1968 AMX Pro Touring build, LS powered, dubbed project "Kenosha Corncob"

[813Demon340]

I wanted to share the build of my 1968 AMC AMX that I have dubbed the "The Kenosha Corncob" and what my plans are going to be along the way...

Backstory, in high school I bought a 68 AMX 390 Auto from the original owner. It was very complete and all original, but had faded paint with an interior to match. But for a 17 year old kid, it was a fast, fun, car that could do perfect donuts & figure 8's, brakes stands as long as the tires would hold up, and carry a friend & 2 beer kegs in the seat back area. Over the years it got restored back to stock specs because the car was never molested or hotrodded by the original owner, so all of the hard to find AMC/AMX specific pieces were there. Plus being a Southern California car since new, it made for a completely rust free car. I really loved the car but it wasn't that fast and didn't handle very well. So last year I decided to sell it to buy a car special to me, an awesome pro touring Valiant. Not too long after it sold my son told me how upset he was that the AMX was gone. It was a tough lesson to learn from a sad 10 yr old, plus the guy I sold it to did not want to sell it back to me. I had always wanted to build that car into a Pro Touring ride after seeing what Jimi Day did to his AMX, but also knew that it was too clean to cut up and swap an LS into. So recently the Valiant had to go to a new home sadly, but family is more important than cars, and it went to somebody that desired that car just as much as I did over the years. Ironically the same day I listed & agreed to sell the Valiant a 1968 AMX 390 popped up on Ebay in Salt Lake City, Utah, which was only a few hours away from me. That car was the perfect candidate to build the AMX that I had always wanted to. It was beat, but solid, rust free, and was all complete. I talked to the owner and made him an offer, but he let the auction go to the end with me being the 2nd highest bidder. High bidder lived in Canada and flaked a couple of days later so the owner called took my original offer!

The car is an original 390 auto and has a special order paint color on it. It came with a bunch of spare parts including a grille, pass 1/4 panel, door, fender, NOS grille, and misc other parts. Its all complete, just a complete mess! The pass 1/4 has some pretty big dents in it, along with the door. The hood has been crunched in the front and fixed in the past, no worries as that will be replaced. It has dents in just about every panel.... which is where the "rough as a corncob" description came from. But I'd rather fix dents than replace rusty metal, which is not easy to come by for these cars. Yes, I probably could restore this car, as it is an original 390 special order paint car, but its been rode hard, wrecked, and put away wet. Besides, I have already gone down the purist road. So if you're an AMC purist I apologize now...

So the plan is to get the car stripped down to sell off what I don't need.... complete running 68 390 & trans anyone? I'll swap the
motor and trans for an LS & a T56, then suspension and brakes. I'll cage the interior and lighten the car up as much as possible. I plan to do most of the work myself and stick to a limited budget. Ohh and fix dents.....lots of dents.

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[813Demon340]

Here is my old 68 AMX that I still want to buy back someday.143334

[Twentyover]

I remember the commercial for a Javelin or AMX- I forget which-

"It's a great car dad- I just made it better."

Good bones to start with. Kepp us posted. Am planning on watching this build.

[813Demon340]

Thanks Twentyover!

First order of business was confirming it was a true 390, which it was. Then I rebuilt the carb and got it running, but without a radiator that run time was very, very brief. I'll do a compression test and pull the motor to get it sold and find a good LS driveline.

I'm thinking of going with an LS1 pullout for now, then upgrading to a 6.0 motor later. That way I get all the accessories, trans, clutch, pedals, etc. It seems that if you piece it all together it costs more, although a bare 6.0 long block with good heads and cam is relatively inexpensive.

[Pingar]

Nice original amx you had. Can't wait to see what you do with this one.

[CampbellshotrodsAZ]

Nice, looking forward to this one. I always like the oddball cars, and I always liked the AMX.

[1968CamaroSS_Sam]

Yay, Utah. That is going to take a little bit of work to get looking good. Nice to see it saved though. Good luck and please take us along for the ride back onto the road.

[813Demon340]

Thanks for the well wishes! I've been busy with work but I finally got some time to play with it. I had these wheels leftover from another car and I bought some wheels spacers to get them to fit. Theres plenty of room in the back for more tire and wheel. I'd love to run 315's square, but I'm not sure if thats possible in the front with out flares, 275's should be doable though. I got the driveshaft shortened, as it was foot too long and for a Javelin most likely...but its still 1/4" too long (DOH!). Soo it will have to come apart again and be rewelded. It got cut 1/4 longer and when asked if it needed to be shorter I said "no, theres enough play" ..oh well. I'll pressure wash the engine off to clean it up a bit, do a compression test, and video it running so I can sell it for an LS engine.

I am building this car on a budget and trying to do most everything myself. So with that I thought I would add a running total of what I have into the car, at least until I need to hide that total from my wife! I will just round everything up rather than put in every cent.

Car $3500
Transport $450
DMV fees $45
Wheel spacers and studs $127
U joint $9

Total $4081

I am toying with building a tribute of the TEAM AMX, B/P SCCA racecar. It was an AMX race car put together by a group of AMC employees that raced it in 1969 and actually did pretty well. It only ran one season and then went to a private race team that was a part of big AMC dealer in AZ. The car has gone missing and nobody has proof it still exists. Since this car will be more for racing I want to paint it like the TEAM car, although thats a long, long, way off.

Story about the TEAM car..
https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/mus/2006/07/T-E-A-M--One-Year-of-Glory/1301076.html
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[mike343sharpstick]

That's a great car to build. I love the plan to do a version of the Team AMC car.
As a side, those exact wheels are available here: http://transamraceengineering.com/products/wheels/sebring/sebring-seb158/
Unfortunately they are only available in 15's.

As you look at wheel options based on your desire to run a 275's up front, you will need a 9 inch wide rim, and 4.5 inch backspacing assuming you move away from the trunnion front suspension. I think you would need to do some slight modifications to the lip, perhaps just rolling it, and trim the front corner of the fender's wheel opening. On my javelin, (same front fenders), I currently have 245/45-17 with zero modifications to the fender. The 275/40-17 is about 1 inch wider.
Not sure how much room is out back on an AMX. With some minitubs or selective trimming and notching. You may be able to go to a 295 out back.

[813Demon340]

I was reading that Trans AM Eng was going to real ease a bunch of their wheels in 17's soon, so hopefully those will be one of them. Thanks for sharing that, I thought I'd be painting a set of CP200's black. I want to run 17's rather than 18's.
There is room in the back for more tire as is, a 275 will fit for sure. The torque links and springs are whats going to limit width even with a mini tub job, for now. I'm excited to do away with the trunnions in front and see what there is to work with. A slight flare may be needed but will be more subtle. Not anything like the Javelin race car clone that showed up at SEMA last year though. That car is some cool inspiration though!143504143503

[813Demon340]

This weeks update:
After not being able to source a lower core support locally, and not wanting to pay $150+ for one on ebay, I figured I could fix the original one that was torn off. I drilled out the spot welds and opened it up. After some beating & banging I got it as close as I could and welded it back together then back onto the car. At the same time I straightened the radiator support to mount the radiator I got for free from an AMC friend. So I got a new hose to complete the cooling system. I was also able to straighten the grille support panel. Now all of the front end components can be bolted[together.

