The front scuttle hoop should not contact the body. It would eventually spider web the contact area. The superstructure should hold the body off the scuttle hoop. On the fiberglass Shelby's it was probably about 1"
For a removable crossmember, I saw a 289 with 4 bolt flanges holding it in. This was the crossmember under the engine to allow removing the
oil pan. It was simple to make and worked fine.
