Engine Mounts
With the engine mocked up in place, engine mount construction was started. The factory engine mounts and isolators were too wide to fit between the Datsun frame rails. However the goal was to retain the factory VQ isolators if possible to help with drivability. Custom mounts were fabricated utilizing the factory isolators. It was a tight squeeze with the VQ accessories, exhaust manifolds and the Datsun steering shaft. However with some care and experimentation everything fit.
The mounts were made using 0.125" 1018 plate and 4.00" OD 0.125" Wall tubing. For those making their own mounts the engine pattern is 2.362" x 4.218". The mounts were designed to clear the exhaust manifolds and heat shields, the steering shaft on the LHS, and the Alternator and starter on the RHS.
During the initial restoration the frame rails were replaced with 3x3 0.083Wall tubing. If the car had factory rails I would have considered reinforcing the area where the mounts are, or even connecting the mounts with a cross member of some type.
The engine sitting in its final resting place, unsupported!