I say go for the small block Chevy swap.  Why suffer emotionally and economically because of what some purist zealots will say. I guarantee a lot of the people who would complain know nothing of AMC parts hunting.  I happen to be a "Chevy Guy"  but I also have a Rambler.  I like Ramblers a lot but if my car wasn't cursed with having a torque tube it would already be hosting a 350/TH350 combo (and it still eventually might).  You wouldn't get mad at somebody for having a heart or kidney transplant, so to heck with the nay-sayers.  Even with a SBC, you still saved a Rambler.  More than most people can say. It's your car. If somebody wants you to keep it AMC, let them write the check.

*** Now let the purist hatred fly.  I know somebody's uncle built a 401 AMC that runs 9's all day long and gets 40 mpg for $500.  

I think the main reason for people not liking the swaps are there is really no reason for it.You can build an AMC 360-401 to run just as good as anything else.As for the parts,it's not like it was 10-15 years ago.Anything from heads to cams to blocks or what ever is available now.I've been building AMC's for 20 years and it has never been easier.True,you can't run up to Walmart and get anything you need as you can a chevy,but it's not that hard anymore.I personally don't like any engine in any car that was not made by the same company.If anyone else wants to do it I could care less.My point is that there are AMC powered cars that run 9's all day long I've even seen a few that run high 7's.You don't need a Ford,Chevy,Mopar,etc.. to go fast.  

I never said AMC's could NOT run 9's or even 7's.  It's just an issue of availability and bang-for-the-buck.  I just think it would be foolish to hold yourself to a standard the AMC corporation did not even feel that strongly about. They were using hardware from all sorts of other companies, from GM Hydromatic trannies in the 50's to the TH400 and Mopar Torqueflite's later on, to the Hudson and even Packard engine borrowing going on.  

First I want to make sure you know I'm not being argumentative towards you. I realise that AMC used parts from other manufacturers. They normally used the best of what was available to them at the time. That's the reason for Delco ignitions and Ford starters and so forth. I would totally agree with you if this was 10-15 years ago, especially if you were trying to drag race every week. The money spent back then on the engine or breakage would not have been the smart thing to do. You wouldn't want to wait 2 or 3 weeks for special pistons or what ever it may be that you need. Now almost anything you would want is easily obtained. I think it's great that Car Craft has shown what can be done to an AMC,and also how to do it. I would love to see more especially in the engine department. You would be surprised at how quick a 360 AMC powered car can go for very little money. They also add a bit of a challenge because there have not been volumes written in magazines and specialty books on how to modify them. You have to pull on what you have learned on your own and from friends that have modified them. Any way, not bashing you, just talking. Hope to hear more from you.  

Hey, never put a Chevy engine in an AMC!!!!
Build a nice solid 401. Use K.B. pistons KB 392 or 345 for decent compression. Use the stock rods, but you will have to install bushings to use the KB pistons. Stock crank will be OK, but you could upgrade later to a Stroker. Use a Preformer intake, and later do a comparo on different manifolds and bolt on injection. Cam it to be streetable. Use a decent grind, but start out with 5:1 rockers, change to the stock 6:1 and then change to 7:1. Another comparo. For fun you could even try a blower by using a set of custom Flatout copper gasket to reduce compression. The trick would be either finding a old blower manifold, or go the old Dyer route and adapt a four barrel manifold with a mounting plate. An other good article. Blow Your AMC. I forgot about heads. Stock iron heads are OK with some work. Aluminum heads cost more, but remember there are more available than Edelbrock's.
I think that sould be enough for a start. Keep it interresting!!
I am building a 401 powered 67 Marlin and although I am near finished with the machanicals, your never really finished.
Mark (Marlin Man) Wong  

I thought there was an article in CC not too awful long ago about useable 401 blocks being pretty hard to find these days.  Maybe that's just in Cali.
I pose a friendly challenge to you guys.  Find me a new/reconditioned/or good used valvebody for a '65 Borg-Warner T35 (AKA Rambler Flash-o-Matic) transmission for sale somewhere.  Then let me know how to procure it.  I cannot find any hard parts for this tranny anywhere, just the usual rebuild pieces and gaskets. Do this, and I will never tell anyone to ditch their AMC parts for GM again. I have enclosed a couple of pictures of my '65 Wagon.  I bought it when I was 13 for $650 and now I'm 30.  The tranny started slipping several years ago and it sat for a while.  Last winter I started tearing it apart for a restoration.  I busted my hump all spring and summer to get it back together. I fixed the lttle rust spots, put new carpet in it, had the front seat reupholstered with orginal material I found, rebuilt the engine, replaced nearly all bushings in the front end. Completely rebuilt the brakes (wheel cylinders, hard and rubber lines, etc.) Put new shocks on it. I also painted it myself. The transmission is the only mechanical thing I paid someone else to do and it still isn't right. I have had the car down to the guy who rebuilt it and he said the valvebody isn't quite the right one.  I know the transmission was rebuilt once in the 70's and maybe someone stuck something weird in there.  At any rate I have since pulled the tranny back out and have had it at the guys shop for over a month while he looks for a valvebody.  Basically I have a showroom new '65 car on four jackstands in my garage because I cannot find tranny parts. It makes me sick to my stomach. I only got to drive it a few hundred miles since finishing it.  By the way, that's my little 355 S-10 in the background, never have any tranny troubles with the TH350 in it. Post some pictures of your Marlin!



