Cross Member Pictures

[wayfarerstranger]

Does anyone recognize these pictures of the cross members adapters ?

[knuckleharley]

No,but if it is any help,those rubber mounts look suspiciously like the "biscuit" motor mounts used by flathead Ford V-8's.

The actual crossmember looks like an original style crossmember to me,and the additions look to be well-made home-built items.

BTW,I really like those wrapped exhaust and tail pipes.

[Plymouthy Adams]

appears to be an attempt to install a V-power while yet retaining the original cross member....while the lower z-plates and stiffener look good, my suspicion is that the upper plate will not allow mounting of any transmission...hopefully these pictures are taken prior to their intended purpose of only holding alignment on mock up and install

[Don Coatney]

Not V-8 power as the exhaust pipes are both on the same side.

Engine mount rubbers look like they are the same as a P-15.

Only 2 bolts visible on the crankshaft to fly wheel connection. And they  are spaced close to each other. I would think more should be visible.

I agree with Plymouthy on the upper stabilizer bar and no room for a bell housing or transmission. 

Engine does not appear to be bolted down to this bracket so I also agree this may be a mock up.

[knuckleharley]

Guys,seems to me that is a overly elaborate and beefed up solution to a simple transmission mount. Just making a new mount that bolts to the brackets on the chassis would do the job with no muss,fuss,or bother.

You do have to give the guy points for strength,though. That thing would hold a Caterpillar diesel and trans from a road grader,and he sure does a excellent job of bending and matching some seriously thick steel bar. That guy has to be a blacksmith at heart.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Don, the L head is likely....not much of the engine is shown...

[knuckleharley]

I just want to say that the paint on the bottom of that car is prettier than the top coat on any of my cars.  Whoever built that car has the skills and the desire to do things right.

[Young Ed]

16 minutes ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

Don, the L head is likely....not much of the engine is shown...

My only thought is someone made that to convert to non fluid drive without moving the crossmember forward.

[Plymouthy Adams]

now that is probably hitting the proverbial nail square on the head....

[Don Coatney]

Or it could be the vehicle had a 25" engine and someone installed a 23" engine. On second look the new brackets appear to be longer than 2".

[wayfarerstranger]

I think it is what ED said  but i can`t remember the entire story behind it . also i think if you examine the pix it looks like the bell housing may be on there without the bottom cover on it .  i thought the same thing about that bar under the clutch is it holding it up and how is the transmission going in ?  these pix were posted here on this forum several years back and after searching i could not find the information , i remembered saving them on my old laptop   so i dug it up and found them was hoping the person who did this work would see them and fill us in . on  closer examination i don`t think that is a metal bar it is the bottom part of the B.H. , also the front part of the adapter that bolts to the B.H. should be Z`D down other wise it is sitting up a little higher than it should ? and will the original cross member may be in the way of the transmission ? i`ll go climb under a car and check this out .  but hopefully we will find the designer and get some answers because  i would like to do something like this . Maybe Plymouthy or ED can come up with some ideas ?

Edited October 22, 2016 by wayfarerstranger

[greg g]

The hole in the tunnel on the passenger side strongly suggests a fluid drive access point. So maybe a Chrysler getting a hopped up 230 with non FD three speed.  The flat bar across the top part of the mounts is not painted, so that suggested it's temporary.

[dpollo]

Young Ed takes the prize.  It is a mounting for a standard bell housing to eliminate the fluid drive.

There is another way to replace Fluid drive and it consists of an extra long input shaft, throw out collar and support.  The same parts can be found in some 54 V 8s which needed an extra long bell housing to clear the body but were not equipped with Fluid drive.