Trying to tread lightly as a newbie, but,

Kansas Transit wrote: scott wrote: Put a 5 speed in it to start, this is the 21st century after all. The T-5Z I put in my 70 Rebel was the best modification I have ever done to a car. I'll never mess with another 4 speed. What motor an rear gear are you running Scott? Thanks Stan

Stan, I have a stone stock (right down to the emissions air pump) 390, backed by 3:54 gears. This is in a 70 Rebel Machine. The T-5Z has a 2.95 1st gear, .63 5th. The low 1st gear is great on the hills around here, the OD is great on the highway. 23+ MPG at 65-75 on the highway.

I see the Pennsylvania plate on the Javelin, where in the state is it from???

I wouldn't worry about stress on the front sheet metal. It's held the car up great for over 40 years now, so unless it's severely corroded there isn't much to sorry about. The AMC engineers knew their job! There is little stress in front of the suspension crossmember. The main job of that metal is to hold the radiator and bumper. It does help support the suspension crossmember a bit in a truss like effect, but there isn't much stress on it. If there is some corrosion or thinning of the metal due to battery acid just cut it out and weld good metal in. The bodies are generally all 18 gauge steel, with multiple layers in places and thicker small panels where bolts will be threaded into them or reinforcements to prevent crushing box sections. I cut a total wreck 63 Classic up (saved the few parts that were usable) and measured many sections with a sheetmetal gauge tool... all 18 gauge, everywhere.