AMC-List Digest, Vol 7, Issue 3

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Today's Topics:

   1. AMX grilles (Tom Jennings)
   2. xmember comparison (russ hathaway)
   3. door hinge bushings (russ hathaway)
   4. Diary of a crippled white man (Mark Price)
   5. Re: scenes from dayton (Mahoney, John)
   6. Hey Eddie (was: amc miniature dealership) (Keleigh Hardie)
   7. SFI Certified Flex Plates (Nick ALFANO)
   8. Billet Windshield Washer Tank (Mr. AMC)


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

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 09:24:49 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>
Subject: [AMC-List] AMX grilles
To: AMC List <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0608020912190.12033@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

I saw a system that would be perfect for makin a mold for
recreating AMX (or whatever) grilles.

My artist friend Erika was in town to get a 3D scan of her for a
sculpture she's making, at a place in Burbank called Cyber F/X.
They have a 3D laser and milling machine setup; for $1500 you
get a big fat dataset on CD (for 3d CAD programs like 3DS Max)
and a machined foam physical replica, shipped to your door.

Along the walls were all sorts of famous actor heads and cartoon
characters (movie industry is their biggest customer) but they
also had a Mercedes grille -- exactly replicated in foam.

The foam is sturdy but not structural, and has a rough-ish
surface, but is a precise (fractional millimeter) copy of
the original. Only red light is bounced off the original,
no harm here.

The foam replica would need surface finish and have sprues
added, but it's got to be the best thing around for copying
complex shapes. It can definitely handle the AMX grille.

http://www.cyberfx.com



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

Message: 2
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 10:53:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: russ hathaway <russh97309@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [AMC-List] xmember comparison
To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <20060802175345.47542.qmail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

As this question has come up time and again I once
laid four Xmembers side by side to see the difference.
I dodn't lay an Ambo as I didn't have one, but I did
have two Jav family and two American family Xmembers,
both six and eight. 
First off, the Jav family includes the 68 to 74 Javs
and the Classic-Rebel-Matador line. The American
family would be your American, Gremlin, Hornet,
Concord and Spirit. All are from 64 to 86. I think 63
is the same as 64, not positive.
Spotting a V8 Xmember is easy as it will have two
slots in the moter mount perch, the six will have a
single hole with two small holes along with it. The
secret is to look for the two slots for the V8.
The Jav line will be wider than the American line, I
think by about 5/8 inch. There is also a more drastic
drop in the center for the V8 member.
You can adapt a I6 Xmember to fit a V8 real easy. You
will need the short motor towers if going into an
American. With the motor towers and bisquits installed
on the engine, lower the engine onto the six xmember
perch. One bolt of the V8 bisquit will fit into the I6
perch. You can then sandwich a plate in between the
bisquit and the perch, tying together the mount and
xmember. I have done several of these.
Weld the plate onto the Xmember with gussets for added
strength. Any shop can do this on a lift, my first one
was done by a muffler guy and never broke or tweeked.
I haven't done this to the Jav line as there always
seems to be a good supply of these V8 Xmembers
floating around.......Russ 

__________________________________________________
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------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 11:26:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: russ hathaway <russh97309@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [AMC-List] door hinge bushings
To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <20060802182626.74661.qmail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

I just rebushed my wagons doors. I used the pins and
bushings made for a Chryco, I am not sure what model
as the store had a slew of them and I measured the
ones I needed and it said Chyrsler. I will have to
redrill the hinge a tad but all in all it cost about
six bucks for both doors. Any auto body supply place
should have the pins......Russ

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 


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

Message: 4
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 14:02:41 -0700
From: Mark Price <markprice242@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [AMC-List] Diary of a crippled white man
To: Mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <25182914.1154552561267.JavaMail.root@web19>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Two plus weeks later, Here I sit, waiting.
The good news is it could be worse, but , it could be better too!
I still don't know how long I'll be wearign this neck and back brace. I can't lift anything over 5lbs, for a comparison a gallon of milk weighs about 8 libs, so, I'm not supposed to pick one up! I had my first follow up visit on my Collar bone and it is totally screwed. The two ends no linger line up, One is above the other and there is a loose vertical piece just floating there. They say the loose piece could be a real problem and it will take a ling time to heal if left alone. They want to put a pin in, but won't do so untill Nuerosurgery signs off my back/neck brace being removed as it is in the way. Only 13 days untill I see them to find out if I can do this or have to wait till the neck brace comes off.
  I'm so happy I could just $#!T. My wife is trying to pull strings to get me in sooner, but it doesn't look good.
  I can plan all the car stuff I want, but I can't get squat done. It's too hot to even consider going outside wearing this plastic clamshell. To add insult to injury I have been offered a 97 Cherokee SE, Hit broadside, totalled, 4.0L.Auto, 4wd, Looks brand new inside and out for $1,000. So far I've not committed to buying it, but I'm real tempted. It only has 53,000 miles on it and runs and lot drives with a clear title. 
  I paid my 13 year old to scrape the sound deadner off the the inner fenders and front end of the Ambassador. That will help move things along, some day.

