AMC-List Digest, Vol 7, Issue 51
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AMC-List Digest, Vol 7, Issue 51



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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: AMC-List Digest, Vol 7, Issue 50 (Jim Boone)
   2. burning for the man (Tom Jennings)
   3. neat javelin story (Eddie Stakes)
   4. Re: AMC-List Digest, Vol 7, Issue 50 (Mark Price)
   5. Re: Mustang II Suspension? (Mark Price)
   6. Re: 70 front suspension (Armand Eshleman)
   7. Re: 70 front suspension (Ray Mick)
   8.  Mustang II Suspension? (francis.swygert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
   9. some of my stuff on Craig's list (Jim Blair)
  10. Re: Mustang II Suspension? (John Elle)


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

Message: 1
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 11:04:43 -0400
From: "Jim Boone" <fljab@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [AMC-List] AMC-List Digest, Vol 7, Issue 50
To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <BAY116-F226E547B389912158A94B4AC3B0@xxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

for the 82-83 AMC
> > brakes and the price is excellent.
> >
> > eBay item # 150023770332
> >
Mark,

Thanks for the tip; I have a set coming my way.  I have a complete, used 
82-3 setup that's been sitting in a box under my workbench for a few yrs 
now.   I had been looking into/pricing parts to get it ready for install in 
one of the wagons.  This sure helps the budget!

Jim Boone
Mims, FL




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

Message: 2
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 09:21:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>
Subject: [AMC-List] burning for the man
To: AMC List <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0608270906200.24882@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

Rambler's all loaded (actually, a bit over-loaded), ready
for the haul uphill to Burning Man. Pretty much a 12 hr drive
from Los Angeles, up route 395 (so many strange and beautiful
sites on that road it's practically a desert amusement park),
camp just short of Reno, bomb it to Gerlach and beyond Monday
AM. It's literally an uphill drive all the way to the Reno area
from Los Angeles.

We return 4 September. Until then I'm 100% off the air. 

C U later! I'll post photos. Last year there was a 52 Nash
Ambassador there, the one car older than mine that I saw. Didn't
get any photos (never found it again) but I have more camera
capacity this year.


OO




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

Message: 3
Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2006 20:30:04 -0500
From: "Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [AMC-List] neat javelin story
To: <baadassgremlins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "AMC List" <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <000f01c6c9fa$fc6a26e0$e8f3b148@piageedc1iqa5q>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original

http://users.frii.com/gbooth/Cars/index.htm

Eddie Stakes'
Planet Houston AMX
713.464.8825
eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.planethoustonamx.com
Email is currently HEAVY
5-12 day reply times, call if important


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

Message: 4
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 11:48:09 -0700
From: Mark Price <markprice242@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [AMC-List] AMC-List Digest, Vol 7, Issue 50
To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Jim Boone <fljab@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <5224576.1156704489763.JavaMail.root@web21>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Good, glad someone needed them.
It pays to know interchanges sometimes. Especially on Ebay.
Mine are on the way too.
--
Mark Price
markprice242ATadelphia.net
Morgantown, WV


---- Jim Boone <fljab@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: 
> for the 82-83 AMC
> > > brakes and the price is excellent.
> > >
> > > eBay item # 150023770332
> > >
> Mark,
> 
> Thanks for the tip; I have a set coming my way.  I have a complete, used 
> 82-3 setup that's been sitting in a box under my workbench for a few yrs 
> now.   I had been looking into/pricing parts to get it ready for install in 
> one of the wagons.  This sure helps the budget!
> 
> Jim Boone
> Mims, FL
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 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: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 12:12:03 -0700
From: Mark Price <markprice242@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [AMC-List] Mustang II Suspension?
To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: John Elle <johnelle@xxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <23222417.1156705923501.JavaMail.root@web21>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Wow, That's alot of typing to not answer the question. :]
I'm not even remotely considering doing this as I don't have a need.
pg 76 of October issue of Rod and Custom as an article on a cool MII crossmember made in 56", 58", 60" track widths. Called the welder series, Article here
http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/0610rc_crossmember_installation/
It ships flat and you bend and weld it yourself. That's what i'd use for a starting point.
As to arguing, rack or box? Why bother, I find this issue to be very personal. I find a nice rack to be most pleasing, but lest not forget we all started at the box! [I'm really sorry, I had no intentention of going there, but I found it impossible to resist!]
And on that Note I will retire to allow my typing finger to recuperate!
Mark Price
markprice242ATadelphia.net
Morgantown, WV


