The last piece of the cradle puzzle is the rear mount. There will be a mounting point coming off the suspension console that picks up a mount at the end of the cradle, essentially in line with the cross bar, sorta like this 1st grader's drawing.

This is the support bracket design for the cradle's side of the rear mount. That dimensioned surface will support the mounting plate that'll be picked up by the bracket on the suspention console.
All this will be made from 7 ga plate and, like the rest of the cradle mount, will use 14mm fasteners. Say it with me:

"That's not going anywhere!"

Playing with ideas for the rear cradle mount. The side plates would be .125" with a 7 ga plate at the base for the fastener.
The upper shape isn't final as I think I want to box it all in, leaving access for the trailing arm pivot bolt.
As usual, we'll see.

The cradle is still missing a number of parts but it's far enough along to start working out and prepping the locations for each fire wall tab.
This pic gives a good sense of the cradle's overall design/fit. Note the ends of the tubes are yet to be trimmed to length. And a threaded bung will be welded in at the end of each tube. The lower ones will serve as mounting points for the skid plate and the uppers have no current plan. No telling if they'll ever be used but I don't want to look back and wish I had another mounting point.

I like the idea of using the suspension pickups to mount the cradle. It accomplishes two things in one fix. It supports the cradle, and ties the rear suspension pickups together for more structural rigidity.

Clay

And you’ll be able to cut out those other raspberry braces!

Today was cutting components for the cradle side of the cradle-to-console mount.
The original plan called for carrying the 1x3 up between each side's tubes but I think I prefer this design.
That said, when I first test fit the side pieces, it struck me that they could use a brace to help stabilize them and add more "anti-rack" strength so I added that connector plate between them.
I'll probably make a couple minor design tweaks to a couple of the pieces but this is essentially it for these mounts.
Note that all these parts are fresh off the plasma table and look pretty rough. I'll hit all the edges with the metal router and they'll look way better and have a much more finished look.
On to the console side of things!

Is this the end of some of my "DIY" processes? Are my plasma table's days numbered?

I can get two of these from SendCutSend for under $45 delivered. Bent and ready to go. Laser cut so better quality than what I can get on my table.

Maybe . . . But if you do that to the extreme when does it become bought not built?

Plus when you realize that the radius of a bend should have been larger / smaller or that the cutout could be a trapezoid instead of a hole, you’ll get to spend another $45 and wait while they turn around the parts.

You are an inspiring fabricator, why outsource that?

Yours? Nah. But it does get to be a tougher sell for anyone who hasn't already spent the capital...

@Superhawk996 @jd74914 I agree that my sunk costs are a consideration but it really is something to think about. The table takes up a lot of space, too, which is a major contributor to my thinking of selling. The other solution I'm considering is adding on to the Red Barn so I end up with a "dirty room" for the plasma table and other cutting / grinding operations. That'd be the best of all worlds.

And on the "bought vs built" front, I'm pretty confident I'll find plenty of things to do that will still qualify as "built"!

I 100% vote for the "dirty" room add-on if you can do it.

There's a lot of value in the love you put into the details, Chris.

Get the temptation, and would probably go that way myself (ok, I know I would), but not sure it's the right path for you. The details like these are what make your builds IMO.

Just two cents…

Pete

I doubt the bends would be precise enough to fit like you planned.

Plus you still have to change your mind one more time....

Well, I'd already worked up the design and purchased the material so figured I may as well move forward with a weld-together mount.
The plasma table really does make quick work of all this and to @Superhawk996 Phil's comment, I did update the design, if you can imagine that... I opted to widen the mount and have the center brace sit inside the side plates vs on their edges. This required shortening them a bit and reshaping the lightening holes.
Then I treated all the edges (that won't be welded) to some style points, courtesy of the metal router.
And I agree, @horizontally-opposed Pete, it is more satisfying to look at things and say "I designed AND made that".
Time for some

Love the metal router edges.

@chris914n6 Chris for the win! It seems you guys know me better than I know myself.

After looking at the mounts for a bit longer, it struck me they looked somehow incomplete. So another revision later and I have what I think is a more functional, stronger design. Tying the cross bar to the mount provides better support at that corner.

But the real question is, am I really done changing things?

I knew something better was coming.

I feel the center brace could be more interesting than 2 triangles. Thinking a nod to Ferrari since that's its job.

Not even close ...

I could have made a much prettier cradle if I had them fancy part cutters. Mine weighs 41 lbs, how about yours?

Keep up the good work!

Click to view attachment

@Mike Bellis Mike, Once my cradle is complete, I'll weigh it and post the results. I've been curious about this, too.

And that's the motor mount components set to go. With that done, all needed pieces are ready (minus the metal routing) and I just had to do a quick mock up of one side and get a look at the overall vibe of the cradle.
Yep, that'll do!

But that anti-rack brace wasn't doing it for me so I took a swing at a couple alternate designs. Note that I made these taller so they now reach from the upper tube to the cross bar.

Style-wise, I'm leaning toward the "circle in the middle" design as it echos the motor mount's big hole.

And before anyone gets too worked up about any of this, remember: once everything is installed, the entire cradle is essentially blocked from view.