I also did a compression test and all cylinders were between 150-175, oil pressure was high, so I'm going to see how it runs and drives with the 390 for now. That will make it easier to keep it mobile while doing the cage.

Previous total:
$4081
+ 9 Hose
=
New total $4090
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[813Demon340]

This weeks update...

I pulled the front end off, fixed some dents, straightened metal, went through the extra parts, pulled the seats out, and did more cleaning.

Upon pulling the fenders off I was very surprised to see they were NOS fenders! I put the NOS fender extensions that came with the car on them. This car is proof that good deals can still be had on Ebay, if you know what you're looking at. If the The drivers fender had some dents which got straightened out. I pressure washed the front suspension/ fender well area and removed some of the undercoating. Then I reassembled the front end with all of the parts that I straightened or had in a box. I wasn't sure if the hood was bent in the middle or not, but now I know it is for sure..gotta ponder how to fix that for a bit...
I also pulled the seats out and dropped in some Recaros that were taking up room in the shop, just for looks.
Things are a little slow with the flow of new parts right now, as I'm waiting for my 76 BMW 2002 to sell anyone interested?

Total:
$4090
- $1 +in change that was under the front seats.

New total= $4089
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[mike343sharpstick]

Nice! I like the diamond stitch on the seats. it maintains the era of the car.
I have the Corbeau seat brackets/sliders, may want to look into those for saving some time mounting the seats? They aren't perfect, but did save me a few fabrication hours. If your going to do track days, and your near or over 6 feet tall, be sure to mount the seats as low as possible to get helmet clearance.

You obviously have some good metal working skilz, so the damaged hood looks like a good candidate to modify with some vents or heat extractors to get hot air out, and any other ideas you might have?

[813Demon340]

I have a set of Scat Procar Rave seats I threw in and my helmet hits the roof support, theres maybe an inch to gain adjusting the seat, but its not enough. I have a spare set of Scat adapters from a Bronco (came with the seats) I was cutting to snug up to the floor. But the Recaros have the most room, granted theres no tracks yet, but the seats are smaller in the butt area. Oddly enough I have a black leather Momo type wheel with red stitching that matches the seats leftover from the BMW....

Thanks. Yeah, I was thinking about opening up the vents in the hood, but nothing obnoxious. I'm leaning more towards a TEAM car clone, and may be closer to finding out more details of its build. Fingers crossed.

My goal will be running the Spring Fling Speed Festival at Willow Springs in 2018.

[813Demon340]

A brief update.

Finally got the car scaled in its stock form minus driveshaft, carpet & headliner..... It weighed 3159 lbs
Its nose heavy at 1910 lbs/ 60.5% Front and 1249 lbs/ 39.5% Rear,

So I will be doing a weight update as well as budget in future updates.

3159 - 13 (misc front end parts /crap) = 3146 new weight

Previous budget total $4089 + $20 scale rental = $4109

BMW should officially find a new home on Wed!
Here is a cool inspirational video of the 68 Trans AM Javelin effort.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDJ6BhUrsak&t=30s

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[mike343sharpstick]

Overall weight looks great as a starting point. My Javelin is the same car basically with 12 inches added in the middle. My total weight was 3,181. I've made a few slight changes from when it was last weighed, it might be closer to 3,150 now.

I have aluminum heads, intake, tube headers, no power steering booster, battery in the trunk, Aluminum brake calipers, fiberglass hood, and all the other basic stuff.
Front 879/828
Rear 709/765
Front Weight Bias is at 53.7%. I was pleasantly surprised with this result!

Given your vision on the car with LS power, I suspect you can better my end results easily.
It's interesting that the back of your car is 225 pounds lighter than mine! Estimating my battery at 50 pounds, my extra 12 inches of sheet metal in the chassis, and rear seat weighs about 175 pounds.

[Motown 454]

Hi Nice project. My buddy has one his first car, a Green 68 with white stripes Saddle interior. 390 4 spd all original, he bought it in 1972 and still has it. He was saying how the parts are hard to find. It's funny he needs one of the headlight pieces you replaced. I'm going to enjoy this. Keep us posted. subscribed!

[813Demon340]

Thanks Motown454! Some parts are hard to find, but thanks to the internet its much easier than it used to be in the 80's & 90's. Green 68's are near and dear to my heart!! Hopefully he gets it done soon!

Thank you Mike for putting your weights up for me to see, I know I'll be in the right ballpark when I get close to them. The car was pretty complete when on the scales, and had roughly 5 gallons of gas. I know I'll be removing weight from the car, but moving it rearward will take some skill., theres not much room in the trunk. I know I can get close to 100 lbs off the front by moving the battery to the trunk and removing the non functioning A/C The short list of items to go are the: A/C compressor, heater box, tar paper insulation, and the seats.

Speaking of seats, the stock seat with tracks and plenty of cat urine weighed in at 50 lbs, the Scat Rave seat with tracks were 42 lbs and the Recaros (minus tracks) weigh 31 lbs ea. I'll be sticking with the Recaro's!

Other weights are:
Front Bumper and brackets (no turn signals) 23 lbs This could get down to 10lbs with a glass bumper and swiss cheese brackets.
Rear Bumper and brackets 17 lbs This will probably stay the same.

My plan is to keep track of the weight from whatever I remove. Theres a really good thread on Moparts about removing weight from cars, its long but there is some very creative ideas.... http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/1353186/1/real-world-weight-loss-program-and-it-cost.html

One thing I noticed on the Team Amx's and Jimi Days Amx is their roll bars/ cage are behind the driver. Although Jimi's car has very low door bars that mount in the front. So i'll be doing something similar with mine. Keeping the weight low and rearward is paramount.

[813Demon340]

This weeks update:

I removed all of the tar paper, sound deadener, broken glass, mouse crap & nests, and thankfully the rest of the cat urine soaked carpet!
I also canned all of the unneeded items such as the a/c box, a.c compressor, console, factory seat belts, radio bracket, and other miscellaneous items.

I also was able to make seat bracket adapters for the Recaro seats and the factory tracks. In their current location they offer enough helmet clearance and are far back enough to be at a comfortable driving position. I can move the tracks back and down another inch possibly if needed. Now with seat in place, door panels on and dash in place I can fit the cage as its built.

I've also been cleaning the floor to prep for the cage. I was also able to get the dash removed and gutted to help with easy removal for cage fitment if needed. The dash has a bunch of cracks in it that will need to get fixed so it doesn't crack in half! Extra parts are going on ebay or to the AMC club members.

