Send AMC-List mailing list submissions to amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to amc-list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx You can reach the person managing the list at amc-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxx When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of AMC-List digest..." Today's Topics: 1. AMCer's Opinions: Survivor/Vintage vs. Restored (markskur1@xxxxxxx) 2. Re: AMCer's Opinions: Survivor/Vintage vs. Restored (Mark Price) 3. Re: AMCer's Opinions: Survivor/Vintage vs. Restored (Jim Shadwick) 4. Re: Air Cooled Transmissions (Mark Price) 5. Re: AMCer's Opinions: Survivor/Vintage vs. Restored (ROSS BLAIR) 6. Strut rod bushing (russ hathaway) 7. Re: AMCer's Opinions: Survivor/Vintage vs. Restored (Mark Price) 8. Re: 65 Rambler American 2dr sedan For Sale (mine) Los Angeles (Mark Price) 9. Re: Strut rod bushing (Savage, Pete) 10. Diary of a crippled white man update (Mark Price) 11. Re: Strut Rod Bushings again- '70 -'8X (Tom Jennings) 12. AMC engine blocks (russ hathaway) 13. stupid questions (russ hathaway) 14. Re: stupid questions (Wayne E LaMothe) 15. Re: Strut bushings (Tom Jennings) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:10:50 -0400 From: markskur1@xxxxxxx Subject: [AMC-List] AMCer's Opinions: Survivor/Vintage vs. Restored To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx Message-ID: <8C890E73E6CDB4C-278-3155@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Fellow AMCer's, I have decision to make with my 74 AMX(32,000 original miles): This car is an original, non-restored, survivor: Original paint(great condition), glass, interior, chrome, stainless, exhaust system. The motor and tranny have never been separated and removed. My decision: should I remove the engine to detail and paint, or leave in the engine bay and clean and detail only(leaving the original "patina")? I cannot compete with frame-off, rotissoire restored stock vehicles at car shows. If they had a vintage/survivor class I would do well. I welcome your feedback/opinions! Thanks, mark ________________________________________________________________________ Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email and IM. All on demand. Always Free. ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 8:28:01 -0700 From: Mark Price <markprice242@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [AMC-List] AMCer's Opinions: Survivor/Vintage vs. Restored To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: markskur1@xxxxxxx Message-ID: <16882319.1155914881929.JavaMail.root@web26> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 With that mileage I would leave it in unrestored condition. But, thats just me. Even with only 32,000 on it if you tear into it to detail you may be heading down a long road as it tends to lead to the ,"Oh while I'm in here" Syndrome. :] Mark Price markprice242ATadelphia.net Morgantown, WV ---- markskur1@xxxxxxx wrote: > Fellow AMCer's, > I have decision to make with my 74 AMX(32,000 original miles): > This car is an original, non-restored, survivor: Original paint(great condition), glass, interior, chrome, stainless, exhaust system. The motor and tranny have never been separated and removed. > My decision: should I remove the engine to detail and paint, or leave in the engine bay and clean and detail only(leaving the original "patina")? > I cannot compete with frame-off, rotissoire restored stock vehicles at car shows. > If they had a vintage/survivor class I would do well. > > I welcome your feedback/opinions! > > Thanks, > mark > ________________________________________________________________________ > Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email and IM. All on demand. Always Free. > _______________________________________________ > AMC-List mailing list > AMC-List@xxxxxxxxxxxx > http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list > > or go to http://www.amc-list.com ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 09:47:05 -0600 From: Jim Shadwick <idahoamx@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [AMC-List] AMCer's Opinions: Survivor/Vintage vs. Restored To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx Message-ID: <44E5E0F9.505@xxxxxxxxx> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed I agree with Mark......it is only original once.....it is your car but if it were mine I would leave it as is and just do a very good cleaning inside and out....I have a 73 Matador with low miles that I plan to get repainted only because the driver side front fender was damaged and repainted and does not match the rest of the car........Jim -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.2/422 - Release Date: 8/17/2006 ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 8:58:26 -0700 From: Mark Price <markprice242@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [AMC-List] Air Cooled Transmissions To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: John Elle <johnelle@xxxxxxxxx> Message-ID: <21928885.1155916706931.JavaMail.root@web26> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 I can check this some day as I have two trans cores laying in my shed. I think there are no holes drilled to do this however. I think the six cylinder fleet/taxi cars and later postal jeeps are the only source for a ready made liquid cooled 35 series trans. I have to get into the shed at soem point, but it will be a while yet. -- Mark Price markprice242ATadelphia.net Morgantown, WV ---- John Elle <johnelle@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > For what it's worth. > It seems to me this subject came up here locally a couple of years ago > and the general consensus was that air cooled transmissions actually had > pipe plug capped fittings that you could unscrew the pipe plugs from and > screw in lines that could be run to an external cooler if you wanted to > go through that work. > I have been wracking my brains trying to be more specific but senior > moments seem to clog up the thought process. > Is there any truth to this? > John. > _______________________________________________ > AMC-List mailing list > AMC-List@xxxxxxxxxxxx > http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list > > or go to http://www.amc-list.com ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 22:17:43 +0500 From: "ROSS BLAIR" <bigbad69@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [AMC-List] AMCer's Opinions: Survivor/Vintage vs. Restored To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx Message-ID: <20060818171743.7FD131024D@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Mark, If that trophy is important to you, then go the rotissary route. However, you should be aware that it's a long and expensive road you set out on. (Ask me how I know!) It won't cost much less to restore a 32,000 mile original than it does a basket case because everthing has to be replaced anyway. Those decent looking parts that look good now will look like crap when installed in a perfect body. You might even find you have to replace seat covers and door panels to get the final finish right, not to mention rechroming everything. That's the price of that trophy. As Mark and Jim said, if it were my car, I would clean it and detail it, and forget the resto idea. Maybe the show judges don't see the value of an unrestored original in nice shape, but I do. Ross Blair 69 BBO Javelin 390 Ottawa, Ont. -- ___________________________________________________ Play 100s of games for FREE! http://games.mail.com/ ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:52:51 -0700 (PDT) From: russ hathaway <russh97309@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: [AMC-List] Strut rod bushing To: mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx Message-ID: <20060818175251.1317.qmail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 When I rebuilt my 65 Americans front end I got poly bushings made for a CJ-5, Bronco and also a strut rod front end, I can't remember the make right now. These were all from a 4x4 parts house (the same guys who made up my AMX sub-frame connectors). I simply took the old Rambler suspension parts down with several measuring implements and started looking at parts. I had to buy poly bushings from maybe four different apps and most bolted right on, a few had to be adjusted but I used nothing more complicated than a drill press. When I gathered poly bushings for my Hornet earlier this year the guy remembered me from the rebuild two years ago, and the bushings have held up fine.....Russ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Message: 7 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:56:33 -0700 From: Mark Price <markprice242@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [AMC-List] AMCer's Opinions: Survivor/Vintage vs. Restored To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: ROSS BLAIR <bigbad69@xxxxxxxxx> Message-ID: <1733036.1155923793728.JavaMail.root@web26> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 It's only Original once! -- Mark Price markprice242ATadelphia.net Morgantown, WV ---- ROSS BLAIR <bigbad69@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Mark, > > If that trophy is important to you, then go the rotissary route. However, you should be aware that it's a long and expensive road you set out on. (Ask me how I know!) It won't cost much less to restore a 32,000 mile original than it does a basket case because everthing has to be replaced anyway. Those decent looking parts that look good now will look like crap when installed in a perfect body. You might even find you have to replace seat covers and door panels to get the final finish right, not to mention rechroming everything. That's the price of that trophy. > > As Mark and Jim said, if it were my car, I would clean it and detail it, and forget the resto idea. Maybe the show judges don't see the value of an unrestored original in nice shape, but I do. > > Ross Blair > 69 BBO Javelin 390 > Ottawa, Ont. > > -- > ___________________________________________________ > Play 100s of games for FREE! http://games.mail.com/ > > > _______________________________________________ > AMC-List mailing list > AMC-List@xxxxxxxxxxxx > http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list > > or go to http://www.amc-list.com ------------------------------ Message: 8 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:58:53 -0700 From: Mark Price <markprice242@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [AMC-List] 65 Rambler American 2dr sedan For Sale (mine) Los Angeles To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: Mike Kindle <mike90066@xxxxxxxxxxx> Message-ID: <5870543.1155923933814.JavaMail.root@web26> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 If I only had another space in the garage and a wife who would not kill me, Oh yeah, If I wasn't all dissabled right now. RATS! -- Mark Price markprice242ATadelphia.net Morgantown, WV ---- Mike Kindle <mike90066@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > I want it to go to a good home so I'm posting to the list first before it > goes on ebay or something. ------------------------------ Message: 9 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 14:02:42 -0400 From: "Savage, Pete" <PSavage@xxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [AMC-List] Strut rod bushing To: <amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Message-ID: <BD261180E6D35F4D9D32F3E44FD3D90103460791@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Folks, Ford mustangs, fairlanes, cougars, falcons, granada's all used adjustable strut rods. I have installed both AMC and ford replacements and I do not see any difference. Has anyone tried the ford strut rod bushing kit? Peter -----Original Message----- From: amc-list-bounces@xxxxxxx [mailto:amc-list-bounces@xxxxxxx]On Behalf Of russ hathaway Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 1:53 PM To: mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [AMC-List] Strut rod bushing When I rebuilt my 65 Americans front end I got poly bushings made for a CJ-5, Bronco and also a strut rod front end, I can't remember the make right now. These were all from a 4x4 parts house (the same guys who made up my AMX sub-frame connectors). I simply took the old Rambler suspension parts down with several measuring implements and started looking at parts. I had to buy poly bushings from maybe four different apps and most bolted right on, a few had to be adjusted but I used nothing more complicated than a drill press. When I gathered poly bushings for my Hornet earlier this year the guy remembered me from the rebuild two years ago, and the bushings have held up fine.....Russ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ AMC-List mailing list AMC-List@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list or go to http://www.amc-list.com ------------------------------ Message: 10 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:10:17 -0700 From: Mark Price <markprice242@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [AMC-List] Diary of a crippled white man update To: strokers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx Message-ID: <33117575.1155924617380.JavaMail.root@web26> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Finally after 5 weeks of sitting and waiting, I will be getting this collar bone put back where it belongs. Surgery for alignment and pins is scheduled for Tuesday. It's supposed to be a same day surgery, but may require an overnight stay. I've got my fingers crossed and am saying my prayers. if anyone else wants to join in feel free to do so! :] I'll probably be out of touch with the email till Wednesday or Thursday so be aware I will be gone for bit. The neurosurgeons have said I won't need any surgery on my back and everything looks good there. They won't be letting me out of this brace early though and I can expect to spend another 7 weeks or so in this thing. AMC/Stroker content. I hope to be able to resume working on this stuff in the next couple of months. It's surprising how much can change so quickly. Try and remember this when your going about your boring daily routine. Some day you may be wishing you are doing it! -- Mark Price markprice242ATadelphia.net Morgantown, WV ------------------------------ Message: 11 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:19:08 -0700 (PDT) From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [AMC-List] Strut Rod Bushings again- '70 -'8X To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0608181118330.6573@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Fri, 18 Aug 2006, francis.swygert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: > I've had problems with the one piece units. The ones I had must have > been sitting in a warehouse 10+ years -- they cracked up as they were > installed and didn't last long after. Same here. I'll be interested in John's experience with the ones from Kanter. ------------------------------ Message: 12 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:20:37 -0700 (PDT) From: russ hathaway <russh97309@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: [AMC-List] AMC engine blocks To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx Message-ID: <20060818182037.99047.qmail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 I think AMC made their own blocks. In the current, or last months, issue of Hemmings there is an article on the Chryco alum six. They have a short blurb about the rambler alum six and they say who made it. I don't have the issue anymore, I take all my mags to the local Veterans center, but it was made by an ouside source.....Russ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Message: 13 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:27:08 -0700 (PDT) From: russ hathaway <russh97309@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: [AMC-List] stupid questions To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx Message-ID: <20060818182708.3990.qmail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Where was the battle of Bunker Hill fought? It wasn't fought at Bunker, but rather Breeds hill and Bunker was where the colonials retreated to. As far as Grants tomb, I believe that old drunken sot was dug up and reburied in his hometown, Ohio I believe. Grants tomb is just a memorial.....Russ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Message: 14 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 14:40:52 -0400 From: Wayne E LaMothe <superglider@xxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [AMC-List] stupid questions To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx Message-ID: <20060818.144052.1196.0.superglider@xxxxxxxx> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii In actuality, no one is buried in Grants tomb. He and his wife, Julia, are, however, entombed there. trivia for today Wayne On Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:27:08 -0700 (PDT) russ hathaway <russh97309@xxxxxxxxx> writes: > Where was the battle of Bunker Hill fought? It wasn't > fought at Bunker, but rather Breeds hill and Bunker > was where the colonials retreated to. > As far as Grants tomb, I believe that old drunken sot > was dug up and reburied in his hometown, Ohio I > believe. Grants tomb is just a memorial.....Russ > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ > AMC-List mailing list > AMC-List@xxxxxxxxxxxx > http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list > > or go to http://www.amc-list.com > > ------------------------------ Message: 15 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:53:17 -0700 (PDT) From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [AMC-List] Strut bushings Cc: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0608181119350.6573@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII The strut bushings get a lot of attention because they are basically the