gas tank leak?

[busycoupe]

Last summer I filled the tank on my 48 Dodge coupe. (It looks like J.Edgar) When I put it back into the garage I noticed that it dripped a little gas onto the floor. There was a wet stripe from the top of the tank on the end near the filler tube. After I drove some, and the gas gauge went down towards 3/4 full the leak stopped. When I put the car away for the winter I thought that the first project this spring would be to take out the tank. - Now I'm wondering, is there some kind of vent or overflow that could cause this? The car now has half a tank of gas, doesn't drip, and even after a week in a closed garage there is no gas smell. Any ideas?

[Young Ed]

Possibly the rubber hose that connects the fill tube to the tank has gone bad?

[Jerry Roberts]

It could also be leaking from around the sending unit .

[busycoupe]

I can see the sending unit through the removable plate in the trunk. It appears dry in that area. I can't see where the filler tube attaches to the top of the tank. The rubber hose is a definite possibility. However, it seems likely that there are pinholes in the tank. - Now my second problem. My car is less than perfect, and a previous owner fixed the rotted rear quarters by molding over the fender welt seams. As a result, I can't remove the left rear fender without a huge amount of work. Can I take out the tank, and/or filler tube without removing the fender?

[Young Ed]

I didn't remove the fender when I had my tank out. I just left the filler tube hanging from the fender so I cant say for sure on that one but I think it would be the same.

[busycoupe]

Thanks for all of your help! I will take a look under it tomorrow morning.