Costs,previous total $4109
-metal for tracks & fasteners $ 56

New Total $4165

Weight, previous total 3146 lbs
A/C compressor, box & lines -47
Heater box & motor -14
Tar paper, carpet, crap, etc -52
Console - 5

New weight 3028 lbs

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[813Demon340]

Not a lot of progress to show this week, but some great things are happening. I worked on the rear body damage. I got the rear tail panel straight, taillights fit nice, knocked out the rear 1/4's and got the areas for the 1/4 panel patches measured out.

The best part was scoring a truckload of AMC parts off craigslist for $400! There is a bunch of AMX parts that I can use or was missing along with a lot of race parts too. Some notables were a group 19 front spoiler, Torker intake, new window & door seals, trim, new auto meter gauges, heims, braided brake lines, etc! The Aluminum flywheel attached to the almost new Centerforce clutch assembly was the cherry on top. So I'll be selling off what I don't need now that I got it all sorted out. This week will be getting stuff photographed, listed, and buying some parts.

Previous Total $4165
-Craigslist parts $ 400

New Total $4565


Previous weight 3028 lbs

Removed stock seats -102 lbs (51 lb ea)

Added Recaros & tracks + 70 lbs (35 lbs ea)

New weight 2996 lbs

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[HotRod47]

I like out of the box cars, subscribed!

[mike343sharpstick]

Nice Score!
I have an aluminum flywheel with the replaceable steel friction plate on my 401 and I love how fast it revs.

[813Demon340]

Thanks HotRod47!

Mike, Yeah I was pretty excited to find that. Looks like I need start looking for a T5 to swap in!
Most of the stuff I bought was what I was missing, or needed, for my car oddly enough once I sorted through it all. I have a bunch of the extra parts on ebay right now, so I'll be updating the total next time.

[railroad bob]

I'm a big fan of the AMX, looking forward to your project.Appreciate anytime you spend sharing your efforts with us.And I regret selling my first AMX, a 1970/360/auto.

[813Demon340]

Thanks Railroad Bob! 70 AMX's really have great styling and one of the best hoods of the musclecar era.

No update last week as I was working to get all the parts sold, boxed shipped, and new parts ordered.
This weeks update:
I bought a 70 390 crank, rods, forged pistons, and bearings from the same guy who I bought the other parts from. I also bought a fiberglass front bumper and spoiler combo, a 3 link rear suspension, correct bullet/Talbot side mirrors, wink mirror, and 13" front disc brake set up.

I sold a lot of the extra parts that I'm not going to use too, Thank You Ebay!!. Some were from the car like the seat belts, seats, fender, and other parts that made some restorers very happy. Others were from the parts lot I got, such as the flywheel, horn button, sail panel retainers, rear side glass, etc. That also freed up a bunch of storage space.

Work on the car:
I was able to repair the DS tail light housing studs. Fixed the broken interior rear trim panels (they almost always break). Redyed the interior trim panels. Repaired and braced the cracked dash panel. Removed the battery tray. Tweaked & leveled the hood center. Got the driveshaft back and installed.
In an effort for some inspiration I rattle canned the sail panel the red, white, and blue layout. Figured it couldn't hurt since it was 6 colors already, I mean whats 3 more at that point!

This weeks plan: rear window straps, hood & trunk pins, change intake.

New totals:

Previous cost $4565

Bought: crank rods, mirrors, brakes, suspension, bumper, etc +845
$5410

Sold: A/C parts, seats, belts, fender, flywheel, misc parts, -1068

New total: $4342

Previous weight total: 2996 lbs
-removed front bumper and batt tray -8 lbs

New weight total: 2988 lbs

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[Dragonfly]

I always liked those cars, sweet

[813Demon340]

Thanks Dragonfly, they are pretty unique!

If you love fabrication and appreciate Monte Python, then you HAVE to watch "Project Binky". A couple of talented English fab guys are taking a Turbo AWD Celica and making it fit into an old school Mini.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR1nU9IJsoM


Quick update, how to make window straps.

Get a 4 pieces of scrap metal, cut 2 pieces roughly the width of the aluminum. Weld them to the other to pieces of scarp squaring them up and leave some over hanging off of the ends. Grind flush.

Now you have the dies for your step.

Put one on the line where you want the bend to start, tape it on to keep it tight. Put the other die on the opposite side, with a little gap between the dies to help form the bend, tape to secure.

Take them to the vise and close it tight. Now your step is done.

Take the tape off of one side first, turn it 180 then slide it down to the other end of the strap, this will keep you from having your step going the wrong way. Then repeat the other steps and you're done.

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[813Demon340]

Progress update: I got the car running and driving, trans was bad. I did drive it around the cul de sac in reverse with no brakes. I'm committed to the LS swap now that I found a buyer for the engine and my trans was toast. Glad to see the motor going into a nice 68 AMX that needed an engine. The front suspension should be here soon, disc brakes are waiting, rear suspension is going in this week. I got the crunched panel removed from the passenger side and welded in the replacement today.

Short term list: cut out & replace drivers side lower rear 1/4. Remove trunnion set up and swap in new A arm set up. Mock up front brakes.


New totals:

Previous total: $4565
-sold console 80
-sold clutch 234
-sold dash panel 20
-sold headers 102
-sold brakes 200
-sold motor 2000

New total $ 2636

Previous weight: 2988
-removed console 5
-removed brakes 80 (40 lbs per side)
-removed master & booster 21
-removed stock radiator 21

New total: 2861 lbs

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[mike343sharpstick]

Nice, haven't checked in here in a while!
As long as you're sitting there, welder in hand, may want to consider some seam welding, gussets, sub-frame connectors, etc.:cool:
Some of the factory welds were, um, a bit less than ideal. At least quality control back then covered the visible bad welds in gobs of seam sealer.
Here are a few pics of my junk way back when for some ideas, I worked with a welder friend and put more than 50 one to two inch seem welds all over my car where structural panels were joined together to supliment what was done at the factory.
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Home-made subframe connectors. Notched into the floor. Super simple design.
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[Z06killinSBF]

It's coming along, you might want to turn the heat up on your welder though. Just a friendly tip

[Rod]

dig the build what are you doing for suspension?

[813Demon340]

Thank you all for the replies, I really appreciate it! I hadn't looked on here since my last update.
Z06kiinSBF, thank you for the tip, I will try that. I have a lot to learn with welding so any tips like that are appreciated.

Rod, I'll be using the best front set up made for AMC's from Mike343sharpstick!! He makes an A arm system that replaces the trunnion set up. They are the gray & black parts in the picture. I have a few other things to get before I tear out the trunnion set up. In the rear I'm using a custom 3 link system.

Mike, I will be taking your and Z06's advice and adding some seam welds, once i fill up my empty bottle. I really like your subframe connectors and thats close to what I was thinking about doing.