---- John Elle <johnelle@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: 
> SNIP
> The only thing I can say is if'n I was cuttin I would likely committ
> sacrilege and install the heavier mustang II system. Tha extra room you
> gain
> and the incredible availability of bolt in parts plus the rack just
> plain seem
> to me to out weigh the dissadvantage of it being heavy.
>  Anyone know how much heavier the MII is???
> SNIP
>  
> The simple Mustang II suspension conversion (probably more politically
> correct than referring to it also as the Pinto conversion or Mercury
> Bobcat conversion) has become almost the standard of the industry as
> basic parts in fabricating a some what modern front suspension
> alternative to knee action, solid axle, hard to find or antiquated front
> suspensions of a wide variety of modified cars in the hobby. It too has
> a single bushing lower control arm with a strut rod that goes forward
> rather than rearward in the car leaving the lower control arm to go
> through a weird pivot motion of one bushing and a funky strut rod
> location. 
>  
> The following is from a web site that sells Mustang II suspension
> options. 
> The Mustang II (MII) suspension geometry originally came from the '70
> Pinto. It was designed in the late '60s specifically as a cheap-to-make
> setup for a four-cylinder car with. This made the MII system relatively
> inexpensive for rodders to purchase and fairly simple to install in
> their rods. The real bonus was that it had a narrow track, making it
> perfect for rods, plus it had rack-and-pinion steering-possibly the
> first American car to come so equipped. The system was simple and
> compact, and offered pretty good geometry. Perhaps best of all, the
> crossmember could be purchased separately from the local Ford dealer
> while the remaining components were readily available at the local
> wrecking yard.
>  
> The rest of the article can be read at the following URL;
> http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/custom_mustang_II_suspe
> nsion/
>  
> Since than the basic Pinto parts have been supplemented by aftermarket
> with a full lower control arm supported by 2, not 1 bushing and this
> gets rid of the strut rod!
>  
> By the way a simple web search using Yahoo and Mustang II Suspension as
> an exact phrase came up with 9200+ web sites while the same search using
> the words Trunion +AMC came up with 188. Do I detect a difference in
> popularity?
>  
> I do not know anyone that has actually adapted a Mustang II suspension
> in any form to any AMC automobile. Probably at least one reason is no
> matter what type of suspension the AMC car has for street use, they are
> rebuildable and functional when done and probably with an all ball joint
> suspension well under $250.00 in parts for almost everything and with
> trunions probably well under $600.00 in parts. While most people I know
> do it them selves I am sure a number of people have it done. I have
> rebuild about 2 dozen '70 and newer front suspensions. If that is the
> case my guess that you may see $1500 or so bills on it. Maybe more.
>  
> Now the previously mentioned number does not include adding hubs and
> brakes to the cost but that can be done in parts generally for a number
> between $100 and $500 in parts and once again is usually handled by the
> owner and how good a scrounger he is and what he or she will re-use
> rather than re-place. 
> I have a whole usable disk brake system on a shelf that can be bolted
> onto any AMC car I own that I got for nothing by just stripping a car
> that was going to be crushed. 
>  
> The question was, what is the weight of a Pinto Suspension. That may
> very a bit depending on the source but for the sake of argument let us
> identify the source as Fat Man Fabricators. 
> Url is www.fatmanfab.com <http://www.fatmanfab.com/>  . Their affordable
> IFS starts out as a $1495.00 cost plus shipping. The stage II with
> polished A arms start at $1795. The Stage III with polished stainless,
> pro style shock towers and GENUINE PRO Coil-overes slides in at an even
> $2195 with air suspension only $2795.00. Notice the operative words
> "starts at"!
> Now I am not sure the above numbers are related to weight or not, but
> that seems pretty heavy to me. 'Specially when I can not sell my
> completed and modified Spirit for much over $900.00 and these parts have
> not been installed yet. 
> Now granted these are hub to hub units and the cross member can probably
> substitute for the AMC unit and become the motor mount too, but I have
> not included the cost of welding all of this together, or learning to
> weld or buying a welder. A tool I will bet that many of us do not have.
> I just got mine 5 years ago and I have been in the hobby since 1956.
>  
> An alternative to Fat Man is Street Rod Engineering, URL
> www.streetrodengineering.com <http://www.streetrodengineering.com/>   in
> Lake Havasu. This leaves about 9,198 others to check out to determine if
> this is the type of money that needs to be spent to correct something
> that is not currently broken or if broken can be repaired for something
> under a grand for the most part. 
>  
> I dunno, but I don't see this solution becoming to popular! Is it
> doable? Yuh, I think it is and probably easier than most people realize
> but of course there is the matter of installing the rack and pinion
> steering and getting the steering box hooked up to the steering column
> the power steering modified to work with the rack and pinion and a few
> other minor foibles but I think when said and done it ain't agonna be
> much better than what is in there already. 
>  
> And that seems pretty heavy to me.
> 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: 6
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 16:14:08 -0500
From: "Armand Eshleman" <aje1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [AMC-List] 70 front suspension
To: <amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <002601c6ca1d$bcaf3860$6601a8c0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

