Why don't you guys keep this garbage chit chat off this site! Lets hear some intelligent information instead of wasting peoples time.

I dunno.  It looks to me like the unorthodox "chevysxz" made some valid points back in Message 1139.55, only to get jumped for his somewhat obtuse "street" style.  Not really that different from the friendly banter overheard at some cruise nights . . . .  

Yonta?  

For rizzle!  

you should make the rambler a stright axel gasser type car for the street,with a hilborn looking EFI,alum. interior,two race buckets and a cage.would be cool,but please no 18 19 20 inch wheels.cut the quarters out to show the back tires.I am building a 52 ford f1 to look like this,as time and money allowes.but,really 2 foot injector stacks looks better than a blower,all the big money cars have a blower,us poor hilbillies don't have the money and who really drives them on the street anyway?  

It's about time you guys did a real AMC build up.  This little American is going to scream with a 360 in it.  Just DO NOT PUT A CHEVY ENGINE IN IT!

Living in Kenosha all my life and having my Father and Grandfather build these cars, you become very familiar with them.  Plus the fact that I have owned a 401 Gremlin, 360 Hornet (wagon cut into a truck) and recently sold my 69 AMX 343 4-speed.  

Here are some tips that may help you out:

V-8 Crossmember- Find a V-8 Hornet or Gremlin, it's the same.  If looking at the Americans, the Roque's came with V-8's too.  Get the crossmember and motor mount brackets from the engine.  They were shorter than AMX/Javalin/Matador brackets

Rear Axle- Find a Model 20 from the rear of a CJ Jeep.  Change out the hubs with car hubs and use Ambassador drums or use aftermarket 1 pc. axles.  The Jeep rear end is 50" wide and narrower than the Gremlin/Hornet rear end.  It has a 8.875" ring gear, can usually be found with a posi, and usually has 3.54 gears.  Plus Jeep guys will practically give them to you.  Just have to weld the spring perch under the axle.

When you are done having fun with the 360, put that 401 in it from that J10 you guys got for free and run some low 12's high 11's. 

The gas tank leaks? This would be a good time to get some sealer and DIY! Most people don't think about this, but I've used sealer from Bill Hirsch Automotive (www.hirschauto.com) for several years.  Have sealed 2-3 Rambler tanks with it, and 3-4 motorcycle tanks. Good stuff and easy to work with. I don't work for Hirsch or sell the stuff, just know it works better/easier than anything else I've tried!

The V-8 is cool, but a six cylinder that keeps up with small V-8s would have been better. But then I have one of those, in a Rambler wagon!

"Just DO NOT PUT A CHEVY ENGINE IN IT!"

It's a shame Peter Mungo didn't heed that same advice in his otherwise incredible AMX (#21 in the Real Street Eliminator contest).

THANKS!  Love the Rambler.  PLEASE put all the latest goodies on it... Edelbrock EFI, aluminum heads, shorty headers... maybe some comparisions of the latest stuff? 

Did you know that Indy is coming out with an all aluminum V8?  How would THAT help a corner-carving Rambler!  (Yeah, do some suspension stuff to... contact the Team AMC guys or maybe that Evil  Spirit fellow!)

I have WAY too many AMC's but never recovered from my 79 401/727/9" "ProTouring" Spirit GT from my high school days.  (I was trying to find the perfect set of big matching meats at all four corners while my buds were all doing bigs and littles on their GM's.... didn't know I was "ProTouring at the time!)

THanks again for all the "off-car" coverage that makes Car Craft so much more interesting than the other "CamStang" rags!

Jesse Serrano, II
Sparta, MO
2 SX4, 1 Kammback, 1 Wagon Eagles
79 and 80 AMX
79 J20 4 door Project and 9 other FSJ's

Speaking of suspension, there is a guy working on a tubular control arm setup that uses a later model AMC steering knuckle and eliminates the upper trunnion. It uses a coil over shock and requires a slight mod (cut the upper shock mount out and install a stronger one) to the body, but nothing that can't be reversed if you're careful cutting. This mod improves the roll center and allows wider wheels on the front. The high mounted spring is great for reducing body roll, but the upper spring seat prevents installing anything more than 7" wheels unless you have custom wheels with reduced back spacing. 8" wheels are easy after the tubular arms and newer double ball joint steering knuckle is installed. This setup was designed for the 68-69 Javelin/AMX, but the Javelin uses the same suspension as the 64-69 American. Should fit the 63-69 big cars as well, though may need some mods (possibly length and distance between inner pivot points). I'll be test fitting on my 63 Classic "touring wagon" this winter (http://groups.msn.com/amcsforever2/farnasramblers.msnw).  

Frank,

Tell me more about about the tubular A-arm / coil-over setup.  I was getting close to ordering a Fatman Fab front end, but if there is an AMC specific conversion, I'd be REALLY interrested.  Disc brakes, too?

Scott

I talked to the guy making the setup for the early Javelins at Cecil County Raceway a couple weeks ago. The fellow maing the things is only a couple hours from me at most (forget the location now). We talked about what else the tubular arms might fit. I have a complete suspension setup (except crossmember) and shock tower cut from my wrecked 63 Classic wagon. I want to take that over and see if the tubular setup will fit. Should be close to the 68-69 Javelin. The upper arms have some adjustment, should be enough. They use stock Concord steering knuckles, so would be stock AMC brakes. If the ball joints are the same taper as Ford (I think they are) then it may be possible to use a Mustang II spindle. That would require switching to a rack and pinion also. In your case it might be worth it. Mike Luke sells an Aero disk brakes setup -- drag brakes are around $550. Includes four piston calipers, solid drilled rotors, and new hubs. That might be all you need.  

The 67 rambler is a good car to work with , I have a nice 67 rogue conv 290 auto, one of rarest ,921 made that year and it was the last year to have a conv in the american

VERY COOL!!!. I alwys wanted to do something with one of those cars.   

I'm loving the Rambler project. I'm thinking that thing would look bitchin with late model 16" Crown Vic police steelies. (They may have the offset you need) Carve the wheel wells out with a air chisel and lower the car for that dirt track/early nascar look! Flat Black the top panels, and add a racing number on the doors and some CC sponsor decals!

Didn't AMC make a 327?  A buddy of mine had a 63 Rambler for his first car.  It had a six cyclinder and we couldn't blow it up no matter how hard we tried.  You could put a brick on the gas pedal until it died and five minutes later, it would restart and run with no difference in performance or oil consuption.