so i accidently bought a car and started a challenge team last night. have questions.

So, what are the good amc forums?

And glass will go Lexan in the rear, as well as additional lightness will be added.

It also looked like some additional chassis bracing would help.

Lastly, looks like about any 90s v8 and automatic transmission will get us where we want to be after nitrous, assuming the Internet is right about 2700 lbs stock. I'm fairly certain I can get 2500 lbs race,weight.

Lots of strength just via seam welding and a good cage. The big trouble spot to reinforce is the back perches for the rear springs. Front suspension is actually decent, rear is typical leaf and solid axle.

I'll look up which forums I was using.

Dusterbd13 wrote: I wish the amx console was worth a grand. I couldn't even get $5 off craigslist for it. same with the 17X9.5 corvette sawblades. no bites at $50 on craigslist.

My scrapper pays .68 cents per pound for clean aluminum wheel rims. 9.5s Sawblades are 26 lbs.

So: 26x.68x4=$70.72

Better than $50.00

Forums:

http://amccars.net/cgi/yabb2/YaBB.pl

http://theamcforum.com/forum/

Both have pretty good areas for technical questions. Might not be too fond of a non-AMC power source, but worth a shot.

Good luck with the build!

Yep, those are both of the ones I used to head to, along with the AMC Eagles Nest, but I don't think that one is still active. Since the Spirit and Eagle SX4 shared so many parts, the SX4 guys are going to be a good place to sell parts. I mean, SX4 stood for "Spirit x 4", as a play on 4x4

-Hans

I'm working on the pictures. Probably be tomorrow before I can link to them.

In the meantime, budget questions :

I bought the $75 vortec today, got it back to the shop, and figured out that whoever diagnosed the spun bearing also kept the main and rod caps and hardware. It's junk. I am going to keep the heads for my El Camino, but may use the rest of the pile of E36 M3 for a core at pull-a-part for the engine for the challenge car. The core charge is usually $55. How do I budget this? Engine at pullapart is 179, +55 core.

Let me know if you ever need a hand. I'd drive the 2 hours to learn some stuff, easily.

In reply to Dusterbd13:

You paid $75 out of your budget for a collection of parts shaped like a Vortec engine. You kept the heads, and sold the remainder for $55, so you put that $55 back into your budget, but you also count that $55 towards your $1008 allowable recoup.

Even though the heads won't be on the challenge car?

alright. so here are picture of where the car sits today. none of the interior, or the large amounts of crap that are in it, because they wouldn't come out. just dark and blurry due to my potato camera.

[URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/amc/20160515_145515_zpsn90the09.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/amc/20160515_145519_zpsk6vqt6an.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/amc/20160515_145531_zpsdntzsyjj.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/amc/20160515_145538_zpsecugpjmw.jpg.html][/URL]

so far, budget $200. in one of the pictures, you can see the 2.5 inch x-pipe flowmaster exhaust we pulled out. we got it out of the way to better see what was in there, as it was on top.

also, here are some pictures of the $75 vortec 350 with no rod caps, and a couple missing mains. don't know what the fate of it is right now, but probably heads and roller cam donor for one of my other projects. we went to south Carolina for this, talked the guy down from 150 to 75, had him throw in a free mini starter, and help us load it. [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/amc/20160515_173831_zpsfys3epba.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/amc/20160515_173838_zpsdlqspr1q.jpg.html][/URL]

the crossmember is also definitely severely bent. near as I can tell, the lower control arm bolts should be roughly parallel to the ground. the drivers side is at around a 45 degree angle, passengers side still parallel. so ill either need to find a way to straighten the control arm section and box the rest, or another crossmember.

Dusterbd13 wrote: so ill either need to find a way to straighten the control arm section and box the rest, or another crossmember.

pinto/ mustang II front suspension? I still occasionally see them at the Pull a Part. Would make for a nice drop.

In other news, awesome build. Should be wicked awesome.

Dusterbd13 wrote: Even though the heads won't be on the challenge car?

Dang, I suck at the reading.

There's no difference to the challenge budget If you use what's left of the junk $75 engine as the core versus paying the core charge in cash.

How involved would it be to weld up a crossmember of your own?

I don't know. What do yall think? It's got the engine mounts, lca mounts and eccentrics, and is the main structure for the front of the frame.

Id heat it and beat it. Get it close and brace it. Im guessing finding another one for this car wouldnt be the easiest thing in the world.

In reply to dropstep:

Kind of what I was thinking. Cut it off at the motor mounts, heat the bent side with oxy-acetalyne, put a pry bar through the lca holes, and beat to mostly straight. Weld in box tube to make it structural again. But then my mind starts to get concerned about work hardening, stretch and deformation, losing temper, etc.

And I can't find a crossmember. At least not yet.

Don't over think it.

If you are really worried about that- take the bent part out, and replace with a straight tube. Done.

If not, spend the time with the heater to straighten out. Using a torch will help relieve work hardening in the first place. And don't hammer too hard to reduce the stretch and deformation that can't be undone.

But I was also wondering (in general) how close is this set up to the common circle track suspensions? The reason I ask- getting cheap used racing parts- strong and light. But it seems as if those are mostly GM stuff. I'm never sure what parts AMX got theirs from.

The front suspension definitely looks like that of a 66 mustang. Looking through Circle track stuff, looks like the only piece, other than he I'm joints and tubing, that would remotely fit are the strut style lca.

This car already had a suspension rebuild in the last 20k with all poly bushings and new wear parts like tie rods and ball joints.

Long way of saying that unless the lca got bent, I'm probably going to leave it alone other than boxing, and replacing the radius rods with heim joints.

Except for the fubar crossmember. Got to do something about that.

Well, upon further investigation, the crossmember is beyond my fab ability. I've located a couple, but amc guys are apparently much like Mopar guys, and price things similarly. Cheapest crossmember so far is 120 shipped. Wow.

Does shipping count towards the budget? I think it does, but wanted to confirm.

There are a few folks in your area that may be able to fix it for really cheap. You may still have my number, call.

In reply to stafford1500:

I do not have your number anymore. mine is 828-260-1254. if youd like to call and give me some directions to go in, im all ears. thanks for the offer.

Dusterbd13 wrote: Well, upon further investigation, the crossmember is beyond my fab ability. I've located a couple, but amc guys are apparently much like Mopar guys, and price things similarly. Cheapest crossmember so far is 120 shipped. Wow. Does shipping count towards the budget? I think it does, but wanted to confirm.

shipping counts, sales tax does not.

So, update time.

Bought a 120 crossmember.

On my way to buy a 400 87 Lincoln Town car for the drivetrain.

Parts cars in can recoup the whole price paid, right?

eww, a big block 400 Ford is about as sluggy as a slug can get. You can do better.