Sorry I can't add anything to the conversation other than I like the front
end of my 70 Javelin just fine for  the street. How ever I have been trying
to chase down information on the  70 Penske cars front suspension for a long
time. I wonder what modifications they used to make the cars handle better.
Anybody have any information thay could send my way?? Maybe some photos of
the real cars suspension ?

Thanks,
Armand



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

Message: 7
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 17:15:43 -0500
From: Ray Mick <rmick@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [AMC-List] 70 front suspension
To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <8C80AEED-6551-420C-8BA1-428AE01CEFE3@xxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed

There are some pictures here of how they beefed up the components.  
http://www.amx-perience.com/TransAmRacing1971.htm
On Aug 27, 2006, at 4:14 PM, Armand Eshleman wrote:

> Sorry I can't add anything to the conversation other than I like  
> the front
> end of my 70 Javelin just fine for  the street. How ever I have  
> been trying
> to chase down information on the  70 Penske cars front suspension  
> for a long
> time. I wonder what modifications they used to make the cars handle  
> better.
> Anybody have any information thay could send my way?? Maybe some  
> photos of
> the real cars suspension ?
>
> Thanks,
> Armand
>
> _______________________________________________
> AMC-List mailing list
> AMC-List@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list
>
> or go to http://www.amc-list.com

Ray Mick
Somewhere in Kansas
"The older I get the faster I was"
72 Javelin/AMX
72 Javelin R/W/B SST
71 Javelin
See my Javelin @
http://community.webshots.com/album/54361408pRyvWE

My RWB Javelin@ http://members.cox.net/jvlnnut/Site/My%20Space.html

Mid America AMC
www.midamericaamc.com





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

Message: 8
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 03:53:20 -0000
From: <francis.swygert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [AMC-List]  Mustang II Suspension?
To: <amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:
	<8B4C911BEBA5E24888E353FF362B9E7702E660C0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
	
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

 I have a few pics of an MII installation in a late 60s American, but
the guy used an original MII crossmember, which is to short. He cut
front rail sections out and narrowed by welding square tubing to the
inside of the rails. It wasn't pretty by any means, but could have been
dressed up. 

