amxrestomod
12-05-2008, 09:13 AM
Hi, I have had my 68 AMX since the early 80's and it has gone thru many changes. The original 390 had a rod hanging out of the pan when I bought it for $600, yet I drove it 30 miles out of Carmel Valley before it stopped. The automatic tranny gave way to a four speed behind a 360 for several years. Now it has been totally revamped with front end lowering spacers, a tremec tko 5 speed, Lincoln Versaille nine inch rearend with an old shelby detroit locker and 3.50 gears. The exterior is painted a red-orange big bad treatment with a rear spoiler modified from a '72 X. The rearend has been moved back 3/4" to allow for a little more tire, I run a 255/50/16 on 8" centerline rims. Right now I am working on putting the torque links back on and rebuilding a new motor. The engine is a Boss 347 with CHI heads (yikes a Ford) but let me explain. I had a 68 Shelby clone that I stupidy wrecked 12 years ago and it had most of the parts I used on my AMX. The small ford and 5 speed slipped into the X and breathed new life into a poor handling nose heavy car.
I lost almost 200 lbs from the nose and the handling even without torque links was greatly improved. And the little ford gave me over 20 mpg and no problems for over 80,000 daily driver miles. The amc motors are great dont get me wrong but how often can you stop at a Kragen or Pep Boys and get a 390 waterpump, power steering pump or anything AMC? The fords are plentiful and cheap. I also replaced my old steering box with one out of a z28 camaro giving me 2 turns lock to lock and a nicer road feel. The interior is completly revamped also. The headliner has been replaced with a fiberglass piece as well as the sails. Retractable seatbelts from an'82 mustang are in the back kick panels and work perfectly. The new seat are Orange and Black fully reclining and much more comfortable than the vinyl slabs that came originally. I know many will poo-poo my car but I have had many thumbs-up
from many other drivers. I like my car to drive and have fun, it is not anything
special just different. The prices of these old ramblers never shot out of sight like the hemi Cudas or z-28 Camaros but they are rarer and we love them.
I lost almost 200 lbs from the nose and the handling even without torque links was greatly improved. And the little ford gave me over 20 mpg and no problems for over 80,000 daily driver miles. The amc motors are great dont get me wrong but how often can you stop at a Kragen or Pep Boys and get a 390 waterpump, power steering pump or anything AMC? The fords are plentiful and cheap. I also replaced my old steering box with one out of a z28 camaro giving me 2 turns lock to lock and a nicer road feel. The interior is completly revamped also. The headliner has been replaced with a fiberglass piece as well as the sails. Retractable seatbelts from an'82 mustang are in the back kick panels and work perfectly. The new seat are Orange and Black fully reclining and much more comfortable than the vinyl slabs that came originally. I know many will poo-poo my car but I have had many thumbs-up
from many other drivers. I like my car to drive and have fun, it is not anything
special just different. The prices of these old ramblers never shot out of sight like the hemi Cudas or z-28 Camaros but they are rarer and we love them.