Honestly life caught up my build and it needed go on the back burner while I collect parts. I'm in the process of selling my business right now. We also had a family friend, whose daughters are close with my daughter, with terminal brain cancer take a turn for the worst. Very tough when she is 32yr old single mom with 6 and 9 yr old girls. Life sure has ways of putting things into perspective.

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[mike343sharpstick]

Hey look at that! Can't wait to see it in place.
Can't wait to see your Brake solution come together too.
Sorry to hear about the dark cloud floating around your area, we've had a few unfortunate things going on here as well. I find it a little therapeutic to cut some metal and make sparks.

[813Demon340]

]Finally some progress to update. Sometimes in life things are more important than cars. I took a break for awhile, threw the cover on it and changed gears for a bit and enjoyed life. I recently went to the Shelby convention at Sonoma Raceway and came away motivated after some open track sessions in a very fast Boss 302 Laguna Seca, seeing some incredible Shelbys of all years, as well as one of the coolest AMX's I have ever seen.

Now its time to get back after it. I got mike343sharpstick front suspension kit installed and it is a really impressive upgrade! I also got the rest of the suspension going back together. All new steering parts are coming too. Engine compartment is mostly bare metal and extra holes are being filled. More coming soon, here is the AMX I saw.

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[reedld]

155780

REALLY like AMXes! Saw this one a few weeks back at the Syracuse Nationals. Sadly, I was so rushed I only got 2 pics. Nice car, best of luck with the LS swap!

[813Demon340]

Thanks Reedid, that is a badass AMX! Thanks for posting that, I'll have to keep an eye open for more info on that one.

I got the steering parts replaced with all new Moog parts and Proforged tierod sleeves.
An AMC tip is to use a 70+ center link as they are beefier than the 69 and below (which you can see in the pic).

I found out that I already had a quick ratio steering box which was a nice plus.

The control arms are done and boxed, new bushings installed.

I took the automatic pedal assembly and added a clutch pedal to it. I cut the brake pedal down and added some Sparco pedal pads I got with all the AMC stuff.

I also got a lot of the undercoating and residue removed. I used a torch and a scraper to get the big stuff off. Then I used charcoal lighter fluid and scotchbrite pad to get residue off, which was really easy.

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[Zspoiler]

Have ever been to any Vintage Races with the Trans Am cars of that era for ideas.

[Shawn0331]

Definitely following this build. Im building a javelin with an ls, gutted with Tremec magnium. really curious on what your weight will be after the swap.

[813Demon340]

Zspoiler, yes anytime I can go as there are so many ideas and inspiration there!. I have been fortunate enough to see the 68 #4 Kaplan car, the 70 Donahue car, Buzz Dyers #7 Javelin and the championship winning 71 AMX. Along with a host of the other SVRA Trans Am cars. I ironically the day the AMX was delivered to my house, I was at the Historic Races in Sonoma. The plan is to paint the chassis "tub" Traco grey. Here is a pic of one of the few vintage racing AMX's thats seldom seen.

Shawn0331, I'd love to see some pics of your build! What are you doing for suspension?
I'm curious too about the weight. I'm wanting to keep it under 3000 and as close to 3000 wet with a driver as I can. My issue is trying to lighten it while keeping weight in the rear.
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[Rod]

great to see another AMC product being built, looks like the weird cars are coming around finally, I built this one for my wife, Ls powered, engine set back into the firewall for a 49/51 weight balance, independent rear suspension, 315s on all 4 corners and the Viking electronic shocks!!

keep building and keep us up to date, if you have any question let me know


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[813Demon340]

Rod if you need to adopt any kids let me know! I love that wagon. I saw the Donut media video about it and feel like they did a great job of capturing the enthusiasm you and your wife have for cars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lcOa_E4Igs

I think the weird cars are kinda whats left thats affordable in the vintage car world. I've always been fascinated with the Trans Am pony cars and am building this vision of whats been in my head for so many years.

[Shawn0331]

Zspoiler, yes anytime I can go as there are so many ideas and inspiration there!. I have been fortunate enough to see the 68 #4 Kaplan car, the 70 Donahue car, Buzz Dyers #7 Javelin and the championship winning 71 AMX. Along with a host of the other SVRA Trans Am cars. I ironically the day the AMX was delivered to my house, I was at the Historic Races in Sonoma. The plan is to paint the chassis "tub" Traco grey. Here is a pic of one of the few vintage racing AMX's thats seldom seen.

Shawn0331, I'd love to see some pics of your build! What are you doing for suspension?
I'm curious too about the weight. I'm wanting to keep it under 3000 and as close to 3000 wet with a driver as I can. My issue is trying to lighten it while keeping weight in the rear.
155862

I nutted up and sold my soul to afford the Control freaks IFS and 4 link rear... Just got the car back from the media blasters and only found some pin holes in the rear fenders so i lucked out. If you're going Ls platform with aluminum block it would have to be under 3k wet. Those amc motors with cast iron bock, heads and accessories are probably almost 800lbs themselves. taking that much weight off the front alone will completely transform the car. And i know what you mean about trying to keep weight over the rear... almost impossible, thats why im trying to keep low trq numbers and move the power band up into the rpm range so it will hook on corner exit.

[813Demon340]

Well I know its not an LS.....

BUT, I had everything sitting around in the garage (Mopar 360La motor, Canton road race pan, 833 4speed with shifter & rods, bell housing, a new clutch, etc) which makes room and doesn't cost me anything as its already paid for. Truth is I am a lifelong Mopar addict and have a lot of A body (Demon, Duster, Dart) parts for my 72 Demon 340. So after some curious thought I realized my Demon isn't going to be done anytime soon and I had a complete driveline sitting around. So out came the cherry picker and I threw all the parts together for a mock up and what do ya know, it fits...quite well actually. Clutch linkage will need some consideration but even the 72 340 exhaust manifolds fit! The shifter should require very minor cutting to fit but the trans and rods has plenty of clearance. Plus its lighter than the AMC engine and the "good 360" engine I have has more aluminum on it to get it down to stock LS LQ9 weight.

If there is one thing I realized, its that life is short and cars can take a long time to finish if you want them perfect. My thoughts are to get it running /driving with the 360 and get the car sorted out while I save for the LS swap. Track time is track time and this will get me out there a whole lot sooner. Ride height in the front is about where I want it, rear needs to come down an inch or two.
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[Whopper]

Love your project.
I know it looks like a lot of room in the engine compartment, but it fills up fast!

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[Shawn0331]

Having a car that is driveable trumps everything.. Also where did you find that front bumper/spoiler combo?

[813Demon340]

Shawn0331, the controls freak stuff is pretty good and was something I wanted to do on my green 68. This AMX had the full Control Freak set up and did really well at Willow Springs with us last year. The bumper is from an out of business company called "Fiberglass Trends". They made the one piece bumper spoiler combo and also just spoiler. Somebody should repop them cause I get asked about it a lot....hmm let me ask a friend who makes Cuda spoilers. Here is a Javelin with separate spoiler on it.