For now I wait,
Mark  
--
Mark Price
markprice242ATadelphia.net
Morgantown, WV



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

Message: 5
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 17:21:55 -0400
From: "Mahoney, John" <jmahoney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [AMC-List] scenes from dayton
To: "Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID:
	<E8DF38ACFC17F94998DE284C5CE4582A02202C2A@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Eddie Stakes [mailto:eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2006 8:13 PM
> To: Mahoney, John
> Subject: scenes from dayton
> 
> http://picasaweb.google.com/mightypilot/06AMONational
>  
> http://picasaweb.google.com/mightypilot/06AMONatAmericanCup
> Eddie Stakes'
> Planet Houston AMX
> 713.464.8825
> eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> www.planethoustonamx.com


Eddie, thanks for sending several links while I was away.  I haven't read the AMC List since June, but hope you're keeping cool while the rest of the US has been having a Houston-style heat wave.  I can't wait for it to end.  It's too darn hot.  It's just crazy.  It's like cars.

While I'm sure you see lots of crazy cars in TX (up here in the hinterland, cars are getting crazier as well: I saw three '07 S-classes during this morning's commute and every one was painted some shade of grey or black.  Shouldn't anyone crazy enough to give crazy Dr. Z ~$100k for a daily driver choose Plum Crazy or something Big Bad?), but the craziest cars still are in CA.  Unfortunately, few are AMCs at this point: ancient history.  So why did I see a '64 Plumouth?

Sometime I'll send you some photos of crazy cars on the street, at the Starbucks, and as $300k shopping carts at Ralph's --- plus some taken by a 14-year-old car-crazy kid who'd sought an audience with the Pope of Propulsion in his Burbank Cathedral of Car Craziness.  I think he [the young man], his folks, and his buddies went home duly impressed with auto history (and jet bikes?); hopefully one of those kids may become a new-age Charles Nash or a new-look Harley Earl.  America needs something to meet its challenges.     

"Life, Liberty, and Pursuit" is as American as rap and bobbleheads (but I'm not sure the slogan is right for Cadillac...) so I hope that someone, somehow, will lead America back to its '50s-'60s days of auto successes; sometime before American motors are completely comatose --- if not as well-rememberd as is an AMC.

GM, Ford, and whatever-still-is-American-around-Chrysler (where's their Jeep icon?) shouldn't be let to slip under like AMC did: America should be too proud of its automotive history to stand silently again for that.

While Mr. Watanabe publicly bowed to show corporate regret before all of Japan, Toyota's drive toward its world automotive dominance barely paused during a downshift.  Then Ford was humbled.  Come tomorrow, GM.  American motors are, it seems, the British marques of 2006 now: going, going, going; then, silently, all gone.

That said, after spending a [hot] month in Japan and Asia, and [hotter] week in California, it's good to be back at [too hot] home.  I saw [too many] cars driven by [too many] car crazies [too many] places to count; but until I clicked on those links you sent I hadn't seen [too many] AMCs at all.  Anywhere at all.  You were right about the V-8 X Gremlin: Penfield is just two towns north of Pittsford.  The car was advertised in a local paper, at, IIRC, $13k.  The thing that struck me; however, was not its price, but that I had never seen it at any area venues: cruises, shows, parking lots.  Edelbrock-ed up as it was and certainly no garage queen, it looks like a "real" fan's kind of AMC.  But, like too many other Kenosha cars in WNY, it's been hiding out for decades.  AMCs won't be remembered if they're not seen; they won't be seen if there's no AMC scene.  What's the answer?  Maybe AMO knows.    

Although Mark's photos made Dayton look more AMX than AMO, the rest of AMC looked well-represented, the quality looked outstanding (some of the under-hood detailing looked up to Pebble Beach standards!!!) and the show looked like a real [hot] place to be.  So ring the bell for AMC's future (or, in 2006, peal the carillon.)  Peel is what the other American motors paint jobs did in the '80s: one never heard of a "peel-top" AMC that wasn't of canvas or by Renault.

Looks like it was a great show.         

As I often try, I saw several old guard Detroiters in CA retirement, and, as we often do, discussed cars.  The way it is and the way it was, way back when AMC was still possible and when GM, Ford, and Chrysler were still strong.  We didn't come up with any solutions for what went wrong or any way to turn the ship of American motors around, but we had fun.  -America- may be the problem as much as American cars.  -Survival- may the most that we can hope for; the future may never approach the level of our past.

