Game changer for sure.

@BillC - As you can see from this "planning stage" pic, the engine width isn't a worry. The only thing that I expect could prevent accessing the rear cradle bolts from above would be the headers - which are yet to be developed. But you make a fair point, for sure. That said, worst case, I can make a custom tool that will allow me to get at that cradle nut. Or come up with some sort of captured nut/nut plate and eliminate the concern all together. All TBD at this point.

Today was getting the cradle under the engine and jacking everything into position so I can locate the engine mounting side and main plates on the cradle.
This requires fully suspending the engine in the exact location I want it.

I ended up slinging the front from the the engine hoist while the rear is mounted at the trans. That right there is a Ferrari drive train held where it's gonna end up!

And OMG, the QuickJacks are awesome. All the way up and the motor slides under. Drop it to the low position and it's a perfect height to intall the drive train. So. Much. Better!

And happiest of all it that my measurements were accurate: all clearances are just what I wanted - most critically, at the alternator.

Even the motor mount height inside the mount side plates is just where it's supposed to be! Probably only one more day of work and this first phase of "mount the drive train" will be concluded. It's been a long time coming, eh?

How much clearance do you have on the firewall? Those valve covers look awfully close.

@SirAndy Andy - It's a bit deceiving in the pics, there's plenty of room. I did have to "massage" the fire wall just ahead of the cover, but not too much.

@SirAndy - Andy - There's a bit more room than the tape shows but, yes, there's clearance.

Motor mount "top plates" are trimmed to size and everything is now nicely centered. Ahead of final positioning and welding, I'm going to substitute a metal spacer for the rubber mount so as to eliminate any deflection/out of plane caused by the rubber. This'll guarantee the top plates end up parallel to the cast aluminum engine mount surface.

Chris, will substituting metal for the rubber isolator put more stress on the aluminum mounting ears and possibly cause cracks or failure in the castings?

@mgp4591 - Sorry, I should have been more clear: I'm only substituting the metal to serve as a temporary fixture to locate and ensure the top plate is dead even with the base of the aluminum mounting ears. Once welding is complete on the cradle mounts, the spacer comes out and the factory rubber mounts go back in.

Today was committing to the drive train position and getting the engine mounts welded to the cradle.
First up was making the above-mentioned spacer set up to substiture for the Ferrari engine mount and serve as the positioning fixture.
I plasma cut a couple appropriate plates and, unbelieveably, found the perfect sized spacer in the scrap pile! Karma, baby!
Here's the spacer set up next to the Ferrari mount. Note, both are upside down.

Next was to get the drive train suspended in the proper location - that was fun...
Once that was set up and all levels and angles were checked and rechecked, the engine mount top plates were tacked to the upper cradle bars. Then the cradle was removed from the car for bench welding.

The first step there was to level the top plates to each other and verifiy them as level to the main cross bar. Yep, everything check out just as hoped expected.
Then the side plates got squared and clamped and all those parts tacked in place.

On to making up some gussets for the side plates and fixturing them for tacking.

The side plate gussets got the edge router treatment, as well as some corner cut outs to help prevent trapping stuff that may find it's way in there.
Yep, style points for stuff no one will ever see. It's how we do things "At the Red Barn".

(What could those quotes possibly imply...?)

Final welding yet to go but here it is: the Ferrari engine cradle.
That was WAY more complicated and WAY more work that I'd ever imagined it would be.

But the good news is this means that tomorrow, the drive train will be fully mounted in the chassis and it'll be on to the next chapter of the build!

DaVinci would approve.

Maybe the car should be named Leonardo.....or at least the drive train cradle.

Beautiful work. You better be careful, Chris- Before you know it you'll have a wait list for folks wanting one of your builds!

Sad... but that drive train is cheaper than a 993 3.6 motor and 915 trans.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/354286038626?hash=...%3ABFBM-O6ThqZh

I might have missed a page or 2, did you cover the metal router at all? Love the way it looks after you run it on some of the parts.

Well, sorta/maybe. Not to argue price points but it's important to consider that particular trans is missing it's near-unobtainium shifter mechanism. NLA and the one company that makes the parts charges ~$20k +. It's missing its ECUs, yes, two of them. About $2500 each. Engine harnesses, etc. etc. So plan to add a lot to that $20K asking price. You may have seen the new 360 crate engine that just sold for $30K on BAT.
Then there's the fact that a whole lot more people want a 3.6/915 than want a 360! It's all about the market...

"The item might not fit."

haha.

-Steve

Every weld matters. Credit where credit is due. This is Martin's work. And you wonder why I can't seem to say "no, I'll weld it..."

Teaser shot: that right there is "in" the car, unsupported by anything but its fasteners.

It's official: The drive train is mounted in the car!

Holy Jebus, that was a ton more complicated than I ever imagined. But we got it done! A major milestone, for sure.

Anyway, may I present what I believe is the world's only 360 914.