 

You need to get connected in the hobby to find parts for a T-35.   I sold a complete tranny to a guy here in the Bay Area two weeks ago.  I have another T-35 on the slab in my back yard now, but I won't sell it until I get a project car running sometime in November.  Contact me at piper_pa20 at prodigy.net next month is you still need a tranny.  I also have a 1969 M-11 tranny for parts.

You might also contact American Parts Depot in Ohio or Galvin's AMC parts here on the west coast.  They have used parts and parts cars as well as new/repro parts for sale.  I know a tranny shop in Santa Rosa that might have a valve body for you too.

Joe  

Build an AMC. What is the challenge in going to Walmart and buying a Chevy engine that won't be as fast as the AMC?  

I am a member of the AMCRC.  I have also contacted Galvin's, Webb's, Blaser's, looked on the American Parts Depot website, etc. with no luck.  Is the tranny you have set up for a torque tube application?  If it wasn't, would it just be a matter of swapping out the tailshaft housing? I have rebuilt or been part of plenty of engine rebuilds but I have always farmed out my transimission work, so I am pretty green in that arena.  I am going to see the guy who has my tranny today(Oct. 23) after work.  Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised, but I doubt it.  He hasn't been answering the phone or my e-mails for a month and his shop his 45 minutes away. My machine shop guy recommended him, so I thought I had struck gold.  Thanks for your help PacerMan.  I might just look you up.  

Build the AMC. Since they already have most of the parts needed,there is no
need to start over. If this were a clean slate build,I might go a different
direction but considering that this was a complete,running car before,
then I say just fix the thing. Then put it in the 11s...  

Excepting Pacerman's lead that I have yet to connect with, I have not been deluged with suggestions on where to find my Rambler tranny valvebody. I guess I can rest my case on AMC parts availability.  

Honestly As far as engine swaps goes, i think any person has the right to put any engine in any car. Thats what its all about. building the cars to the drivers wants/needs, plus, it's interesting to see what some people can come up with.  

Pontiac_SS:
Honestly As far as engine swaps goes, i think any person has the right to put any engine in any car. Thats what its all about. building the cars to the drivers wants/needs, plus, it's interesting to see what some people can come up with.

Its not interesting when its "drop in a small block Chevy".  Its been done time and time and time and time and time again.  Its boring at this point.  Name a car over 20 years old...chances are a small block Chevy has found its way into at least one example.  I've even seen Ferrari's with sbc's in them (barf!).

AMC made cool engines...engines worth building.  While parts may be difficult to find...who better than CC to go find them and tell us where?

As for the Rambler...build it right...let it be reborn in a year bigger and better than ever.  They've got plenty of other projects to work on...including a certain Firebird already equipped with a SBC...unless they got rid of it...in which case they can pick up...say an old Impala.  Another Nova.  Another Camaro.  Find a new Cheap Street (not that Cheap Street can ever be replaced...  ).  There are plenty of Chevies to pick up that you can drop Chevies into without selling out.  

Or they can go away from Chevies for awhile and concentrate on that little Mustang they have.  I must admit, as long as I've been working on cars...I couldn't tell you the difference between a Windsor and a Cleveland.  I can tell you the exact differences between a 66 Olds 425 in a Delta 88 and a 66 Olds 425 in a Toronado...but not the differences between two of Ford's major engine architectures.  

"...I couldn't tell you the difference between a Windsor and a Cleveland."

Sadly neither could I  

So what's the difference in the Olds engines? Lifter bores or angles?  

TheSilverBuick:
"...I couldn't tell you the difference between a Windsor and a Cleveland."

Sadly neither could I  

So what's the difference in the Olds engines? Lifter bores or angles?

Both.  Lifter bore was 0.921" and angle was 39 degrees for the Toro engine...0.841" and 45 degree angle for "any" other.  I use "any" because there are supposedly some anomalies mixed in there.  Also the Toro had the hottest cam and largest valve size.  Toro's always got the absolute best available.