As Toyota drives forward into -our- future, it seems to respect American automotive achievements more than we do.  I saw that too clearly this last visit.

I saw a building that first housed Toyoda

http://www.toyota.co.jp/jp/about_toyota/facility/sakichi/

and some of the houses Toyota would build

http://tinyurl.com/jeznb

http://www.tcmit.org/english/tour/tour5.html

when Japan built upon what America and Europe built when -they- were building the world's best in transportation. 

By far the best building was, for me, Toyota's historical auto museum:  Toyota owns a Pierce, a Packard (Franklin D. Roosevelt's by Rolls[t]on --- the first armored car with bulletproof glass ever built for use by any American Presidents) and, getting as close to an early AMC as it gets, a 1902 Curved Dash Olds.  It owns a muscle car built in Buffalo (a 1909 Thomas Flyer), a limousine built by Renault, an array of Cadillacs, and, of course, a Gordon Buehrig-designed Cord.  It chronicles compacts from a Bebe Peugeot to a Model T Ford to an Essex closed Coach; it also owns Europe's answers to economy, like Oxford, Chummy, and Citroen C.  Japan learned from all of them; Toyota learned to excel at building every one.

For the past 40 years America hasn't been learning, or learning enough: it now spends more on education than any country in the world, yet it does the worst.

That museum owns an Airflow, a Topolino, a prototype Bug, and a genuine 1943 Jeep --- built by Ford.  It doesn't own an Airflyte, a Javelin, an AMX, a Pacer, or a bug-eyed Matador.  Is there something to be learned from American Motors?  Was AMC good or bad?  Well, that's not a Toyota problem.  'Cuz there is none. 

I saw something about AMC one weekend outside Tokyo, when I was invited to dinner at a very exclusive golf club.  Not American exclusive or UK exclusive or even Middle East snow-in-the-desert-for-customized-Porsche-snowmobile exclusive, but Japanese exclusive.  Multi-million initiation-fee crazy.  Over the top.

When I drove up (in a silver Toyota), I saw that the lot was about half-and-half: half Japanese cars; half European; mostly German; mainly BMW, Audi, and M-B.  There were a surprising number of hulking SUVs; several of those were British.  In the row closest to the marquee, I saw marquee marques lined up, just like outside every show-off restaurant in SoCal.

I saw an M6, an SLR McLaren, and not one, not two, not three, but -five- Ferraris, among them a silver F430 Spider, showing not a pheasant, but a V-8, under glass.  Ah, but no, it wasn't the craziest car seen in the parking lot.  That would've been the sole American (or semi-American) vehicle on that overpriced patch of an island called Japan.  And it would've been the closest to an American Motors car I saw in the weeks of crazy car sightings.

I asked the concierge if its driver could be identified.  Yes.  Could I, then, perhaps, meet him.  (It's highly unlikely he'd be a she or a Ms. Wie.)  Yes.

"He" was a 26-year old employed in --- what else --- some sort of tech; his brother was currently attending a business school in --- where else --- the US.
His brother spoke English very well, he said; his English was about as bad as my Japanese.  We both spoke car talk.  It was his first non-Japanese car, he said, although he knew a lot about American machines.

As we walked around and "discussed" his small silver fastback, I asked if he knew the '68-'70 AMX.  Yes.  I said some saw similarities 'twixt it and Marlin (about which he knew nothing) and his American-car-in-Japan.  He said he hadn't thought about that, nor had he connected historical dots between an AMX and his current ride.  He simply liked the lack of commonality, the price, and the look.  He liked it just because it was different, affordable, and very cool.

He bought the Crossfire for the very reasons some had bought the AMX.

It was a European "American" car; AMX was an American "European" car.

Both made some sort of stylish and sporty "I'm different!" statement.

He agreed and we laughed.  The funny thing though, was what happened next--- and that funny thing was the only time I ever heard "AMC" said again in Japan. 

He asked what happened to the AMX company?  What does it make today?

I told him the AMX was only one small segment during one small chapter in the history of what once was the fourth largest auto manufacturer in the American industry.  I told him AMX was built by -AMC- and American Motors was the Nash-plus-Hudson half of the Studebaker-plus-Packard merger that was to create a car company to compete with Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors.  With Europe.  With Japan.  And with the world.

I told him that what happened to American Motors was what's happening to the Chrysler Group, Ford in America, and the General Motors, the Renaissance Center of Detroit, and that AMC hasn't built a single AMX since he was born --- and a single "two-seat" "sportscar" since he was three.

I asked him if he knew which new cars Toyota was building in 1983.  When AMC built the last Spirit GT.

