Fuel line rules question

[NovaMan]

I'm trying to figure out the best, easiest, safest, and most convenient way to run the fuel line in my Nova. I have it pretty well figured out from the tank to the front subframe, but that's where I can't quite decide what to do. The way I see it is I have three options: run it inboard of the frame rail, inside the frame rail, or outboard of the frame rail. Running it inside the frame rail looks like a pain, so I'm eliminating that option right off the bat. That leaves me having to decide between inboard and outboard. With the small block, I had it inboard, with insulation so that the headers wouldn't cook my fuel. But now that I have a big block and accordingly bigger headers, there's much less room where I had the fuel line before. That leaves me thinking about running the fuel line outboard of the frame rail.

All fuel tanks, lines, pumps, valves etc., must be outside of the driver’s compartment and within the confines of the frame and/or steel body.

If I go outboard, it would definitely NOT be within the confines of the frame, but I think it could still be considered to be within the confines of the steel body. BUT that's just my opinion, which I doubt carries any weight with tech inspectors. Is aluminum hard line mounted on the outside of the frame rail legal?

Fuel lines (except steel braided lines) in flywheel/bellhousing area must be enclosed in a 16-inch (40.6 cm) length of steel tubing, 1/8-inch (3.2 mm) minimum wall thickness

If I go outboard, it seems to me the fuel line wouldn't be in the flywheel/bellhousing area, and therefore would not be required to have the 1/8" wall steel tubing shield around it. Instead, it would have two thicknesses of frame steel protecting it from a flywheel/flexplate explosion. Does that sound reasonable and legal?