Reference your comment -- 'The goal is to push the engine back as far as possible to try and get 50/50 weight distribution", I was able to push a Big Block back just under 12 inches, which required building a fake, removable cowl vent to get the distributor out. That puts the distributor (back of the block) just in front of the windshield frame. By moving only the center section of the firewall, I was able to keep all of the original foot and leg room. Rotating the Tremec shifter 180 degrees (to a more forward position) gives a reasonable shifter location. I ended up with just over 51% rear weight, and a little more with the driver seated. There are a couple of pictures of the firewall construction and the driver's side foot well at the link below. Good luck with a great looking project.
Thanks for the link. Great colors, too bad it's hard to actually find one to look at. I've never seen a Blue Lambo but I travel for work quite a bit so maybe I'll drop by a dealership. I live in Minneapolis. How far from Kurt's are you?
Im about 3 1/2 hrs NE of Kurts place.
Take Marty's idea in consideration you could spend hours starring at rides.
Fox Country and Gold Coast are the 2 lambo dealers that I know of in Chicago Area. There are no authorized dealers in WI. that I know of.
Lots of work done on the car this week. Kurt mocked up the engine setback and transmission setup and fabricated all the special mounts after numerous double checking of all the measurements. We wanted the engine setup as back as possible (towards the rear of the car), the Magnum transmission is better because the distance from bell housing to shifter location is shorter than a normal T56. Headers were a real problem because the Downs fabricated chassis using Art Morrison Rails is real narrow with 24" between the rails. Here's all the engine mount fabrication and end results. For the headers we ordered the Art Morrison headers and they were too wide. After working with Jamie Downs, Street and Performance....we figured the only prefabricated headers were "shorty" headers. Kurt and I decided that we would go down the route and we'd work with the Morrison headers and "narrow" them.
Love look of the headers. They ended up being much closer than we thought. Driver side needed no modification and passenger side had to be narrowed less than an inch. I'm so happy these worked out and only took an hour to redo. I spent way more time on the phone trying to find another option than Kurt did fixing it. It was weird that the 2 headers were shaped exactly the same but one header was "wider" than other.
DOESNT THIS GET YOUR BLOOD FLOWING ???
when you get to see something like the engine mounted and headers get fitted.SOMETHING about getting past the first big hurdle really get the blood flowing..Gonna be a great project to see come together
Here's all the work that went into the transmission mount....looks great, clean,and functional. Nothing fancy but love how clean it looks. If you do it yourself or pay for someone do it, hopefully the number of pics give you an appreciation of how something so important and made clean yet simple will still take a bunch of time to do it right. Even the welded ends of the tab are angled to get the best weld. Notice Kurt's surgeon gloves, he has them on all the time....great way to not thrash your hands, easy cleanup and still maintain the feel....haze him anyways though: you , Kurt
DOESNT THIS GET YOUR BLOOD FLOWING ???
when you get to see something like the engine mounted and headers get fitted.SOMETHING about getting past the first big hurdle really get the blood flowing..Gonna be a great project to see come together
Tom
You're absolutely right. Told Kurt when it's late at night and I'm still working that I bring the pictures of his work up on my blackberry so it feels "worth it".
Kurt has been sending me picks almost every day but I haven't had a chance to update the thread for a month. Sorry about that. Here's the exhaust tips, mocked-up in the body. Kurt finished the fiberglass edge this week but I don't have updated pics. Anyone have a guess on where the exhaust tips came from? It an OEM piece from a current model car. It fits absolutely perfect. I'm thrilled....didn't want round tips and wanted a long oval tip that looks right with the body.
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
Engine setback
, Kurt 
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