How to deal with paranoia about fuel leaks

Can understand your paranoia....would say it is justified even. If you do fab up some sort of drip tray just make sure it has a drain of sorts....away form the exhaust...just in case. You might enjoy this....years ago was working on a friends 442. Had a good running 455 in it, with a t-400 and 4:56's in the 12 bolt rear. Had an MSD 6 in it. A drag racing buddy was rebuilding the Holley that was on it. The coil was mounted on the intake. I had to remove the coil for some reason. Was walking home, with the freshly rebuilt carb in my hands and heard the fire whistle going off. Got about a block from my house and noticed a very large column of smoke.....Paul, the owner of the 442 stopped by to see if I was done. He did not bother looking under the open hood prior to taking a set of keys out of his pocket and twisting the ignition.....fuel line was aimed right at the ignition coil, which was close enough to the intake to create a spark....destroyed a beautiful 442....He tried ot blame me, claiming that he seen the keys hanging in the ignition and figured the car was done.....He had nothing to say when I pulled the his keys out of my pocket...