I don't think the MII front suspension is much heavier, if any, than the
stock AMC suspension. It shouldn't be, it's basically the same thing
with the spring relocated. The only added weight is the spring "hats"
and the bar that holds the upper arm in place, by two. Maybe 20 pounds
extra? 

There are two problems with these and AMC cars. The first is you have to
cut a big hole in the spring tower for clearance and weld the hats in.
The hats sits right against the outer side and over the top of the front
rail. This is old 18 gauge sheet metal you're welding too. The kits
assume you're welding to a much thicker real frame -- they don't make
kits for unit body cars, and the MII/Pinto/Bobcat don't count -- they
were designed from scratch for this type suspension and it bolts right
in, it's not welded except for spot welds holding the thing together. If
the welding isn't done properly the welds will rip out the front rail,
leaving it difficult if not impossible to repair. The hats should have
1/8" plate welded to them where they go against the AMC front rail then
have holes drilled for four 3/8" bolts -- two from the top going all the
way through the rails vertically and two from the lower outer edge going
through the rails horizontally. You'll need tubing inside the rails so
the bolts don't crush them and plates on the opposite side of the rail
to spread the load sufficiently. Don't cut to big a hole in the spring
tower, just enough to allow the adjusting nuts to clear and you
shouldn't lose much strength, but will lose some. The extra metal and
welding will add to the cost of a kit. Once cut it would be difficult to
go back to the original suspension -- it would require replacing the
spring tower and most likely the front rails. In other words, botch the
installation and you're screwed. It's not an easy task. 

This is quoted from a Mustang forum as what's required to properly
install a MII suspension in an early Mustang: 
"This is a major exercise involving removing all the existing front
suspension, steering, and much of the shock towers. The Mustang II front
sub-frame assembly complete with suspension, brakes and rack and pinion
steering is then positioned in the correct location. Uprights are welded
on to pick up the existing chassis rails and thus attach it to the car.
The two big advantages are the conversion to R&P steering, and the big
gain in engine bay space, (by removal of the shock towers) giving more
room for headers and making spark plug changes so much easier. Check
this link. Easiest way to complete the conversion is to buy one of the
aftermarket kits now available such as: Rod & Custom Motorsport.
http://www.rcmotorsports.net/page6.html This is a total Mustang II Front
End Kit, with manual or power rack, tubular upper & lower A-arms, Fully
adjustable coilovers and has the small or big block mounts. "

The second problem for AMCs is that the MII arms and hubs are wider than
a stock AMC front end by at least 1.5" This may not be to much, but the
arms may be wider. The 1.5" is due to an additional 3/4" offset in each
hub when compared to AMC hubs. I've never compared the arms. 

If you insist on replacing the suspension instead of improving/repairing
with available parts, go ahead and buy a front stub frame. Many vendors
carry them. Just get one the right width then do all the cutting and
welding to install it. That will hold up, but will cost more and be more
work. At least it will be more reliable. I think a Chevy II bolt in kit
will work for a Hornet or American, maybe early Javelin/AMX. Cut
everything from the firewall forward off, weld in plates to bolt the CII
kit on, build structure to hold radiator and front clip. 
So the only advantage is a plethora of readily available aftermarket
parts. If you really want those Aerolite makes a nice brake kit with new
aluminum hubs, or you can knock the drums off a front drum setup and use
those hubs with aftermarket hat type rotors and custom caliper mounts.
That would be around $1000 in brake parts, little more than a MII big
brake kit, though you still have to have the caliper brackets made --
maybe $150. The $1000 MII kits from Speedway (www.speedwaymotors.com) do
have everything including disc brakes, but then there's all the work
described above of installing it. 

One last thing -- John, the MII still has strut rod to the rear, it's
the earlier Mustang/Falcon/Fairlane front end that has the forward strut
rod. I don't recall what the Granada had. 

