I am in the process of stripping and painting the engine bay in my 87 Iroc but before it is painted I am going to install a motor plate and mid-mount plate which leads to my question, How and where would I mount the plates? I was planning on welding brackets to the sub-frame rails which run on either side of the engine bay and just bolting the plates to those brackets, do you think they're strong enough to hold a 650-700 hp. small block? or should I set-up some sort of bracing? The car will be used for drag racing and future plans include a trans-brake and high rpm launches so I am planning ahead by installing them now before paint. Myabe it's overkill but I like the idea of a motor that doesnt move, it's gotta improve the launch and 60 ft.times I would think, anyways thanks for any info or ideas on how this should be done....I just want to do it right!

-Brian

 

Im interested to know aswell, including benefits of a setup like that other than the forementioned

 

Honestly, if you dont need to install it for clearance, I wouldnt. Put a set of moroso solid motor mounts on your k-member in place of the stock motor mounts and you will be just fine.

If yuor set on putting a the plates in, you can do it as follows.

Weld a steel angle to the inside passenger side frame rail to hold the plate. On the other side, you can weld an angle to the top of the frame above the steering column to hold it.

It is REQUIRED to put something in there to keep the motor from moving forward and backward in the chasis. Those plates are aluminum and not very thick so they are kina flimsy when it comes to holding the motor. You have to come up wiht a cross member to hold hte engine on the front, or bolt a plate onto the motor mount places on the block with a tie rod to a bracket welded on the frame somewhere under there...