The following 3 diagrams show the approach that I took to modified the front motor mounts to accept a Chevy small block V8. My approach is to make sure that the weight of the motor and the motor's torque is transferred directly through the suspension to the ground. This is accomplished by placing the motor mounts directly on the suspension pedestals. In this installation, this turned out to be the only place to put the mounts. (This coincidence and several others made me think that the Spitfire was designed to have a larger motor in the future.)

I acquired the motor mounts from a late sixties Chevrolet Chevelle and cut off the top two inches (approx.) and affixed them to the suspension pedestals of the Spitfire - see diagrams. It was a very straight forward approach and fit the small block's motor mount configuration.

The following diagrams are hand drawn and provide adequate detail for duplicating the task. the first diagram demonstrates the removal of the top part of the Chevelle motor mount and the cuts required to fit down over the Spitfire pedestals. When the hole for the motor mount bolt was drilled, it also penetrated the two ridges on the pedestals. This provides security in case the welds crack - the bolts will still be attached to the pedestal. The second diagram illustrates the placement of the Chevelle mount pad to the pedestal. The third diagram illustrates how the engine's motor mount fits the assembly.