Look What I Found!!

Last Wednesday morning Steve "the K" my salesman from AutoValue in Epping came in with a Craig's List listing with, believe it or not, a totally rebuilt AMC 401 V8. It also had an aluminum intact manifold and a Holley 650 double pumper. And it was only in Wolfeboro, 45 minutes away. Needless to say I called the guy shortly thereafter and somebody had beaten me to it. Bummer. I gave him my number and lo and behold he called me by 5 that night to say the other guy was a no-show. Yippee! I picked up my AMX specialist, the other Steve, and checked it out. Now I own it. I've got to get rid of that Chrysler orange - what's up with that? Three years from now we'll find out if it runs.

Road Trip

Took an awesome ride with buddy Ted and Augie the doggie to Oxford, Maine. There lies an "old school junkyard". First warm sunny day in weeks, snow up to our thighs, found four AMC Magnum rims in good shape, by gummy. Ayuh. Also found some windshield trim and underhood metal pieces and a hood latch. Took the long way home, had a ball.



I actually worked on the car a little, too. I cut the windshield pillars for access so I can weld the center section of the pillar. In the cross-cut section of the pillar there are three distinct pieces of metal that have to be accessed and welded in order to get the structure back in this roof.

Motor's Out!

Ed & Dave got the job done in short order last Friday. We drained the oil pan while the motor was still on the hoist, hard to believe it was half full of water. For that matter even the fuel pump still had some varnish dripping out of it. The boys were amused that the motor mount nuts were never reinstalled when the 290 replaced the 343. It makes me keep wondering about the history of this rig. Back in the day these muscle cars were rode hard & put away wet. Cars in general were cheap & disposable. If I assume the 1978 Oregon license plate indicates the last year this 1969 car was on the road is fact....it only took 9 years to turn this car into this mess (ya I know when it just sat in who knows what conditions things only got worse). I'll have to do some more research.

Oh Yeah - I welded this weekend. Sitting lotus position inside the car while welding the roof brace. Lots of holes in my pants and my sweatshirt, went home, got a chunk of linoleum to use as an apron. Got the interior sides complete and the exterior rain gutters. Doesn't look too bad.