How to transport an engine in the back of a van?

Use a ratchet strap to the back bumper/hitch and close it in the door. Then strap it over the engine and to the frame of that back seat.
 
is that the sad remains of a Bugeye to the left in this pic??

It's a 65 MGB GT. It actually provided the engine you see in the picture.

It was beyond saving as a complete car, but it's made a lot of others whole. A lot of the body panels were salvageable and it fixed a fair few cars from those. The Mk 1(67 and earlier) transmission tunnel is actually not available anywhere, so that again made a car whole.

The car finally left my friends house a few months ago to someone who was going to strip the last of it for a Mk 1 restore.
 
It's a 65 MGB GT. It actually provided the engine you see in the picture.

It was beyond saving as a complete car, but it's made a lot of others whole. A lot of the body panels were salvageable and it fixed a fair few cars from those. The Mk 1(67 and earlier) transmission tunnel is actually not available anywhere, so that again made a car whole.

The car finally left my friends house a few months ago to someone who was going to strip the last of it for a Mk 1 restore.
Too bad that early of a GT couldn't be saved, but it was a good organ donor.
 
Van as truck. Drive defensive. Tailgate shuts
 

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Depends on the shape of the engine, but you could sit it on a tire and a skid. Shim with wood blocks as needed. Secure it to the skid with ratchet straps and you should be good.
 
Years ago I had my dad drive to the JY to help me snag the motor off of a 69 very bug. He was driving an 84 vanagon. We opened the sliding door, set the motor on the floor, but the door wouldn’t quite close. So we roped the engine in and drove home carefully with the door open, side-gunner style. There‘s a lot to be said for just easy, conservative driving. Glad you got it home!
 
Too bad that early of a GT couldn't be saved, but it was a good organ donor.

Yes, it is a shame.

I'd trust the guy who had it to properly determine if it was better as a donor or a restoration project. He's well respected in the MG community, an officer with the NAMGBR, well connected, and has the money to do about what he wants to with his cars. I was parked in front of his private "shop" which is a nice two-story Morton building with 6 bays(two MGB roadsters, a 74 1/2 GT V8 conversion, an MGC roadster, and a 300ZX). His TD lives in the main garage :) .

There again, if he'd deemed it worth saving it would have happened. When I was there, it was fascinating to see the picked "carcass" of it. The MK 1 MGBs are nowhere near as plentiful as Mk II and later, and for someone like me who has spent his share of time under a MK II it was interesting to be able to easily see things that were different on the MK I. Plus, I'm not use to seeing things like the cross members or sills from the top!
 
When I was 16 and bought a Saab with a blown engine, I borrowed my Mom's 84 5-spd Caravan to pick up a yead engine 100 miles away. I just dropped it in the back and drove home. Sorry Mom!
 
Pallet or make a square out of 2x4's so engine sits on it and the oil pan is protected. That's how every motor I've gotten from salvage yards came. Easy to load and move around.
 
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