Good project or not? AMC related...

I have found a decent 1980 AMC Spirit GT, rear wheel drive, with a 4 speed manual and the 151 cu 4 cylinder which I believe is the iron duke engine? It runs and drives well. Any thoughts on why or why not to do it? People seem to have a negative view of the Iron Duke, it seems to run forever but is low on power.

I have also been looking for an older Eagle, since being in Wisconsin it would be a fun AWD winter beater. Someone told me that they can have drivetrain issues, like 4wd going out. Is this true?

Calling all AMC experts!

As I recall, the 304 V8 was an option on that car... so there is plenty of room under the bonnet for something more interesting should you get bored with the 4 (which likely will last forever...).

I could see a 401 being a lot of fun....

Never heard many bad things about the 4wd systems, but it's difficult to find a 4wd, manual trans with the 6 in either the Eagle or SX/4 (in a non-rusty body) and that would be the only combo I'd want...

The last one I saw was part of a collection I wanted every single car out of. The guy lived in a very bad neighborhood in Chicago (a tire blew when we were winching a car onto my trailer and he laughed his rear off when I hit the dirt!)

Guy had a Riley RMB (2.5) and an RMF (also a 2.5)... I bought both of those... a Volvo 123GT rally project, a beautiful Volvo 544, and that Eagle/6/4wd/4sp. All were for sale but I was tapped out...

Does it look something like this?

take a look at my thread a few down....9th pic in the first post

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/alot-of-ran-when-parked-plus-a-couple-badass-zavs/26473/page1/

The 4 was a solid, if entirely uninspiring motor. The trans behind it is also a do not want. If it's RWD why are you worried about 4WD going out? (They don't BTW, it's Jeep parts for zombies sake!)

The Spirit is light, cool little car. Engine bay is big enough for the AMC V8 (factory 304's were built, all AMC's use the same block dimensions so a 360 or a 401 literally bolts right in, same trans, accessories, everything). If you want a 4x4 you need the SX/4 model. It's too hard to swap the stuff over and they're cheap enough anyways.

The GT should have most of the AMX body parts (rear spoiler, front spoiler, body-matched bumpers, flares) and could make for a sweet little autocrosser. The I-6 should use the 4-cyl crossmember. Grab a 4.0 HO EFI from a newer Cherokee and a 5-Speed and it would rock!

I've said it before. My first car was an '80 AMC Spirit with the Iron Duke 4spd. I miss that car, and if I ever come across one in my price range I'll buy it on the spot. Problem is right now my price range is like $50, and at that price I would need a trailer and tow vehicle of which I have neither. The ole Duke actually died on mine and had thoughts at the time of SBF + T5. My parents nixed that idea real quick. Probably a good thing that. Now though, I'm still thinking it would be so much fun.

Oh yeah, the Eagle was pretty much a streched CJ-7 with a Spirit body bolted on top. No 4WD issues at all. Anything breaks find a Jeep guy, done.

My dad bought one of those new to use as a commuter. It was a 4 cyl, 4 spd, if I recall. I really liked it at that time.

If you live in Wisconsin your Mantra should be,Any AMC anywhere, anytime. Corner the market.

The iron duke is a turd as built. Track down a few of the IMSA Fiero bits, like the 3.3 liter block and matching head, and now we're talking.

Streetwiseguy wrote: The iron duke is a turd as built. Track down a few of the IMSA Fiero bits, like the 3.3 liter block and matching head, and now we're talking.

Don't forget marine engines. They still use the basic iron Duke block (though with the v-8 bolt pattern not the 60* one, which may or may not fit the AMC) as a 3.0L boat engine.

Sounds like a may just have to get it then...lots of possibilities

Spirits can be very fast track cars; Chip Walterman holds all of the MCSCC records for his class...it's a 401...kind of a cross between an ESP and a CP SOLO2 car.

Whats so painful and aggravating about AMC's?

STS_ZX2 wrote: Spirits can be very fast track cars; Chip Walterman holds all of the MCSCC records for his class...it's a 401...kind of a cross between an ESP and a CP SOLO2 car.

