Worked for 10 hours on the Mirada yesterday but you'd hardly know it. I got the motor plate all set up, then realized I didn't really do it optimally, but that I could get it to work. (Otherwise, it's start over with a new motor plate, since I cut too much off to do it any other way.)
These weirdly shaped frame rails are really throwing me off. So I went to the hardware store to pick up some steel stock for welding and went to town. I'm not even 100% sure that what I'm planning is going to work, but it should. But now the main problem is that my welding sucks. I mean seriously sucks. I cannot trust my welds on a motor plate bracket setup. So for now, I'm going to take some time off to practice welding until I get it right, otherwise, I'll have to call a local welder to stop by to do it.
BLAST this previous owner for cutting the mounts off the k-frame. Not sure what he was thinking. Yes, I know I should have just found a good k-frame and swapped it out, but I didn't want to go through all that work either (and honestly, wouldn't have taken on the project if I had to do that, which is kind of the point I'm at with this now though, so... six of one, half dozen of the other). But, I WILL get this, one way or another. I'm WAY too far in now to stop. Just need to stop and think and/or get a local welder to help me or something.
Anyway... that's the status. Taking a short break, will come back later. I guess if I have to buy a new motor plate, I will. I hate to say it, but it's really looking like the best option to avoid a rube solution. I think while I typed this, I finally realized that. Then all I need to do is weld in some flat plates to the frame to flatten it out, then weld the motor plate brackets directly to that and I'm done.
How's that for a train of thought post...