Re: [AMC-List] rambler hot rod // backwards six

[farna@xxxxxxx]

Why worry about a backwards rotation? Use a 4x4 tranny and ditch the transfer case. Make a sleeve (you have a mill, though might need a lathe) to mate the output shaft directly to a Corvette or Jaguar diff. A little longer than a "real" transaxle, especially if you use an auto trans, but not to bad. There were a few lakes roadsters with similar setups, or land speed roadsters. Use an axle and steering system like one of the "snub nose" sixties trucks and sit over the front wheels, or at least with your legs between them. Now THAT would be a cool car! 
The other alternative is to use an 80s Toronado/ElDorado transaxle -- when those cars used the "corporate" (SBC) 350. You can find an adapter for the AMC to SBC transaxle, and the TH-350 based transaxle can be beefed up to handle the load easy enough. Would be better than the TH-400 transaxle as far as weight is concerned. That would make for a bit shorter car, but would require more suspension work in the rear. The Jag or 'vette rear suspension is pretty easy. I haven't looked at a late Toro/ElDo. 

I have a 70s MOTOR'S manual with that suspension (TH-400 trans). It uses conventional looking uppar and lower A-arms. No springs -- the lower arm pivots on a torsion bar. The easy way to use that setup is by cutting an original frame and welding it into the new frame. Narrowing would require cutting half shafts (or using shorter ones). 80s and later Chilton's manuals generally suck -- not enough illustrations or text on most things. But there is a pic of the Toro/Eldo/Riv transaxle. It's basically the same as the older one except for TH-350 based instead of 400. Check for "E" body Toro/Eldo/Riv (Riviera), and also the Olds Trofeo (don't think I've ever seen one of those). 79-85 used an Olds 307, 350, 350 diesel, or 4.1L V-6 (larger version of the 231 -- I wonder if SBC pattern?) and the longitudinal transaxle. Might be harder to get an adapter for the Olds bolt pattern, but those might use an SBC pattern -- at least the V-6 (which wasn't popular -- hard to find I'm sure). Th!
 ese use
d a torsion bar suspension similar to the older cars also. No pic, but it does go into replacing torsion bars in a similar fashion as with the older ones. 86 and later are all transverse engines. 

---------original message--------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 17:40:21 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [AMC-List] rambler hot rod // backwards six

Well I didn't expect so many ideas from my hare-brained project
thunking... but I think when all is said and done, that if I
do decide to make a rod it will be conventional front engine,
rear drive, for the simple reason it is a no-brainer to assemble
with standard parts, and I can keep it all AMC, and that I have
a lot of the hard parts right now in my pile.

I guess I've decided that I want to build the Navarro test mule
motor into a hot rod; that I can make a Z exhaust pipe to get it
literally out of my face; that more usual hot rod chassis stuff
will be OK (I might afford to actually build and complete it).
<snip>

--
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
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