Re: [Amc-list] more information on my 63 770

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

Adam, it all depends on what you want to do with the car. If you want it 
to be an authentic restoration you go back with what it had, period. 
That's what the word "restored" means. If you want to just "fix it up" 
to look close to original, let's call it "semi-restored", then the red 
spray paint should be good enough. It will be close to Rampart Red. 
"Restored" is one of the most abused words in the auto hobby! I've seen 
ads such as "1932 Ford Coupe, Fat Man MII front suspension, xxx wheels 
and tires, small block Ford, 9" rear end, perfectly restored". Now they 
could mean it's a restored hot rod -- it was restored from the way they 
got it, but you see ads like this from original builders. Look up 
"restore" in the dictionary!

To be honest, the car is far enough gone that I don't think I would 
attempt more than a semi-restoration. Make it look close to original, 
use only period upholstery and such (like what someone would have 
replaced the original with if it had been damaged a few years after the 
car was made), but don't worry about 100% correctness as a true 
restoration would dictate. If you plan on using it for casual Sunday 
drives, parades, and shows, the engine will be fine. Anything more and 
you'll want something with more power and easier to find parts for. You 
can get 195.6 parts, but you'll have to wait for them to come in. About 
the only thing on the shelf is tune-up parts -- only because they are 
shared with six cylinder Chevys. I wouldn't be surprised if some big 
chain stores don't have points, cap, and condenser on the shelf any more 
though! You won't find oil filters on the shelf, but NAPA and CarQuest 
can order them for you. The filters are still used on industrial 
engines, such as those used on refer trailers. The local NAPA may even 
have one or two on the shelf if they get lots of orders from local truck 
stops/shops.

The only real problem with changing the engine is the Twin-Stick. I'd 
definitely want to keep that! The 195.6 used a T-96 transmission with OD 
unit, so it's not suited to anything bigger. You could probably get by 
with using behind a 232 IF you are easy on the car. I used one behind a 
4.0L six, was easy on it, and it still ripped the synchronizer out in 
less than 100 miles (more like 50). That was the HD version of the T-96 
and had just been professionally rebuilt. The 4.0L  (EFI) puts out a lot 
more power than a 199 or 232, especially an older 1V model, so I'd 
definitely try one of those if I cam across one. It's not difficult to 
put a 64-71 199 or 232 in place of a 195.6, almost drops right in. 72 
and later sixes won't bolt up to your trans, and those are the easiest 
to find. If you do rebuild the 195.6 I suggest you find a 2V carb and 
get the cam reground. Any cam company can regrind a good used cam or 
recommend you to someone who can. Addin 0.10" lift and 20 degree 
duration is not expensive ($100 or so) and will boost mid range power by 
about 20 hp (estimated). I know mine had little passing or speed holding 
power in hilly country stock, but with the new cam I could easily cruise 
at 65-70 without losing speed, and if I dropped down to 50-55 behind a 
slower vehicle I could pass without fear of getting hit or looking 
foolish if I hit a hill. Those engines just don't produce much power 
from 0-40. Even with the new cam once speed dropped much under 45 it 
took a while to build back up. That's due mainly to the long stroke and 
smallish carb/valves -- nothing you can do about that unless you've got 
lots of $$$ and time to spend on it, and there will be little gain. I've 
got way to much experience trying to work with a 195.6 from long ago!!

It would be nice to see it 100% restored, but that will be costly. You 
can still find the original seat material, and get covers custom made. 
The two front seats will cost about $1000 to get done, material and all. 
You can get good reupholstery kits with period style stitching and 
materials from J.C. Whitney. Go to www.jcw.com, click on "seat covers", 
and type "Autocraft" in the keyword search. For some reason going to 
"covers" from the index doesn't bring up all the Autocraft types. You 
can find out more about Autocraft at 
http://www.customseatcovers.com/covers/covers.htm. I've used the tweed 
and vinyl covers in my 63 Classic. They looked good and were comfortable 
-- more so than pleated vinyl would have been. I bought extra material 
by the yard to cover the door panels. With the doors and seats matching 
it looked like it could have been reupholstered in the 60s.

All this is, of course, just my opinion/suggestions. Do what makes YOU 
happy with the car!

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

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