Build Thread 429MII's Build Thread

Glad to be of some help. It's a lot of figuring out with a little work. Seems lately I spend more time planning and thinking how things will work that actual work on the car.

Got engine mounts built yesterday. Welded up the trans mount. I will add pics in a little bit.

As you will see, I rubber mounted everything. I did this for a few reasons
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1) I want to street drive the car enjoyably, and the engine has a pretty big cam. I have been in many otherwise nice cars that rattle and buzz and shake your fillings out off your teeth, and I can't stand that. For a race car ok, but not a street car. I want to run this car on the highway etc.

2) As i am going to use a "shaker scoop" it would be nice if the engine "shakes" for the full experience

3) A person could, at any time, replace the rubber mounts with solid mounts and make it solid, whereas if I made it solid from the start it would be quite a job to reverse it.

I am using a mid plate as well, I am just waiting for it to be built by Keith at KFM. He is using the block saver from the quicktime bell housing I have for the pattern to match my bell,, he scans that to cad, then corrects the starter mis alignment and laser cuts out a new part.
With a steel mid plate I think the engine will be real stable in both planes (side to side and fore and aft) and I don't think I will require any bulky stabilizer rods for drivetrain stability, also since i am running a 4 speed, and using rubber mounts, I think it will add some important drivetrain stability.
The front aluminum plate can and would flex with weight transfer etc, without a mid plate. I think a mid plate is a more stable and cleaner option.
The mid plate is made from .125 steel plate, and will probably be urethane mounted.

I have yet to modify the front mounts for a safety limiter to contain the mount should the rubber rip. I thought about drilling it through and adding a bolt and nuts, but that would mostly eliminate the whole dampening ability of the mount. Maybe a cable, I will have to see, again with a mid mount It should not damage anything if a front mount rips, but I do enjoy overkill so..

I used a ford torino (among others) Trans mount rubber, and 1967 Barracuda small block engine mounts for the front. The mid I am not sure yet but will figure that once the plate arrives.

The drivetrain is mounted at about 3.5 degree angle. The diff is at about 3. I was aiming for absolute parallel, but for engine angle I was going by the carb mount pad, and I wanted that level, and the trans sits quite high in the tunnel already.
I could have had the carb mount pad machined to match the new angle but as I said I don't thing the minor angle difference is going to matter.
If I were lower the engine at all, the oil pan will be perilously close to the steering rack. I could use offset rack bushings and bump steer rod ends, but that is a sacrifice to steering geometry in my opinion, and while ok for a drag car, won't be optimal for street driving.
I do not think the minor amount of angle difference will cause any trouble especially since the driveshaft is only about 38" long. If need be, I can alter the rear end angle with wedges anyway to match.
The engine is offset about one inch from centreline of hood peak line on the cowl, There is about .250 to .325 clearance between the pan and the crossmember closest point.