Okay, I know it's been awhile, but today was a milestone day in my roadster build project. After working on the chassis and a number of little things that take forever to get sorted out (like finding the right 348 engine mounts that will work with the SBC chassis mounts while moving the engine back as far as possible without cutting out the frame mounts and redoing them); finding a mechanical fan (I have 2 new ones that don't fit) that will clear the radiator and use the stock 348 pump; re-doing the TH350 trans mount to support a 700R4 twice (once before and once after finding the correct engine mounts); cutting loose the rear panhard bar frame mount to allow proper positioning of the rear axle; discovering the front disk brake kit had the wrong bearing races and spindle spacers for the caliper brackets and calipers to align properly (they sent Chrysler races/spindle spacers/spindle cap with GM calipers & rotors for a Ford spindle); finding out that the front chrome 4-bars were too long for the chassis (they sent 4 of the rear panhard bars instead of the correct and shorter front 4-bar bars); re-doing the brake lines to add the check valves for the underfloor master cylinder; re-making the rear brake lines to clear the new 3/8" hard S/S fuel feed & return lines for the fuel injection system; ordering the 8' long 3/8" straight S/S hard fuel lines (it took four shipments to get one line line delivered. Jegs lost 2 shipments; Summit lost one shipment. Then when I finally got the 4th shipment, it was bent like a pretzel, but I took it after waiting 6 weeks for one line); making & mounting the fuel hard lines running from the tank to the front of the frame; replacing the in-tank fuel injection pump that was set up to support an early SBC TPI system to replace it with a higher pressure unit that will support the FITech system. Without any swap meets this year, it was even a hassle to find 4 junk 15" wheels & tires in a Chevy bolt pattern (5 x 4-3/4") so I could roll the chassis around in the shop.
Anyway, yesterday I made a fixture/jig to lift the body off its shipping dolly for the first time after 20 years. Today, I lifted the body by myself using my engine hoist and the jig I made and put it on the chassis for the first time. It went well, with only a couple of minor issues. The body was ordered (20 years ago) to use a 350 Chevy and a TH350 trans. The floor is not cut out far enough to clear the back of the 700R4 and, as a result, the floor is keeping the front of the body from sitting down all the way. Additionally, the Ford 9" center section is contacting the floor in the trunk, so I will have to cut it out and make a dome for clearance. The good news? The firewall clears the 348 heads and distributor!!
Now that the body is temporarily mounted on the chassis, I can figure out where the seat, steering column, transmission shifter, E-brake, gas tank cover, gas tank, rear fenders, rear axle centerline, rear panhard bar frame mount, etc needs to be mounted and determine rear wheel/tire sizes.
Some photos are enclosed: