Re: mail Digest for 21 Aug 2005 in hour 17:00

[farna@xxxxxxx]

Peter, I based part of my initial assesment on 
1) It's not an AMC drivetrain. I'd have given it $10K, even more if the workmanship is top notch, with a well thought out 360 mount.
2) The engine mounts look to cobbled together. 2" square tubing welded in the sides (hopefully welded to 1/8" plate that is then bolted to the rails) supported from the bottom by round rods going down to the original crossmember. It's obvious that this was a 196 car, for one thing it's a 64 and the 232 wasn't available in the American until 65. There's more than one way to mount an engine, but this doesn't look professional at all. Nor does the cut and welded oil pan. Those two items make me wonder about some of the other work, how good was it? 

It needs to LOOK professional if it's to bring top dollar. Good looking work is usually good work. You can dress up shoddy work to make it look good, but it's more work to do that than to do it good in the first place! At least as far as fabrication. Heck, even body work -- it's a lot of work to get spray foam and bondo to look like good sheet metal! 

--
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Independent 
Magazine" (AIM)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AIM.html
(free download available!)
			

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
> Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 16:27:58 -0500
> From: Peter Marano <carmine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: AMC-List <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re:No justice at all!!
> 

> > But this 64 American with a Chevy V-8 was up to $8400! The engine mounts don't 
> look very well thought out. If they are welded to the sides and don't have a 
> bolt on flange I would question how well they will hold up. The oil pan had to 
> be cut and welded to fit, and it likely has the six cylinder front springs. 
> That's fine as far as height, since an SBC doesn't weigh any more than the old 
> 195.6, but spring rate will be a bit soft. They don't even really know what size 
> the engine is -- listed as "350 maybe"!! 
> > 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/AMC-RAMBLER-RAMBLER_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ53
> 57QQitemZ4568791196QQrdZ1
> > 
> > Asking price on the car is $12,500, but I don't think it's worth over $9K from 
> what I've seen. 

> > 
> 
> This car might be worth that kind of money; it looks to be in great 
> shape.  The problem is that if you don't inspect the car the photos are 
> not nearly good enough to make a ~$10,000.00 commitment.  Now it may be 
> that the bidders inspected the car.  Or is it a case of shill bidding?
> Or are 1964 Ramblers with Chevy V8s much more popular than I imagine!
> 
> Peter Marano
> 
> Kenosha WI

>