He said he knew all the cars that Toyotas builtthen , especially the Celica and the Supra.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/itrpower/supramk2.jpg

I said that's exactly what happened to the AMX company.

To American Motors then, and to American motors, today.

I don't think he understood what went wrong.

I don't think any of us really can either.

Car crazies are all the same: makes may disappear but dreams never die.

Even as our Packards and AMCs and Stanleys and Dobles run out of steam.

When they're older, maybe your boys can take a Big Dog garage tour too.

Again, thanks for the info.

And kudos to the AMO show.

John

PS - Gas was only about $4.50 (they clean windows, though...) but it just went up.  Parking is the real problem.  Your '72 Ambassador wagon would be a Maybach 62 on Osaka roads.  Too bad the AMX company wasn't bought by Daimler-Chrysler-Maybach-Benz.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20060802a2.html

PPS - I'll copy to the AMC List --- if it's still alive.



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

Message: 6
Date: Wed, 02 Aug 2006 19:54:46 -0700
From: Keleigh Hardie <ramblinguy@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [AMC-List] Hey Eddie (was: amc miniature dealership)
To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <44D16576.5040906@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Wow, very cool. That Javelin is the closest I've ever seen to the first 
AMC I owned. Aqua, that weird white vinyl top that ran almost all the 
way to the taillights. Where'd you get it, and who made it?

Keleigh

amc-list-request@xxxxxxx wrote:
> Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2006 20:17:33 -0500
> From: "Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [AMC-List] amc miniature dealership
> To: "AMC List" <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Message-ID: <01d901c6b5d1$b36f3580$0ff4b148@piageedc1iqa5q>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> 	reply-type=original
>
> Ya'll might like this, I posted it on the badassgremlin site, and also 
> emailed a few folks with some photos, however, my digital camera, like so 
> many others got ran voer by Hot Wheels, dragged behind a bike, thrown back 
> and forht in 72 Ambassador and Eagle, stepped on, left in 100+ degree heat, 
> and might have been left in rain, honestly don't know, but took a beating 
> with kids, dogs and me. So photos sucked. So used Plan B digital camera, 
> took more pix and what a difference, my old eyes ain't so bad after all. 
> Here is a little AMC Dealership I built, it is on ebay with no reserve and 
> $9.99 open bid.
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330014104882
> Eddie Stakes'
> Planet Houston AMX
> 713.464.8825
> eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> www.planethoustonamx.com
>
>   


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

Message: 7
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 20:52:41 -0700 (PDT)
From: Nick ALFANO <71amx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [AMC-List] SFI Certified Flex Plates
To: amc list <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <20060803035241.81474.qmail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

For those of you who have inquired about the NEW SFI
certified 401 flex plates over the past year, they are
finally finished and ready to ship.  Anyone
interested, I have set an introductory price of
$125.00 for the first ten sold.  Contact me off list
if you want to be the first on the block with this
supper strong and safe flex plate.  If you have ever
seen the damage a stock flex plate can do (not to
mention cut your legs off) when it blows apart, you
would never put anything but an SFI certified unit
back in your car.  That price includes shipping. After
that, the price is $150.00

Thanks,

Nick Alfano
Alfano Performance
Kenosha, WI. 53142
262-308-1302
262-942-8271 after 6pm central and weekends.  


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

Message: 8
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2006 06:50:00 -0400
From: AMC74Hornet@xxxxxxxxx (Mr. AMC)
Subject: [AMC-List] Billet Windshield Washer Tank
To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx, BaadAssGremlins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
	MacsOrphanCarGroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <13873-44D1D4D8-89@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII

I finally finished the mods to the tank and just need to polish it out.
Due to the welded on mounting bracket and the general configuration of
the tank It could not be chucked up in a lathe. The bottom of the tank
was 1/4" thick. It needed to be 1/8" where the pump gromet went. I
ground a 2" diameter by 1/8" deep circle in the bottom of the tank with
my Dremel so to get the right thickness and enlarged the hole to mount
the pump. I also had to grind down one of the plastic ears on the pump
for clearance. On the top side of the tank I had to open up the inside
diameter of the filler neck so a socket with the nut to mount the pump
could pass through. In doing so I ground away the weld holding the neck
to the tank. I JB Welded the neck back onto the tank and modified the
cap ramps to make the cap turn on and off easy since it is not a
radiator over flow tank any more and also vented the cap. I also
machined off the mfg's logo off the top of the cap. I'll add one of my
custom made AMC emblems like I made for the wheels to the cap. What a
pain of a job this all was. But it is the end result that counts. Now to
polish it out and hope the 100+ degree weather breaks over the weekend
so I can install it next week. I spend 4-5 days at a time in the house
hiding from the damn heat.
"Doc"



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

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End of AMC-List Digest, Vol 7, Issue 3
**************************************