-----------------------------------
Date: Sunday, August 27, 2006 12:22 AM
From: John Elle <johnelle@xxxxxxxxx> 
SNIP
The only thing I can say is if'n I was cuttin I would likely committ
sacrilege and install the heavier mustang II system. Tha extra room you
Gain and the incredible availability of bolt in parts plus the rack just
plain seem to me to out weigh the dissadvantage of it being heavy.
 Anyone know how much heavier the MII is???
SNIP

The simple Mustang II suspension conversion (probably more politically
correct than referring to it also as the Pinto conversion or Mercury
Bobcat conversion) has become almost the standard of the industry as
basic parts in fabricating a some what modern front suspension
alternative to knee action, solid axle, hard to find or antiquated front
suspensions of a wide variety of modified cars in the hobby. It too has
a single bushing lower control arm with a strut rod that goes forward
rather than rearward in the car leaving the lower control arm to go
through a weird pivot motion of one bushing and a funky strut rod
location.

(snip) 

I do not know anyone that has actually adapted a Mustang II suspension
in any form to any AMC automobile. Probably at least one reason is no
matter what type of suspension the AMC car has for street use, they are
rebuildable and functional when done and probably with an all ball joint
suspension well under $250.00 in parts for almost everything and with
trunions probably well under $600.00 in parts. While most people I know
do it them selves I am sure a number of people have it done. I have
rebuild about 2 dozen '70 and newer front suspensions. If that is the
case my guess that you may see $1500 or so bills on it. Maybe more.

Now the previously mentioned number does not include adding hubs and
brakes to the cost but that can be done in parts generally for a number
between $100 and $500 in parts and once again is usually handled by the
owner and how good a scrounger he is and what he or she will re-use
rather than re-place.

I have a whole usable disk brake system on a shelf that can be bolted
onto any AMC car I own that I got for nothing by just stripping a car
that was going to be crushed.

The question was, what is the weight of a Pinto Suspension. That may
very a bit depending on the source but for the sake of argument let us
identify the source as Fat Man Fabricators.
Url is www.fatmanfab.com <http://www.fatmanfab.com/>  . Their affordable
IFS starts out as a $1495.00 cost plus shipping. The stage II with
polished A arms start at $1795. The Stage III with polished stainless,
pro style shock towers and GENUINE PRO Coil-overes slides in at an even
$2195 with air suspension only $2795.00. Notice the operative words
"starts at"!
Now I am not sure the above numbers are related to weight or not, but
that seems pretty heavy to me. 'Specially when I can not sell my
completed and modified Spirit for much over $900.00 and these parts have
not been installed yet.
Now granted these are hub to hub units and the cross member can probably
substitute for the AMC unit and become the motor mount too, but I have
not included the cost of welding all of this together, or learning to
weld or buying a welder. A tool I will bet that many of us do not have.
I just got mine 5 years ago and I have been in the hobby since 1956.

(snip)

I dunno, but I don't see this solution becoming to popular! Is it
doable? Yuh, I think it is and probably easier than most people realize
but of course there is the matter of installing the rack and pinion
steering and getting the steering box hooked up to the steering column
the power steering modified to work with the rack and pinion and a few
other minor foibles but I think when said and done it ain't agonna be
much better than what is in there already.

And that seems pretty heavy to me.
John




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

Message: 9
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 22:25:13 -0700
From: "Jim Blair" <carnuck@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [AMC-List] some of my stuff on Craig's list
To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <BAY114-F37F8BF55409AF237B6B4B8AC380@xxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/pts/199781006.html

_________________________________________________________________
Get real-time traffic reports with Windows Live Local Search  
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=42.336065~-109.392273&style=r&lvl=4&scene=3712634&trfc=1



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

Message: 10
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 03:55:37 -0700
From: "John Elle" <johnelle@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [AMC-List] Mustang II Suspension?
To: mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <000901c6ca90$82be78a0$2cdd0d82@john1>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

