My "New" Project- 1979 AMC Spirit 360

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Looks good!

It's nice to be able to work on stuff when you have a stash of parts built up, instead of having to stop constantly to buy more crap.

As for the rust that has begun to form on the intake runners, I wouldn't worry about it. Unless something's stuck, just run the thing.

I was working a lot for a long time and never had time to work on my crap, so I would just buy parts instead. Now, I am lucky to get 25-30 hours a week, so I have lots of parts and time to play with them. I also built both the Cutlass and the AMC using different philosophies. The Spirit was always done on the cheap and allowed to be a bit crude and butch, while the Cutlass was intended to be a nice car. So, while the Cutlass gets the $800 paint system, the Spirit will get the $100 coat of cheap white crap from the Eastwood catalog. Both will be presentable, but not both will be done to a high standard. White hides flaws, so white it is! The Spirit is virtually impossible to make a nice car out of, so it is the car I can play with without the constraints of rules and such. However, I will probably get rid of it when this is done and either get nothing else, or something totally different to play with. I am thinking an old subcompact import like a real Mini or a Datsun PL510.

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I have a small update! I have actually managed to fully free the car from it's cocoon of crap that was formerly a garage! Yes, my declutterfication project is netting some actual results. I will be swapping out the engine and transmission in the next week or so, as soon as I paint the Cutlass mirrors and install my high shelves in the garage to finish my organization project.

[Blake442]

Organizing is a good feeling!
But I'm obsessive compulsive, and I love organizing things...

I went through all my parts in my garage a couple months ago, and found a bunch of stuff I completely forgot that I even had! I managed to sell some things and throw out some others, but at least there's a little more order and now things will be easier to find.

When I went through all my parts, I took pictures of everything. That way, if I want to sell something, I can just pop up a picture I already have. Might be a good idea for you too if you plan on thinning your inventory.

Be careful though, those shelves fill up fast! Mine sure did!

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Unfortunately, much of my overage went to the dump if it was not relevant to the cars I currently own. I had so much stuff that I could not walk in the garage, my front porch and my spare bedroom. My house looked like one of those houses on those shows where they go in and bring order to disasters. Once I get rid of the AMC, I will be giving all of my spare parts to the new owner, or whoever wants them, for free. All that will be left will be parts to my Cutlass and truck. After all, I only have a 1 car garage, so I have to start using my space wisely.

As for finding gems in the clutter, I found quite a few things that I will be able to use in the coming weeks to put the Cutlass back together.

[1evilregal]

any updates on this one, cutty? inquiring minds want to know!!

actually, I love these low-buck projects that only true car lovers can appreciate!

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

any updates on this one, cutty? inquiring minds want to know!!

actually, I love these low-buck projects that only true car lovers can appreciate!

Well, I decided to concentrate on assembling the Cutlass before I went any further with the AMC. I have too few resources to spread around, and the Cutlass is taking up the majority of the storage space I would need to dismantle the AMC. What I will probably do is install the new engine, get it to run well and try to sell it for $1500-2,000 as an unfinished project. At this time, I feel that would be what is best for me. I'll probably take the money and either put it in the bank, or use it to buy a more fuel efficient car for delivery. I don't need two V8 project cars when all I can really afford to play with is one. Plus, I have grown tired of owning it, so it is best that it goes to a new home with someone who will be able to spend the time needed to make it a nice car.

[1evilregal]

hate to hear, but when money is tight, ya gotta do what ya gotta do...

would love to see it finished, it's one of those cars that you see at a show that most people would just pass by, but a few would be right on top of it checking out the unique "wow" factor... had to get rid of my aspen project 8 years ago due to unemployment-eviction-move, and really miss the thing... times'll get better my man!

