Firewall & Engine fit.

After dummy fitting the engine for the first time, i've had to modify the sump to clear the rack & pinion and existing front cross-member.

You can see below how I scalloped it and radiused the edges. I've also allowed enough room to shift the block forward or back a few inches from my initial "default" location.

There is still a good half inch or more room between the spinning crank & rods and the bottom of the sump at the new scalloped section.
Now you can see the block being "enticed" into position......

All ancillaries that need to be catered for (for firewall and extractor construction) are bolted on so I don't get surprises when doing the final installation.
Now you can see the Tremec bolted up and i've raised the tran's tunnel 2 inches to give me just enough "wiggle-room" to make future driveline installations easy enough as well as include the cross-member that welds in between the frame extensions at this point. Thankfully, the standard rear engine mount from an Australian '72 to '79 Falcon bolts right onto the Tremec with no mod's and fits perfectly between the frame extensions. I have however had to modify Mustang floor pans to clear the rear cross-member "humps" (that allow for the twin exhausts to pass thru).

Below you can see the block now sits nicely in the engine bay and the transmission is perfectly centered.

And below you can see (if you enlarge the photo) the room I have available to construct my custom headers....

I had a single sheet of steel for the firewall, but had to split it in the middle to make it easiest to handle and "custom fit". You can see from the photo below that it's initially a nice snug fit around the driveline. But this is an illusion - I will be cutting and bending the firewall to make more clearance room. Otherwise the fit would be so tight that I couldn't install the engine/transmission in a single unit, and, i'd struggle to swap to an auto in the future.

Notice the marker pen scribble on the sheet-metal.... this is where I am "indenting" the firewall to provide adequate clearance around the motor.

And below you can see the tight fit with the final positioning. But the important thing is that it does fit!

And finally below you can see my "helpers" having a bit of fun!

When I get back from my travels it's out with all the driveline & suspension, then the shell goes back up on the spinner so I can cleanly weld in the firwall & floor to finish the shell.