Re: [AMC-list] Met a guy very interested in my '65

[Jack Dale <mercendarian@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Bruce:  There's Nothing "wrong" with a stock-car, but I want a "driver", and a driver requires MORE, MUCH MORE these days.  You probably weren't talking to ME on leaving a "driver" stock--heaven forbid!   A driver needs: the Willys head(OHC), AMC got by buying Jeep and then, instead of developing it, abandoned it.  IKA-Renault-Argentina sold cars with it on AMC 232 blocks until the mid- '80s, even racing them, in the IKA "Torino".  AMC would STILL be a viable manufacturer, imho, if they had had a DOHC, all-alloy-6 available when they needed something GREAT to put in the "stupidly-powered" Pacer(--after GM screwed AMC and itself over the Wankle they failed to make, although the 2-rotor would have been thirsty, and the Pacer was at least 600lbs too heavy), and no-V-8s for the Eagle (which made it too thirsty and as fast as a stock Beetle, so except for the 4-whl, it could hardly get out of its own way!  For probably $60/car, the 304-401 could
 have been adapted to power the Eagle, maybe with a dry-sump system).  AMC could have halved the AMC 401 V-8, proved it, than made it into an alloy V-4 that could have been a shorter-distance to even a DOHC-6 head for their 6, and could have put out a 130+Hp(SAAB had a V-4{--raced & rallied}earlier than the '75 Pacer).  AMC COULD...have been the "American BMW", and Chapin and other bean-counters betrayed all that COULD have been.  Even now, most with a AMC-era CJ-5/7 or wagoneer/J-series truck, won't change the engine, but might put an alloy DOHC-headed, cross-flow HEAD on their overweight (500lbs!), anemic AMC 3.4-3.8-4.2-4.0 flat-/OHV sixes (although the 4.0 Hi-output was a VAST improvement @ 188hp).  There MUST be over a million AMC-era vehicles of the types I've mentioned, so that means perhaps 250,000 Alloy DOHC heads could be sold, and if not that, at least Tens of thousands could be sold.  I think even an alloy-block AMC 6/later-6 would
 sell to renovators and Jeepers, alike.  Believe me, "cast-it", and they will buy. '66-67 steering columns should go on all the '65 & older AMCs that are drivers, imo.   If I ever own an AMX-driver again, I'll have 4-whl disc, Concours-judging be demmed.   Drum-braking is good for about 6 stops,--One or two of those, Emergency.  I'd continue to collect stockers, even interesting rust-buckets, because if we can dump Communist-Kooks like O'Vomit, 3-D replication will revolutionize car-collecting, because it's possible to get parts that are made of aluminum and even titanium metallic substrates.  All those trim parts we spend large parts of our free-time chasing, we can have MADE, MORE perfectly... than factory, someday, soon.   I think the motorcycle/-car clubs in England are "better" than many of our clubs, because English clubs have "spares(parts)-schemes" where garage factories make parts with better metallurgy than the originals, which were
 made squeezing the last pence out of the design.  Examples I know of are the Jampot Club (AJS/Matchless motorcycles), Velocette Owners, and the Norton Owners clubs to name several.   Get dozens of club members together, and the dues can finance spares so one's pride and joy can be motored into the Next century, by whomever its left to.  Lastly, remember the Stutz, Pierce-Arrow, Duesenberg, and Marmon?  Those are cars all remembered cheifly for their engines and drivability, because custom-bodies could be fitted to a Model-A Ford.   Do what you wish, Bruce, just do it.  There lots of room for everybody's ideas, and God-Bless us all.  I find I care less about appearance mods as for drivability mods.

 

________________________________
 From: bruceg <bruce.griffis@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "AMC, Rambler, Nash, Jeep and family" <amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2012 3:02 PM
Subject: Re: [AMC-list] Met a guy very interested in my '65
  
It's a hard thing to figure out. While I think resto-mods are cool, I bought the '65 because it was so original, and where it wasn't original, it was appropriate to the mid 60's. It would be a shame to take a '65 American and essentially turn it into a '69 American. Might as well leave it as original as possible. I liked the low back bench. It's very cool. I like the three on the tree. I am a granny shifter kind of guy, and am comfortable with a slow-shifting transmission. I like the sound the 195.6 makes, enjoy torquing the head, and enjoyed adjusting the valves. I think rather than resto-modding it, I'll either drive it as original as possible, or sell it to someone that wants it original.

Nothing against customized AMCs and hot-rodded AMCs and resto-mod'ed AMCs. Frank's wagon is cool. Wrambler's 4.0 and T5 equipped American is awesome and Tom Jenning's '63 is very cool. But I think I'll sell my 232 and T14, try to get my 195.6 and T96 working again and either drive it - or go for an original looking Gremlin, Hornet or Concord.

On 10/26/2012 09:53 PM, Jeff Reeves wrote:
> I know you've been very invested in that 65 American and I can tell you really love the car.
> 
> However, given the most recent posts you've made regarding the car, my thinking is that you may have the right idea.
> 
> I gather that you're limited in the amount of money you have to spend on the car, and you seem to be running into a bit of a wall regarding
> the mechanical dos and don'ts of the engine swap in the American, so maybe it would be a good thing to change?
> 
> Regarding a later car, there seems to be a fairly good assortment of those showing up lately. Here in Atlanta there have been several really nice Concords showing up
> and that's not even mentioning the Concord and the Gremlins that Bob Reno is trying to sell over near Ft. Payne, AL. I've seen Bob's cars and can vouch that he's got some decent stuff and it's very fairly priced (cheap, even!).
> 
> And, also, you point out the need for more safety equipment for your kid. A Concord might be a good compromise in both safety, comfort and AMC-dom.
> 
> Of course, that's just my opinion, and combined with $1.50 might buy you a cup of coffee somewhere.
> 
> Jeff Reeves
> Auburn, GA
> 01 Grand Cherokee
> 72 Javelin SST
> 69 Ambassador DPL
> 68 AMX
> 
> 
> 


_______________________________________________
AMC-list mailing list
AMC-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://list.amc-list.com/listinfo.cgi/amc-list-amc-list.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://list.amc-list.com/pipermail/amc-list-amc-list.com/attachments/20121028/49d5c796/attachment.htm>
_______________________________________________
AMC-list mailing list
AMC-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://list.amc-list.com/listinfo.cgi/amc-list-amc-list.com