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Well, I haven't really done anything with it for years, and I honestly don't want to any more, so getting rid of it will be a load off my shoulders. I only have a 1 car garage and would like to put the Cutlass in there instead of a slowly deteriorating project I have lost interest in. Right now, I am trying to simplify my life and tie up all the loose ends. That way, if I want to move I can. Right now, I am more or less stuck where I am since the house needs my time and money as well as three cars. If I can kick it down to two cars, and fix the rotted porch roof by the end of the year, it will give me a new start. I don't know if I will ever build another car again though. It is very expensive and time consuming, and has taken resources that would have been better spent elsewhere. Maybe I just let these cars take over my life and have way too much importance to me. At any rate, I will still have the one car to play with as the Cutlass is far from finished. I still have a manual trans swap, suspension, and brake upgrades to do. With only one car to concentrate on I can make it the best it can be, and finish it quickly. Plus, this may finally let me afford to have more than one channel of TV again! I have cut out everything nonessential in order to finish the cars and house already. I am anxious to get things back to normal really soon!

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Finally started on the swap today! I pulled off the carb, PS pump, distributor, belts, alternator, etc. as well as most of the header bolts this afternoon. I will probably have the old engine pulled by the end of the week, and will then have to decide if I am going to paint the engine bay or not. It's all going to depend on the price of paint as that has become very expensive lately. If I do paint it, I will get Nissan code QM1 "Cloud White", the same color as my Frontier. That way, I will have leftovers to spray one bedside and one door before I sell it off too. At any rate, I still have to get the car out of the garage so I can borrow my neighbor's hoist to do the pull one night after work. I'll wait until then to jack it up and pull the starter and transmission. All in all the whole process of swap to runner should be done some time in January. This is because I will need to re-engineer some of my prior work to make it work with a simpler setup. I figure there is no need to leave the MSD 6AL and timing retard box in the car as it likely will not increase the value.

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

As of 3:15am, I have finished removing all of the wiring except for the starter. I also removed my MSD 6AL and 3 stage timing retard box as well. While doing this, I had strung up an antenna for my shitty little $12 short wave radio so I could listen to government propaganda broadcasts from far away lands. Tonight, It was BBC World Service (London), China, Romania and Cuba. Aaah, Radio Havana spewing forth it's anti-American, anti-capitalist rhetoric in English on a nightly basis. Makes for a humorous listen. China Radio International on the other hand, is far from anti-American, but it does tend to boast a bit about it's home country. Oddly though, Voice of America (our shortwave government station) does not. It's far more bland and factual. Then again, maybe it's just my bias as an American that keeps me from seeing it that way. Yes, shortwave is outmoded in the age of the internet, but I still find it cool that I can get broadcast radio from around the world in my little redneck enclave. Anyhow, tomorrow I think I will try to get the hoist so I can yank the engine and transmission after work. At least it gives me something to do while I am waiting out the time it takes me to save for the roof.

[Oldsmoletick]

Neat project you have/had there, sorry to hear it took a turn for the worse. I'm working on a similar car, an 81 Eagle, not a screamer by any means (258), but a neat little car none the less. Hope you find a good new home for yours.
The eagle as I got it.

tear down, and primer

and now

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Neat project you have/had there, sorry to hear it took a turn for the worse. I'm working on a similar car, an 81 Eagle, not a screamer by any means (258), but a neat little car none the less. Hope you find a good new home for yours.
The eagle as I got it.

tear down, and primer

and now

Thanks for the kind words! I wonder... what are your plans for the Eagle? Do you plan on keeping it stock under the hood, or maybe upgrading it? If you plan to upgrade it, consider using a Jeep 4.0 with the 258's crank. I think it gives you a 4.6 liter engine when it is done. VAM did a similar setup in the Lerma, which is a Mexican AMC Spirit. (VAM= Vehiculos Automores Mexicanos). Unlike the US Spirit, the Lerma was also available as a 4 door. Anyhow, if you need any technical advice on AMC's in general feel free to ask. I know quite a lot on the subject, even though I am giving up on them myself. I figure my next project needs to be something fundamentally different than the V8 rear drivers I have done up to now. AWD Turbo diesel Trabant, perhaps?

