AMC 360 V8 COMPLETE tear down! Carb to pan. 360 Build? 304 Build? Plan C? From Lucore Automotive

So when I finally swallowed the fact I was going to HAVE to build a new motor for my 1979 AMC Spirit AMX I took the question of what to do straight to the AMC forums and Facebook groups. What would YOU do as AMC people? An AMC 304 build? Swap out for an AMC 360? BUILD an AMC 360? Given this car was a factory 4 speed, factory 304 V8 car I really have a spot in my heart for that no so appreciated little V8.

Unfortunately, almost everyone I spoke to or chatted with said the same thing. Don't bother with the 304 rebuild, pull it out put it on a shelf or sell it, and get a 360 V8 to stick right in the same hole. Same external dimensions, same accessories, easy swap. So I listened to reason and found myself a 360 donor, which you hopefully saw me tear down in the previous video. That vehicle was a 1973 AMC Ambassador with a factory 360 but at some point in its past had been upgraded with an Edelbrock Performer AMC intake manifold AND an Edelbrock 4 barrel carb. So pieces wise, we're looking at something that actually has some value even if half the motor is junk.

Since I couldn't find a whole lot of content on the subject I filmed the ENTIRE 360 tear down and cut it down to a slightly watchable hour. As always, there are a few complications along the way and that's all included in the video. What do we find inside? Well, some good, some bad, some ugly but for the most part I THINK we have a buildable piece. What direction will the build take? That's still very much up in the air. Rebuilt 360 heads? Edelbrock Aluminum AMC heads? Keep in mind while you're watching this and thinking about what YOU would like to see, this motor is going to be used for Vintage Road Racing NOT Drag racing so motor build wise it's going to be a different kind of animal. There IS such a thing as TOO much power for a platform also, I want to have fun and be competitive but not necessarily terrify myself coming out of every turn. What would YOU do? Let us know in the comments below!

Lucore Automotive is a small independent american small business located just outside Columbus Ohio. While we are a full service shop that maintains and repairs countless daily drivers we are also well known for our work on classics, race cars, and collector cars.

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