Awesome looking finished product!!!! You should be proud. I will hoist a cold one in your honor (when it reaches noon...i'm not that much of a lush) for a job well done.

What motor are you setting in there?

 

Looks beautiful. Where are you putting the motor mounts?

 

If it helps I did something similar recently, though I did not do the work like you.

In any case, installed a Ford Racing 347JR (302 block), pushed back, with wheels moved forward 4 inches, so that the #1 cylinder is behind the front axle line. Rear is truck arms. Tranny is a C4. Tried to keep things as light as possible.

Originally the setup was 500lbs/in front and 200lbs/in rear. Front shocks are 20" QA1 and rear are Bilstein (I plan to install Bilstein ASN's up front).

I found the ride uncomfortably stiff at first, and swapped out the springs to 400, then 300lbs/in. Also swapped out the front shocks to QA1's softest ones (3/3 rebound compression). This helped a ton, but I think some digressive damping would help even more, which is why I plan on swapping to the Bilsteins.

Your work looks great! Congrats!

 

Snook: Cool deal, I had a hell of a time finding rims that would fit though because of the lug circle thing and the wheel bearing nut thing that sticks out. I actually had to mill out a quarter of an inch from the rim to make it sit flush. Anyways just FYI.

JRMack and Grizz: Thanks, a lot of time definitely was dedicated to it and I still have countless hours to go. As far as set up: I have a 5.0 HO motor sitting in my garage that is awaiting the surgery some day. As far as mounting it... Well that is a different story. One of my greater challenges. The Package I purchased from no limit has engine mount hard ware. Essentially the metal sits flush at the top of the x-member comes straight up and then goes to the engine mount. Passenger side no big deal. Driver side does require some extra fabricating for the steering column.

The no limit guy recommended cutting a half moon in one and boxing it in to allow for the extra space for the column knuckle thing. I think that is the route I will be taking.

I hope to visit a couple more car shows before I get to that point and see other ideas.

Dr G that is a clean set up you have right there. Looks like your engine mounts are off the inside of the frames

 

I ended up going on the cross member. If you're doing a small block im sure you could do the same and keep the weight centered.

 

I am only asking because I have a Heidt's crossmember and a 289 (similar in size to your 302) and haven't anything fabricated yet and am looking for ideas.

I have an idea of how I want it to look but I need to borrow a cherry picker to support the engine while I play with cardboard and such to design it. I am using some 1x2x.125 wall rectangular steel to make the main vertical portion of the support and then bolster it some how with some 3/16 plate.

 

Sounds like we all will be going the same route off the x-member. As soon as i get a chance I will take pictures of the stuff no limit gave me as a starting point to give you a better idea Grizz.

 

This was quicker. This is the metal they have me to start with. When I spoke with the guy he recommended to me going low to keep a better center of gravity (I might be cutting and 1-2" and do the half moon cut in one for the knuckle)
TRIM TO FIT MOTOR MOUNTS - CAMARO/MUSTANG II - SB/BB-No Limit Engineering
These pretty much just weld to the top face of the x-member

 

Thanks. I saw those and thought about using them. Then I saw these:

https://midfifty.com/imgwindow.php?ID=4569&IMG_ID=17114

The top is going to be some DOM tube I bought that fits inside the motor mount pad and I am thinking with some of the smaller (1x2) rectangular tube leftover from the seatbelt mounts I want to do something like a cross between the two.

A combination of the vertical rectangle and the 3/16 plate running perpendicular to it going to the side of the frame allowing the steering rod an area between the two under it and the headers to go over it on the drivers side. The passengers side only has to clear the headers.

 

Grizz, I like those. I wonder if they are at an angle? Meaning they start closer to the middle of the bottom of the x-member and slant up outwards to allow the clearance for the steering column thing. Or if they come straight off the sides of the x-member. Do yuo know?

 

I don't know that there is any specific way to put them. I guess the gals at Mid Fifty could tell you better. It seems that they would work either way as long as the support perpendicular to the tube is securley fastened to the x-member.

That was another idea I had, to run the perpendicular portion under the oil pan if there is room for it and let the passengers side tie to the frame side of the crossmember for strength.

Like this view from the front:



Drawing is not to any scale.

 

why not this?

square tube from the sides of the crossmember, and one piece to reinforce to the lower corner? this is effectively how I have the passenger side on my 460.

Sam

 

Sam, that would work as long as the rack and headers clear. I will check out that option when I get to the cardboard stage in the next week or two.

 

My MII should be here Monday.. for the red truck, so I'll be thinking about this too..

Sam

 

Grizz/SVT what is you chassis rake angle?

Grizz I know you set it flat after welding.. what did you WANT it to be?

I think to get the front down to 12 inches to top of chassis at bumper or 9 inches to bottom of rad crossmember with 20s in the rear I have 3 degrees..

link to my questions:https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post10180825

sam