Re: 1971 AMC Hornet SST 2 door, assistance please.

[Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>]

> I just got ripped off, badly, by a mechanic in Vegas,
> and am having a leaky transmission (damn borg-warner
> crap). I paid to have my transmission repaired when it
> failed, it was the original transmission and I think
> it lasted 124k miles.

There are incompetant fools in the transmission business.  There's
a good trans shop in Tucson (I used to live there), I'll see if I
can't recall the name... George's Transmission? N. of town
somewhere. Older guy, not in a big hurry but does good work.

Everyone slags those little aluminum BW transmissions, but they
are fine, and very reliable when maintained. If your motor is
good, and you're happy with an automatic, it's probably easier and
cheaper end-to-end to keep the little BW.

Mine's got 200K miles in a heavy station wagon. Air cooled!

You cannot switch to a "modern" auto trans without changing
engines to match it.

There's an auto parts store I used to patronize, down on 22nd st,
can't recall the name. They have a machine shop. In a mini
industrial park out back is a guy named Ray Buckner. He built the
304 v8 in my Gremlin. He's a little bit of a nut, has a messy
shop, usually a bad sign, but he has a "clean room" for building
motors and he did a good job on mine. He's... let's say, bad with
schedules. Does good work though and didn't do that "Ford or
Chevy" thing with me.

There's a parts yard, Millie's, in town, she has some few AMC
stuff, but there's not a lot I ever found in Tucson. Some big

yards in Phoenix 130 mi. N.