The weight of the bellhousing and transmission required me to switch to using stock parts to mock everything up to proceed with building mounts...

I picked up several sheets of decent sized 1/8" steel at the scrapyard and started configuring elephant ear type mounts...

Ultimately I added a 1 piece mid mount bracket between the bellhousing and the block...

In the end the 1/8" steel mounts were used as patterns to create the 1/4" aluminum mounts in the last picture...

Best thing is is I can set it down in the car against the mounts and then just add the bolts as the brackets lay on top of the frame...

With the motor positioned where it needed to be I fabbed up the transmission mount and installed a limiter to keep the engine from ever moving toward the rear...

Installed the new transmission crossmember and mount and verified the equalizer bar was still correct...

Yes that is a 65 Bel II dash in a 65 Coronet...

With the motor and trans permanently located I started working on the steering box and column...

The column was a 3 speed manual one from the 63 330...It is now modified and cut down to fit and will appear to be a floor shift column when finished...

Here's where the heartburn is going to set in some of you as I used a gm manual steering box for this deal...

Much better fit than utilizing a manual Mopar box that just doesn't fit worth a crap...I can get a new one for 225.00 and can utilize an in stock 3/4" universal joint to complete the connection...

While I was waiting for tubing for the drag link and steering link to come in I moved on to completing other areas...

I installed both doors along with the vent windows and the glass and regulators...Installed the stainless glass channels for the H/T weather seals to be able to locate the position of the 1/4 windows...

I cut the original aluminum 1/4 window regulators in half and tapped them for new mounting holes to retain the factory connections to the 1/4 window glass.

No room for window cranks as there is nowhere for the glass to go anyway...

With both 1/4 windows installed I started working on the interior trim and the placement of a rear firewall....

This is not being built as an original car in any way....Its more like something someone would have put together a few years later and did not do what was done on any of the other cars...

I utilized the factory metal panels from the original door panels at the tops of the doors and the 1/4 windows and they installed in the factory screw holes... Everything else is homemade...

I made patterns for the doors and below the 1/4 windows and then transferred those to .050 aluminum...The rear firewall is also built from the .050 material...

After many paper patterns and tons of measurements this is what I ended up with...

The one thing some of you may notice about the metal panels for the doors and the 1/4 windows is that they don't have any of the extra holes in them...

All were welded up and then primed and painted leaving only the installation holes that were required...

New aluminum kick panels were also made along with the new dash panel...

This thing will be bare bones and does not utilize any of the factory instrument panel and very little factory wiring harness...

With the tinwork completed it was removed so the roll cage installation could be completed...

As it is I can cut the tin to fit once the cage is installed and do not have to try to fabricate the large pieces around a cage that was already in place...

I am only installing a 6 point cage at this time as I have no idea if this will ever actually be raced...

Main hoop bar with two bars going to rear tight to the top back edge of the package tray and then 2 bars from the cross bar in the main hoop down the floor mounts at an angle...

An additional bar is being installed behind the dash frame with 2 bars running to the front cage mounts on the floor and then two bars running forward to the firewall with steel plates...

Front bars were then installed from the firewall plates to the frame rails...I made these bars removable not knowing how easy it may or may not be to remove the fenderwell headers...

There has been some more progress in other areas but it seems I have been lacking with taking progress pictures...

More updates will come at some time in the future...

On a side note I have just installed my 3rd 10# spool of welding wire since beginning this project...

Wow, very nice work!

That is coming along pretty well! Nice work!

Really enjoyed watching your fabrication, metalwork/rust repair, very nice!

Where you lost me is when you tossed the stock sub-frame and crossmembers. I don't recall any of the eras Mopar AWB cars being built this way. I hope your motor plate is beefy enough since its farther to your fabricated frame rails.

The factory even had a manual showing how to build one! Your car reminds more like the Mercury Comets that came along in I think 1966.

Hope she lives up to your expectations!

None of the original cars used a straight axle front end...Many of the home built cars utilized one in the late 60's...

That is the look I am shooting for...I'm not remotely attempting to build what looks like a factory one...

If it looks like its not factory and homebuilt after 65 I'm right where I want to be...

Got it, then you've nailed it!

Wow! Tons of new progress. Very cool.

Did you do the engine turning on those panels yourself?

Yes...It kind of makes you about half dizzy when you do it...

All of the interior panels have it...

Kickpanels...dash..door and 1/4 panel and the rear wall separating the trunk...

All of the interior window trim will remain as chrome...some is a little pitted but it looks period correct...

Dash...steering column and all of the upper door steel panels are an aqua color and have been aged...

All of the floors and the interior of the roof will be white...

Roll cage will be black...

Vintage 2 5/8" Stewart Warner 150 lb oil pressure and temp gauges are all that will be installed...Maybe a volt gauge if I can find one to match...

I also have a vintage 9000 rpm Stewart Warner Cable drive tach for on the dash...

I have a set of SS seat brackets that I will duplicate for the outers and then have to fabricate new inners due to the higher floor height...

Recently picked up a correct 65 Hurst shifter handle...installed the white T handle and the reverse lockout on it this morning...

Steering wheel was removed from a late 60's old drag car and is a teal glitter wheel...

Installed the Moon gas pedal in the finished front floors...

Nice work! Makes you dizzy... There's something to look forward to.

Nice collection of vintage parts. Love the blue sparkle steering wheel.

Great thread. Really enjoying this one. Thanks for the extra effort posting.

Pics of the finished floors in the front with the factory tunnel added for the 4 speed...

The center for the tunnel will unbolt if need be...

This is what it looked like when I got it out of one garage and transferred down to the other one to go back into storage till fall...

Almost all metal patching from the firewall back is completed...some trim holes need welded in the passenger rocker and the new trunklid...

After that a little more 1/4 panel work is all that's really left to do...

I did manage to pick up a very nice trunk lid and a fiberglass hood for a good deal...

Nice work, it's really taking shape!

So another summer of fun with my completed cars is over...

This has been moved back into the upper garage for work to continue...

Plan is to get all of the metal work completed...

Then send it over to a buddies garage to begin bodywork and paint...

I have a lot of work to do with the front end to finish the fenders and get the hood on...

Once that is worked out I need to design any bracing and fabricate all of the latches to get the front end to open and close correctly...

It will be a one piece flip nose front end for ease of working on it later...

Plan is to mock up everything for the engine and transmission again to sort out the brackets for the radiator...throttle linkage and the like...