American Motors Xperimental full frame
 

Had this 69 AMX kind of fall into my lap, probably wasn't something I would have gone out and bought but it's now starting to grow on me. My impressions of these cars was that they looked like a Gasser, rear axle was way forward. A real wheelstander, not so much a handler. The body was very nice, kinda broke my heart to butcher it the way I did.

I desided to alter the wheelbase, adding 6" to the rear and about an inch to the front, taking the wheelbase from 97" to 104". I gutted the car, built a new chassis, installed a cage, and after the first of the year will start on the floors and the sheet metal.

The car will be LS powered, with
a Magnum 6 speed , C6 stuff up front with a torque armed Dana 60 inthe rear with a Watts link.

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...DSC00090-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...DSC00135-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...DSC00169-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...DSC00175-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...DSC00195-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A.../L/amx-6-L.jpg

Forgot my favorite part about the car, the chassis is underslung and it will run 335's on all 4 corners, I will be able to rotate the tires.LOL

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...22220122-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...22220123-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...22220128-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...0/L/ammx-L.jpg

Ron S,Thank's For sharing over here on Lateral-g.I have been watching over on Protouring.This is going to be a cool build.:thumbsup:

Very cool build , cant wait to see this one come together !

:faint:

Please keep posting.

Killer Set Up, Underslung??
 

[QUOTE=57hemicuda;386214]Forgot my favorite part about the car, the chassis is underslung and it will run 335's on all 4 corners, I will be able to rotate the tires.LOL

I hate to sound like a noobie, BUT... What are the advantages to an underslung chassis setup? I get the basics of this kind of geometry change for an underslung rear end set up. Ride height advantages, bigger tires, lower center of gravity, etc... I also realize that this set up needs a higher frame rail (or notched frame rail) to accommodate the rear end travel due to the fact it is located in a higher/taller than stock location. Not really an issue when a custom chassis is going in.

What is the hub-to-hub track width? And how much room does that give you for the engine between the frame rails?

335 all around? Bet your car will stick wherever you put it. Sick, really, really SICK!!

BTW, I love seeing these kinds of builds, especially when the the floor is gutted, replacement frame is tucked under the body and the wheelbase/stance gets adjusted for looks and handling gains.

The only real adjantage I see to the underslug setup is the fact that the bottom of the car can be completely flat, and you can keep the the frame weight down as low as you can. All the suspension mounts will be on the cage, which is still in the works. I see no need to notch any frame rails? but the upper portion of the cage is going to be fairly busy with tubing.

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...DSC00192-L.jpg


http://benchseatracin.smugmug.com/Ca...20-11-28-L.jpg


http://benchseatracin.smugmug.com/Ca...-24-11-3-L.jpg

fenders/qtrs?
 

So
explain how your going to make the quarters and fenders work please?
Ya cut the crap outa those qtr panels.. :lol:
Im gonna be watching this one !!

Tom

Man this is gonna be a killer. Thanks for posting over here on the other forum, Ron. :lol: :thumbsup:

got the eyeball on this one

As you can see, the tire coverages issues aren't near as bad as my Mustang. I will probably cut the quarter the rest of the way off, shape it, and weld it back on. There will be some tire skirting on the rear especially, but they will both have to be flared some. Can't wait to get to that part of the build, don't know why, but I love doing that part of the build. The body work, after the metal work (not my favorite). Started the X bracing behind the watts link, really getting busy looking.

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...DSC00190-L.jpg

http://benchseatracin.smugmug.com/Ca...12-24-11-L.jpg

Ron thanks for posting it over hear! Once again killer build! Can not wait to see this thing done!:thumbsup:

Track width is 62" in the front 61" in the rear plenty of engine room, at full lock tires rub nothing.

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...DSC00160-L.jpg


http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...DSC00167-L.jpg

Wow. Those rear tires look great back there!
Great set-up.

Got the X bracing finished, still gets a bottom bar, turned out retty good. Door bars are next, then I get to start shaping the quarters.

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A.../0/L/013-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A.../0/L/012-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A.../0/L/015-L.jpg

Ron,Lookin great.:thumbsup:

Ron- Very cool project! I will be following it till the end.. :thumbsup:

Cage is just about done, pulled the body off to finish the welding, still has all the front bars to put in. Can't put front in until firewall is built.

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...L/024amx-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...L/025amx-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A.../1/L/010-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...L/006amx-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A.../0/L/008-L.jpg

Ron,The cage is lookin real good.:thumbsup:

A few more pics

http://benchseatracin.smugmug.com/Ca...-3-12-25-L.jpg

http://benchseatracin.smugmug.com/Ca...-3-12-18-L.jpg

http://benchseatracin.smugmug.com/Ca...-3-12-17-L.jpg

http://benchseatracin.smugmug.com/Ca...-3-12-19-L.jpg

That looks so mean and nasty already. :thumbsup:

Pretty cool Ron, I think it needs more front tire :unibrow:

Got the cage finished and the body back on. Set the engine and trans, I think I'm going to change to the slightly shorter torque arm so its not so busy up in here. The firewall is going to be more challenging then I was hoping, but thats the way it goes.

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...DSC00249-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...C00255-2-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...C00257-2-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...C00254-2-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...C00253-2-L.jpg

Ron, that looks great! So much better with stretched wheelbase and slammed with wide ass wheels/tires:thumbsup:

It's been a while since I checked the specs on your Mustang, but what kind of wheels and tires you're running on it? Same on all four corners too?

Awesome project! I totally agree on reducing that rear overhang. I can't wait to see this finished. Subscribed.

I wish the Mustang had 335's on the front, if it did I probably wouldn't be doing this, like the title says, its an experiment. Check out this pic

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...06201219-L.jpg

What headers are you using?

They are C5 Vette headers, I'm not totally sure I'm using them.

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...C00255-2-L.jpg

This is a very interesting build, nice work!

A few cool pics

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...10620122-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...06201223-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...06201220-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...06201210-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...06201231-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...06201240-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...06201227-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...06201247-L.jpg

Ron,The chassis look's Awesome.Can't wait to see it the car finished.:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Wow that is some amazing fab work. I wish i had skills like that.

Just getting the exhaust buttoned up, the car sets so low, and the torque arm is so big, that there was no place to route the pipes. Ended up cutting the frame, installing the mufflers upright, and hiding the 3" stainless pipe, behind the passenger side seat. The tail pipes should be about the same amount of fun.

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...11185352-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...11185414-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...11185429-L.jpg

http://57hemicuda.smugmug.com/Cars/A...11185445-L.jpg

Very Nice.:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Great work as usual but is it to late to suggest side pipes? That tranny is going to get hot quick.

I thought the samething, but started thinking about every other car I've ever had, they all had exhaust that stayed pretty close to the trans. I'm looking into a pump type trans cooler anyway, and a rear cooler too. Weight savings HUH.

Wow. This build is awesome. Can't wait for more updates. Stay after it.

Excellent Job!

Ron - checkout the trans cooler they have on the new Camaro ZL1....

Cool car. This is the first time i have seen it.