Frank, 
SNIP
One last thing -- John, the MII still has strut rod to the rear, it's
the earlier Mustang/Falcon/Fairlane front end that has the forward strut
rod. I don't recall what the Granada had.
SNIP
Thanks, I was not aware of that. Additionally the pictures at the 
Following url miss-lead me. The Mustang II Clip with the sway bar
on it looked so much like an AMC front end that it appeared as if 
the strut rods went forward too.
 
http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/custom_mustang_II_suspe
nsion
 
While I agree with your installation description in general I'll reserve
judgment up to a point  if I could. 
There are many kits out there for a variety of installation applications
and I am sure that depending 
on manufacturer, modifications could be incorporated to ease some of the
concerns you raised. 
One of which is I would not want to install a Mustang II front
suspension unless it included the lower 
control arm with the two bushings rather than one and a strut rod.
What's the point of trying to 
install a suspension that is not any different than what you already
have. The additional bushing 
on the lower control arm eliminates the problems of dealing with the
strut rod. 
Secondly I would want one that gives me the same front track as the AMC
suspension in question. 
This would be one of the requirements of purchasing it in the first
place. I would not just grab the first
one I came across. These things are not cheap and I sure as toot'in
would get something that did 
not give me additional problems. In addition the mounting cross-member
would also have to serve 
as an engine mount support too so there is a contour situation there
that would have to be 
addressed to see to it that the engine does not get moved around in the
engine compartment 
and still fit. And the installation of motor mounts on the cross member!
As far as mounting goes, the lower sub frame in AMC cars in that area
'specially in the '70+ cars
is prone to serious rusting problems, that would have to be dealt with.
I already have experience with
dealing with that. A lot of spot weld drills and some time spent will
allow a person to disassemble 
the inner fender wells and the spring tower areas of the uni-body which
is something I would do. Some 
careful cutting in order to remove the sub frame and weld the
cross-member in place would also be in 
order which would also drive what kit would be purchased so that this
could be done. The inner fender
and either a modified spring tower or a hand crafted sheet metal
replacement would then be welded 
back into the front of the car completing the assembly. There would have
to be some careful back
yard engineering done to install some load transferring members to the
element that comes forward
from the upper part of the firewall that carries the weight of the car
but having had that part of the 
car apart myself in order to do a front clip I believe it is a doable
thing that  can be done with out 
structural concerns. 
However, as you stated and as I did too, the concept of putting
something like this together becomes 
a very pricey operation that can realistically approach $3000 as a
minimum (rather than cobbing
 together on a rust bucket with a large hammer and a hand full of scrap
iron although there are 
people who are capable of doing something like that well, I am not one
of them) something and
probably should start with a kit which is the biggest portion of the 3
grand is an awful lot of 
money to spend that will give something that is not a whole lot better
than what you already have. 
And can be repaired if broken for a number that would rarely be a third
of that.
. 
Anyway, an exercise like this is food for thought and may give some one
an idea as to how to 
accomplish this type of a project and then give a report on it. It was
banter of this kind that lead 
me to front clip an AMX and learning to weld to do it.  As I have
mentioned to many people when 
asked why I did it. The front clip project saved a very unique and
pretty 1980 AMX from ending 
up on a scrap heap and I was truly too stupid at the time to know that
it could not be done. The scary 
part of course is that I'm smarter now and I know I can do it again.
 
I might point out though that I have seen an AMC car with so much rust
in that area of the 
lower sub frame that nothing was left of it and the only thing holding
the front of the car to the rest of 
car was the inner fender wells and the remains of the spring tower. They
were rippled and ripped 
from the stress and the front of the car sagged so bad you could not get
a jack under it but the 
owner was still driving it and was clueless as to how badly damaged the
car was!
 
John
 


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End of AMC-List Digest, Vol 7, Issue 51
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