A 1976 Hornet Sportabout

This is a story about wanting to build a new Street Rod.  Something Based on an AMC as my others are but something that is also needed that is no longer available.
I need a station wagon. Why is not important, but the need is there. 
And low and behold? Out in my Drive Way is:



A 1976 Hornet Sportabout.
An almost complete 6 cylinder car with Automatic and aftermarket A/C. It is almost completely free of rust due to the AZ source but to some extent damaged by the heat here.  It is death on paint an plastic pieces.
I want also to have something with a modern transmission and an engine that has a bit more staying power than a 232 I-6
So in 2010 I accumulate a modern V8.  I purchase it out of a Mercruiser application from a boat in Florida


 
Stripping said engine of it's aquatic accessories I discover a rather ugly 1994 vintage GM 350 cu in almost zero hours 4bolt main, windage tray and Dart II heads V8.  And looking at the Mercury Marine engine mounts the thought occurs that with Hot Rod motor mounts I can get it to sit on the AMC engine cross member and with available block hugger headers get the exhaust down through the suspension components with out running in to anything.  The engine is a steal for what I paid for it. 9:1 compression (measured) works with 91 octane and I can get it to go into the Hornet. So:



Dressed up in an approximate configuration and:

The cross member is modified for new engine mounts and notched for exhaust pipe routing the engine now will fit into the car.



A 700 R4 and a lokar linkage adapter kit is found and along with a modification to the rear mount:



The engine will now fit into the engine bay as desired.
there is a fair amount of cosmetics required at this point in time, but the basic pieces are there.  A drive shaft  is fabricated, suspension, brakes and shocks and such are dealt with and mechanically over a period of time the pieces are assembled to have a modern AMC based street rod that is in itself a station wagon.
It will have power steering, front disc brakes, A/C and has at least an out side chance of passing smog regulations despite the addition of an Iskenderian cam to go along with the World heads and the air gap intake with a Carter Thermoquad 800 cfm carburetor.  Linkages all work, it shifts off the steering column.  The dash board is a bit of a problem as the transmission has no speedometer drive so a modification is in order, but an aftermarket tachometer works. As this is a budget build, money is being saved for a GPS speedometer.
Of course any righteous ride needs a new set of shoes so:
 


A full set of P235x35x19 tires mounted on 10 inch wide rims are sourced out and installed.

The interior is dressed up with:


A new set of threads and new rugs are installed on the floor after the front floor transmission hump was widened to make room for the 3/4 servo pressure sensor for the lock up torque converter. and the aftermarket transmission cooler to be installed in that location too.


The new rugs install and hide the increased width.
The car is not done yet, it is in the stages of being prepared for paint. :


But it is progressing slowly. Like all projects it is behind schedual, a quite massive heart attack put things on hold for about a year.  Yet to be installed is the satellite radio and it's amplifier and do the interior trim cosmetic up dating but it is gaining on things.
As to parts removed?  Some have been sold to other AMC members who needed things for their cars. The engine will be used for a street rod, a T-bucket Roadster with either a 5 speed or the automatic..  It will have a cam and a 4bbl when installed. 
A custom grill has been fabricated but not yet installed.  Things will be added as they come up



Edited by uncljohn - Jun/14/2014 at 6:38pm

things that make you go HUMMMMMMMM

When contemplating installing a V8 in something that previously held a different engine altogether it helps to get out a pair of scissors, some cardboard and a roll of masking tape and mock up what you would like to have done before you start cutting up metal and beginning to weld. 

Very cool John, although some will frown on the GM power plant I for one could care less. It should have  performance and get good fuel mileage with a respectable aspect of being reliable. Not to sure about the thermoquad but maybe you will have better luck with yours than I have had in the past. Looking forward to more pictures as you get further along. Shelby

The latest objective has been to re-install the AM/Air air conditioning unit removed from the passenger compartment to overhaul the interior.  While not done completely, I need to fit it back in and to my surprise?  It don't fit.
Trying to understand this is a bit weird, as it came out of the space under the dash, some 2 or 3 years ago why don't it go back in and then I sort of remembered it was wedged in there more than a bit.  Apparently installed by a resident hammer mechanic from some where soon after the car was bought. The rugs were thin, the padding almost none-exhistant and that has changed.

This of course is the unit, it is a Dealer installed option and fits under the dash.
This part; the motor and fan drive assembly fits all the way forward up in to the ducting for the heater system.


And not thing are explained just a bit the heater system ducting is chewed up as if the A/C unit did not really fit in the first place.  And looking carefully at things, it seems that the heat ducting chewed up to make this unit fit!  And now that the new rugs and padding are there it just flat does not fit. Like this;

The way it is supposed to fit.
So, now it has to fit at a shallower angle in relation to the floor. This requires that the heater defroster ducting needs to be trimmed and capped off so it clears the fan motors, and that has been done.  A piece fabricated and installed gives partial heat to the cabin and windshield defrosting if needed.  And also the bottom of the glove box which is cast into the plastic of the dash board has to be removes and a new bottom installed that will raise it up out of the way of the now shallower angel the AM/Air A/C unit will fit under the dash.  This too has been done and will be installed in the morning.  And if I have guessed right , the A/C unit will go in correctly.  The hoses, drier and condenser have been installed and adapter purchased from Vintage air to allow the "R4" GM style muffin compressor to take the original barbed fitting from the AM/Air install and lines and also have the R134 high and low pressure line fittings so R134 can be installed and measured.  Wiring is there to support the system.  The last thing needed is to re-locate the Brake switch that was installed for the lock up torque converter controls.. Where? I dunno but the spot I picked initially was right in the way of the A/C unit.
Oh well.