Whopper, cool Javelin! Do you have any more pics and details? What did you use for a pedal assembly? Yeah that real estate does fill up quickly.
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[Shawn0331]

Love your project.
I know it looks like a lot of room in the engine compartment, but it fills up fast!

156038

+1 for the pedal assembly. Really curious to see how you mounted up the wilwood master and possibly clutch if its a t56 trans.

[mike343sharpstick]

The stance is looking great! Currently working on a stage2 kit for AMC's that will replace the strut rod and lower control arm.
If you have seen a modern Trans-Am tube-chassis racer, you will notice that the basic configuration of the lower control arm and strut rod are very similar to the basic design concept of the AMC, however it's executed with much better hardware to say the least, ;)

Also, One of my customers is using the Ridetech TQ series remote reservoir triple adjustable shocks.
Interestingly that car is getting built by a shop in Mesa Arizona, near you? for an owner in the UK.

The wilwood master is a direct bolt-in on an AMC. You will need to fab up a rod-end and shaft to connect it to the stock pedal assembly.
Also, for a front spoiler I used a '69 Camaro unit, then later added some carbon sheet to extend it down for an updated TransAM racer look. I expect to break it at some point so I wanted something easily replaced.

[Smitty454]

Hi Mike, have you ever seen the Ringbrothers Javelin?

https://ringbrothers.com/1972-amc-javelin-amx-defiant

[mike343sharpstick]

Yes, I have seen that car, but not 'in person' yet. lots to like about it. I watched the build on-line and even watched the SEMA reveal. I actually prefer the smoother lines of the early Javelins to the humpsters. However with big wheels and tires those 1971 and later Javelins look good.

I'm a huge fan of getting a car on the road, then evolving it from there if you can. Here in Wisconsin we have some long winters, so nearly every winter I would update the car.
I got the car on the road in 2009 after a 2 year restoration. It was basically a stock-ish restoration with Automatic and the engine the car came with.
I had some fun with the car which then gave me incentive to evolve the car to be better for the next season.
Over the years I just made an update each winter. One year was the switch from Auto to 5-speed, another was an engine swap from stock 343 to road-race 401, Swap to a Moser rear axle assembly, and so on.
I'm nearly done with this car, based on my definition of a 'Street Car' and the intent of the project. I'm to the point where all I need to do is a bunch of little things that I've not gotten to to, like getting the gas gauge to function, and a couple interior lights. I've learned so much on this that I've planned the 2.0 version of this car :)

[Smitty454]

I was lucky enough to see it in person at the Scottsdale, AZ Goodguys show and it is a beautiful work of art. Definitely my favorite car that year.

I use the same build method for my Chevelle except I sweat it out in the garage during the summers here in Phoenix. I think Im on version 4.0 with my Chevelle in the 15 years that ive owned it. I would have finished it a decade ago if I did everything all at once and left it alone, but Im never satisfied.

[Whopper]

+1 for the pedal assembly. Really curious to see how you mounted up the wilwood master and possibly clutch if its a t56 trans.

Well, actually I'm moving the clutch master for the THIRD time...

The car was originally an automatic so I bought a clutch brake pedal assembly from an undetermined AMC on ebay. Cobbled together my original with the pedals and arms from the standard but the pedals were too close together... so i cut and welded the clutch pedal about 2 1/4" to the left.

I tried to use the stamped hole that was already there for mechanical clutch linkage but it put the master cyl. too far down and even building a bracket for the proper angle, almost all the leverage was gone. Fail.

So where the clutch pedal is now it lines up perfectly with my 1st attempt at mounting. Barely fits inside the cursed unibody slope. But plenty of leverage and it disengages fine now, although I may have 'overclutched' it (Spec stage 2+, probably good for twice the h.p. i expect).

And since I was tearing that all apart I decided to put a Hydraboost on the brake master. Never had any issues connecting the Wilwood master to the brake pedal. Hydraboost has adapters for about any car... the Wilwood master only uses the botton 2 bolts of the pedal assembly mount, the Hydraboost uses 4...

Sorry about the rotated pics...

[Whopper]

Well I know its not an LS.....

BUT, I had everything sitting around in the garage (Mopar 360La motor, Canton road race pan, 833 4speed with shifter & rods, bell housing, a new clutch, etc) which makes room and doesn't cost me anything as its already paid for. Truth is I am a lifelong Mopar addict and have a lot of A body (Demon, Duster, Dart) parts for my 72 Demon 340. So after some curious thought I realized my Demon isn't going to be done anytime soon and I had a complete driveline sitting around. So out came the cherry picker and I threw all the parts together for a mock up and what do ya know, it fits...quite well actually. Clutch linkage will need some consideration but even the 72 340 exhaust manifolds fit! The shifter should require very minor cutting to fit but the trans and rods has plenty of clearance. Plus its lighter than the AMC engine and the "good 360" engine I have has more aluminum on it to get it down to stock LS LQ9 weight.

If there is one thing I realized, its that life is short and cars can take a long time to finish if you want them perfect. My thoughts are to get it running /driving with the 360 and get the car sorted out while I save for the LS swap. Track time is track time and this will get me out there a whole lot sooner. Ride height in the front is about where I want it, rear needs to come down an inch or two.
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I also had a 340 Demon 'back in the day'! Sadly, it was faster than I was smart.

I can promise you the 'ease' of an LS swap is over sold. Great engines, small package, tons of aftermarket... but bits and pieces add up. $$$

I have the Control Freaks, too.

[813Demon340]

Thanks Whopper for posting the clutch pedal pics, that will help down the road. 340 A bodies are fun cars and pretty fast cars, I've had several love rthe years.
I have been doing a lot of research on the LS swap and you're right about things adding up. I figure what ever I do with the 360 drivetrain will just go into the Demon anyways. I can collect all of the needed LS swap parts

[813Demon340]

Not too much to post about, I've been working a lot to pay for more parts.
I got the following done:
- Disc brake mounting brackets are being cut
- Headlights mounted (modified the cups to fit once I figured out which bezels I needed. BTW, if you are wanting to run modern lights on an AMX/ Javelin use a set of headlight buckets and cups from an late 60's American/Rambler. They bolt right up and have a larger opening in the cup. Mine have the turn signals in them so I had to cut of notches in the cups too.
- Steering column rebuilt & refinished
- Mopar motor mounts drilled and proper sized rubber biscuits ordered
- Numerous holes filled & welded.

Highest on the priority list is the cage and brakes, stay tuned.


Anybody else get torn between restorer mindset and race car mindset? There is some deadweight to cut out of the car and I'm having a hard time cutting it up.

[mike343sharpstick]

Not too much to post about, I've been working a lot to pay for more parts.
Anybody else get torn between restorer mindset and race car mindset? There is some deadweight to cut out of the car and I'm having a hard time cutting it up.

