If I'm thinking the same as you're thinking, I think the factory purposely put a small bend in the hood brace so it WOULD fold. That way in a collision the hood folds rather than come back through the windshield. ; ) Ken Ames 39Master85w.partscar,67Marlin343,68AMX343,70Machine,73Matador2drht401, 73Hornet4dsd,73-74-75-76GremlinXs,75PacerX,76Hornet2dsd,76-77Matadorcpes, 2-77AMXs304,78AMX304,78Gremlin,78GremlinGT,78Concordsw,79Concordhb,79PacerDL304, 2-79AMXs304/401,2-80AMXs258/401,80SpiritDL304,80Eagle4dsdn,3-81SX4s, 81SpiritGT,2-81Concord4dsd,82Eaglesw,2-85Eaglesw,2-80J20/360,85J10,2-88Eaglesw, 89Sentra4dsd,94Sentra2dsd (45) AMCA = http://www.amcalberta.ca Quoting Eddie Stakes <eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>: > Komrad Russ, the shock towers are high selling point on car. > > http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/AMC-Matador-olga-cassine-/150508069113?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item230afae0f9 > > Better than Lada! > > http://www.oldrussiancars.com/ > > Actually some of those old Russian cars are rather cool. Frozen probably, but > cool. As for > the Matty, the biggest problem on them was NOT shock towers....but hoods too > heavy for > springs. They commonly, and I do mean commonly, break or crack just in front > of the hood > hinges in the metal which was not reinforced. This extended to all 74-78 > Matadors....including coupes......four doors and wagons, and also the one > year only coffin > nosed 74 Ambassador. There is a AMC memo out there letting dealers know about > keeping the > hinges well greased, but that would not solve problem, you just had factory > defect there. > This sometimes extended to the Hornet and gremlin models as while hoods not > as heavy, when > you would go to close the hood it would buckle in same spot due to weakness > in metal and > one (or both) of the hinges giving way. Want to see photo, email me directly > and ask for > 77 AMX hood photo which has this problem. I also have had a number of AMCs > with this > 'collaspable hood syndrome' thru the years unfortunately. And have to replace > usually > whole hood and or both hinges. > Eddie Stakes > 713.464.8825 > eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > www.planethoustonamx.com > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "russ hathaway" <russh97309@xxxxxxxxx> > To: "Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "Rambler Nash Jeep and > familyAMC" > <amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 12:46 AM > Subject: Re: [AMC-list] olga's mattador > > > > Eddie; whats he mean by "the shock towers rusting". Is this just another > persistant > > story that circulates, like Chevy supplying the 327 engines to > rambler.....Russ > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > AMC-list mailing list > AMC-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > http://list.amc-list.com/listinfo.cgi/amc-list-amc-list.com > _______________________________________________ AMC-list mailing list AMC-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://list.amc-list.com/listinfo.cgi/amc-list-amc-list.com