The exhaust is closer to being done.  The existing pipe wouldn’t clear the new motor mount.  After a couple of cuts with the sawzall, a lot of measuring and grinding I put the necessary offset into the exhaust.   I didn’t snap any pictures of the during process but it involved cutting the flange off to give me something to build from.  I had ordered some mandrel bend tubing but it was easier just to adapt the old exhaust tubing to the new engine.

The pipes are hanging a little lower than I would like.  I’ll take another look at it before I clamp up the connectors.  

After the score at the scrapyard, and an Easter break, I have been working on connecting everything back up.  The replacement fuel line are in. I still need to install the fuel tank.

The oil was changed, and the transmission pan is bolted back up.  The transmission linkage is reconnected and the travel seems to work good.  I have been looking at carb linkage solutions and by combining parts from the original, and parts from the donor car I think I have a plan.  More to come once it is hooked up.

The generator bracket needed some new holes to bolt up to the new engine.

Hopefully I didn’t weaken the bracket too much.  I guess there is one way to find out.

All bolted up.  I need to get a shorter fan belt.

Once the car is running and on the road I am going to look into replacing the generator with a modern alternator.

After a Thursday night of wrenching, a shopping list of things I needed, and a vacation day in front of me, I decided to make a trip tor one of the u-pull-it yards.

I didn’t have much faith that there would be any AMCs from the 60’s.  I expected most have met the crusher, or been stripped to the bone, but a day not working, wandering around a scrapyard, is a good day.

Initially I was disappointed, I was looking for a carb spacer that I haven’t been able to find for sale anywhere.  It must be made of unobtanium.

There were surprisingly few AMCs. I must be getting old, but I expected to find some AMC eagles, or hornets floating around but the pickings were slim.  Wandering around the “old car” section all of the sudden I looked up and there she was, a 1965 Rambler 660 Classic, 

It must be divine intervention.  The inspection sticker on the windshield was from 1985, but it looked like it had been recently dropped off in the yard.  It hadn’t been stripped bare yet.  The interior was surprisingly complete (except for the completely rotted out floor).

I couldn’t get the hood open.  This was a good sign since it meant that maybe the allusive carb spacer was under there.  After some tugging and some work with a 1/4 inch socket I was able to get it open.  I think I heard angels singing when the crusty hood revealed what was hiding underneath it.  Maybe it wasn’t angels, it might have been an allergic reaction to all of the iron oxide.  Under the hood was an untouched 199 or 232 6 cylinder engine sitting in a Rambler.  There was lots of parts I needed to resurrect my ’63 wagon.  After stripping off everything I thought I needed, I was back home with a nice pile of parts.  A radiator with the mounting brackets on the correct side.  An electric windshield wiper motor, if my vacuum wiper doesn’t work.  An air cleaner housing, holly carb, carb linkage, steel heater hose line, kickdown bracket, inside door handles, some firecrackers, and the infamous carb spacer!  

I spent some quality time in the garage with Kevin and Steve last night and the engine is now installed!  Thanks guys for the help. The new motor mounts look good.  We got the torque tube and universal joint mated back up.

Now it is time to start hooking the accessories back up and see if this engine will run.

The exhaust will need some adjustment.  It looks like the generator and mounting bracket from the 196 will bolt up, or maybe I’ll replace it with a newer alternator.  I need to find or make a carb spacer.  The throttle linkage will need to be figured out. The radiator needs to be relocated forward.  That’s a start.