I've changed to mechanical on my not-1800 not-E. All works well, but if I don't use the car for a month or so, I do have to churn it on the starter for 5-10 secs. I wonder if I had an electric pump it would avoid that.
Pic of my engine bay attached. Note the messy tangle of wiring behind the heater. POWEN has shamed me into getting rid of that this weekend.
Bay.jpg