Can you post a picture? Your idea might work, but I would want ar least an inch of clearance for heat and drive train vibration. If the crossmember gets cooked by the exhaust, I'm thinking it might melt the rubber mount and could transfer heat into the floor of the car.

I had fitment issues with a JBA H pipe made to fit their mid length headers not clearing the Modern Driveline T5 crossmember. I just cut that part of it off and had the local exhaust shop make a new H pipe. Almost just ran divorced duals since it sounds cooler anyway.

 

Correction: the interference is on the driver's side

 

I run a a MDL T5 setup in my '65 convertible that has a body tie plate. I realize the convertibles are different in this location, but, like any mods we do, custom fabrication is typically required. In our cases, it pertains to either an "X" or "H" style balance section be fabricated to work around these obstacles. I chose an "X"that needed to be custom made to join the collectors to the intermediate pipes and muffs.

 

but, like any mods we do, custom fabrication is typically required

Indeed. Almost nothing simply ‘bolts in’ without some work. The right way to remedy this interference would be to have a muffler shop handle it and leave the crossmember alone.

 

It's been a few years but when I did my 67' T5 install I DID have to trim a bit off the MDL crossmember due to the drivers side exhaust hitting. It wasn't much and, for as stout as the MDL crossmember is, I don't figure it effected the structural integrity at all.

 

I modified my stock cross member and built my own h pipe