console and 4-spd

["John W Rosa" <JohnRosa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: Russ

Also adding to the possibility of a console appearing
in something other than 2-dr hdtps, you don't know
what some one with some juice at the factory had
installed in a car. Other makes were known to get an
option that was not supposed to be a particular car,
so why not AMC.
Just because the dealer says it can't be ordered in a
particular model, doesn't mean that someone tossed
enough money or weight around to make it so
----------------------

Russ,

Now we're talking some pretty tight, oddball stuff here.
Sure, a high-roller' can get anything they want if 
willing to pay the inflated bill. My observation were 
about what AMC would do for you and me as a regular 
customer.

I recall an article in a Muscle Car mag years ago that
showed a 1970 GTO Judge station wagon....factory built.
How? A line worker simply asked for it. Was it truly a 
GTO? No. They simply installed every GTO piece that 
would fit onto a Tempest wagon. Naturally, the drivetrain, 
front clip, decals, dash and steering wheel, wheels, and 
so on, were all genuine GTO pieces installed at the 
factory....but it still isn't a GTO. It had regular 
Tempest rear springs, and other significant departures 
from normal GTO gear.

Now I've never seen a Torino Cobra four door or a Road 
Runner wagon, so I can't speak to those companies and
their 'rules' for 'special-orders'.

----------------------

From: John McEwen <moparrr@xxxxxxx>

As AMC had previously offered "sports" equipment on its full-sized 
cars, it seems possible that these kinds of additions were available 
on special dealer order.  Why not a console, 4 speed (or floor shift) 
bucket seat wagon?  Other companies offered them.  As we have seen, 
Ambassadors could at least be ordered with console, floor shifter and 
buckets.  Why would the company limit itself to one body style when 
the identical platform of a sedan or wagon would accommodate these 
changes with no more difficulty than on the 2 doors?

-----------------------

John- They often had solid reasons for not offering 
'anything that fits' into differing models. It's
a matter of sales strategy. The most obvious example 
I can give is the Gremlin/Hornet/Javelin V8 
availability. AMC figured if you could order a Gremlin
with a 401, why would you bother to buy a Hornet or 
Javelin? Thus, Gremlin was restricted to 304, Hornet
to 360 and Javelin got the 401. Sure, Randall AMC
fixed this themselves (much to AMC's vocal opposition, 
I'm sure), but factory-built, you couldn't get it 'your 
way'. And of course, some would buy the Javelin 401 
even if Gremlin 401 had been available, but still, a 
large number of 'go-fast-cheap' folks would have just 
grabbed the Gremlin...and AMC would have lost the better 
profit margin of the Javelin each time.

As for why the bucket restriction, well, as I figure,
the stitching pattern of the buckets is far different 
from that on the wagon's folding rear seat. So the wagon's 
rears mimic the regular front units only...leaving one 
less piece to create and stockpile. Now, the four door
...that's a good question, as it shares it's back seat 
pieces with the two door....so the bucket-matching rear 
of the two door fits the four-door, too...meaning 
buckets in a four door would have been an easy no-
brainer option (no matter how few get ordered). Perhaps
Mr. Mahoney has an good idea why?

John W Rosa

http://www.JavelinAMX.com