weakest, poorest design element in the AMC front end. Not from a safety/failure point of view, but considering dynamic geometry and long term stability they suck. That last part, will it hold a #@$%%#@!! alignment more than a few months! Upper bushings, ball joints, etc, component positions don't displace very much as the parts wear, and they take decades to wear enough to throw alignment off. Crappy strut bushings compress, the lower ball joint moves towards the back of the car, and inward; toe widens, camber moves towards positive and caster drops. (I suppose the one advantage is safety: Joe Shoppingmall can drive repeatedly into a curb stone at 10mph and not crack a lower A arm.) On Fri, 18 Aug 2006, francis.swygert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: > What a time not to have my books with me!! I wouldn't say that the front > ends were in a "state of flux" -- there were two versions of one basic > design. There were two different strut rods and lower arms, and trunnion > designs -- one for the small cars and one for the big. The small cars I've not made the big survey necessary, and I don't have access to the cars, but I know this: Two piece bushings vs. one-piece bushings: after 1964 (65?) they are functionally interchangable. There has been a lot of fiddling by the OEMs and aftermarket on design, so clearly they're either all idiots or they were attempting to address various problems, probably longevity and alignment stability. I assume the latter (until the 1990's when profit-at-any-cost overrode quality concerns and they turned to the former). Anyways the old-style one-piece has an installed steel ring that is supposed to be swaged and spot-welded into the bracket. They are a major PITA to install, and as Frank and I have separately discovered, it apperars that none have been manufactured for DECADES as my NOS set crumbled within a few days (imagine the cost, imagine the fun). That was 5, 10 years ago for me. One piece seems to be the original OEM design; nearly all aftermarket are two-piece. I can see no technical reason for the one-piece. Any of the quality two-piece designs are just fine, are just as or more rugged, and vastly easier to install. No one repros this part as far as I know; good riddance to bad rubbish. 1963-1964 suspensions: non-adjustable strut rod, upper trunnions, lower ball joint. The strut rod is an old-fashioned part; high-quality, forged item, it's tapered, impossible to make adjustable except via Frank's method (cut+weld) whivch I am not skilled enough for. Hence my poly/rubber hybrid hack. 1965, 1966, 1967: no experience, but somewhere in here AMC narrowed the chassis 1". The early 10, 80 chassis mutated into the 01 chassis. The 63 classis is shockingly similar upside down to the 70 hornet. (One of the reasons I love AMC engineering.) 68-72, small car, seems to be another class of suspension mods. 73-up, pretty much all the small cars (01's) are the same; pretty much everything interchanges exactly (spring rates, brakes and details excepted.) Note that from 63 up, (I have zero knowledge of Pacers and Mats I never worked on), all AMC suspension parts interchange or come very close -- little design change. Even trunnion vs. ball joint, the smallest change required was made. Details like built-in steering stops vs. the serrated plate, I consider BFD, since I wrench to drive, not restore. Take 1963 and 1979 (two chassis I have a lot of experience with): You can actually bolt on all of the lower junk from the 79 onto the 63 car if you space the steering box and idler arm inward; later chassis are 1" narrower. The 1963 tie rod ends, pitman arm, steering arms, steering knuckle are identical to later (79 at least) parts -- EXCEPT the tapers are LARGE, vs. SMALL on newer parts. The only difference in the lower ball joint from 1963 to 1979 is the size of the taper. The upper insert, that contains the spring top seat and upper arm pivot bushings, looks like it would interchange 1963 / 1979. Welding involved. The ball joint upper A-arm **almost** fits in the 63! (Too wide if I recall.) If the upper trunnions weren't so damned reliable I'd consider it a worthwhile project. (Mine now have over 300,000 miles on them.) > used a bolt on turn stop, the big cars had the stop made into the ends > of the strut rods. The change occurred in 67 or 68 (I think 68 models -- > this is where my books would come in handy!) -- the strut rod changed to > an adjustable type, and the end that bolted to the lower control arm > changed on the big cars. I think they went to a bolt on stop at this > point also. 63-66 (or 67) should be the same, 67 (or 68) to 69 should be > the same. 70 and later strut rods are straight for the small cars, I > think the big cars still have a curved end to bolt to the lower control > arm. I'm not sure the 70 strut rods are *actually* straight; I think there still is a left and a right, but I could be wrong. The various mostly small changes that happened post-65/pre-70 are the "flux" I was talking about. > I don't know about the strut rod bushings. There does seem to be some > experimentation with the shape of the rubber and position of the washers > after 1970. For the most part non-adjustable strut rod bushings are one > piece, adjustable two piece. But as John Elle indicated in another > message, there is a one piece in the early 70s with the adjustable strut > rod. I wish I had systematic access to all the parts. A full set of parts catalogs would be a start, but I think actual side-by-side comparison of hard parts would reveal that a lot of different-number parts are really microscopic variations on some one part (eg. holes for shocks, anti-roll bars, etc). Those of us wrenching and driving would be happy to have wrong-year parts that work :-) ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ AMC-List mailing list AMC-List@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list End of AMC-List Digest, Vol 7, Issue 35 ***************************************