I am hoping this is a really dumb question, but are the tins interchangeable?

I bought someone else's project and it came with 2 engines a 1.8 and a 2.0 and a box of tins. I took the best ones and sand blasted them and painted them. I am getting ready to build up and engine, and have had enough issues with this car.

Thanks in advance.

Short answer is no.
The longer one is that some parts can and some parts can't.
The big tin pieces where the plug holes are do not interchange, as 2.0 engines had different plug locations then the 1.7 and 1.8.

Warm air guides under the engine also differ, but I think that is an early/late thing rather then a 2.0/1.7 thing.
Zach

Thanks! So when folks put new heads on a 2.0 do they have to match the holes?

yes.

There is head tin for the 1.7/1.8
There is unique head tin for the 2.0

The rest is interchangeable....

Thanks for asking the dumb question that I was going to ask.....

Warm air guides depend on the exhaust being run, 75/76 cars with the single tube heat exchangers use different warm air guides.

guessing he is probably missing these anyways

Also on the shift linkage. The tail-shifters used a different left-side warm air guide than the side-shifters did.

--DD