American Motors Xperimental full frame

[MrQuick]

I'll bet you will have someone wanting your floor a week after the scrap man hauls it away.

I've always liked the AMXs. Should look good with big fat ones on each corner.

Ken

isn't that how it always works??? LOL




Great project, can't wait to see more. Always loved the AMX's but hated the suspensions on them.



Looks like Santa is going to have a new slegh this year. LOL

[Ron S]

From the looks of the chassis you are building I might see another experiment coming with this one. Underslung? Whatz going on in that head huh Ron? I like this build!!!

Was wondering if anyone would pic up on that, should have known it wasn't going to get past you Mike. Yeah, I'm really trying to think outside the box on this one, and really, really, trying to keep the weight down. The engineering on the rear suspension should be crazy, with the Watts link, and torque arm all on top of the frame. Its all experimental stuff for a street car, I guess we'll see how it works, should look pretty wild though.

[Ron S]

I'll be keeping a close eye on this one. Where do you plan to stretch the body?

Not stretching the body, infact I'm shortening the body a couple inches, and just pushing the wheels out on the corners, it all looks good in my head (alot of crazy sh*t going on up there), hope it looks as good in real life.

[Ron S]

And I thought your only skill set was in the beer drinking department.

Still looking for the new rack placement shot...oh yea, a 3/4 rear shot. LOL

I am pretty good at beer drinking, and heres the new rack placement shots, at least the mounts.

[Ron S]

I love, love, LOVE the Mustang and my best car buddy is nutz about the AMC/AMX so I'll be interested to see how this develops. I've already subscribed. But this raises some questions though. Wasn't the whole point of the AMX it's radically shortened wheelbase? Isn't an AMX with a lengthened wheelbase just a Javelin? The short wheelbase, long hood and ultra short deck was what was supposed to put it in a class of extremely nimble cars along with the Corvette (something which even the other pony cars can't claim).

Its funny, the 97" wheelbase of the AMX is very good for drag racing, the rear axle was tucked up 12" compared to the Javelin, a real wheelstander. If you notice all the road race cars were Javelins, due to the stability of the longer wheelbase. I'm only stretching the w/b 7", which I'm hoping gives me the best of both worlds, like the title says experimental,we'll see how well it works.

[Zachalanche]

Was wondering if anyone would pic up on that, should have known it wasn't going to get past you Mike. Yeah, I'm really trying to think outside the box on this one, and really, really, trying to keep the weight down. The engineering on the rear suspension should be crazy, with the Watts link, and torque arm all on top of the frame. Its all experimental stuff for a street car, I guess we'll see how it works, should look pretty wild though.

With weight as a priority I am curious why you are going with the D60? A well built 8.8 could save 100#s or more. ok that was a guess, but the Dana 60's are heavy.

After seeing your last car I'm excited to see how this one turns out.

[Ron S]

With weight as a priority I am curious why you are going with the D60? A well built 8.8 could save 100#s or more. ok that was a guess, but the Dana 60's are heavy.

After seeing your last car I'm excited to see how this one turns out.

My hatred of 9" rears is epic, the 8.8's arent bad, but the posi units on both are terrible. If you run a Detroit on the street, they are a PITA, the clutch type have a very limited life span with any HP, and the trutracs break if you put sticky tires on them. I know Moser just came out with that Wavelock which is supposed to be pretty good, but its $900 just for the posi unit.

The powerlok Dana makes is indistructible, and with the underslug frame, I don't want to have to be working on the rear.I know the Dana is stupid heavy, especially the one I'm doing. A full float 60, with torque arm mount cast into the housing, .250 dom tubes, and a watts hanging off the 3/16" rear cover. Alot of the parts showed up today. I'll post some pics as soon as I unbox them.

[drflex]

very nice.. i'll be watching this one

[Mike Holleman]

Was wondering if anyone would pic up on that, should have known it wasn't going to get past you Mike. Yeah, I'm really trying to think outside the box on this one, and really, really, trying to keep the weight down. The engineering on the rear suspension should be crazy, with the Watts link, and torque arm all on top of the frame. Its all experimental stuff for a street car, I guess we'll see how it works, should look pretty wild though.

That will be a different build from what we are used to but that is what makes it fun. It is all starting to become a little more clear now. Have you got the Strange rear center yet? I'd like to see how that looks when you get it all laid out for the floater set up. That may be exactly what I need to have a rear that will live under my racecar. Keep the pics coming.

[Ron S]

Yeah Mike I got the center, really nice peice. Bought the center, some dom tubing, and the Moser snouts. I machined the inside of the tubes to accept 4 wheel drive front seals, kind of nice that I don't need to run those goofy aluminum seals. I'll post some pics as soon as I get a chance.

[RS_Customs]

Wow buddy, you look a lot different in the off season lol.

Good to finally see the build thread. Can't wait to see more.

Careful you don't rub the bad mojo off the old blue ls1 into this car too lol.

Robert

[Dirtleg]

Anxious to see how you are doing the 60. I was just running the same idea around in my head a couple weeks ago. Moser parts? Interesting project to say the least.




Greg

[Mike Holleman]

Yeah Mike I got the center, really nice peice. Bought the center, some dom tubing, and the Moser snouts. I machined the inside of the tubes to accept 4 wheel drive front seals, kind of nice that I don't need to run those goofy aluminum seals. I'll post some pics as soon as I get a chance.

Go ahead and figure a pump and cooler for the diff. into the mix. I don't know how much heat those seals can handle. The GM rear in my racecar gets well into the 300's with the pump and cooler in a hard 30 minute session. And I do have a small amount of knockback. So what you are doing may be exactly what I want to do to fix it. I want to stay torque arm but go floater. Mike

[asifnyc]

Ron,

so cool to see you doing an AMC. Just had my '74 Javelin race car on track for the first time this Saturday at Infineon.

go AMC !

[Ron S]

Got the one end of the tube done, the seal will push into the end of the tube on the housing side. Kinda cool that the seal has the axle guide built into it to make sliding the axle in easier, and keep you from damaging the seal. The Spohn torque arm came in, wow is that a beefy peice, 1" bolts on the money end, main structure is chromoly, super nice.

[Mike Holleman]

Got the one end of the tube done, the seal will push into the end of the tube on the housing side. Kinda cool that the seal has the axle guide built into it to make sliding the axle in easier, and keep you from damaging the seal. The Spohn torque arm came in, wow is that a beefy peice, 1" bolts on the money end, main structure is chromoly, super nice.

pics ?

[Ron S]

Something must be wrong with the website, won't allow me to post them, I can post them elsewhere. I'll post them as soon as it lets me.

[SRD art]

Not stretching the body, infact I'm shortening the body a couple inches, and just pushing the wheels out on the corners, it all looks good in my head (alot of crazy sh*t going on up there), hope it looks as good in real life.

I like your way of thinking Ron, the rule book was the first victim of the sawzall, then the sheetmetal, lol! Your fab work is as beautiful as the functionality. I'm available to help you see the vision on paper if'n you wanted to. Keep it coming!

[SRD art]

Oh yeah, back home in FL there was a local drag car builder that put 60's in everything he built, which was mostly Chevelles, Novas, and the like. Most cars ran BB Chevys on a 9.90 index or quicker and almost all of them came off the line on 2-3' wheelies. The Dana's a big bohemouth bad boy but also bullet proof. This build sounds cooler with every addition...

[Ron S]

pics ?