I think this happens to everyone! I had a vision that I'm sticking too. Even though my car has evolved over the last 9 years it's stayed true to the original goal I had set. This was basically a "Street Car". MY definition of a street car is a vehicle without a cage or a roll bar, and a functional back seat. My goal was also to be true to the AMC brand. The only part I strayed on that was the rear axle (Moser 9 with aluminum center section).

Next Car will have much different goals, something with a cage and perhaps a Gen3 Hemi? It will definitely have flares and bigger tires!
I continue to learn how to drive, and how to tune suspension on this car, The next week point I have is the brakes. I can't wait to see your brake solution! Here is a pic from a few days ago, hopefully your are burning tires in the next few months too!
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[813Demon340]

Well, I apologize to everyone that was following this build thread, sometimes life has its own path for things. It hass been a few years and some things have changed. But I really like to see things get finished, so here I am.

Quick version of my story: sold 68 AMX, sold 72 Demon and ALL of my extra parts, bought a 69 AMX, bought LS1 & T56 magnum, and have been collecting parts. Enter Kenosha Corncob 2.0

Longer version. I realized my madness of putting a LA360 into the AMX would be a mistake. A friend came up with another friend to pick up a Duster I had and he made me an offer on the 68 AMX. After thinking about the offer for awhile I put together a plan that made sense (AT THE TIME) in order to get things done. I sold him the AMX and the extra parts I had for it, in order to get my 72 Demon finished. I had the car and almost all of the parts to finish it. I instantly regretting selling the AMX, but I know it has a good home. I finished up the Demon with all of the parts I had laying around, which helped to determine what extra parts I had to sell as well. My plan was to stick to my vision of the AMX I wanted to build. So I sold it ALL, the car, the parts, all of the extra Mopar stuff I have been holding onto for years. I made the decision to be completely done with Mopars and burn the boats, so to speak, to fund the AMX build. With the car and all of the parts gone I started searching for a replacement AMX. And in the summer of 2019 I found an ad for a 1970 AMX for sale in OR, that included a 69 parts car. Turns out the parts car was an almost rust free roller of a 69 390 car with original paint and a title to boot! He didn't want to cut it up for the 70 he had and was glad to sell it to somebody that was going to save it. It was perfect for what I wanted to do, so 2 weeks and $2300 later it was sitting in my driveway. It was missing many of the things that I wanted to replace anyways like the rear end, motor, trans, hood, side glass, etc. I found a good complete 2001 Camaro SS LS1/6spd takeout package on Ebay. Fast forward to today and have gathered up almost everything I need to get the car car going. All while sticking to a low budget and being patient waiting for parts deals to come up.186224186225[ATTACH=CONFIG]186226[/ATTACH)

[813Demon340]

Thanks to friends, craigslist, and eBay I gathered up most of things to make it complete. I have the drivetrain in place and now that the winter is over I can get busy on it. I put a 8.8 (4:10 posi) out of an Explorer in it and I am anxiously waiting for a new front end kit from mike343sharpstick. Here is a picture of it about a year ago.186227186228

[813Demon340]

Brief update: The gas tank is in and mounted in a steel frame, along with the battery. Dash cracks and breaks have all been reinforced and fixed. Gauges fitted into their prospective locations, the wiper and light switches will go on a plate where the original heater controls were. I'm getting rid of the stock heater/ defroster for smaller and lighter "hot rod" style, with a much smaller control switch. Radio pod has been modified to mount the ECU, switch panel, and now has 2 lighter sockets. The fuse panel will also be going behind the dash, so most of the wiring should be out of the way but easily accessible. I was also able to finally find a NOS front spoiler!186815186816186817186818186819

[Motown 454]

The dash and switch panel look great.

[sheepers]

that's a cool story man and great that you can build what you want.

thanks for updating the tread.

[813Demon340]

Thanks Motown 454 and Sheepers!

I finally got my tires mounted and balanced! Quite bit of difference compared to the 14" Magnums and BFG's that were on it.
For those looking to save some $ I'll continue my previous build costs.
Those rims are $99 at Summit and they can be drilled in 4 1/2 or 4 3/4 I believe. They are American Racing VN 504, 17x9.
The 255/40/17 Falken Azenis RT615K+ (200 treadwear) are only $130 a tire and are $50 cheaper a tire than the 275's. I was planning on running 275 squared but a $200 savings will be worth it for now, as that paid for the headers!
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[813Demon340]

Project update: Rebuilt & restored the steering column (new bearings & switch) and finally got to use the new Luisi wheel I've had for years. I swapped out the motor mounts for a nice set made by 68_amx_ls over on Instagram. With those in I was able to get the headers to fit. The drivers side was almost meant to be there, passenger required the BFH to the floor to get things clearance. Headers are Hedman 68020 (for GM A/G body). Trans is mounted onto the stock crossmember that's been moved back on the mounts. I was also able to replace the missing lower crossmember and get the radiator mounted.
Fan is a new BeCool for 01 Camaro as are the fans and radiator hoses.

This weeks totals:
Radiator ($180 Craigslist), Fan assy ($99 Ebay), Hoses ($18 RockAuto), Motor mounts ($15 RockAuto), Headers ($150 Craigslist), Crossmember ($18 Summit), Column switch ($35 Ebay, (I had the bearings)
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[813Demon340]

Test fitting lights, grille, and a 1970 center mounted grille emblem... shop cat approves. This grille is cracked/broken in spots so I may cut the opening for the lights into it. Headlights will have turn signals in them and the turn signal openings in the bumper will become brake cooling ducts.
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[68Formula]

Can a Kelvinator swallow 275s on the front? I don't think you can get the rims at that price anymore btw, so you really lucked out.

[813Demon340]

68Formula, I'll let you know once I get my suspension kit installed. Yes I did, Summit has several part #'s for those wheels with only one showing a price and June delivery date. Hopefully they get them back in stock again soon so I can buy a couple of spares.

[5spd540]

Looks like a cool project. No many of us weirdos to build AMC cars.

[813Demon340]

Thanks 5spd540! AMC's are unique, that's for sure!

I built a "Monte Carlo" style bar to brace the shock towers from flexing. I can't drill the mounting holes for it until the coil springs come out, hopefully the front end kit comes soon!
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[tonyuh60]

Looking awesome!! hopefully mine will be out of paint jail soon and can catch up with you.

[813Demon340]

Thanks tonyuh60! I hope yours get out of paint jail soon too, that's a super clean car!

