Johnny U via CarKB.com

billy ray wrote:
>You sure about that weight? I would have thought it would be 1000 pounds
>less...
>
>My mom had a '76 Sportabout wagon.... she drove it until it suffered from
>advanced body cancer and then one of my sisters inherited it.
>
>It was a really nice car.... just the right size and ran well.
>
>I do not recall any shortage of power from the 6 cylinder engine......
>perhaps you just need to find a specialist in AMC engines..... someone who
>regularly works on CJs for example....
>
>>>>---snippy---
>>>>> Ok it looks like the 350 is out but I am still not sure about
>[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>> is
>> 4300+

Lol I tried that we have a lot of jeep shops here in Colorado Springs and
they wiil talk to you until the find out they are not talking about a 232 in
a jeep but in a station wagon.It seems most Jeep shops will not touch
anything but Jeeps here espcially if they are not 4wd. We had a couple of AMC
clubs in Colorado but it seems they shut down. The car also blows smoke when
first started and you accelerate hard and it also take a long-long time to
warm-up on cold mornings. Iam not looking for a race car just one I know will
get us back from where we take it. Yes its a great car loads of room and very
rugged. Ok gotta ask why snippy? thanks again John

--
Message posted via CarKB.com
http://www.carkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/jeep-cars/200605/1

Johnny U via CarKB.com

billy ray wrote:
>You sure about that weight? I would have thought it would be 1000 pounds
>less...
>
>My mom had a '76 Sportabout wagon.... she drove it until it suffered from
>advanced body cancer and then one of my sisters inherited it.
>
>It was a really nice car.... just the right size and ran well.
>
>I do not recall any shortage of power from the 6 cylinder engine......
>perhaps you just need to find a specialist in AMC engines..... someone who
>regularly works on CJs for example....
>
>>>>---snippy---
>>>>> Ok it looks like the 350 is out but I am still not sure about
>[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>> is
>> 4300+

Lol I tried that we have a lot of jeep shops here in Colorado Springs and
they wiil talk to you until the find out they are not talking about a 232 in
a jeep but in a station wagon.It seems most Jeep shops will not touch
anything but Jeeps here espcially if they are not 4wd. We had a couple of AMC
clubs in Colorado but it seems they shut down. The car also blows smoke when
first started and you accelerate hard and it also take a long-long time to
warm-up on cold mornings. Iam not looking for a race car just one I know will
get us back from where we take it. Yes its a great car loads of room and very
rugged. Ok gotta ask why snippy? thanks again John

--
Message posted via CarKB.com
http://www.carkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/jeep-cars/200605/1

Johnny U via CarKB.com

billy ray wrote:
>You sure about that weight? I would have thought it would be 1000 pounds
>less...
>
>My mom had a '76 Sportabout wagon.... she drove it until it suffered from
>advanced body cancer and then one of my sisters inherited it.
>
>It was a really nice car.... just the right size and ran well.
>
>I do not recall any shortage of power from the 6 cylinder engine......
>perhaps you just need to find a specialist in AMC engines..... someone who
>regularly works on CJs for example....
>
>>>>---snippy---
>>>>> Ok it looks like the 350 is out but I am still not sure about
>[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>> is
>> 4300+

Lol I tried that we have a lot of jeep shops here in Colorado Springs and
they wiil talk to you until the find out they are not talking about a 232 in
a jeep but in a station wagon.It seems most Jeep shops will not touch
anything but Jeeps here espcially if they are not 4wd. We had a couple of AMC
clubs in Colorado but it seems they shut down. The car also blows smoke when
first started and you accelerate hard and it also take a long-long time to
warm-up on cold mornings. Iam not looking for a race car just one I know will
get us back from where we take it. Yes its a great car loads of room and very
rugged. Ok gotta ask why snippy? thanks again John

--
Message posted via CarKB.com
http://www.carkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/jeep-cars/200605/1

Earle Horton

"Johnny U via CarKB.com" <u22221@uwe> wrote in message
news:60c95aca06d2c@uwe...
> Mike Romain wrote:
> >> ---snippy---
> >> > Ok it looks like the 350 is out but I am still not sure about
> >> > rebuilding
> >[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> >>
> >> Earle
> >
> >To add a bit to that, a carb kit is supposed to be done with every major
> >tune up. The kits are only about $20.00 and are easy to put in.
> >
> >Mike
> >86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> >88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> >Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
> >Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
> >(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
>
> One of the first things we did to the car was have a rebuilt carb
> installed. We had a hard time finding any shop that did not look
> at the 76 Sportabout as a joke. We have close to $2000.00 in
> receipts on work that has been done in the past 3 years with little
> or no change. Again thanks guys I appreciate any suggestions John
>
I can understand how you feel, but a 304 is going to be more of the same.
If local people don't want to work on a 1976 Sportabout with a 232, they
won't want to work on it any more, after it has a 304 in it. This kind of
work is real expensive when you take it to a commercial mechanic. If you
thought the carburetor was expensive, wait until you get the bill for
transplanting a V8 into a vehicle, that left the factory with a 6 cylinder
in it!

