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Old 01-02-2016, 02:21 AM   #21
Pinballer
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Default Re: Resurrecting the Rambler

(Catching up to late October)
Got underneath the red Spirit and initially things look pretty solid other than a place in the floor right behind the driver seat. Wonder if the mangy possum nest I found there had anything to do with that?
Loaded her up on the trailer and took it into the auto shop for a real good going-over. Very solid underneath as it turns out, so the Ziebart people did well on this one. Found their sticker on the driver door jamb.

Now we've got something very suitable to work with. This car is an original manual steering manual brake stick car, so its a great platform to use. There will have to be one important piece changed right at the beginning, and it's a monumental headache. I know this because I've done one before. On AMC cars you have to have the proper engine cross member in place for the type of engine you're wanting or the engine mounts won't line up. The 4 cyl one will have to come out and be replaced with the 6 cyl one out of the blue 80 car. The nasty part of this is that the lower control arms bolt into this cross member, and to remove those means removing almost everything else suspension related first. And I'll get to do this TWICE! Get out the breaker bars...
The blue 80 car now gets parted out so I can use a lot of things off it. And here we go. You'll notice that when the dirty work was done it was just a little bit hard to steer due to an "alignment problem". Getting the hulk back up on the trailer took a while!
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'79 AMX T/SA 3790 currently being resurrected
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Old 01-02-2016, 01:15 PM   #22
Charlie A
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Default Re: Resurrecting the Rambler

One of the coolest looking factory rims from "back in the day" on the blue one.


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Old 01-02-2016, 07:08 PM   #23
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Default Re: Resurrecting the Rambler

It will be good to see another old Rambler out racing. The 258 2 bbl can be competitive but only the 77 got the 2 HP reduction, 79 is still 150 (more than the 302 2bbl Fords). I tried to get the 79 reduced but NHRA wouldn't bite.
My car is a natural U car, had to move it V to stay away from the 302 Fords.
You're welcome to anything I've learned over the last 7 years, send me a PM.

Jim Mantle V/SA 6632 79 Pacer Wagon
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Old 01-02-2016, 10:10 PM   #24
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Default Re: Resurrecting the Rambler

Thank you Jim,
I've admired your Pacer from afar while doing my research, definitely would like to pick your brain some seeing as how essentially you run the same drivetrain. First I'm in need of some decent headers, but having trouble finding AMC car headers. The internet is thick with Jeep stuff but not sure those are going to work here.
I'll send a PM to you.
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Old 01-03-2016, 10:56 AM   #25
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Default Re: Resurrecting the Rambler

(Early November on the catch-up)
The 1980 blue car has been picked of everything immediately useful and has been laid to rest out back at the Rambler Ranch, AKA Pinball Heaven. Time to get serious on transforming this red '82 Spirit into the '79 AMX model it needs to run as.
Big-time clean-up on the car first just so I can work on it. Both door handles are broke, (every AMC guy is laughing now reading this because ALL AMC's break these flat pot metal door handles), and crawling in and out of the rear hatch, which is electric solenoid operated and also now disabled because there's no battery in the car, is not my preferred method of entry. Ordered a couple new outside door handles, but put a spare useable one I had on the driver door so I could get going on cleaning up the squallid interior. No telling how many cats had kittens in this thing, and the possum leavings and damage are everywhere, even some dashboard pieces are torn up. Spares from the other car will go in though. The animals got in through the shifter hole by chewing away the rubber shifter boot, there's nothing left of it. Before and after interior pics below. Once vacuumed out, an industrial odor-removing chemical for school carpeting disasters was used to get this thing tolerable again. Who said building a car was glamorous??
The engine and trans from the '80 needed a bath real bad so those went to the car wash in the back of the Dakota. That poor truck sees nothing but abuse from me, it's kind of like an old farm truck, but that was it's purpose when I got it for cheap already pre-wrecked in the back. Once the engine and trans are clean, I'll take them to my workplace where it's dry and heated.
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Old 01-05-2016, 01:13 AM   #26
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Default Re: Resurrecting the Rambler

(Mid November)
I have some parts ordered to get the front end work done, turns out doing an AMC car is not quite as easy as opening a catalog or making a list from an internet site.
Since I work at a NAPA store, getting the regular suspension and steering replacement pieces wasn't that bad, but trying to get the trick shocks and springs took some research. Turns out I did OK on the shocks, which are the same type as a lot of Mustangs from way back when, but the springs turned out to be a problem. Despite a well known Florida company's listings that say they fit the early Fords from the '70's along with 71-up Javelins, Hornets, Gremlins, Spirits and such--they don't work. The spring holders on the upper control arms require a much larger diameter spring distance across the bottom to fit in right. The top coil diameter would have worked, so I guess they were half good for my application. I had to leave the 4 cyl original coil springs in place for now until I get something figured out, may see about a re-work on my spare upper A-arms I have from the '80 car to move the spring perches inward at some later time. The rest of the pieces like bushings and ball joints went in place as expected.
I have a whole new appreciation for mechanics who do front end work day after day. Dirty hard work! Hats off to you guys.

Since I'm being loaned a bay in an auto shop, getting the car mobile as soon as possible so it can move out if the bay if needed is kind of primary. I'm not putting the new steering parts on just yet, need to concentrate on getting the cross member switched out and everything that attaches to it back together ASAP so the body can at least become a roller again.
You'll notice the similarity of the bad wheel alignment of the red car to how the blue one ended up in previous pictures once the cross member came out. Once the lower control arms come out of it, they just flop everywhere.
This part of the build is no fun.
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Old 01-05-2016, 04:14 PM   #27
Rod Greene
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Default Re: Resurrecting the Rambler

Why not use the original 4 cyl springs? They would promote weight transfer.
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Old 01-05-2016, 04:41 PM   #28
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Default Re: Resurrecting the Rambler

I know I am late to mention this. But was there not a AMC just like this for sale on here not to long ago? I don't think it sold. It was the 304/2bbl combo I believe and ran in Q? It was complete with parts. It is something to consider.

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Old 01-05-2016, 07:43 PM   #29
Sean Marconette
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Default Re: Resurrecting the Rambler

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rod Greene View Post
Why not use the original 4 cyl springs? They would promote weight transfer.
I agree! By the time all of the nonessential parts and pieces are removed off the front end it will be close with the 4 cyl springs. Money to be spent elsewhere. Trick springs are overrated in my opinion.

Cool build! Good Luck

Sean
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Old 01-05-2016, 07:47 PM   #30
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Default Re: Resurrecting the Rambler

Love the AMC build, I always rooted for Ed F. When he ran his gremlin. Would you consider posting photos of the Rambler Ranch ? Pinball Heaven ? Thanks ....
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