The end. Currently my favorite view. I'll remove the paint from the script and the horse, just to make it a bit more visible. But what are the odds this is what peeks out from under the bumper when you mount it in a 914. Like it was made to be, I tell ya'!

Phase 1 done. On to the headers/exhaust.

Art takes time, no way to rush it. Fantastic!

Clearly, the ebay algorithm isn't keeping up with 914world ...

freakin' A! I love it! Fantastic work Chris and Martin!

Congrats Chris! Major milestone indeed!!

freakin' A! I love it! Fantastic work Chris and Martin!

Two words.... Rumble Seat

@NARP74 - Here's a pic of the router. This is from when I used it on my LS car's trans mount. Available on Amazon for not much!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SBRZCR...=UTF8&psc=1

Wow, just wow....

(subscribed needless to say, thanks for the stimulation)

Amazing job, I was wondering how you mounted the front brackets, now I know. Great job !

I am still concerned with the exhaust since both side supports looks pretty much in the way. It will be 100% custom I assume. Can't wait.

I love it, thanks for sharing.

@BuddyV Robert timed his visit perfectly! He stopped by yesterday in time to witness the moment the car was lowered to the ground for the very first time with its drive train mounted. And then he forced us to pose for a pic.

For those of you who've not had the pleasure of meeting him, that's Martin on the right.

And can I just say what a great "partner in crime" he is? Always willing to help but equally important, he spends LOTS of time thinking about what I'm trying to do and offers tons of input (and his wonderfully inspired sketches!). He brings decades of motorsport-related design and fabrication experience to everything he does.

We make a great team in that our skill sets nicely compliment each other - I'm into the CAD/plasma table/modern electronic stuff and he sketches, old school, makes ridiculously cool stuff on a manual lathe and mill and, of course, TIG welds like no other. Yes, I admit it: his TIG welding is my personal form of crack - I want to stop using but I just can't!

But what knowing Martin has REALLY taught me is patience and a "do it right" approach. All of my fabrication skills have greatly improved watching and/or working with him over the years.

I'm proud to call Martin a trusted friend and he's certainly a key contributor to the madness that's always happening at The Red Barn.

Thanks Martin. It simply wouldn't be the same without you!

Man, i hate my brain ...


Looks like the engine/trans is off to the left from the center line of the car.

I really hope that's just due to Roberts photography skills.


PS: And while i'm at it, that engine lid cutout should really follow the contour of the upper intake and not just be square like that.

PPS: Ok, i stop now

Parallax? Kindig just did a scalloped hood that followed the 8 stacks coming out of the hood on a CF1. I did not think I would like it until I saw the finished product and I did like it.

This is really picking nits...

Amazing!

As always, 914 World proves to be a tough crowd! But seriously, I'd expect nothing less. You know I welcome all input and observation.
@SirAndy Andy - The drive train and its mounts measure centered in the chassis. That said, interestingly, the trans mount bushing doesn't center in the trans bung and it's forcing the trans a tic to the left. You can see that in the gaps at the trans mount. I'll correct that when I replace that bushing. And it doesn't help that the back of the trans isn't symetric - from particular perspectives, things can look off. I'll get a top-down pic that'll really mess with you!
RE: the cut out, that was done months ago, just to get clearance and before I knew for sure where the engine would end up, height-wise.
I think we're well enough acquainted that I can say, "a little credit please. The final product will have an opening of approriate shape and size to earn the expected 'style points'."

Is the goal to show the Raspberry Porrari at RR-VII?

Fantastic work, and very nice stance as-is

It's not a perfect representation, but...
When the trans hanger rubber mount is replaced and centered, it'll cause the drive train to rotate counter-clockwise around the engine mounts and move the trans to the right, nicely centering everything.

Here you can see how asymetric the trans tail cover is. Yes, that means the peek-a-boo view of the script and horse won't be under the center of the bumper. Just more stuff that'll mess with folks when they see the car.

And before you scratch your head too much, note that this part of the trans wasn't visible in the 360 - it was screened in.

Road's eye view.
All the eyeballing and guestimeasuring worked out. The cradle sits just a tic lower than the drive train, just as planned.

OK, so I lied. The drive train isn't fully mounted.
I still need to work up an attachement point for the lower trans "pivot mount". The plan is it will be a separate piece that bolts to the rear of the cradle at the lower threaded bung, runs to a cross bar here where a set of tabs will pick up this mount, then back up the other side to the cradle. Triangulation will be added from this mount's cross bar to the chassis - exact location tbd.

Simply amazing...

@ManuFromParis - Fear not, my friend. Here's the slightly modified factory header mocked in place - plenty of room to get past the plate on the suspension consoles. And yes, it'll be 100% from scratch. Not really any other options.

Back to the pivot linkage's mount. Version 1 mock up, just to see what might work. Ideally, this piece will do double duty as a mount for the rear portion of the skid plate and the potential rear diffuser.