I put it off as long as I could, but I had to cut up my perfect fenders, and remove the hood sides, to clear my Hemi. Used an Ingersol Rand air saw, worked great. I like the new look! Now I can measure for new front tires, and mount up the Cragar Eliminators.
If you raised it up enough would have cleared better, I put the hemi in my 50 chevy, raised till the fan was centered in the rad, and since I had to put a recess in the firewall, it was not much more work to make a small trans tunnel. But it is your car, and do what want.
I wanted the engine low enough to allow the hood top over these tall WCD Carters and Edmunds Hi-Rise. Plus the low weight center of gravity helps control body lean with the straight axle. Didn't have to cut the firewall. Floor is still flat.
i think it looks good too.. at least they do not have to guess whats in her at the stop light now chris.
Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do Nice clean modification and the whole project looks good. Frank
Good to see it going back together! I know from talking to you before that you're still running the stock suspension, how much clearance do you have to the bottom of the engine? I wouldn't think you'd have to drop that hemi much lower to get the valve covers below the fenders. Of course, then you'd have to pull the fenders to take the valve covers off...
I've got enough clearance the oil pan doesn't bottom out on the drag link. I bent down a 3/4" flange to match & look stock, that interfered with the valve covers. Still need to weld the cuts and touch up paint. Besides I really like the look of the stock covers, and didn't want to cover any up. Any ideas on how to hold the hood down now?
Oh I did! And the knocking flathead, trans, rearend, etc, etc. I'm thinking a good restorer could put it all back to stock someday! But it won't be me. I've had it a long time as a stocker, It's way more fun to drive now, but burns twice the gas!
I have been under both hoods with a 354. The customer of the '36 Dodge p/u wanted to run a hood & didn't want the fenders cut, had to move the firewall back 6"-8" which as you know made the back side of the dash real shallow. Open the glove box and there was the firewall!
Sure, piece of cake. I even have pictures of the solution on a '36 Dodge! You'll have to mount the brackets somewhere other than the inner fender though I'm guessing. Not my truck. Local to me though, it's chopped 2" and runs a Chevy.
A hemi looks good anywhere you put it. Cutting the fenders, won't be the first time however, more pics would be good.
In 1959, I had to cut the fenders on my 36 Ford, to clear the 354. But I could still run the hood sides. The only time you could see the cuts was when you were standing right next to it.
To hold the hood down, if you can't (or don't want) to use belts/springs, you could mount a bar on either side, from grille shell to cowl, that sits just inside the bottom edge of the hood. Similar to the Carolina Customs hood hinge kit (but not showing under the hood edge).
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