.36 for one foot of rubber hose!
Once the filler neck is complete and in place, it should be a short job to plumb the metal line from the tank to the carb - and then the beast can go to the muffler shop for a new exhaust! Yay!!
