IF you dont want the pump in the tank, the pickup is pretty simple. Unfortunately, without a baffle, you are at the mercy of acceleration regarding where the fuel is during cornering.

A GM electric in-tank pump is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter without the filter sock. If you are running a carb, you dont need a fuel return, injection uses a return unless it is one of the really recent returnless systems.

You can do an additional port without welding. You make a ring that is shaped kinda like the retainer for a shifter boot....make it anything but round. This goes on the inside and your cover plate goes on the outside. The ring has the threads that the screws attach to. Goober up the inside and the outside and sandwich the gas tank metal between the ring and the plate..... by the way, a round ring is like a manhole cover....round wont fall thru the hole but an oval ring can go thru an oval hole.

does this make sense?

mike