A car this old, if you don't have a mechanic who is downright enthusiastic
about working on it, or if you aren't prepared to do the work yourself, you
really have little chance of keeping it going for much longer. It gets more
and more expensive, to get less and less fixed. Finally, most people give
up, trade the car in for $200, and watch it being taken on a flatbed to the
scrap yard. That's what happened with my 1960 Rambler American
Station Wagon. C'est la vie.

Earle




*** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com ***

Earle Horton

"Johnny U via CarKB.com" <u22221@uwe> wrote in message
news:60c95aca06d2c@uwe...
> Mike Romain wrote:
> >> ---snippy---
> >> > Ok it looks like the 350 is out but I am still not sure about
> >> > rebuilding
> >[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> >>
> >> Earle
> >
> >To add a bit to that, a carb kit is supposed to be done with every major
> >tune up. The kits are only about $20.00 and are easy to put in.
> >
> >Mike
> >86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> >88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> >Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
> >Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
> >(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
>
> One of the first things we did to the car was have a rebuilt carb
> installed. We had a hard time finding any shop that did not look
> at the 76 Sportabout as a joke. We have close to $2000.00 in
> receipts on work that has been done in the past 3 years with little
> or no change. Again thanks guys I appreciate any suggestions John
>
I can understand how you feel, but a 304 is going to be more of the same.
If local people don't want to work on a 1976 Sportabout with a 232, they
won't want to work on it any more, after it has a 304 in it. This kind of
work is real expensive when you take it to a commercial mechanic. If you
thought the carburetor was expensive, wait until you get the bill for
transplanting a V8 into a vehicle, that left the factory with a 6 cylinder
in it!

A car this old, if you don't have a mechanic who is downright enthusiastic
about working on it, or if you aren't prepared to do the work yourself, you
really have little chance of keeping it going for much longer. It gets more
and more expensive, to get less and less fixed. Finally, most people give
up, trade the car in for $200, and watch it being taken on a flatbed to the
scrap yard. That's what happened with my 1960 Rambler American
Station Wagon. C'est la vie.

Earle




*** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com ***

Earle Horton

"Johnny U via CarKB.com" <u22221@uwe> wrote in message
news:60c95aca06d2c@uwe...
> Mike Romain wrote:
> >> ---snippy---
> >> > Ok it looks like the 350 is out but I am still not sure about
> >> > rebuilding
> >[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> >>
> >> Earle
> >
> >To add a bit to that, a carb kit is supposed to be done with every major
> >tune up. The kits are only about $20.00 and are easy to put in.
> >
> >Mike
> >86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> >88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> >Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
> >Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
> >(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
>
> One of the first things we did to the car was have a rebuilt carb
> installed. We had a hard time finding any shop that did not look
> at the 76 Sportabout as a joke. We have close to $2000.00 in
> receipts on work that has been done in the past 3 years with little
> or no change. Again thanks guys I appreciate any suggestions John
>
I can understand how you feel, but a 304 is going to be more of the same.
If local people don't want to work on a 1976 Sportabout with a 232, they
won't want to work on it any more, after it has a 304 in it. This kind of
work is real expensive when you take it to a commercial mechanic. If you
thought the carburetor was expensive, wait until you get the bill for
transplanting a V8 into a vehicle, that left the factory with a 6 cylinder
in it!

A car this old, if you don't have a mechanic who is downright enthusiastic
about working on it, or if you aren't prepared to do the work yourself, you
really have little chance of keeping it going for much longer. It gets more
and more expensive, to get less and less fixed. Finally, most people give
up, trade the car in for $200, and watch it being taken on a flatbed to the
scrap yard. That's what happened with my 1960 Rambler American
Station Wagon. C'est la vie.

Earle




*** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com ***

Jeff DeWitt

Johnny, have you checked to see if there is an active AMC/Rambler club
in your area? Those are the folks you need to hook up with, they have
the real expertise and they know who would work on those beasts.

