I may just do that. What all did you have to do to fit the Hemi?

Lots….

One thing that will help is using bolts to hold the valve cover on instead of studs. Studs do make everything else easier though.
You will have a little more movement w/o studs to help clear the fender.

Gonna completely rebuild the front suspension using a tubular K, complete all the mods needed and strip and paint the engine bay body color, all but the firewall. I'm told I should space the K from the frame as well, but not sure how much spacer is needed for that. Some used 1/4" some 1/2", not sure what is really needed there.

No, the spacers were for carb clearance, which always seemed a bit odd to me.
And my moving the K down, that likely put the right valve cover into the rt shock tower panel.
Sorry if my earlier post was confusing in that regard.

Yes, unless someone has limited hood clearance, you open a whole can of worms by using the k frame spacers.
It made the early cars without the modified steering linkage all wonky running down the track.

Spacers provide header clearance to the steering linkage. Engine sits in the stock big block location. My car is a factory big block, that’s how I positioned the motor plate, hemi sits exactly where the factory 383 did. Without spacers the headers crash into the steering linkage.
That’s true with the tti and hooker’s

Someone told me the K spacers were for better handling and i might want to look it that. I know the spacers help nothing for header clearance. Eliminating the torsion bar is how you make room for headers, which im trying to do. I think those Hemi Denny torsion bar eliminators are the answer. Why has no one else ever came up with that simple design? All the other K member companies want to sell you a complete K member kit which eliminates the torsion bar for a large investment. Worst case scenario, TTI A body Hemi headers are designed for the factory K and steering and that is the way i will go if need be.