Re: [AMC-list] rosie went for a drive

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

Tom also used larger front drums. You can take them off a Gremlin or just about any other AMC though. Still 9", but 1/2" wider than yours. I'd think seriously about a Scarebird kit unless you find a good set of 79-83 AMC brakes. Those are hard to find in salvage yards, especially with good turnable rotors. If you have to get new rotors the Scarebird kit isn't much more. Rear stock brakes are fine even with upgraded fronts. In fact, with better front brakes you're taking a bit of load off the back ones. 

A thermostat would help!! I drove around one winter in Delaware nearly freezing, and couldn't figure out why. The car took the entire 15 minute drive to work for the heater to even START putting out much heat, even after warming up in the driveway 3-5 minutes!! Finally figured it out toward the end of winter. I have the factory AC setup in my car. There's a cable that says "pull for heat/push for AC" (might have it backwards...). All it does is put the system into recirculate or fresh air intake mode... or so I thought. When in recirculate (AC) it also closes off the heater! Who'd a thunk?? I sure didn't!! If you want fresh air with the AC you crack the kick panel vents. I'm using Freeze-12 in my AC, and have the air coming from the vents down near freezing (35°) even on a warm day with the temp turned all the way down. Mine doesn't have the cool (nice pun!) "Desert Only" label, but when it's all the way down the compressor never cycles -- on all the time just like the DO setting. 

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Date: 3 Nov 2009 03:19:47 -0000
From: das24rules@xxxxxxxxx

drove another 100 miles today. everything is great. got a slight harmonic
vibration from 40-55 or so. not constant, but harmonic. i think there are
bushings wore in the front end worse than i thought. on gravel driveway i was
on today, (1 mile long) the front end would clunk when i hit some bigger holes
ect. i got to get all 4 brakes redone. i might figure out a way to either do a
disk brake set up on this one also, or i will just put new drum stuff on
(shoes, wheel cyl. ect) and then do tom j's trick with the drilling and all.
i have to get a thermostat for it. i left this morning at about 8:30, it was
25 degrees outside. got to work 23 miles away, and the heater never got over
about 50-60*. got to work, pulled the water neck off to check the tstat,
there wasnt even one in this motor when i got it... nice. so it was COLD
driving it today. cold all day. still TONS of fun.

--
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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