Great score this morning!!

[gasman826]

Just use cardboard.  If you're lucky, you might find a box the right size.  Cardboard is cheap, plentiful, forgiving, cuts easy and lighter than aluminum.  Duct tape it in place.  If its wrong, throw it away and start over. 

[gasman826]

As far as the transmission cross member, several times I have used the donor car's modified to mate up to new frame.  One of the issues with the '57 frame was not only placement but the blind threads in the frame.  Another issue is that '57s had 1-1/2" exhaust pipes.  The original cross member does not have reliefs in it for 3" dual exhaust pipes especially for frame dragging.  I made mind out of 3" channel and 6" box tubing.  6" pipe would probably work.  I also saved the OEM parking brake cable mount and arm.  Switched over to Lokar cables the rest of the way for the conversion into the SVO disc brake setup.

[RICH MUISE]

Not sure what you were sugesting with the cardboard...I'm guessing since you said "cheaper than aluminum", and I was talking alum angle as a mock-up substitute for the heads that's what you were suggesting the cardboard for. the only reason I was using al. angle was to have something sturdy enough to mount the exhaust manifolds to, so I could do the clearance mods necessary to the control arms...hell, 4 x 4's would work to. Need to check into it further..don't even know yet what angle the exaust manifold mounting surface is in relation to the deck surface.
I saved the tranny crossmember out of the Mark to look at posibly modifying it for the '57. I haven't measured, but it probably is substantialy shorter than the '57. The nice thing is it does have the exhaust pipe clearance built in, and actually has an exhaust pipe bracket as well.

[ROKuberski]

Rich,

I'm thinking that I may want to rent your mock up rig.  I wonder how many stamps it will take to mail that to Denver?

Rich

[RICH MUISE]

LOL...probably books. I'm going to have it tied up for quite a while with my detour on the house. I think you said it would be a winter project anyways, so maybe by then I'll be done with it. We'll keep in touch on it and figure something out and a way to get it to you.
Rich