A well-designed hot rod incorporates a great amount of creative elements into its build to make it stand out from the rest. From the most elaborate suspension setup to the simplest hinge, custom fabrication is something that takes both vision and talent to bring it to life.
After taking plenty of measurements...
After taking plenty of measurements with the engine and transmission mocked up in the chassis, Keith Cornell of Rolling Bones Hot Rod Shop used some basic drafting tools to design the engine-mounting plate template on a piece of Masonite board.
There are specific dynamics that come into consideration when the time comes to installing an engine and transmission into a new chassis. This is especially true when needing to settle a vintage combination between the 'rails, as many chassis manufacturers don't offer simple bolt-in mounts for your specific application. Related installation issues include where the engine will sit in relation to the firewall and radiator, how plumbing will be affected, and attaining the perfect plane for the driveshaft once everything is bolted in.
The Rolling Bones Hot Rods Shop in Greenfield Center, New York, has dialed in more vintage engine combinations than we can count, so it was a perfect opportunity to follow along as they nailed a vintage 312ci Ford V-8 coupled to a T5 transmission into one of their newly completed chassis.
Instead of using the factory engine mounts located on the side of the engine block, Keith Cornell of Rolling Bones prefers to construct his own engine mounting plates, which are secured to the front of the block. This style mount not only gives the finished car a vintage race car look, it also acts as a perfect anchor to the chassis. To get started, Cornell fabricated a pair of temporary engine mounts fashioned from rectangular steel and bolted them into the factory mount locations. With the engine secured to the transmission they lowered the combination into the chassis and mocked it into place.
There are numerous concerns...
There are numerous concerns when locating the engine in the chassis, such as its proximity to the firewall and radiator. Here you see the completed template that Cornell carefully cut out using a razor knife and circular punches.
With the firewall in place...
With the firewall in place and engine lowered into the chassis, you can see where the engine-mounting plate will be located.
Cornell fabricated a pair...
Cornell fabricated a pair of temporary engine mounts from rectangular steel (arrow) and secured them to the stock engine block mounting area. This allowed him to set the engine in its correct position in the chassis while designing the new engine plate.
When the chassis was built,...
When the chassis was built, special provisions were made to incorporate a 4-inch-long section of 1/2-inch plate steel along the upper inside portion of the framerail. This will allow Cornell the opportunity to locate the engine-mounting plate in just the right spot.
To assist in the correct placement within the chassis, the Deuce firewall was bolted in and the radiator was also secured to where it would be positioned. Once the fore and aft proximities were dialed in, Cornell adjusted the pitch of the engine and transmission, marked each spot for placement, and began to design the engine-mounting plate. With the radiator now removed, he began taking measurements and transferring them onto a sheet of durable Masonite. Taking into consideration engine pulleys, accessory mounting points, and water pump access, he used simple drafting tools, including square and curve templates to approximate the design. Once completed, he used a razor knife and hole punches to carefully cut out the template while intentionally leaving the ears of the mounting plate long for trimming once installed to the front of the engine block.
From this straight-on shot...
From this straight-on shot you can see the dynamics involved in creating the engine plate as well as the signature design elements worked into the flow with the symmetry of the front suspension.
The ears of the mounting plate...
The ears of the mounting plate template were intentionally left long so they could be trimmed to exactly fit the installation. For this application Cornell measured in 1 inch on each side and marked the trim spot with a black marker.
Using a square, Cornell then...
Using a square, Cornell then marked the area to be trimmed with a razor knife.
The completed engine-mounting...
The completed engine-mounting plate was now ready to be created from 3/8-inch steel plate.
With the template mounted in place, Cornell measured for proper placement to the chassis, in this case 1 inch in from the outer 'rail on each side, which he marked with a black marker. Using a square, Cornell marked the area to be trimmed and removed the template from the engine to conduct the final cut. The completed template was then sent to CBM Fabrication in Ballston Lake, New York, to have a water-jet version cut from 3/8-inch steel plate.
To help dampen vibration when bridging the engine-mounting plate to the chassis, a call was placed to Speedway Motors for one of their Universal Bolt-Through Engine Mount Cushion kits (PN 7209314) to utilize a number of parts within the kit in the adaptation. Included in the kit is a pair of 3-inch rubber biscuits and base cups, which needed to be modified to fit the application. Since Cornell wanted a nice clean look to the outer framerail where the biscuit would normally overhang, he removed an outer section of the rubber mount using a belt sander and followed by adapting the mounting cup base to reflect the same new angle by trimming the outer diameter and welding a small lip to the edge using mild steel.
To create a base for mounting...
To create a base for mounting the engine plate to the chassis, Cornell started with a Universal Bolt-Through Engine Mount Cushion kit from Speedway Motors (PN 7209314). On top you can see the stock 3-inch rubber biscuit and mounting cup, and below the modified version to fit the chassis.
Cornell flattened the outer...
Cornell flattened the outer side of the biscuit on a belt sander and reworked the mounting cup by forming a lip to give the unit a nice, clean look.
To create a base for mounting...
To create a base for mounting the engine plate to the chassis, Cornell started with a Universal Bolt-Through Engine Mount Cushion kit from Speedway Motors (PN 7209314). On top you can see the stock 3-inch rubber biscuit and mounting cup, and below the modified version to fit the chassis.
The completed engine mount...
The completed engine mount support on the left was trimmed down to fit using a combination of grinders and a belt sander. It's come a long way from its stock form on the right.
Vintage parts are often reworked...
Vintage parts are often reworked into the builds at Rolling Bones. Here a set of original Guide headlight base cups were notched to serve as upper cushioning biscuit mounts.
From top to bottom pictured...
From top to bottom pictured is the modified base for the cushioning biscuit, inner framerail support, and upper filler piece, which was fashioned from 1/8-inch plate steel.