Re: [Amc-list] Reinforcement on Rambler American

[Matt Haas <mhaas@xxxxxxx>]

Actually, the reinforcements were added mid year on 1968 models. I don't 
have the exact date but it was before the AMX was out and I suspect it 
was done during the 1967 calendar year since most safety standard 
changes take effect on January 1. The changes were made to make the 
American body meet the new standards for steering column intrusion into 
the passenger compartment and the body tag on the door was also changed 
to include the new safety standard number (I want to say it's 208 but 
I'm not 100% sure on that). The short answer to what was changed is 
basically the entire structure on the front of the car (external items 
are unchanged). Some of the changes are:

* Front frame sills were extended to meet the rear frame sills.
* Additional bracing was added to the front sills.
* A new floor design.
* Changes to the firewall.
* Changes to the front inner fenders.

There are some other things but that would take a trip through the parts 
book to list them all. Also, these are different parts than what was 
used on the convertibles.

Hard tops and convertibles have added bracing in the rocker panels (it's 
basically a big chunk of angle iron about 1/8" thick) to make up for the 
lack of a B pillar and, in the case of convertibles, a roof. 
Convertibles also got additional bracing under the floor and in the back 
seat area.

Also, 1969 models have a different cowl than 1966-68. I don't have a 
parts book that covers that year in detail so I don't know what else 
changed but they may have had to change other things to meet new safety 
standards or they may just have been stiffening the car to deal with 
known problems with cowls cracking when high output engines were used.

Finally, the parts book I have (covers 1967 and early 1968 -- no AMX 
stuff) does list every body panel and brace. There are some things that 
were only available as an assembly but each component is still called 
out. This may have changed as the parts books were updated since some 
things (like complete bodies) were only available while a given body 
type was being produced.

Matt

Frank Swygert wrote:
> The National Highway Safety Transportation Act singed in September 1966 made a lot of safety devices we now take for granted mandatory on 1967 and later cars. The American received the under floor reinforcements ("subframe connectors") on all 67-69 models. That's the only known reinforcement -- it was previously only used on hardtops and convertibles. 
> 
> The SC/Rambler received all the convertible reinforcements. Unfortunately they aren't easily visible as on the 61-63 American convertibles. Converts used stiffer inner rockers and a stiffer back seat reinforcement. They would have used different reinforcement than the hardtops, but the SC/Rambler back seat reinforcement is supposedly of a heavier gauge metal than standard hardtops. It might be two reinforcements pressed together -- I've never had the back seat out of an SC/R to be able to check. I believe it's just a gauge size thicker (16 gauge instead of 18 gauge) -- same with the inner rockers and possibly some other reinforcing parts. 
> 
> Unfortunately the parts book doesn't list body components unless they were commonly available for repairs -- the inner rockers wouldn't be, just the outer covers. The TSM doesn't point out heavier convertible components either. 
> 
> ------------------------
> Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:53:25 -0800 (PST)
> From: JOE FULTON <piper_pa20@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> 
> Matt H. or anyone.  When did AMC begin to reinforce
> the front unibody on the Rambler American bodies? 
> 1967?  1968?  1969?  What specifically was done, if
> anything on the SC/Rambler?
> 

-- 
mhaas@xxxxxxx
Cincinnati, OH
http://www.mattsoldcars.com
1967 Rambler American wagon
1968 Rambler American sedan
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