Breakdown Sunday and Looking for Advice

[Nabco]

Hi Guys,

Took my new 30 DLX Coupe out for a spin on Saturday, about 20 miles, she ran like a champ. Did the same on Sunday, maybe a little further, on the way home, maybe 5 miles away she started running really rough, no power, bad backfires, etc.

Pulled over a saw that there was a fuel leak coming from the top of the brass shut off valve (where the knob screws in, see picture) my father-in-law had added by the carburetor.

Ended up coming home on a flatbed, I think I could have fixed it on the side of the road but my wife did not have the same faith in my mechanical abilities as I had and she was afraid that the fuel that leaked out could catch on fire even if I could get her running.

Question....is that shut off even necessary, can I just reconnect the fuel line directly to the carburetor and leave that off completely....that would have been my plan on the side of the road.

Also, it appears the air filter caught a lot of the fuel that leaked out, should I replace that or is it it OK.

Unfortunately I have not been able to do anything with it since Sunday, Monday morning I found out I had a detached retina and had to have emergency surgery so I'm benched for a few weeks while I recover.

Thanks for the help in advance.