See, the stock ones (or the ones that have been in the tank since prior to 1999 when I bought the car) are shiny silver with plastic insulators that are sort of longish, like and inch and a half, possibly heat shrunk to the wire's insulation. The plastic was in good shape, but a little brittle. Had I not bent it up it would have been fine for quite some time, I think.

The metal ring, the threaded contact post and the nut were all covered in something like rust, but soft and loose, like gritty, brown sand. It came off with my finger, with shiny metal beneath.

Both the two steel pipes (feed? - short, with a hose to pump and return - long, almost as long as the sender and with nothing on the end) were also rusted, but this was not some buildup but actual rust on the metal. I sanded it off with 400 grit, then with 1000 grit. They are not shiny clean, but they are clean.

I have read to use POR15 on these as well as the metal cap, but we do not have that available locally. Since I do not know or trust the stability of stuff that we *do* have locally (Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer spray paint and the like) and these bare steel pipes have been in the tank for 24 years I am going to put them back in bare and clean.

I will shop online for the ring connectors since we have nothing approaching the small size that were on the wires out here in my neck of the woods. I could not figure out what to do about the open tank, so I simply covered it with plastic wrap, loosely, and covered the open hatch in the trunk with a towel.

After submitting this I will be surfing for info about fuel-compatible wiring and connectors. My locknut ring was off all night, outside, and it was in the high 40ºs so I will probably never get it back on now.

I was frantic yesterday when I opened up the tank and found it to be so different than what I keep reading about here.

I still have no idea what IPD sold me in that three inch hose. No indication of what it is for was given. Wasted money...

Thanks!
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Mama always told me to eschew obfuscation...