SWEET! Coolest AMC I've seen since the monochrome silver Gremlin the track steward at VIR was out playing with a few years ago...

What year is the rambler you are restoring? Any other possibly negative items to consider?

racinginc215 wrote: Find parts body parts that are decent. not gonna happen. and the rebuild kit for the straight 6 in mine is 1300.00 and does not include crank rods or pistons. Bhahahahahaha

Go old school and make your own. Actually, it's quite easy to find body parts for all post-Ramblers as AMC had a nasty habit of sharing sheetmetal (Gremlin/Hornet/Spirit/Concord, Matador/Ambassador/Rebel, and AMX/Javelin come to mind). Also they make patch panels for most of them.

And what I-6 do you have? The 232/258 lived on as the 4.0 in Jeeps until like 2 years ago. It's the SBC of the I-6 world!

You can probably cobble together a stroker I-6 with modern Jeep I-6 components for not a lot of cash. There's plenty on budget stokers on Jeep forums.

T5-V8, finished. Or you could pull the 4.0 Jeep engine and use a RWD Cherokee transmission.

I'd probably just raid the junkyard for a V8 AMC though. I hope you buy this ...

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/incredible-amc-spirit/20342/page1/

Looking back at the thread for the yellow Spirit, my bad, I stand corrected.

Joe Gearin wrote:

griffin729 wrote: The AMC Eagle was basically a lengthened CJ-7 with a Spirit body on it. I know not entirely accurate, but not far off.

Not entirely accurate is right. The Eagle/ Spirit is a uni-body design, not a body on frame. The transfer cases are different as well. The Eagles were 4wd, and shared the 358 cid 6cyl with the Jeeps, but not too much else. That said, that Spirit is completely bad ass.......It makes me want to go home and wrench on the Eagle.

A 4.0 stroked with a 5spd would make this car quite cool

The only negative items to consider are that the older the "Rambler" ( technically AMC either from 1954 on or 1970 on in the states- look up AMC history ) is the harder the parts are to get. The one fellow mentioning the 1300 rebuild kit must have a flathead six. The other negative is unflattering statements made about Rambler or AMC made from from ignorance from others. That second one is simple, simply ignore them. There are many parts/avenues to go with regarding your GT choice. If you want a 4wd AMC they are rugged but they also have a spider's maze of vacuum lines and a vacuum engaged transfer case ( which could be swapped for a mechanically engaged Jeep system or you could source a good Jeep oriented parts/service company that service the 84/85- 90 Jeeps that used a very similar form of vacuum activated 4 wheel drive. Back to the Spirit. The iron Fluke is an unexciting mill that, if you want to stay with 4 power could swap out for AMC's own 2.5 liter 4 that came out in '84 ( in a few SX4's apparently- and in the Cherokee ). This engine is very similar to being 2/3rds of the highly regarded 4.0 six that replaced the venerable 258 ( 4.2 liter ) That your car could have come with as well. The 2.5 four should bolt up to the existing bell-housing as the later bell-housings, even for the odd Iron Duke and 2.8 Chevy V-6 that showed up in early Cherokees, should be the multi-hole, one size fits all type that would allow the present four-speed ( to be replaced by the better T-5 ) to mount to the new 4. You'd have to play around with engine mounts, however.Also, the same bell-housing may only be up until '87, meaning you'd have to get the earlier version of the AMC mill or go to Advance Adapters, or get the bell from a later block and then match an appropriate T-5. Another route is to go here- http://www.kansasracingproducts.com/Kansas_Racing_Products/Welcome.html and explore the possibilities with the Pontiac I D already in the car. There is also a Tech 4 version of the I D engine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Iron_Duke_engine#Tech_IV . If the price isn't too steep maybe the race set-up with simple carburetor or single point injection would be the way to rock. If you study historical AMC racing references online you'll note that the Spirit chassis is an excellent racing platform to start with.

Steve

we're enablers....all projects are good ideas

And what's really funny, when we actually say that a project is a really BAD idea, many times that's taken as a challenge... reverse psychology enablement!