Re: AMC Butchery

[farna@xxxxxxx]

You're correct -- a non-AMC powerplant in an AMC that is worth a little something WILL lower the appraised price, and usually the selling price. I do custom and hot rod appraisals (as well as restorations), and I appraise a car with an AMC powerplant (or whatever make it is), even a swapped in later model, higher than one with "alternate" power. The same make engine usually makes the car easier to sell too. Any other engine in one of the more popular, industry recognized collectible AMCs like an AMX or Javelin would bring the price down considerably. 

It's possible that a full custom AMX might be appraised at a higher value than a restored AMX, but it would have to be something really special to do that. I've never seen one that I'd appraise higher, though there are some that have appraised about equal to what a pristine AMX resto would. I have to add that if all things were equally done to an AMC engine, the car would have appraised for $1500+ more. When you seriously dig into a Chevy engine, you don't spend much more than you would on an AMC engine -- not enough to make up the loss in value anyway.

There are exceptions, like the 1960 Rambler wagon (full custom) that I just appraised. The guy worked wonders with the 195.6 OHV -- it really looks nice all chromed up! But with all the other mods done to the car (four door wagon turned into a two door panel delivery, full air suspension, but bone stock drivetrain) it really needs a V-8 -- even a Chevy would make it more attractive to most custom car buyers, hence a higher value. 

So while I have to say I would have appraised it $2500 or so higher with a Chevy V-8, I'd have given an extra $500 or so ($3000 or so higher) if it had an AMC engine in there instead of a Chevy/Ford/Chrysler. Cars like that appeal to hot rodders and custom car nuts, not restorers. What powers them is irrelevant, but even those people like to see something "different" under the hood rather than cookie cutter, goes along with their nature! 

p.s. -- Yes Bart, I have a British (Jag) rear axle in my Rambler. If AMC had made an IRS I'd have used it, and I had to change from the Torque Tube and change the axle (AMC 15, and TT model) anyway. It's to hard to find a narrow model 20, at least it was near Gulfport MS, and even Jeep Cherokee axles are to wide (I tried that one, even ran one for a bit!). And it would have cost me much more to narrow a big car AMC 20 and stick that in. Now if I'd had a 20 to begin with I'd have narrowed a later model big car housing to fit the early 20 axles. That's a trick I just figured out, and don't know why no one has done it yet! A 67-78 big car axle will easily mount in a 63-66 if narrowed. The upper arm crossmember is a couple inches wide, but can be trimmed, and angle brackets welded in to mount it. Then weld or bolt on mounts for the lower arms. I mounted the lower arms for my Jag axle pretty much the same as the 67-78 lower arms. Of course you could just buy one-piece axles for t!
 he width you want then narrow the tubes -- CJ axles might even be about right, and I know early Javelin axles are.

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From: "Arthur Hansen" <tarior@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: AMC Butchery
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 12:05:21 -0700

I'm with Bart on this one (Hey Bart, how's it goin'!?, I've been off'list 
for awhile), if it saves an AMC body, then great. Heck, if a Chevy motor can 
be swapped in, it can be swapped back out, too. AMC powered AMX's seem to 
have a low price limit of about $5000, while I've seen some Chev powered 
ones go for a couple grand less.

my .02

Arthur

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