motor mounting plates

is there an advantage to plates over conventional mounts?

yes! you can install the engine in the chassis where you like...(like in a tube chassis car...forward backwards up down),header clearance and I believe helps with consistancy for reaction times...but don't quote me on that one

do you think it would be a stronger deal than a stock motor mount setup? i like the idea of having somewhere up front to mount my extra junk

It will stiffen up the front of the car a bit by tieing each side of the frame together and to the engine. Plus it does give you places to mount things.