Hemi engine crate?

I have a 50 Stude pickup with a spun aluminum gas tank in the bed close to the head gate, I want to build a wooden engine crate to cover the tank, it will be hinged to the floor and have no bottom so it can be tipped backwards toward the tail gate for tank access.

I want anyone who see's it to think its a Hemi crate engine sitting in the bed of my truck, for local parades, hot rod runs and cruising Hot August Nights and need to detail the crate as such, any ideas?

 

I'm not at all sure why you want to do this,but most of the crated engines I've seen are just strapped to a pallet with a rough wood framework built around them,stenciled with paint and the usual papers inside a plastic bag stapled or glued to the wood. Not at all what you want, I would think.

So a few idea-why not make it look like you are hauling an old Stude V-8 in a crate-contact some Studebaker history guys (AACA?) about how the old engs were shipped. Or, make it look like something that would be shipped in a solid crate-dynamite-something from the fifties like Civil Defense items,etc. How big a crate are you thinking? What size bed on your truck? How about just putting a keg back there with a pretty girl or your mother in law?

 

My Study is a hot rod, Chevy 350, wire wheels with white wall cheater slicks, white walls up front and Frenched 1954 Buick head lights, will be satin black.

Nothing says hot rod to me like a Hemi, I want it to look like I just picked one up from a warehouse, maybe Hemi stenciled on it with paper work in a plastic bag stapled to it.

I looked into using a plastic mock up Hemi block you can bolt valve covers and manifolds to but just the block is over 400 bucks...

Goggle "mock up engines".

 

There are still plenty of real Hemi engines available, many for not much more than the $400 plastic one.
Start looking through craigslist, and don't wimp out just because its a 5 hour drive.

Nothing says hot rod like a junk yard Hemi headed for a rebuild. 'Crate' sounds too much like 'billet'...

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all my dads BBC came in a crate from gm that was solid 3/4 ply on the bottom with 1/4" thick and about 1 1/2 wide strips up the sides and over the top. All held by 9 wire and staples That was the block only