But yes, we'll all know it's there...

Called it!

And today, it's @SirAndy with the double, double win! Yep, more changes.
In looking at things mocked in place, it was obvious I was creating a craptrap under that anti-rack brace. Not wanting that, I created an exit route for any debris that may find it's way into that space.
It'll be trimmed to length, once everything else is tacked in.

Do you suddenly wake up in the middle of the night realizing you've missed something on your build?
Last night, around 2AM, I wake up thinking: "Wait a second, if the firewall tabs wrap under the floor, I need a spreader plate under there! Bad idea to simply weld 7ga plate to a single layer of 18 ga!"

A quick measure and cut (and a bit of plug welding yet to go) and that's problem solved. Critical thinkers will also note this changed the dimensions of the center and inner fire wall tabs. Nothing a bit of band saw and sanding couldn't quickly address.

And speaking of band saws, here's one for the tool whores:

Swag Offroad's portable band saw stand. This. Thing. ROCKS! Highly recommended!

It stores under a bench, is easily carried to wherever it's needed and it cuts like butta'!

If you're considering a band saw, take a look at these. They make models for virtually any portable band saw, from HF on up, cordless and wired. Did I say highly recommended?

So, after all that, here's a Ferrari 360 engine cradle kit. Some welding still to go, but everything is essentially ready, including all edges routered and final hardware.

With any sort of luck, this will get done and the drive train will be mounted in the car in the next couple of days.

And here's one for @horizontally-opposed Pete. When I was working out the hood vents for the LS car, Pete noted in the background of one of the pics was a stack of different vents that represented my "rejected designs". It was yet another example of how I need to make something and look at it before I can determine if I like it, that it'll work, etc.

Well, I'm nothing if not consistent! Rather than make Pete have to look for them, I went ahead and got a pic of the "well, that's not gonna work!"/ rejected design parts from this engine cradle effort.

Prolly I need to keep my plasma table, eh?

yup!

Looks so good Chris!
From that scrap pile I can see an Alexander Calder mobile in the making.

You should make this a "Kit" for all of those folks who do a "Ferrari 360" engine swap in the future.

In all seriousness....again...just amazing work!

Console bracket design in progress with this as the initial piece.

I’m just going to wait for this one to show up on BAT.

In all likelihood, that's where it's headed. Do I dare go with no reserve?

Final design (only took four tries! ) for what I've taken to calling the "console lower plate". Well, final less the update I made to the shape of the weep hole clearance. It fits nicely.

Then it was on to versioning the side plates. (can I make a verb out of "version"? )
I'm using thin gauge material to work out the final shape in CAD, then it'll get made in 10 ga, with the exception of the actual mounting plate for the fastener - that'll be 7 ga, like the cradle's mounts.

You can see the idea is to get a plate that runs from the top of the long and is gradually getting more proud of the console as it descends. This plate will be plug and stitch welded to the console.

There will be a matching-ish plate of the console's front side and I'll add a plate between the two side plates, boxing everything over the console. Boxes being super strong.

Once completed, it should look nice, not protrude into the space I need for the header/collector and be nicely over-built.

I bought one of those SWAG mini-bandsaw setups last year. I love it, too! But I still drool over your plasma cutting setup...

nice work!
I hope your exhaust manifolds clear!

Today was getting the cradle's rear mount components all fit and tacked in. It's far enough along as an assembly that it can now be used to position the fire wall tabs. That's on the docket for tomorrow.
Getting closer!!

Chris - something to think about: will you still be able to get a socket/spanner on the inner axle pivot bolt with the engine/headers in place? Might a well placed slot in the console "beard" side braces be prudent?

Trying to think ahead here.... and, stunning work thus far!

- Tony

That is the perfect Ferrari to 914 engine mount! It seems so obvious now!

@Retroracer - Tony - yes, the design allows for a wrench to be able to get at the pivot shaft fastener. It'll be clear once I get to boxing in the console. That said, I'm OK sacrificing (some) service access, but only as a last resort.

Action photo! The cradle's lower bars hang below the chassis so to minimize chance of the fastener snagging, I opted to run a flat head allen - and that requires a 90 degree counter sink. A bit of time spent locating and leveling in both directions and some "mill as a drill press" and we're all set.

Countersink, meet fastener. Fastener, Countersink. I predict you won't become simply friends, I know you'll become very close...

Next was to cut the bars to length and weld in the threaded bungs. Martin broke out his NHRA rule book experience and mentioned that whenever there was a plug weld, you had to leave a bit of the inner material visible through the outer material and weld so the tech inspector could validate things met the requirements and safety specs. Like you weren't trying to sneak in thinner wall than is required, etc.

The good news is that I can now officially pass tech and drag race this thing! Street Outlaws/No Prep Kings, here I come!

Martin did a super cool job fuse-welding the bungs to the tubes.

Major milestone for the cradle: all final welding is complete!
The fire wall tabs are also fit and ready to go. The plan is that tomorrow sees them welded in place.
With that done, I'll be able to complete the design and CAD work to make the suspension console pick up mounts.
So.
Close.

Very cool!

Just catching up with this thread. AMAZING work, Chris. Utterly amazing...