I always liked the Sportabout, even today they are sharp looking cars
and a nice size, not too big and not too small.

http://www.arcticboy.com/Pages/arcticboyslinks.html

Jeff DeWitt

Johnny U wrote:
> Ok guys don't laugh to loud. I have a 1976 AMC Hornet Sportabout with a 232
> the car is a tank we love use it for camping mostly. We take it places our
> friend can't or won't take their newer trucks or suv's and it has a larger
> cargo space then most of their suv's. The engine is getting tired and I think
> its time to replace it. I have been told the 304 will bolt in with no problem
> and I can get ! from a local junk yard for around $700.00 running. Now a
> friend of ours suggested we put in a Chevy 350 he says its an easier engine
> to find parts for and to work-on and is a tougher engine and has a bit more
> power. How much more work and money would I be getting myself into if I were
> to put a 350 in the Hornet? I will be doing the work myself and have never
> done anything like this before. Any ideas or suggestions (no we are not
> junking the car) would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time

Jeff DeWitt

Johnny, have you checked to see if there is an active AMC/Rambler club
in your area? Those are the folks you need to hook up with, they have
the real expertise and they know who would work on those beasts.

I always liked the Sportabout, even today they are sharp looking cars
and a nice size, not too big and not too small.

http://www.arcticboy.com/Pages/arcticboyslinks.html

Jeff DeWitt

Johnny U wrote:
> Ok guys don't laugh to loud. I have a 1976 AMC Hornet Sportabout with a 232
> the car is a tank we love use it for camping mostly. We take it places our
> friend can't or won't take their newer trucks or suv's and it has a larger
> cargo space then most of their suv's. The engine is getting tired and I think
> its time to replace it. I have been told the 304 will bolt in with no problem
> and I can get ! from a local junk yard for around $700.00 running. Now a
> friend of ours suggested we put in a Chevy 350 he says its an easier engine
> to find parts for and to work-on and is a tougher engine and has a bit more
> power. How much more work and money would I be getting myself into if I were
> to put a 350 in the Hornet? I will be doing the work myself and have never
> done anything like this before. Any ideas or suggestions (no we are not
> junking the car) would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time

Jeff DeWitt

Johnny, have you checked to see if there is an active AMC/Rambler club
in your area? Those are the folks you need to hook up with, they have
the real expertise and they know who would work on those beasts.

I always liked the Sportabout, even today they are sharp looking cars
and a nice size, not too big and not too small.

http://www.arcticboy.com/Pages/arcticboyslinks.html

Jeff DeWitt

Johnny U wrote:
> Ok guys don't laugh to loud. I have a 1976 AMC Hornet Sportabout with a 232
> the car is a tank we love use it for camping mostly. We take it places our
> friend can't or won't take their newer trucks or suv's and it has a larger
> cargo space then most of their suv's. The engine is getting tired and I think
> its time to replace it. I have been told the 304 will bolt in with no problem
> and I can get ! from a local junk yard for around $700.00 running. Now a
> friend of ours suggested we put in a Chevy 350 he says its an easier engine
> to find parts for and to work-on and is a tougher engine and has a bit more
> power. How much more work and money would I be getting myself into if I were
> to put a 350 in the Hornet? I will be doing the work myself and have never
> done anything like this before. Any ideas or suggestions (no we are not
> junking the car) would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time

billy ray

If you stop by a 'classic' car show in the summer you may find AMC
represented and the owner may be able to point you to a mechanic or if one
of your local radio stations has a call-in auto show the mechanic there may
know of someone who still works on AMCs.



"Jeff DeWitt" <JeffDeWitt@nc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:nNsdg.17617$Lg.1232@tornado.southeast.rr.com. ..
> Johnny, have you checked to see if there is an active AMC/Rambler club in
> your area? Those are the folks you need to hook up with, they have the
> real expertise and they know who would work on those beasts.
>
> I always liked the Sportabout, even today they are sharp looking cars and
> a nice size, not too big and not too small.
>
> http://www.arcticboy.com/Pages/arcticboyslinks.html
>
> Jeff DeWitt
>
> Johnny U wrote:
>> Ok guys don't laugh to loud. I have a 1976 AMC Hornet Sportabout with a
>> 232
>> the car is a tank we love use it for camping mostly. We take it places
>> our
>> friend can't or won't take their newer trucks or suv's and it has a
>> larger
>> cargo space then most of their suv's. The engine is getting tired and I
>> think
>> its time to replace it. I have been told the 304 will bolt in with no
>> problem
>> and I can get ! from a local junk yard for around $700.00 running. Now a
>> friend of ours suggested we put in a Chevy 350 he says its an easier
>> engine
>> to find parts for and to work-on and is a tougher engine and has a bit
>> more
>> power. How much more work and money would I be getting myself into if I
>> were
>> to put a 350 in the Hornet? I will be doing the work myself and have
>> never
>> done anything like this before. Any ideas or suggestions (no we are not
>> junking the car) would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time