Here's the latest in the Dreams and Nightmares series: a special exclusively on American Motors, including Nash and Hudson. Putting this feature together was fun and surprising: for such a small company with limited resources, AMC produced a large number of dream cars and prototypes. Good ones, too. Big photo gallery, check it out: Dreams and Nightmares -- The American Motors Edition | Mac's Motor City Garage.com
Being from WI, I think we had more AMCs around than anyone. I had a '70 Javelin street machine, & of course, a Gremlin. A friend had a Gremlin & his parents had a Rambler Cl***ic 2 door hardtop, & I'd love to have that now. Who wouldn't want a Rebel Machine, AMX, or a Hurst SCRambler? I loved the innovation in the design & still do.
A Machine has to be up in my top 5 dream cars.Those are just impressive looking in person, they always draw crowds at shows for all kinds of reasons. I always love the underdogs.
Yes indeed, and before that, Plymouth Road -- the one that looked like a college administration building. Really good looking place. AMC and then Dodge Truck/Jeep engineering were based there until just recently. Here's a little story about it... http://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/2012/12/02/the-plymouth-road-office-complex/ .
You did a fantastic job! I'm an AMC historian and fan and appreciate the positive vibe of the article. So many put down AMC, ***uming they made an inferior product since they are no longer around, which isn't the case for many of the now defunct manufacturers. Economics were the problem, sometimes due to a few bad business decisions. There are a couple cars that did not come from AMC design studios though. The Budd XR-400 was designed and built by Budd. IT wasn't commissioned by AMC. Budd built it trying to sell AMC on the concept. They did the same with a Falcon for Ford, making a mini T-bird type car -- then Ford came out with the Mustang a couple years later. I don't think the "Stinger" Pacer was from AMC studios either, but I may be wrong. I think it was an auto magazine project. Don't take this as criticism -- I love the article! I'll be mentioning it in my little AMC magazine this fall (printed quarterly, and I just sent out the Summer issue). Just setting the record straight. Those are both AMC based and interesting, even if not from AMC studios.
Yes, some of the Broooks Stevens stuff was unsolicited/on spec as well. I think people who don't work in the industry would be surprised to learn how much design, concept, and prototype stuff comes from contractors and consultants. Part of their job, often, is keeping a low profile and letting the automakers take all the credit. What I wanted to show is that AMC cultivated a vibrant design environment that worked with all kinds of talented people inside and outside the company. When you look at all the great stuff they did, clearly the little company was punching well above its weight. Thanks for the kind words.
That particular trunnion is a replacement type that has a bronze bearing in the vertical joint with a washer, castelated nut, and cotter pin on the bottom. A new steering knuckle pin was used on some, one version had a thin sleeve that screwed over the threads on the original. It was made to make those who had one come apart feel better. The factory part (and current replacements) has threads in the vertical joint on the trunnion and a threaded pin on the lower end of the steering knuckle. As long as the joint is kept greased it will last for several HUNDRED thousand miles. It's a 5/8" standard thread. Rotate a nut on a 5/8" bolt until it's worn enough that the nut will pull off. Takes forever, especially when there is very little pressure on the threads (only some sideways pressure in turns and when braking). Old mineral grease as used in the 50s and 60s will harden with age and make it hard to get fresh grease in though. Cleaning a threaded joint that has sat for a while then using some anti-seize to re***emble and some modern lithium grease after is the best way to go, the joint should last more than the life of the car.
Good eye. It's also a slightly facelifted and recycled version of the 1967 AMC Armitron concept, which is also featured.
Thanks to everyone for your interest. I love this stuff too! There's a whole Dreams and Nightmares series at the website and you can expect more of it.
The Jalopy Journal
