05/14/2026
The 1974 Z-Code AMC Jeep Wagoneer shop truck with the 401 V8 is back together with the 1967 AMC Marlin (and it's even soupier 343 that I use to test carbs and friction). Kudos to Mr. Skiles for welding more than was anticipated! A lot of solid flooring now! And rocker panel, and a lower quarter section. And repairing and cleaning out the fuel tank. And throwing in a starter safety switch because starting it in park is cool. And sealing up the exhaust. Not that I couldn't get used to the fumes coming into the cab through the holes that used to be there, most my college cars were like thatā¦
This rugged defender of the AMC faith came from Texas and spent its life in South Dakota until 2024. Saw it advertised on a Thursday and think I bought it that Saturday. Hell no, I didnāt think, just drove to South Dakota and bought it. Thatās how me and my homies do it. Not a rusty Minnesota bomb for sure, but this thing was hanging out in tall grass and needed new metal. Well, let's see the Taliban blow a hole in the bottom of this thing now!
The 401 had a dreadful Autolite 4300 on there, emissions insanity. The goofball intake has the slightly spread bore, not the bigger spread other Autolites had, so a 600 double pumper will fit and be perfect. A 1-11/16 throttle bore is too big for the primary, so no 650 or 750 carbs will fit unless I throw on a Holley intake. The 600s I had needed building, was short on time, so pieced together a Barry Grant Road Demon 525 vacuum secondary, and good grief it couldn't run any better with this little weird spaceship looking character of a carb.
Time to order up a stencil kit for the doors or something. Or a logo with a QR code to advertise my rugged carbureted fuelishness. Weāll see. I better take it slow, otherwise Iāll have a car hauler quicker than you can say Jack Robinson and then people are really going to be pi**ed at how long it takes me to build a carb while Iām buying stuff I probably donāt need. That reminds me, know anyone with a 1967 AMC Rogue with a four-speed and a 343? The Marlinās 343 is stroked up and still revs like da nutz but itās only built for sustained 6K operation. A destroked 343⦠push that sucker over 10K, with how fast that would rev in a light car like a Rogue or say a Hornet? Gotta do ole Grumpy Jenkinsā deal except with an AMC. Chevy small blocks sure rev but not like an AMC, youāll get to 10K quicker than a zongo Honda build. WTF, wasnāt I talking about the Jeep? Better hold off on the car hauler, you know me.