re: project scc/rambler in car craft

[<eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Regarding the Car Craft Rambler, you can see what direction this project was 
going to take from the beginning back in 2004:

From: "Glad, Douglas"
To: <eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 3:34 PM
Subject: RE: $500 tunnel ram
> Hi Eddie,
> Found a Herman Lewis tunnel ram for 600 so we are using that for the 360
> flog. We also found a '67 Rambler American 440 here in California for the
> project car. I am looking for a front bumper, passenger side headlight
> bezel, and the hood ornament. All the other parts are there. I will post
> some stuff about the car on Car Craft.com in a couple of days. Thanks for
> all the help.
> douglas
> Douglas R. Glad
> New Media Editor
> CAR CRAFT Magazine
> 6420 Wilshire Blvd.
> Los Angeles, CA 90048

PS: Not sure if I sent these photos, but you can have a ton of fun with
ramblers for those on a budget......if anyone of your readers are looking
for a Rambler or AMC vehicle, for many years I have been doing the Shut Up &
Drive Lists which have over 100+ aMCs and Ramblers for sale on it each month
on my website. It, like lots of other stuff on my website is a free service.
This is my 69 SC/Rambler "wagon" recently on ebay, so as to not clog up your
email with pix:

Hi Eddie,
> > We are testing the Air Gap, the Torker, the Edelbrock heads and two
> > different cams on the 360. All new or relatively new stuff for the AMC
> > market. The tunnel ram idea is for fun.
> > douglas

My humble involvement was someone pointed him in my direction, so decided to 
help if I could. Same way if anyone here calls or emails me, no big deal. I 
think my concern was stated in the email below to him dated way back in 
January 2005, as he had contacted me in 2004 about the buildup. I signed up 
simply to help out, nothing more, knowing of Car Craft's really good 
reputation for stuff like this after decades in business, (though limited 
AMC anything) and thinking 'bout darned time they do a AMC. How they do it 
is of no concern to me, just do it and have fun doing it, which apparently 
they did. When he asked me for a Tunnel Ram however that sort of let me know 
which direction the "Project SCC/Rambler" (my nickname for it) would go.

From: <eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Glad, Douglas" <Douglas.Glad>
Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2005 9:39 PM
Subject: Re: AMC Intakes
Hi Doug, boy, I have not seen a UR-18 tunnel ram for awhiles, had one in
stock several years ago though. I took your request and posted it not only
on my own website's "message boards" but also on the www.amcforum.net
website in case anyone has a tunnel ram laying around for sale. Should be a
interesting project for ya'll. This is your direct link:
http://cgi.amcforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Wanted;action=display;num=1106449638

I can't tell you what to expect to pay, as used one usually sell in the
$500/low to $1200/high range. I decided to look thru several past issues of
NAMDRA www.namdra.com to see if any for sale.but nothing in the past 4
issues going back to September/Aug 04. Which I guess brings me to this:

You know us AMC bastards are dying for a build up article. A friend of mine,
Brian johnson put together a book on how he does it with a 360, and it has
sold well, he ain't getting rich, but sold enough so far to more than break
even. His link is on the front page of my website:
http://www.hobbyobsession.com/bjsbook.html

How about considering a build up and use a new Air Gap? The reason behind
this would be simple. They are NEW, and plentiful. And no one has done it.
But most of all, Edlebrock is one of your advertisers and could possibly
donate it, or other items. But more importantly, the Air Gap is something
easily obtainable for AMC and Jeep people. The UR-18 is not. I have had
several AMCs (out of 307 owned, some are shown in here!) with UR-18s. To me
at least, was not streetable, mostly eye candy for cruise nights.

So a built up 360 (and I applaud ya'll doing a damned 360 which was built
from 1970 thru 1992; it has the longest run of any aMC V8 and they are still
easily found, hell, you can go to places like Pick A Part
www.houstonpickapart.com and buy one for $89) so using a 360 is a awesome
idea. Using a UR-18 is not (my humble opinion!). Using some of the new items
available for AMC like aluminum heads, and the aforementioned Air Gap would
show AMCers what can be accomplished in 2005; almost 20 years after the fall
of AMC.

And you would sell magazines. And Edelbrock would be happy selling intakes.
And your build up article would acheive INSTANT cult like status with us
people who only DO AMC. No Ford, No Mopar, No Chevy and God forbid import!
But the sheer exposure using "off the shelf" parts to me at least, would be
lasting.

Lastly, if you wish, send me a link to the buildup and I'll put it on the
front page of my website, which gets hammered daily (I have a hidden
counter). Should get the old AMC world talking!
http://carcraft.com/projectbuild/116_0502_amc/

And free FREE to use ANYTHING off my website like 'vendors' or under the
'parts' file have tons of info. Might help me sell a few goodies and could
use the money, wife just started a new job and I just lost mine a few weeks
ago! If I can be of any assistance or help please feel free to call me
below, I'll return any calls also. Take care and tell the crew hi and thanks
for building up a American Motors engine!

I'm not going to get into the debate of welded rods and other stuff I don't 
have a clue about. But above is a little fluury of emails showing the 
direction this project was intended to take from the beginning, noting more. 
It's great that there are several great engine articles, from mild to wild, 
out there for AMC and Jeep owners in 2005.

For those interested in Car Craft's forum and the blog(?) thread about the 
Rambler click here:
http://forums.carcraft.primediaautomotive.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=carcraft&msg=1139.82&ctx=0

Turbo it, wow, some folks are exxxxtreeeeemmmmeeee.....some wanted a hemi 
crate it it too. Just happy for the press, and keeping another AMC out of 
the Chinese Three Gorges Dam.
Eddie Stakes