Help! Gas odor outside the car. Options

[auto_cran]

Hey guys -

So after the first fill up of our newly acquired '74 1.8, I am getting a gas odor - mainly from outside the car. Did some investigating & research on here to discover the car does not have the charcoal canister.

Being a '74 I know the canister can either be in the front or back - I think mine had it in back, because the line coming off of the vapor expansion tank goes under the car and comes out the rear of the engine compartment (passenger side).

Also - I noticed 2 of the 8 bolts around the fuel filler neck are missing. Picked up 8 new M5 bolts and ordered a new filler neck gasket. Even though I'm missing 2 bolts, it seems on there pretty tight. Plan to install the new bolts when the gasket arrives.

OK - so as I search for a charcoal canister (anyone have one for sale or know where I can get one) - what should I do with the open line in the engine bay that starts from the expansion tank?

Anything else I should look for to help eliminate the gas smell? Does anyone have pics of all the hoses that run in/out of the gas tank?

By the way - gas tank is brand new and I don't appear to be leaking fuel. And even with the car sitting for days without being used, I still smell gas just standing next to it (and the car is outside too - under a car port). Gas cap is the big metal type. Gasket in it looks like it could use replacing. Will a gas cap from a local auto store fit?

thanks thanks thanks!!

Chris