Re: [Amc-list] Late engine/trans into earlier body...(83 Spirit running gear into a 1963 Breadbox)

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

I'm not going to beat this horse any more after this message, I promise! I understand if Russ or others have further comment though, I'm not saying it should be shut down, just that I think I've stated my opinion as fully as possible. Russ and I may just disagree, but that's okay, I won't hold it against him in any way at all! 

Actually, as far as preserving and caring for AMC cars, all the work required to shoehorn a 258 in an early American DOES go against what this hobby is all about. So would sticking just about anything other than one of the original type engines under the hood. This isn't a hot-rodder forum, it's one devoted to AMC cars. I know we kind of cross over into hot-rodding some times, but that's not the main focus of this group, it's really a sidebar. 

There are a few more practical choices that would make it a nice car to drive other than AMC power, as unfortunately nothing AMC made would be an *easy* fit. Jerijan mentioned making the car a nice economical driver. It's not exactly economical to shoehorn a long engine under that hood, no more so than putting an old Nash straight-eight under the hood of say a Matador Coupe. Sure it can be done, but by "economical" I mean considering the time to do so as well as expense. The time might be "free" since it's yours to do what you want, but time is still an investment in a project. The longer late model six simply WILL NOT fit without major modifications and fabrication to the body itself. I thought I made that clear, you should have read the entire post rather than stopping at "WILL NOT fit". 

My main point is that the car will basically be ruined, more so than sticking a Ford six or even an SBC in (depending on how radical the SBC installation was). Too much would have to be cut up to make it practical to return the car to original at a later date if desired. If it was about to go to the crusher anyway, no-harm-no-foul, I guess. 

---------
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 10:29:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: russ hathaway <russh97309@xxxxxxxxx>

So my point is that just saying in bold letters that it won't fit goes against what this hobby is all about. Try it or at least look at it with a critical eye before saying what won't work. That said I won't beat on this dead horse any longer.....Russ 

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)

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