I’m still working on it. I went down to my local steel dealer and told him I needed a box beam to fit into a box beam for this purpose.
I now need a few lengths of angle iron and a flat plate to drill holes and mount gauges for the control panel behind the engine and another flat plate to mount an MP ignition & a MSD set up.
The gas can will be mounted under the fuel pump on that plate you see resting on the bottom. The battery tray is about to be tabbed up. Wiring will be a simple copy from the MP engines book. The radiator is an after ‘79 Magnum small block radiator w/a A body Duster shroud. (*I Think!*) Remember that the radiator should be offset since our engines are offset in the cars engine bay and this engine stand has it centered. Cheap angle iron was used with holes and slots already in it. So offsetting was easy.
The legs that go up to the engine mounts can be moved up or down because they slide into each other. I would just have to set the engine height to the desired level, mark, drill, install a bolt through the box in box leg and let it sit. It is currently set up for a small block MoPar. IDK if a big block would be any different. I’m sure a Ford or Chevy would be.
Diamond plate was used at the back of the bell housing. I put the bell on it, sharpied the drill points, drilled away! The dolly wheels are from Harbor Freight @ 4 inches IIRC. They were the biggest ones there. It is high enough to use the engine hoist (slightly pictured to the right) The hoists legs slip right under the main beams of the stand.
Depending on the cost of steel, it could be cheap. This was not but still way cheaper than a purchase from Summit/Jets/other place. And that is also do to myself welding the beams together & having extra gages on hand.
There will be plenty of room but for now, it gets a on/off starter switch, tachometer, oil pressure, water temp and vacuum gauge. Just the basics to start it up, check for leaks, basic tune up on the carb and distributor.
With the exhaust the way you see it, you can add what you may want to run and listen for the sound. Add an “X” or “H” pipe or just run true duals. The Hedman “S” bend pipes off the headers help with a few inches of clearance on your legs. Not exactly needed but helpful I think.
Being that I can slide the control panel from front to back may also be of help depending on where you want to stand.
The only other part I need is some sort of throttle lever. I haven’t thought much about it but it can’t be that hard. Hell, a long boot lace would do in a pinch. I even remember using our shoe laces for windshield wipers once a long age ago. Dam ‘57 Chevy! LMAO! What a great night!