Re: Non-AMC powered cars in AMO

[farna@xxxxxxx]

On April 17, 2005 John Rosa wrote:

> The first time I take one of my cars to an AMC show
> and I am told it is not good enough or stock enough,
> will probably be the last time I will attend one of
> these shows.!"

A lot of people feel that way, that's why you DON'T see a lot of "other" powered cars at AMO shows (but you see a few at NAMDRA shows). I've even seen a couple at AMCRC shows, but they have "people's choice" type judging. Rarely will an AMC guy vote for one of these cars IF the hood is up and/or they know it isn't AMC powered. 

> If that becomes the attitude of the owners of such
> cars, then allowing them at all might be wasted
> effort, since they won't be back the next year. ;)

Again, that's part of the problem. They start to think "those AMC guys are a bunch of snobs" and don't come back. In some ways I see the point, the club is for the preservation of AMC, but in many cases the owner didn't know any better or there were no AMC parts readily available. I've been asked many times "what AMC engine will fit, and what would it take" to put a V-8 where a six (or no engine) is. I ALWAYS suggest checking Jeep sources for V-8s and considering the 4.0L six. But there are cases where someone has a drivetrain already or they can't find an AMC drivetrain reasonably priced/close enough. Sure, you can have things shipped cross country easy enough, but that raises costs (got a budget?) and you have an unknown quantity there. owner said it was "running good when parked" a couple years ago. Might even say it isn't froze, but could be when you get it! And "running good" means different things to different folks. I once bought a Suzuki two-stroke bike that was "run!
 ning good". Well, it ran, and would stay running, but "needed a tune-up". Took it to someone who knew two strokes well. Had to turn the timing WAY up just to keep it running good, nothing else was wrong. He didn't like it, and told me something was wrong somewhere, just couldn't put a finger on it. I found out about three months later after I burned a hole in a piston on a long ride. The pistons would move around like a bell clapper in the bottom of the bore! At the top they looked good with barely a ridge (we did pull one head off), but as little as half way down it was a bit sloppy!

> But seriously, I'd actually be glad to see your car
> at a cruise-in or local drag strip. But in judged
> competition with other AMCs still powered by AMC,
> I'd be very offended to see them judged on an equal
> basis. Separate class, maybe....or a hefty automatic
> Points penalty within the same classes, maybe. But
> as equals? No, because they are not.

I have to agreed with you on this! Either a reasonable points penalty or separate class -- and I like separate class better. IIRC the AMO plan is to put them in a separate class, but if they garner enough points for senior level competition they will be judged on an equal basis. I'd think there would be a reasonable points penalty there though, so there would have to be some sorry all-AMC cars on the field for a non-AMC powered car to get better than third place! I don't think they should be penalized to the point they can't place at least third though. If they are built nice enough to get to that level the builder deserves the chance to at least place, I think. Of course that would be for modified class. 

> 
> 
> "I feel that I have saved this car from certian
> destruction, and if I want to upgrade it so I can
> drive it to more shows, I will."
> 
> Some wouldn't classify such a swap as an 'upgrade'.
> Hence, the need for separation.

Agreed. It's more a "convenience" than an upgrade in most cases, especially if swapping an AMC GEN-2/3 V-8 for another make V-8. I'd say even the GEN-1 V-8, but can't argue with a guy swapping an "other" V-8 for a 195.6. that's an upgrade! A 232 or 258 can be upgraded itself for less money/time/trouble than swapping in an "other" V-8 though, and have nearly as much power. I'd do that for a driver before swapping unless it was a racer and/or lots of power was really needed. There's nothing cooler under the hood than a hopped up in-line six!! ;> (can you tell I'm an in-line six fan?)

> 
> 
> "If the car was a rare model or something more valuable,
> I would not take this route. That is why I sold my
> Donohue and did not Prostreet it. What is the difference
> between me using a Chrysler motor and Chrysler trans
> since it already had a Chrysler trans anyway? It is not
> much different then putting a 401 in a Nash.
> Richard Payne"
> 
> Yes, techinically, it's not very different. But the
> resistance is borne of the attitude that if it's got an
> AMC engine, it's crap. SOOOOOO many Big Three fans believe
> their own B.S., and it has spread to become near-gospel
> in the hobby. Do to your car what you will if you like, as it's yours.
> But to expect those that keep them AMC-powered to treat
> them as equals is unreasonable. It takes tenacity to keep
> it all AMC. Using other engines is a form of surrender in
> the minds of the faithful.

To a degree I agree with this, especially the last two sentences! But real car nuts, even Big Three fans, realize that all engines are basically the same. They use what they are most familiar with or have already, and usually use the AMC body because it's something different. That's what the guy who built the wheel standing 63 American I featured did. It's the ignorant morons who paid to have their cars built and/or know little about cars who have the "AMC/Rambler must be trash" attitude. Like the ones who say things like "there's a reason they don't make them any more". I hate that! Yeah, there's a reason -- they were to small a company to compete with the guys with deep pockets who could afford to lose a good bit in a "price/marketing war" because they would make up for some of the loss in volume. That and a few bad executive decisions (most that looked good at the time -- who makes a bad decision on purpose?) killed AMC, NOT "bad cars/engines". 

Frank Swygert

=============================================================
Posted by wixList Archiver -- http://www.amxfiles.com/wixlist