Rocketman, I forgot to take pix of where the new engine compartment will be. I'll do that later this week - sorry. I had a lot to do today.
Thanks Russ, I'm digging in as best as I can ! I hope to have all the new engine / frame, etc. ready to go in by New Years. With the aid of my handy-dandy digital angle finder I can safely tell you that I'm within a tenth of a degree on making everything level and even on each side of the engine. And with the aid of my dollar store tape measure, I'm within a 1/16 of an inch of everything being square. Dollar store tape measures are very accurate you know.
bhazard, I'm thinking around 2100 lbs. My Kelmark weighs 1850 (with gas, oil, no driver and all the junk I usually carry - tools, jumper cables, etc...).
I weighed the ready to run XR-2 engine, trans, axleshafts, spindles, rotors, exhaust manifold, turbo, about 3 feet of exhaust pipe, MY cut-down but complete wiring harness, full rad and factory lower steel engine support today.....449 lbs.
The lower engine cradle I built is 35 lbs,
The upper will probably be around 60? (It's a thicker wall steel). Subtract the weight of the VW engine and trans and I think the car'll be between 2000 and 2100 lbs. I'd really like to be ready to run down the road with me in the car and be less than 2200 lbs. That's a solid 500 lbs less than a stock XR-2 and light weight means more fasterness. I think Colin Chapman said that.
Anyway, today I had some setbacks but I stayed on it and got some decent results to report.
This will give you a general idea of where the spring and shock will end up (I'm using the stock strut for a mock-up). From this angle you'd be standing outside of the passenger door.
Strut mock up from rear passenger 1/4 angle
This is what I got done today :
Next will be more bracing (especially across the rear crossmembers) and more upper and lower frame triangulation. Which I'm pretty sure is a fancy word for "bracing."
Dave