At one time, loud fuel pumps and braided-steel line were a requirement for a high-performance street rod, but times have changed along with technology and focus on aesthetics.
Here we take a look at an existing street rod in need of some modernizing before the summer driving season hits. The current fuel system is made up of a Holley blue pump, Earl's steel-braided hose assemblies, a Holley fuel-pressure regulator, and a steel-braided carburetor feed line. The entire system was still in perfect working order, but it was time to get with the times. The steel-braided hose assemblies have collected their share of road grime and now have a dark appearance instead of the usually steel-braid look.
Starting with the pumper, a Holley HP125 fuel pump is bolted into service. It is the new Gerotor design pump, and, according to Holley, it's quieter, more durable, and more efficient than its predecessor. So efficient that the HP125 will outflow the blue pump, yet not require a regulator. The black billet base is nickel/ Teflon-coated for corrosion and wear resistance. The polished chrome motor housing shines in the looks department as well. To accent the clean look of our black housing, the latest in fuel lines was chosen-the Earl's Pro-Lite 350 hose. The Pro-Lite 350 hose is one of the lightest and most durable hoses on the market today. This new hose uses a nylon outer braid and a textile inner braid, which makes assembly much easier than the blood-pricking steel hoses. The 350 hose has a max pressure rating of 350 psi, making it perfect for just about any automotive application. The Ano-Tuff ends were used, although the hose will work with several of the hose-end configurations Earl's offers for this installation. The Ano-Tuff fittings and lines are hard anodized black and go with the new appearance we wanted.
After installing the new system, it was time to fire it up and really listen for the fuel pump. Nothing from the front except the electric fan, but the fuel pressure gauge jumped to 6 psi within a few seconds. The pump was so quiet that it couldn't be heard over the fan. The result is a clean black-on-black look while removing weight and sound from the system.
We found using a sharp box cutter was the easiest way to cut the Pro-Lite hose. Putting a single wrap of tape around the hose helps prevent fraying and makes for a much cleaner cut. It's important that you cut the hose straight when doing this. | 
When installing the socket, be sure the hose is roughly 1/16- to 1/8-inch from the bottom of the threads. Inserting the hose too far will prevent you from being able to tighten the hose end completely. | 
Earl's makes assembly lube specifically designed for assembling hoses. Here, we oil the nipple threads, socket threads, and the inside of the hose before assembly. |
Tighten by hand as far as you can (don't cross-thread).We put a wrap of tape just to the edge of the socket. After assembly, we can measure how far the hose has been pushed out. | 
We tightened the fitting using the correct aluminum wrench until the nipple and the socket were no more than .060-inch from bottoming out. | 
Once complete, you can see just how nice the hose end still looks. The socket is bottomed against the nipple and no wrench marks are apparent in the assembly. |
Snuggled back behind the tank, we mounted our HP125 pump in the same location the blue pump was mounted. Although the pump housing is a bit larger than the original pump, the spacing is close enough that only minor modifications to the mounting location were required. | 
With the regulator gone and our Pro-Lite carburetor hose installed, it is obvious just how much cleaner the install can be. | 
We used a -6 fuel line assembly (PN AT101196ERL, around $88). With our regulator gone, we used an Earl's gauge adapter to hold our fuel pressure gauge. |