Quick update. I got the boat out of the garage, so I now have a lot more room to work on the car! That will make the wiring go much quicker, which is next up on the list! Hopefully the front end kit will come soon and I can get that donk looking front end level with the rear end. It is definitely lighter up front!
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[813Demon340]

These pictures are pretty self explanatory of my current progress. It sure is nice to have room to work. I have used a Ron Francis harness in the past on a Road Runner and now a Painless harness in this. I find the Painless harness along with the 100 page manual to be very user friendly and well laid out. The kids are having fun learning how to cut, crimp and solder wires.
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[813Demon340]

Still plugging away when I get time. It is getting much closer now. Alt and P/S mounted thanks to a ICT high mount kit. P/S hoses done, thanks to a Dirty Dingo adapter fitting I was able to use the stock AMC hose. P/S cooler in and plumbed too. I got the clutch master cylinder and bracket mounted along with the Wilwood master cylinder. Most of wiring is done. I added some turn signal & high beam indicators to the hooded gauge overlay. Biggest projects on the list are the welding the trans tunnel in, exhaust, plumbing the fuel & brake lines, and final welding the rear end in. Front suspension is ready to go in once I get a kit. I just got the missing piece of side glass that I needed, so that will go in soon too but its low on the priority list. Pics don't reflect its current state, sorry. Any progress is progress.
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[813Demon340]

Better update picture. This shows a little of a lot. I cut the AMC rad top plate to fit around the BeCool radiator. I put a P/S cool between the drivers headlight and radiator, similar to how the Trans Am Javelins did. The clutch master cylinder and mounting plate (laying on the cowl in the previous pic) are a kit from McLeod for a Chevelle that I adapted. I started working on the tunnel this afternoon. Turns out I'll be able to use the AMC auto shifter mount as a shifter boot mount while covering up the large hole it would have left if removed.
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[68Formula]

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[813Demon340]

68Formula, I love it! Great movie!

Here is some better detail on the McLeod hydraulic clutch set up I used and how it all fits. Its a kit (sorry, no before pics) that comes with everything to retrofit a Chevelle including the pedal. Seeing how AMC used a lot of GM stuff I realized the clutch pedals are very similar and use the same diameter shaft that the pedal rotates on. It comes with a mounting plate the goes between the master cylinder and the firewall. The oval hole thats required for the slave cylinder is right where the lower bolt hole for the AMC pedals go, so its a matter "enlarging" it to fit and trimming the pedal housing.The AMC clutch pedal could work with some mods, but the Chevelle one is slimmer and everything mounts up to it perfectly. It is just a matter of getting the shaft spacers where you want them. I'll be putting some aluminum pedal pads on the pedals to keep a standard look to the pedals. I just need to mount that fluid reservoir and thats all done!

Pics show the engine compartment side and interior views of it all mounted, along with the McLeod part #, and another shot of the p/s cooler setup. I have the tunnel mocked into place and the side plates cut out, but the trans needs to come out before welding it all in.
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[68Formula]

68Formula, I love it! Great movie!

Here is some better detail on the McLeod hydraulic clutch set up I used and how it all fits.


For sure, a great movie! Let me know how you like the McLeod hydraulic clutch works out. I've been considering one of those. Keep the updates coming!

[Motown 454]

It looks good.I like the spot for the cooler.

[813Demon340]

68Formula, I sure will. The kit is pretty nice and complete which is what attracted me to it. Motown 454, Thanks!

Ok so I'm trying to figure out where to mount a couple of things and could use some input.
1) The master switch. The battery is in the trunk and I can run the positive cable through the car easily, I'm just not sure where a good place to mount it would be. Console area was what I was thinking as there is not much room on the dash. Plus it would make for a short run to the starter.
2) Brake lines and proportioning valve. The Wilwood valve I have is designed to be mounted next to the master. I'd rather have the rear adjuster in the car. Console or drivers side rocker somewhere?

[Motown 454]

My shut off is near the battery that way it kills the power right there, no full power to the front. I run a 5 amp fuse to jump the shut off to keep computer, radio station memory on.

[Just 1 More]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2021/09/50884773531_dd5f314c48_b-1.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kwvLnz)Resized_20210127_191805 (https://flic.kr/p/2kwvLnz) by F G (https://www.flickr.com/photos/153250783@N04/), on Flickr

[813Demon340]

Thank you Motown 454 and Just 1 More for the replies, that gives me some ideas.

Life always throws curve balls at us when building cars, but any progress IS progress in my opinion. My plan all along was to use the headlights with integrated turn signals in them and turn the turn signal holes into brake cooling ducts. A trip to home depot came up the PVC reducers that fit the hole perfectly. I then trimmed them down to fit the curves of the bumper, and installed some ram air tubing and sleeves that just happened to fit beyond perfectly.I'll paint them later. I went backwards a bit when I found out the pass side strut rod bracket is wallowed out and I have two of the same side strut rods. Although I did get the drivers side bracket restored. Next up is the rear springs and bushing replacement.

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[813Demon340]

This update: I got the rear end mostly done, long wheel studs installed along with new brakes and seals. Its a regular width 8.8 from a 2000 Explorer, with 4:10 posi. I didn't need to narrow it with the wheel offset I'm running as it centers them almost exactly in the wheel wells. I cleaned up the original Go Pack HD springs and replaced all of the bushings with Polygraphite. The spring hangers were mopar offset hangers, that I had to unoffset to locate the spring properly. New HD polygraphite hangers are backordered but will be here in Dec. I'm going to fit a center pull ebrake from a Mustang and use the factory Explorer e brake cables. The front end kit should be here soon! Next up I have to pull the drivetrain out to fix a stud, clean some things up and weld in the trans tunnel.
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[813Demon340]

The back end is getting there, but it needs another inch drop in my opinion to close up the gap on top of the tire. But that will have to wait until it is running and driving at its full weight.
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[68Formula]

The back end is getting there, but it needs another inch drop in my opinion to close up the gap on top of the tire. But that will have to wait until it is running and driving at its full weight.
192529

Definitely wait until it's on it's full weight, but I think the gap looks just right.

[813Demon340]

Winter is over and its time to get back to it. Santa brought me the best present I could ask for, my front end kit from mike343sharpstick!! The drivetrain came out so I could rebuild/ restore the front end components and replace old worn parts with new stuff. I also had to fix a broken exhaust manifold bolt on the back of the head, thank god that one is finally done! Next up on the shortlist is removing the last of the undercoating from the front end and trans tunnel. Then mounting the front kit and welding up the trans tunnel.

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[Motown 454]

I love new parts! Looking good!!