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Here are a few pics I snapped tonight of the old engine as it sits awaiting it's date with destiny as soon as I can borrow a hoist...





The engine colors, if you are curious, are Ford Festiva turquoise for the block and some Yellow engine enamel for the valve covers and air cleaner. Why yellow? The chrome was rusty on those pieces and it was the only color I could find that contrasted well against the turquoise. Admittedly it was a cheap fix, but I wasn't about to spend big bucks on new chrome again after those pieces rusted badly on an engine that was in a garage for most of it's existence.

[Oldsmoletick]

Thanks for the kind words! I wonder... what are your plans for the Eagle? Do you plan on keeping it stock under the hood, or maybe upgrading it? If you plan to upgrade it, consider using a Jeep 4.0 with the 258's crank. I think it gives you a 4.6 liter engine when it is done. VAM did a similar setup in the Lerma, which is a Mexican AMC Spirit. (VAM= Vehiculos Automores Mexicanos). Unlike the US Spirit, the Lerma was also available as a 4 door. Anyhow, if you need any technical advice on AMC's in general feel free to ask. I know quite a lot on the subject, even though I am giving up on them myself. I figure my next project needs to be something fundamentally different than the V8 rear drivers I have done up to now. AWD Turbo diesel Trabant, perhaps?

Thanks, as far as plans for the Eagle....I'm not sure yet, but fuel economy and reliability is what I'm shooting for on this car, first I have to finish wet sanding and buffing the car, then put it back together. I spent a couple months earlier this years getting the car to run and drive with the 258/4-speed set up (car had sat for 15 years). As for upgrading it, that all depends on how the 258 runs (seems to run excellent, but no road test yet), and also if I can teach my girlfriend to drive and like standard (it is her car afterall). If all else fails, it will end up with a mpfi 4.0HO, AW4 trans, 242 transfer case, 3.55/8.25 rear end, which was my original plan anyway. I wasn't even going to mess with the 258, but I got curious, decided to see if it even ran, rebuilt the carb, gave it a tune up, and it runs near perfect. But, time will tell, if I do the upgrade, I'll get a whole cherokee to take apart, Ive seen people try to piece the swap together out of a junkyard parts, and only end in added expenses and frustration. If I take everything out of one vehicle the swap should be much simpler. As far as a stroker.......that may be a rainy day project , that would be nice, since I already have the bottom end to do it.

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

The 258 is the last of the great American inline sixes. Ponderously slow, but it will last forever. I am not surprised you were able to get it going again. As for the 4.0, you want to avoid the early ones. I think the best years are going to be 93-95, but I am not 100% sure on that either. I chose those years because it gets you away from the Renault electrical system nightmares that plague the early models. It also keeps you from dealing with the OBDII electronics of a 96 or newer engine. As always, do a little research on the engine before you buy anything if you decided to go through with it. Plenty of AMC guys have done this swap already, so someone should have a good writeup on doing the electrical part of it. Oh, and you WILL want more power. That thing is one of the slowest things you will ever drive that is not a G body with a 2 barrel V6 and 2.41 gears.

One more thing: That bellhousing will accept a T-5 5 speed manual trans. It is a fairly sought after part for that reason and it is sort of a "Unilug", meaning it is drilled for multiple transmissions. If stock, the original transmission should be a Borg Warner T-4 or SR-4. T-5's were available starting in either 1982 or 1983. Fun Fact: AMC was the first manufacturer to use the T-5 transmission. However, I would try to find a way to decrease the first gear ratio. It's 4:1 and as such has too sharp a drop from first to second. The AMC T-5 uses a Ford pattern input shaft and mounting flange, so maybe the 3:1 first from a 5.0 Mustang could be substituted for a better overall gearing package to go with the planned 3.55's. Also, don't forget that whatever you do to one axle you must duplicate with the other. The gearing and tire height must match to avoid shredding the transfer case, driveshafts or the rear keyed axles.