Another AMC Build Thread! 71 401 4 sp Javelin for HPDE/AI

[bulletpruf]

lookin' good Scott! what are you thinking for rims?

 

D*mn good question, and could use some input. Plan is to paint the car flat black and want black wheels to match. My background is in drag racing, so I'm well versed in beadlocks, Centerlines, Weld Wheels, etc, but not so smart when it comes to road racing wheels. Anyone care to list the top 3 road race wheel manufacturers and/or specific wheels? Extra credit given for anything that won't require a second mortgage on the house.

 

I do plan to have one set for street (steel wheels) and one for the track (aluminum). Maybe something like this for street wheels - http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CRR-3978912/

 

Thanks

 

Scott

[asifnyc]

hey Scott,

 

I wouldn't go with the cragars. I bought a set of Cragar D-windows for my '73 Javelin. They are REALLY heavy (37lbs IIRC). That'd be fine maybe if they were $50 a wheel but at almost $100 a wheel I'd go with something lighter. Here are some options:

 

all black cobra r $125/wheel - http://www.americanmuscle.com/17x9-1995-cobra-r-black.html

black w/polished lip fr500 $130/wheel - http://www.americanmuscle.com/black-fr500-wheel-17x9.html

 

*I think both of these wheels are about 27lbs.

 

I bought these MB Weapon wheels for the track. they are 21lbs and where about $130/wheel when I bought them (now $142/wheel). one thing about these wheels is that I had to open up the bores to fit my wilwood hubs. not too big a deal but you need to find someone who can do it and it's an added expense. http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/wheels/mb_wheels/product/submitProductSize.do?pc=53636&typ=Car%2FMinivan&tmn=Weapon

 

and finally here's one more option. summit legend 5 - $160/wheel: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-141-7965GM25/?rtype=10

 

to really nail the trans-am look you need these if you can stomach the $400/wheel http://www.royrezentesdesign.com/clientspace/t3w/T3W2843_WebSiteRedesign/staging6/lt_iii.html

 

for all out racing I'd get the enkei RPF1 (in black) $250/wheel - http://enkei.com/rpf1.html

[bulletpruf]

hey Scott,

 

I wouldn't go with the cragars. I bought a set of Cragar D-windows for my '73 Javelin. They are REALLY heavy (37lbs IIRC). That'd be fine maybe if they were $50 a wheel but at almost $100 a wheel I'd go with something lighter. Here are some options:

 

all black cobra r $125/wheel - http://www.americanmuscle.com/17x9-1995-cobra-r-black.html

black w/polished lip fr500 $130/wheel - http://www.americanmuscle.com/black-fr500-wheel-17x9.html

 

*I think both of these wheels are about 27lbs.

 

I bought these MB Weapon wheels for the track. they are 21lbs and where about $130/wheel when I bought them (now $142/wheel). one thing about these wheels is that I had to open up the bores to fit my wilwood hubs. not too big a deal but you need to find someone who can do it and it's an added expense. http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/wheels/mb_wheels/product/submitProductSize.do?pc=53636&typ=Car%2FMinivan&tmn=Weapon

 

and finally here's one more option. summit legend 5 - $160/wheel: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-141-7965GM25/?rtype=10

 

to really nail the trans-am look you need these if you can stomach the $400/wheel http://www.royrezentesdesign.com/clientspace/t3w/T3W2843_WebSiteRedesign/staging6/lt_iii.html

 

for all out racing I'd get the enkei RPF1 (in black) $250/wheel - http://enkei.com/rpf1.html

 

Asif -

 

You 'da man! Thanks for the detailed info.

 

Ok, if I can't find some cheap wheels, I might was well drop $400-$500 to get some lightweight ones. Of the ones that you listed, I prefer the Cobra R or MB Weapons. Given the weight differential, Weapons seem like the best bang for the buck.

 

Love the minilite look, but at $400/ea, that's a hunk of change.

 

Thanks again,

 

Scott

[bulletpruf]

Continue to make steady progress...

 

Started stripping the paint out of the engine compartment.

 

Rear shocks have arrived, so rear suspension is almost done. Just have to finish up by finding better hardware to secure the leaf springs. Would like to find better leaf spring shackles as well; stock stuff looks a bit thin.

 

Think I have the hub issue worked out - - the seal on the back of the hub and the bearings were hanging up on burrs on the threaded portion of the axle tube - - chewed up the seals on both hubs. Sanded the burr down and now things are sliding on and off nicely.

 

One of the axles was too long; Speedway recommends that the end of the axle sit about 1/16" - 1/8" below the level of the drive plate. Driver's side was right at 1/8" below drive plate - good to go. However, the passenger side was .73" below the drive plate. The axles are threaded on the ends so you can screw a bolt in the end (jam nut it w/plenty of red Loctite) to space the axle out a bit, but this would have spaced the axle out too far of the splines in the TrueTrac diff, which only has 1" of splines, and the splines end 1 1/8" outboard of the spacer in the diff. Have a 32.25" axle on the way; it should be dead on or maybe 1/16" too long. If so, I can take a bit off the end to dial it in just right.

 

Working a deal on brakes - Wilwood 6 piston SL-6 calipers with 12.8" x 1.25" rotors (2 piece w/hats drilled to 5 on 4.5"). Brakes are used, but not all beat up and come with a few sets of Hawk DTC 70 pads. Also have some drum spindles and hubs on the way. Plan is to rebuild the calipers, use the drum hubs, fab up mounting brackets.

 

Thanks

 

Scott

[bulletpruf]

Project stalled for a few months; work has been crazy and I've been working on other projects. I'm back on it now. Engine is on the test stand and about ready to start. Front suspension is about to start coming together.

 

Latest project was getting the firewall holes patched up.

 

You can pretty much follow the progression of the photos below, but I stripped the paint from the engine compartment a while back. Took it down to the metal.

 

Then treated with a metal treatment - Picklex 20, I think - kept it from rusting.

 

Then made some templates for the necessary patches using a sliced up manila folder.

 

Traced out the templates on a sheet of 18 gauge sheetmetal. Cut them out with a sheetmetal nibbler and then shaped with die grinder, cutoff wheel, hand file, etc. Took quite a while before I had them all fitting just right.

 

Then I prepped the areas to be welded - ground down to the metal with a angle grinder. After it was down to the metal, I sprayed it with Eastwood's weld through primer.

 

Since welding thin stuff gives me fits, I called in some experts - local AMC'ers Jeff Reeves and Jeff Puras came over to lend a hand. Jeff Reeves laid down some nice beads and affixed the sheetmetal patches to the firewall. Most were lap welds; only one butt weld. Anyway, big thanks to the 2 Jeffs for their help; it came out great.

 

I then ground down the welds with an angle grinder and painted with more Eastwood primer. Next step is to strip and prep the entire engine compartment for primer and paint.

 

Scott

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jason S.]

Would you be interested in some lowering plates for the front end that otherwise use the stock suspension? My father is a retired Aerospace Engineer that is designing something for his 1970 AMX that he is the original owner of. Since we rebuilt the engine with some aluminum parts, the nose of the car sits a little higher than it used to.

 

Its a 3/4" plate that replaces the stock caliper bracket and lowers the front 1.6" utilizing the stock suspension otherwise. His plate mates a Wilwood 5 1/4" Lug mount that utilizes a 12" rotor. He's hit a snag on some flush mount bolts that work and arent stupid expensive.

 

Hes trying to keep retail price under $5-600 depending on how the hardware situation pans out.