[813Demon340]

I found out that I had 2 right side strut rods and not a left side along with a pair of 70's. I finally found the correct left side 68/69 AMX/ Javelin strut rod. So now I have all of the pieces to put the front end back together. I went to pick n pull today and got myself the 8.8 u joint flange and I have ordered the correct u joint to make the Camaro driveshaft and the 8.8 work together, once I get it shortened and balanced. In doing some research on installing my Accusump I ran across this bitchin piece that has a -10 AN line fitting that replaces the factory oil cooler plate above the oil pan. Things are coming along nicely!
198056

[813Demon340]

Progress updates:
I got the tunnel welded in and seam sealed. I just need to finish off the cover for the shifter. Trans x member, engine x member, radiator cover, strut rods, and more have been cleaned & repainted. Pedal assembly restored to factory appearance, pedal covers recycled to cover up the different sized pedals. AMC used a primer/ coating that looks browish black with metallic in it. Closest I have found is Rustoleum dark oil rubbed bronze, then flat clear shot over it.
Undercoating has been removed and cleaned up on the front inner fenders, using a heat gun and regular charcoal lighter fluid to easily remove the residue. Suspension brackets installed. Accusump mounted and line to the front ran. Engine compartment paint rubbed out, although AMC did a real half ass job painting those. Up next is installing the front crossmember, drivetrain assembly, front suspension & brakes. Everything can now go back together for the final time.
198628198629

[Motown 454]

They look good, nice job!

[813Demon340]

Thanks Motown!


Finally assembly is moving along! All of the suspension is detailed and installed. Brakes were gone through, just need to get new flex lines tomorrow. Wheels fit without spacers, but the ball joint is super close, thankfully there's a lot of caliper clearance. Drive train dropped right in, tomorrow will be getting the driveshaft shortened. For the first time it is sitting close to its final stance, with all of the brakes and suspension installed. It is nice to have the finish line in sight, be it far away, but its there!
198840198841198842198843

[813Demon340]

Lots of progress and final assembly. Basically everything from the firewall forward is done with the exception of bleeding the brakes and clutch. I made my own longtube headers and built a full x pipe exhaust system with pieces from Summit. Its a couple of flex pipes at the collectors, an x pipe kit, flow master knockoffs, and a couple of 5.0 Foxbody tailpipes (which were $55 ea!). It is really nice having them a few miles away and I'm usually there once or twice a week getting parts for work builds. I painted the wheels, added a 1/4" spacer up front for clearance on the balljoint. Caster, camber, & toe is set and I got some sweet spherical bushings from Opentracker Racing for my strut rods. I have most of the wiring finished. The driveshaft was made and installed. Air intake is done and mounted and sensors added. Grille was fixed, repaired, restored, and topped off with a 70 AMX emblem that mounts in the center instead of the side. Fluids have been added and topped off. One of the best scores of my build was finding a pair of original "Randall Rambler" dealership license plate frames. They were the AMC version of Mr Norm/Yenko/Royal. It is almost time to fire it and then drive it!!
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[Motown 454]

You've made a lot of nice progress. the suspension is looking good!

[813Demon340]

3 years, almost to the day, this former shell of a car is now a running and driving pro touring machine! There was a lot of little things that got done since my last update. A few electrical item changes. A lot of trips to Summit Racing for various AN fittings and braided lines there are no leaks in the clutch or brake systems. It finally started up without a lot of issues. Although I did wind up having to get the injectors cleaned and flow tested as one was leaking. Computers and fuel injection are new to me so the learning curve on diagnosing problems is pretty fun actually but it takes longer to fix & research things. The exhaust system sounds really good. My first drive was really short as the fans were not coming on. There is a lot of little things to do that have gotten put off in lieu of getting it running and driving. The bumpers need to be tucked in tighter, front spoiler attached, and the glass installed. Also on the short list is getting the interior sorted (door panels redone, installing sun visors, adding power windows and locks, etc) and put a few more miles on it.
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[813Demon340]

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[69 Charger 440]

Awesome build! Love the wheels and the stance.

[jaybee]

Such a cool car. I like it a lot.

[813Demon340]

Progress update. Seems like the last 10% of build seems to take so much time, lots of little things. Wiper motor and linkage is installed. Bumpers painted, adjusted, and installed. Scoops and screens painted and installed. A friend had a perfect Javelin hood that I was able to trade out some labor for. I was able to take a cracked & cut up original center pad and made it functional with air vents, a radio, and a map light. All of the glass is finally in the car. AMC door windows are glued onto the shoes which makes them a pain in the ass to replace, especially when there was no glass to measure from in the first place. I was able to acquire, restore, and install all of the interior plastic trim pieces.
Door panels will be redone next.
There have been a couple of set back, of course. The rear end rotated upward into the floor when the welds broke because somebody forgot to tighten/torque down the u bolts nuts. So that came out to be rewelded by a more skilled welder than me...ohh and I made sure the u bolts nuts are torqued now. The hydraulic clutch cylinder locked up last week and now its not bleeding correctly or giving me the pedal feel I had prior. So thats where I'm at right now. Drives good, has plenty of power, and is getting closer to being a reliable driver.
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[5spd540]

These cars are tough to find parts for.

[19,69camaro]

I like so much about this car! Keep it up

[cornfedbill]

We don't see enough of these cars. I am enjoying this build.

[tples69]

VERY Nice! Just posted myself the starts to my 70 AMX project. I will read and follow along closely!

[813Demon340]

Spring update. Now that winter is over I got back to work on the car. Turned out to be a bad hyd clutch slave cylinder, so out came the trans...yay. Got a new one from Modern Driveline with speed bleeders! Now that its fixed its bak to sorting out stuff while putting miles on it. Although its snowed & rained the past several weekends so it will be sitting until the weather improves, or I get the wipers functional!

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[miragevv]

Catching up now lol. Didn't see the contnuation. I love AMX's. Took me a while to read through your saga. You have showed remarkable tenacity in getting her on the road. Please keep us updated, this is a sweet ride!

[813Demon340]

Thanks miragevv! Its been quite the long road. I will admit I've been giving thought to selling it and starting a new Foxbody project.

[813Demon340]

Lemonade out of lemons...
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[813Demon340]

It is getting much closer to what I would consider done. It turned out close to what I wanted, its not slow, handles really well, and stops quickly. I renewed the original black Go Pack stripes and wrapped the hood after putting some vents in. I was able to rub out the original red paint and make it shine. The last few items on the list are carpet and a 6 point roll cage, which are sitting in the garage.

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[71autoxr]

Brent, I hope you don't mind me dropping in. I won't hijack your thread, but thought I'd offer an update for those interested. I bought Version 1 of the Kenosha corncob as my first AMX after lusting after them for years. Once into the project which was intended to keep the vision of a patina road shredder, it became evident it was a bit of a rare car, as this is not a restoration forum I'll spare the details. Fast forward, the car is receiving a rotisserie restoration that got painted a few weeks ago in its original non factory color, photos in the spray booth below. While tracking down parts, a perfect donor followed me home a 1969 AMX 390 4 speed car with a missing transmission. All the racy bits from Version 1 were brought to the 1969 car and few more added, t5, rear mopar 8 3/4 with disc brakes, blah blah blah. The 69 has been on the road flawlessly for about a year now, and is a blast to drive. Pictured below is next to my 71 Challenger, a monster of a different breed. Thanks for letting me jump in, I can assure you I'll keep the vision alive.
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