Seanpd, to further expand on answering your question, there is no hard and fast rule for where an engine goes, but generally you position it so that you have adequate fan/ radiator clearance, and clearance at the rear for valve covers and/ or distributor. Usually the radiator is in a fixed position because it only looks good if centered on the axle or behind it, so you are left to contend with the firewall, and as others have mentioned, you do this by recessing it. Techs idea about the wheelbarrow tub is a good one, and they have been used a lot to solve these problems.

What you need to do is bolt your radiator on, slide the body back a little, install the engine and tranny, get your radiator clearance (make sure you have the actual accessories, fan, pulleys, etc you will be using) and then figure out what you need to do to make the body fit. Steering clearance also comes into play here.

You also want to set your tailshaft down angle at this time. Generally about 3 degrees is good. Some people put a level on the carb base, but that has never worked for me as my intakes seem to always be much different than level when I set the 3 degrees up. Not sure why, but they work fine anyway.


Don