After posting loads of questions I am still no further on in deciding which engine to use
I've got the steel, got the flat surface but dont know whether to build it standard or not. I think I'm going 2.0 Pinto for cheapness and tuneability. I know its heavy but sod it.
So the big question is: Will it fit in a standard chassis?

Andy

They're tall as well as heavy, so as far as I can tell raising the chassis height by an inch and using a shallow oil sump etc is the way to go.

I'm using a 1600 Pinto lump and I've got the shallow sump, but the chassis is going to be standard height which I'm beginning to think may become a mistake, but hey, what's a lump in the bonnet between friends?

I have a Pinto, at the moment, in a standard chassis. The problem areas I have come across are fouling of alternator, starter motor and bell housing.

With a standard chassis the minimum alterations needed are to remove the top diagonal bracing strut, that starts from the top inside of the drivers foot well and ends at the right suspension mount. This will have to be shortened and moved back to about half way down the top right chassis rail.

If I had the chance to remake the chassis I would make it 2" higher and widen the whole front end making it squarer and with more equal length wishbones. This would alter all sorts of things, body, suspension, steering etc. so isn't a viable option.

I am also modifying a standard nosecone for the Pinto, it looks very like a Tiger nosecone which may really annoy some one!