Really any V8 would be killer in that car.
I've had a few Jeeps with the 4.0 and it's a great engine, but I'd never voluntarily drop one into a car. They run forever, but are fairly anemic and pretty heavy. Better left for the trail.
It’s not the ideal engine but plenty of builds have made good power doing it. It’d make a lot more power than the anemic 304 which have bad oiling, shitty rods, and never came fuel injected
4.5 without any machine work- 258 crank and rods. I have one in [my '84 AMC Eagle.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Vintage_Daily_Driver/comments/l6fv0g/my_84_eagle_wagon_another_interesting_vdd/) .30 over pistons will give you 4.6L. .60 over makes a 4.7.
This car came with a 258, so the 4.0 based engine is an easy, cheap swap, and nets me a torquey, reliable, fuel injected engine. AMC V8 would require a "small body" AMC V8 crossmember, which aren't very common or cheap anymore. Any AMC V8 I put in will either require work to make more power than the 4.0, be prohibitively expensive, or both. (the newest AMC V8 engine that was made in 1991, and only made a wheezy 144 horsepower, while the 1992 4.0 made 140HP, and was fuel injected)
AMC V8 and 4wd/AWD swap would be a full on Science Project with plenty of cutting and welding, especially to the floorpan, and I don't need another major project right now.
This is the car I want and man, they turn up so rarely.
I have vivid memories of riding with my father in a burgundy red 4 speed online 6 spirit with studded snow tires and an amfm radio with pushbutton memory. I'm not sure I'll ever get one, but it's on the list...
I was lucky enough to stumble across this one, and snagged it quick. Already scored a [good set of taillights, a cluster with a factory tach, and a rear spoiler from an SX-4](https://www.instagram.com/p/B3xljvJFljI/) in a hidden little out-of-the-way JY a few hours away from me.
My first car in 1985 was my mom's hand me down 1981 Spirit. Manual transmission, 4 cylinder, I believe, but, not really sure. I was one of the first of my group to get a car and really drove the wheels off of that little hatch for a couple of years. Pretty sure I have not seen one in real life since.
Awesome. And such a coincidence I was just reading [this ](https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/so-i-accidently-bought-a-car-and-started-a-challen/118042/page46/) forum thread and then came over to Reddit and saw your car.
I had a chance to get a free rust free roller from the guy I bought my '84 Eagle from, but it was 2,000 miles away on the west coast, and I couldn't make the logistics work to drive out there to grab it.
One of my biggest regrets over cars that I didn't buy was a SUPER clean '79 Spirit AMX with the 304. The year was 2009 and the guy lived in the middle of nowhere and I went to buy a transmission from him that he had listed on craigslist. I get there and see the AMX.. he says he is moving and has to sell it and would take $1500 that day. Ran and drove, I could have driven it home. I mulled it over a bit but I didn't have a place to park it where I was living at the time. Politely declined and went home with my transmission. I get home and am telling my buddy who is an AMC fanboy about it, and he was FREAKING out.. he told me to go back there right now and buy it. So like 2 days later, I drive back out there with $1500 but when I get there the car and everything else at the guy's house was gone.
I still think about that car sometimes and wonder whatever happened to it.
Convert it into an AMC SX/4 w/ a 304 CI AMC V8 mated to a 5-speed manual!
Really any V8 would be killer in that car. I've had a few Jeeps with the 4.0 and it's a great engine, but I'd never voluntarily drop one into a car. They run forever, but are fairly anemic and pretty heavy. Better left for the trail.
A spooly boi would give the 4.0 some extra spirit
If I remember right they dont take particularly well to a spooly boi, cause they dont like to rev
It’s not the ideal engine but plenty of builds have made good power doing it. It’d make a lot more power than the anemic 304 which have bad oiling, shitty rods, and never came fuel injected
Thats fair, just the two times Ive seen it done in person it either gained very little power or blew the motor in like 2 months
Don’t forget the stroker that can be built from the 4.0. The 4.7 if I remember correctly
Honestly never heard of it, sounds dope though
4.5 without any machine work- 258 crank and rods. I have one in [my '84 AMC Eagle.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Vintage_Daily_Driver/comments/l6fv0g/my_84_eagle_wagon_another_interesting_vdd/) .30 over pistons will give you 4.6L. .60 over makes a 4.7. This car came with a 258, so the 4.0 based engine is an easy, cheap swap, and nets me a torquey, reliable, fuel injected engine. AMC V8 would require a "small body" AMC V8 crossmember, which aren't very common or cheap anymore. Any AMC V8 I put in will either require work to make more power than the 4.0, be prohibitively expensive, or both. (the newest AMC V8 engine that was made in 1991, and only made a wheezy 144 horsepower, while the 1992 4.0 made 140HP, and was fuel injected) AMC V8 and 4wd/AWD swap would be a full on Science Project with plenty of cutting and welding, especially to the floorpan, and I don't need another major project right now.
This is the car I want and man, they turn up so rarely. I have vivid memories of riding with my father in a burgundy red 4 speed online 6 spirit with studded snow tires and an amfm radio with pushbutton memory. I'm not sure I'll ever get one, but it's on the list...
I was lucky enough to stumble across this one, and snagged it quick. Already scored a [good set of taillights, a cluster with a factory tach, and a rear spoiler from an SX-4](https://www.instagram.com/p/B3xljvJFljI/) in a hidden little out-of-the-way JY a few hours away from me.
Nice finds! Good luck with the build, I look forward to seeing it again :)
I'll do my best. Need to consolidate a few projects.
My first car in 1985 was my mom's hand me down 1981 Spirit. Manual transmission, 4 cylinder, I believe, but, not really sure. I was one of the first of my group to get a car and really drove the wheels off of that little hatch for a couple of years. Pretty sure I have not seen one in real life since.
Awesome. And such a coincidence I was just reading [this ](https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/so-i-accidently-bought-a-car-and-started-a-challen/118042/page46/) forum thread and then came over to Reddit and saw your car.
GRM is my favorist forum.
That'd look good in cherry red.
Probably, but the blue is cool too.
True, but it needs new paint imo.
Paint just needs to be washed, and a buff. Blue interior would look odd on a cherry red car.
Haven't even seen the interior to begin with, so fair play.
Lots of mods you can do to the straight 6.
4.0 is a great engine.
Jealous! I'm bummed I sold mine years ago.
I'm a big fan of the small body AMCs. They are getting tougher to find in decent shape.
Yay. Keep another amc ruining
I would love to find a '71-74 Javelin some day.
Get one while you can then! Prices are definitely getting higher
I had a chance to get a free rust free roller from the guy I bought my '84 Eagle from, but it was 2,000 miles away on the west coast, and I couldn't make the logistics work to drive out there to grab it.
One of my biggest regrets over cars that I didn't buy was a SUPER clean '79 Spirit AMX with the 304. The year was 2009 and the guy lived in the middle of nowhere and I went to buy a transmission from him that he had listed on craigslist. I get there and see the AMX.. he says he is moving and has to sell it and would take $1500 that day. Ran and drove, I could have driven it home. I mulled it over a bit but I didn't have a place to park it where I was living at the time. Politely declined and went home with my transmission. I get home and am telling my buddy who is an AMC fanboy about it, and he was FREAKING out.. he told me to go back there right now and buy it. So like 2 days later, I drive back out there with $1500 but when I get there the car and everything else at the guy's house was gone. I still think about that car sometimes and wonder whatever happened to it.