how to fit a V8 between rad and firewall on an A

I have been working on a 30 A Coupe for over a year now. It was "pieced/slapped together by previous owner(s), so there was a lot of rather unconventional methods used in building it before I got it. The car is/was full fendered (and is going to stay that way). No Chop/Channel, Origional frame (modified w/IFS in the front and Coil-Overs on the rear and the frame is boxed from the med-frame crossmember to the rear. Additional bracing was added at the rear crossmemember too. I built the rear suspension using the diagonal four-bar layout and it "looks" good. We'll see how it works later........ If I had it to do all-over again, I think I'd build a completely new frame/suspension system, with an I-beam axle, 4 bar coil overs on the rear etc etc......

It has a 302 FORD w/C6 tranny in it. The firewall was destroyed, as was the gas tank et-all. The cowl is original but I've replaced the complete firewall. with 16 gauge sheet. The radiator/30 grill has been moved forward and the grill rubs/touches the back of the headlight crossover bar. (it's getting re-done, in time too.)

I am going to have to fill the origional holes for the headlight cross bar and move (or bend) it a little to get the clearance on the front of the grill. That will come later. I'm leaning towards moving the origional crossbar forward about an inch or so.

The oil filter is going to get blocked-off in the origional position and a remote filter will be mounted else-where, probably on the firewall. The clearance for changing the filter is just too close to the headers and I'm not changing the headers.

The Firewall had to be set-back about 2 1/2 inches to clear the tranny. I followed the contour of the motor/tranny on the firewall and cut it out. I used a flat piece of 16 gauge to make the step-back indentation into the firewall and then built the rest of the firewall using more 16 gauge on down to the toe board/floor. I lost a little foot room but not much and the seat will be set back to give us more inside /leg room in the cab.

I have replaced the whole floor cross bracing (1-inch square tubing, 1/8" wall thickness,) as well as the whole floor all the way back to the rearend of the car w/16 ga sheet)....

Still a lot of work to do before Spring............

 

X2 on the Buick/Rover 215. I'm running one in my "A" coupe. Firewall is stock. Only had to modify the toe board area for the valve covers. Using a 300 Buick short water pump. All fits including the stock fan.

 

i was doing some measurements with the '59 cad 390 sitting between the rails. looks like i am going to need 4 to 5 inches, damn thats alot. seems like keeping the banger is a good idea (for now).

 

I have been putting a 351 Windsor in a Model A and I don't want to reverse the firewall or lose the rounded shape where it meets the cowl. I stretched the chassis 2" to match 32 chassis WB and the water pump conversion gives another 2". I will have to 'relieve' the firewall slightly around the heads.

Hope this helps

Cheers Turns

 

In the UK people fit an electric water pump to the Rover/Buick 215 to get a really short motor...

 

On my A model i cut the kick out the lower part of my fire wall and flattened it out so it runs straight down.the rails from the fire wall forward has been streached 6inches. Idid all this so ididnt have to cut the fire wall. You cant even tell its longer and ive got a 392 hemi fitted

 

Here are some pages I photocopied years ago out of the Veteran Car Owner's Manual by Ernest Carter:



I've kept the original scan size in the interests of legibility.

I think this technique will give a "'20s hand-made" level of finish, with rows of visible rivets, rather than a factory look. It may or may not be what the OP is looking for.

 

Thanks for those scans - got to do that job sometime soon.

 

It is done very frequently. Here is a V-12 Lincoln flat head in one too. Not uncommon many years ago. When the GM OHV V-8's in showed in 1949 a bunch of the Olds 303's were put in A's.
Normbc9

 

Thanks Turns, Ned and Norm.
This is good stuff. I always wondered why the radiator can't go forward or the frame lengthened. It always seems to be about cutting the firewall. You know, that Lincoln just proves that if the engine "fits" the space, it looks right.