67 AMERICAN WAGON ORDEAL

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Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2004 17:23:56 -0500
From: AUTOtronic@xxxxxxx
Subject: 67 AMERICAN WAGON ORDEAL
To: mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <ADVANCES62FRaqbC8wS00000021@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hello everyone, been overseas for the past five weeks and still haven't gotten 
the latest edition to my herd back to SoCal, a clean 67 440 SW that I picked up 
in Las Vegas a month ago. Right now it's in barstow with a clogged radiator and 
a BW auto that won't shift in to third gear. 

Fisrt, with the BW Flash-O-Matic, who has had problems with the 2-3 shift and 
short of a rebuild, what should I be looking at? A shop in Barstow wants $900 
for a rebuild, which is about twice what I think it should be and looking at the 
TSM, there are some things they should be looking at. I was wondering if anyone 
else had any experience with this problem. Since I'm planning a V8 swap, I 
really don't want to spend more than $100 more to get this thing fixed. Any 
suggestions?

* Yes, have it towed in. The trans shop is giving the best advice, unfortunately. The trans is old. They could easily patch something just to have something else pop when the pressure comes up. If you're not keeping the trans, it shouldn't cost that much to have it transported on an open trailer.

As I stated a month ago, I want to do a V8 swap in to this car. I have the 78 
Concord 304/3-speed auto hatchback sitting in my driveway, am I best just using 
it as a donor car? Will the TorqueFlite physically fit without structural 
modificatiosn?

* A 727 will be a tight fit, but will fit in the trans tunnel. I'd have a 998 or 999 built for a 360 instead of using that monster 727. 

What I'm hoping to find, here on the west caost, is a V8 American donor car, in 
CA, AZ or NV. If anyone knows of any V8 Americans or Hornets for sale, can you 
please let me know. I am under the impression that a V8 
Hornet/Gremlin/Concord/Spirit will make for a drop in swap after the 
crossmemeber is swapped out. I hate to break up the Concord V8 hatchback because 
they are so rare but the body is poor so maybe that's the best bet and will get 
the 67 wagon where I want it to be.

* Galvin's has a repro crossmember and engine side plates. Those are all you need. The trans crossmember can be easily modified for the trans mount. 

Will a radiator out of a Concord work in an American? Has anyone  made such a 
swap? Besides the hatchback, I have another 78 Concord which is a parts car and 
can take the radiator out of it.

* Yep, the radiator is practically the same in all the small cars. There may be a difference in the mounting brackets, but they are easily swapped if there is one. I've used a Concord radiator in an early model American. 

As always, any suggestions are appreciated.

Richard Truesdell 

--
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Independent 
Magazine" (AIM)
*Elite* publication for those 
interested in all 
aspects of AMC 
history,performance,restoration,etc
. 
(AMC,Rambler,Nash,Hudson,Jeep,etc.)
http:farna.home.att.net/AIM.html
(free download available!)