V8 Conversion drive shaft lengths

I was just wanting to know what everyone that has completed a V8 conversion is running as far as transmission and drive shaft lengths? I am going to use an AOD transmission and it is starting to look like that my drive shaft is going to need to be extremely short. I do not know if it can be too short..lol.. The main rigs that I always did swaps on has been chevy and ford trucks, never a van of this nature.

1964 for econoline van
did have the 170 and 3 speed, now is getting a 302 and AOD transmission.
Still has the 7.25 rear at the time looking for a 9".

I put an AOD behind a 250 in mine and the driveshaft is 15 3/4". With a v8 it may be a bit longer. If the pinion angle is right you shouldn't have any issues.

Thanks

Several models of the AOD,, AND the one you want is from either a Mustang or a Thunderbird as it has the shortest tail stock. I have done several and most people using gearing around the 3:75 range as it pulls well out of the hole but still cruises really nicely. All earlies using one single inboard frame mount  which is 4"s rear ward of where the lates are located. I have been making both the V8 engine cross members as well as a transmission cross member for a very long time. I designed the trans x mbr to swivel and contract/expand to where you want to set it before final welding position so you can set your drive line angle. You have no outboard mount and so thats very easy to put where it needs to go and use the forward bolt hole on your existing frame mount to locate the new engine x mbr. It sets the engine in the exact position so the oil pan cannot hit the tie rod,,,,,,

I didn't even think about the oil pan on a v8, that's why Vic is the man to ask. If anyone knows how to drop a V8 into one of these rigs it's Old Skool.

Vic, is there no rear sump pan you can get to leave a 302 at the 65-67 mount? And on a 61-64, is the existing mount good for a V8 once an outside mount is installed? (with maybe frame reinforcement for 61-63's)

Thnx, but after doing them for a very long time I am supposed to know the mistakes not to make,,, LOL
 A little confused as to that question?  as its not fitting with what is,,,,,,, so its that questions is confusing,, will try to answer it this way,,,  

"is there no rear sump pan you can get to leave it at the 65-67 mount?",,,,,,,,, When I engineered my V8 engine cross member,, I had to make it so that a person could use it as bolt in for a 65 to a 67 and ALSO it had to be able to work on either a manual transmission or an automatic. It had to be a bolt in and set the drive line angle correctly. In 65 to 67 over head frame there is a mount that has three sets of holes,, The manual transmission bolting into two of them and then the automatic using the other two holes. This kept the bell housing/block parting line consistant for the same motor. Regardless of a small six or a big six,, AS SIMPLE as in the two pictures showing the two different boltings.
  SO,,,now everything had to work from there so that either a V8 or a big sixes oil pan would not hit the tie rod,,, SO,, in order to do that and get the drive line angle correct the towers on either the small six cross member or also the big six cross member are BOTH TOO tall as well as the wrong drive line angle if you slot the holes, so on, so on, so on,, and so on,,, LOL EITHER ONE IS TOO HIGH,,  With that I simply cut either set off of the x mbr and then construct MY DESIGN of towers and also MY DESIGN of which motor mount combination I use. I spend a LOT OF MONEYS buying motor mounts until I got it to do what I wanted it to do,,  OLD complaints from other peoples x mbrs included having to loosen the motor mounts to get the studs into the x mbr,, I designed mine to automaticallly center the motor as well as not loosen a motor mount to get them in place.  
 So,,  You can only use a front sump pan which is no big deal,, HOWEVER I am adimit about using a SHORT NOSE water pump as it gives you so many options for radiators and fans. I cant count how many people have tried to use the advertised MUSTANG V8 radiator,,,, ITS TRASH,, WAY TOO SMALL,, might be fine with a front hood in a Mustang and marginal at that but its WAY SMALLER than a FOUR CORE 240 radiator. I was the one who found the Ford Taurus two speed fan and shroud, BTW,, LOL.... it fits the radiator,,, side slipping here,,  back to an early
   The early only has one single inboard frame mount and none on the outside. This one mount is 4" rear ward of the 65 to 67 location which works perfectly for a V8,, SO,,,, I use the FORWARD bolt hole of the 61 to 64 frame mount and bolt it to the REAR bolt hole of the new cross member. This sets the engine in the EXACT same place. You dont have an outside frame  mount anyways and you need to put one there which is as easy as bolting it up to the two outside bolt holes of the new x mbr and weld in place, theres nothing there anyways,,, on the inside its pretty simple also as now you have one single bolt miissing. The frame IS TAPERED and so I plug weld a plate from the front edge of the existing frame mount forward to the front of the new x mbr position AND THEN bolt up a small piece with the missing bolt hole in it to the x mbrs missing bolt mount. I do it this way as it makes it very easy,, I leave about a 1/4" gap at the bottom of these two plates, right at the bottom bend. My intent is to weld all three pieces together at once. I weld the nut in place on the new small plate so I can simply use an impact like the factory bolts go in like. This insures that this piece is welded at the correct frame taper and makes it really easy.
 IF you are also asking about the AOD distance any different,  yes, its longer than a C4 or a C6 with a short tail (see picture of),, however you cant change the V8's position forward, thats constant and so if the AOD is a little longer,, that measurement needs to be decucted from the drive shaft length, you cant change the engines correct position to make up the distance. The AOD is still shorter than an car type sliding yoke tail stock that everyone lately seems to using,??????????  LOL.........

some more pictures,,,,,

Ok it's making sense now. Thanks for taking the time to help us all out and share your knowledge Vic.