What lines are ok , can you run an aluminum cell , maintenance and carb mods needed
I use Jegs Pro Flow 350 and their anodized fittings. Noting now that they are claiming thos hose is not E-85 nor Methanol compatible, which is a change from when I bought the hose a couple of years back. I have not seen any issue with the hoses I already have, maybe they changed the type of inner hose. I run top lube with methanol that that works to protect the system parts.
At any rate, I think you need to buy hose that is SAE 30R9 at least, mostly sold as fuel injection hose. PTFE braided for sure will work, but I read it's a bitch to assemble. All fittings need to be anodized. Standard aluminum fuel cells should work with it. You WILL NEED FILTERS - do not skimp. 100 micron stainless in front of the pump, possibly 10 micron before the carb and stock spare stainless filter replacements. Alcohol, especially methanol, "cleans" out the system and the filters quickly fill up with trash that looks like dryer lint LOL. So keep an eye on fuel pressure and change the filters when you see any variation or evidence of blockage. Leaving the used filter(s) in the sur to dry out then blow out with air gets them ready for use. If your cell has foam, make sure it's alcohol compatible.
Carbs require special calibrations - gas optimums are usually stated as 14.7:1 fuel, 9:1 E-85, 6:1 methanol. Likely slightly fatter in practice. Note the potential increase in required fuel volume. Where gas is usually rule-of-thumb at .5 lbs/hr/HP, I use 1 lb/hr/HP for methanol. IMHO I would use a top lube even with E-85 to protect the system. Still, if the car sits for more than a couple of weeks I would run the carb dry, then pull the bowls and spray then with WD-40, work some through the accel pumps and the needle/seat assemblies. It will chalk up on you just like methanol will if left to sit too long. Winter storage - drain the system, WD the alcohol carb, put a gas carb on the car and run the engine/fuel system on pump fuel to flush it out for storage. Holley blue gaskets work with alcohol, along with the special rubber metering block gaskets and such. Accel pump diaphrams have to be alcohol compatible. ALSO - remember that "E-85" is nominal as the spec allows it to vary from E-70 to E-90 (?) as I recall.
So yes, there's more maintenance, more cost. And yes, cold = hard to start. Racer trick is a quart fuel cell, tiny pump with gas and a thin nitros plate to shoot a little into the manifold. Or pull the air cleaner and squirt a bit of fuel.
On my 393C NA engine, switching from VP110 to methanol was worth at least 30 HP and a lot of torque. Can't speak to E-85 specifically, none of it around here - well, at the QT I think but who knows where that comes from. You will pick up some power and torque from the oxygen carried in the alcohol and the intake cooling effect.