I'm tempted to set the engine back in my 50 Coupe

Move it back It improves handling immensly. I moved the engine in my coupe six inches and the big block in my p/u 8 inches along with moving the body back. The p/u handles like a go kart and the coupe handles perfectly

 

I just did an engine set back last month. I set my 472 Cadillac in the back of the shop

Sorry man, couldn't help it...

 

Wicked

Changing your weight bias even just a little makes all the difference in the world. It certainly isn't necessary to move the engine back to drive the car but it will make a difference in the way it drives.

Someone mentioned that moveing the engine back is real hard to do. It isn't rocket science. You have to build mounts anyway. As far as the forewall is concerned its just a matter of making a hole in the fire wall to accomodate the engine then building the wall back around the engine.

A lot of times you can make a big difference without even molesting the firewall. Most cars have a couple of inches to be gained leaving the firewall pretty much stock, maybe you'll need to trim some boltheads or a flange.

Anyway with the talents you have already established moving the engine back isn't going to be that big a deal for you. Its just a matter of what you want out of the car.

 

You mean to say you are actually going to build a g***er, instead of a "g***er"? Heresy!!

 

You can see the motor mount on the side of the block. That motor mount when put on an S-10 front end is on the front side of the cross member. You can kind of see how much it moved back
We actually dropped the engine down about 4 inches from the normal height on an S-10 conversion.
We had no intention of doing any of this when we started
( famous last words ?) when we cut the firewall we found 3 layers of rusted metal...original floor and firewall, another layer spot welded in over the top of the original rusted metal and another layer under the original rusted metal. It was at that point the build took a different direction.

 

I think I'm as far back as I can go without really screwing with moving the whole fiewall back due to header placement. I'm sure that my engine center of weight has to be at least 6" behind stock anyway, damn near the whole engine is behind the kingpin. I think I'm happy with that.

 

You're fine. Its a matter of what you are happy with. Engine behind the axle center is good.

On my current project the headers will be scratch built or modified over the counter headers so its really a non issue for me. But I have never had a normal car so to me its just normal to have to deal with little issues like that.

Unless you are building a canyon carver or a dragster you will be fine with your engine where it is. Now finish that ****** up one of us needs to finish one.

 

Yep, if you are going to set it back, set it back the 10% that was in the rule book in the old days and have it correct in that manner. I've ridden in a few cars that had engines set back in the 60's when it was done pretty often and you give up a lot of room to have them that way. Also a pain in the **** to work on at times unless you build a removable dog house like a van.

I'm not sure I would do it just to raise the Bubba factor though.

 

Huh?

 

Yea, if I have a 110" wheelbase car with the #1 plug in line with the front spindles, and say the engine can be physically set 36" in front of the rear axle and the #1 plug, I have moved the engine back 74". That should be good for at least a gain of 3,700 rear wheel horsepower right?

 

He must have stayed at a holiday inn last night or something.

 

Got my front suspension mocked up this weekend. I'm pretty happy about where the engine sits, and ride height. I set the front axle 1" forward on 50 Chevy truck springs. Gotta pull the engine back out and get all my bracing and welding done.

 

Wicked...............looks great........you did good

 

Thank you. It's not much to look at yet, I have a lot of welding - cleaning - and painting ahead.

 

Scored some good stuff at an O/T local swap meet last week. Intake, Valve covers, drag shocks, ladder bar mounts, front wheels (15x4,5 Indys), and what looks to be a start to my fenderwell headers. Let's just say I got a LOT of cast aluminum REAL cheap.

 

was gonna let you know, if you know Skinny, he has a set of the chevy II fenderwell headers, I'm sure he'd sell 'em, or at least let you try them...did you get your stuff at the Allen's meet last weekend? A buddy of mine said they had a complete quickchange for $500

 

Yes, I got the fronts and the valve covers for $50 ea. set, I went because I figured nobody that was going to that type of a swap meet would be looking for this type of stuff. I walked past some other stuff I needed, but I had to draw the line somewhere. I thing the chevyII headers would go back into the firewall too far anyway, I was told that on another thread anyway. If I would need to cut them up, I might as well plan on making them myself anyway. I saw a quickchange for $400, but without any hubs on the ends. I did p*** up a SBC tri-power with carbs for $400 and I could have talked him down from that quite a bit.

 

Lookin' good. You've got a good start there.