Volare clip progress

[slicknapier]

I got a few hours of work in today. Looks like the volare frontend is going to work out pretty good. I trimmed a little off the frame around the passenger motor mount and some around the steering box for now. I still need to make some more cuts to get it to fit in where I want it, but it's a start:)

[buds truck]

Lookin good Slick! Keep the progress pics comin. Bud

[MMcKinney]

Nice start. I'm curious to know where your orginal "center line" marks are on the truck frame. So that you can alighn them to the volare k-member. I would like to know where yours are in comparison to what I have.

MMcKinney

[slicknapier]

thanks bud...I will take a side pic from above to show where my axle centerline is. I just have it marked with a chisel mark, but I will draw a chalk line so you can see it. Also, it's just up there now and "eyeballed" I haven't done all the exact meausurements yet.

[Bob_Koch]

keep up the good work. If you need help just holler. There's a few of us that have done this already, or are in progress like you.

[slicknapier]

I do have questions..Is it necessary to recess the firewall to fit a 318 or slant 6 in the truck. From where the motormounts are I won't have room to fit the 318 in there without doing some firewall work. Have you guys moved motormounts or massaged the firewall?

[Bob_Koch]

I had to "tub" my firewall to make room for the engine. But some have suggested that you can move the engine mounts. I hope they'll speak up and show some pics of that.

[cwcars88]

I would think the radiator and fan spacing would dictate where the motor will go.

[48Dodger]

I'm working on 2 different trucks right now, installing the Volare type frontend. I'm planning on moving the engine forward to keep the orginal firewall intact. The distributor is in the back of the small block, so at this point it makes sense. The radiator will not be stock, and an electric fan on the front side of it. Keep in mind, an engine that is more to the center will help balance a vehicle better. But, because I will be wieghting the back of the truck to achieve balance, I'll will be fine. Also the the use of a 360 will offset the weight increase, improving power to weight ratio.

48D

[51 Fargo]

I also had to set my firewall back so the my 360 would fit in ....

I had to set it back 3 inches

[Warren Nielsen]

Looks like a quality and sanitary installation. That surgery on the firewall looks almost exactly like what I did to mine, except there's a big block sitting in the engine bay instead of a small block. I cut my frame off near the rear spring mount and built a sub-frame to bolt the Volare unit onto. Gets crowded in there real quick with the power steering unit, steering column and shaft and headers, plugs and plug wires, dipstick and also modifying the inner fender well to clear the control arms and alignment adjustment points. I start to get the shakes again just thinking about it all.

[grey beard]

Twenty years ago I put a 318 into a PIlothouse. No firewall mods were made and things fit well. I used the K member and welded it into the original frame, using the power steering box and column from a Volare as well as the Volare rear. It fit well into the origihal springs - a very simple conversion. We even used the Volare radiator - just moved it forward on the original radiator mount horseshoe. Biggest fabrication needed in the entire job was the tranjy rear crossmember and the steering column brackets at the dash. As memorys werves, the Volare box came out at the wrong angle to get the column against the dash properly, and we had to do some mods to get the column to a steeper angle. We also used Rambler spindles to get discs on the front - a nice workout if yuo could still find those older parts somewhere.

Good luck.

[48Dodger]

I also had to set my firewall back so the my 360 would fit in .... I had to set it back 3 inches

That's a good picture.....hmmm.....you may have changed my mind about moving the engine forward.....maybe. lol

48D

[Don Coatney]

The guy I bought my engine from (Bob Criswell) has installed a Mopar 318 poly into a Plymouth P-15. He completed the install and soon discovered he could not remove the distributor. He had to pull the engine and recess the firewall. Better to recess the firewall first.

[dezeldoc]

You should have put some steel across the frame before you took out the factory crossmembers, now it can twist and the rails can walk around on ya. you can move the motor foward enough to clear the firewall. loose the stock mounts, drop the motor in and set it on blocks to hold it level and mock up the sheetmetal and core support and check the clearance to the radiator and also make sure the wheels are centered in the opening. it is pretty simple to make new mounts.

[slicknapier]

Finally got the clip tacked in where I wanted it. Here are a few pics..