I gave my AMC 401 to my dad for basically supplying me with just about every restoration part for my Javelin and as of an hour ago my 5-Speed swap is sold and gone, too.
I've drug that engine around for 7 years and the trans for 6 and bought the Javelin just to have something to put them in. Truth be told the 360/727 that's in it is actually a better setup...
Still feels odd.
I still have parts for nearly every car I've owned since I got my license. It's nice to be free of baggage, however. Enjoy your newfound floor space.
Might be time for ValuePack's garage sale thread, come to think of it.
Why is the 360/727 better than a 401 and a 5 speed? I know very little about AMCs, and I am intrigued.
Let's see, still in the shed or the garage are...
Yeah, it's definitely time to clean up. Just this week I've sold:
Still have to offload the go-kart, at least one of the two scooters, the rest of the RX-7 parts (including the wheels), some leftover Hornet parts, and then take a load to the scrapyard for recycling...
MG Bryan wrote:Why is the 360/727 better than a 401 and a 5 speed? I know very little about AMCs, and I am intrigued.
Ah, good question. In general, they are not, but in my case they are. The 360 and 727 in the Javelin are the original components (which is a plus for value), and are in operating condition (as in it starts and the trans has park). Further, the 360 has the original 6090 heads, which are the 2nd best ones AMC ever made. The 727 is the best auto, period.
As for my 401, it had a holed piston from a bodged intake swap from the PO and was just a shortblock. It was also a late 70's Jeep motor, so it had crappy pistons (like 8:1 compression, yuk!). It also needed a complete rebuild.
The T-5 swap was nothing special. AMC used the T-5 first, so it's actually fairly easy to find the components. My trans was also a well used Ford unit that would have lasted maybe two launches behind the 360...
Yep...a T-5 would break behind a 360 and would be a gernade behind a 401.
As for MG's question, the AMC 390 and 401 had forged cranks, whereas the smaller engines (290,304,343,360) were cast. Heads are 67-69 and 70+. The 70+ head flows much better due to a port design change; they are called "dogleg" heads...and the ones that Jav has are high compression ones, and with the right stuff on a NA 401, it could make upwards of 550-600hp (Tony Zamisch used reworked stock heads on a 192mph Javelin in the Silver State race a few years back). "New" heads can be put on "old" blocks, but require reworking the headbolts. All AMC V8s were cast with high nickel content iron, making them about as strong, and hard as steel. Many machine shops don't like doing AMC bore jobs because of this!
It was a late design World Class T-5, but still only rated for ~300TQ, which the 360 would make at about idle. 
You can bore out a 360 block to 401 specs (and drop in a 401 crank) for a 401 with "360" cast in the side, but being that all AMC V8's are externally identical, there's really no reason to do that.
Luckily my dad has an ample supply of 390's and 401's so should I ever need an engine a core is a phone call away, but I think I'll stick with the 360 for now.
Oh, and on the heads, we got 720HP out of AMC castings (obviously well ported, valves, etc) on an N/A ~430ish motor on alcohol. It went 7.80's in a dragster. 
720--nice!
I should have clarified--550-600 streetable HP, on gas, meaning that it will idle and have some vaccuum etc.
Wow, and I felt bad about having parts for the '73 Capri I "gave up" 15-20 years ago. Parts for the 280Z that "replaced" it and was sold 10 years ago, and the '89 Civic that I totalled 10 years ago.
In my case, the parts I still carry around are small/obscure parts like the Capri's fuse "block"/holder, and the combo switch for the Z.
In reply to ST_ZX2:
Yeah, that's why I qualified it with "Dragster" 
Still, the heads on my car are good to 400 or so with just Intake/Cam/Rockers/Headers. That's my goal is to not touch the shortblock (besides the cam) while I do this.
I bought the wifes current car BASED on the parts I have in the garage and basment.... 
integraguy wrote:Wow, and I felt bad about having parts for the '73 Capri I "gave up" 15-20 years ago. Parts for the 280Z that "replaced" it and was sold 10 years ago, and the '89 Civic that I totalled 10 years ago.
In my case, the parts I still carry around are small/obscure parts like the Capri's fuse "block"/holder, and the combo switch for the Z.
I still have a few Capri parts around and I sold my last running one back in 1986!
I still have my old Capri's wheels, and the engine and transmission I was planning on swapping into it. I also have a boat load of CJ parts in my basement; I haven't owned a CJ in 13 years.
I just gave away the last of my panther chassis / 4.6 liter ford parts....then I bought a Lincoln Town Car. NEVER SURRENDER. Keep everything forever, you never know when you'll need it.
(I'm still curious what I'm going to do with that Ford 460 in the barn...)
I still have an Olds 350 short block sitting in the basement from the station wagon my parrents had when was a baby. I still want to make it a coffee table.
