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Drag racing a 1970 AMC AMX in a true
10.5\" tire Naturally aspirated heads up class.
Ram Racing and NMCA.
Bio
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Contact: www.e-emetalfab.com/steveann.htm
or E-Mail
Bio
General Drag Racing,
Working Out, Nutrition, Drinking Beer and Victorian
Architecture - Strange combo, I know . . .
Music Various - Mostly Hard Rock
Status: Married
Orientation: Straight
Body type: 5' 11" / Athletic
Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Zodiac Sign: Libra
Smoke / Drink: No / Yes
Children: I don't want kids
Education: Some college
Occupation: Purchasing and Inventory Control
Information
Our first opportunity to
see Ann Erbs AMX in action was one of our days
spent at Cecil County for the Finishline
Performance Street Car Shootout. The car
immediately caught our eyes and our imagination. As
it pulled to the line we assumed it would just be
an everyday bracket / street car that looked
extremely cool. Once Ann mashed the pedal, our view
was that of the underneath of this superbly
detailed AMX flying past us on its way to a mid ten
second charge. Needless to say we were hooked bad
and wanted to know more about it. The stance, the
look, and the all AMC power was an exciting idea
for us here. We definitely needed to do a feature
and let the readers here know of Anns hard
work on this gorgeous machine.
Ann is often asked how she
got into AMCs and drag racing. At the age of
17 she bought her first vehicle, a 1975 Jeep CJ5.
It had an AMC 304 V8 and a 3-speed manual
transmission. At this point in Anns in life
she was hooked on AMC Jeeps, and used to love going
four-wheeling. Fast forwarding Ann met her husband
Steve a few years later few years later; he was
into cars his whole life. Ann had never been to a
drag strip before she met him. As a present Steve
bought her a Jeep book. It gave the complete
history of Jeeps. Inside the AMC Jeep chapter it
showed some of the other cars that AMC made. Ann
will tell you she never knew about the AMX 2-seater
or the early year Javelin before this book.
As soon as she saw the 1968 through 1970 AMC AMX
Ann knew she would have one. What could be better
than an AMC muscle car! After taking on an extra
job as a waitress on the weekends, Ann tirelessly
saved her tips and purchased a 1969 AMC AMX. The
man that Ann bought this car from had it sitting in
his garage for about 16 years.
Anns car was
originally a 390, 4spd, which was 1 of 3,620 that
came from the factory in 1969 with this
combination; total production in 1969 was 8,293. It
also had the sports package upgrade called the
Go package. Steve and Ann rebuilt the
engine that is in the car. Teasdale Automotive
Machine out of Jonestown, PA. did the machine work
to the block, Ann and Steve assembled it
themselves. The engine is an AMC 401, bored .030
over with forged Venolia flat top pistons. The
stock forged cross-drilled crank rotates stock
forged rods that have been polished and
shot-peened. Aluminum Indy SR heads with a full
port and polish from Indy top off the short block
with some impressive flow. They have been fitted
with 2.10 intake valves and 1.65 exhaust valves
actuated by Crane Gold 1.6 roller rockers and Jomar
Stud girdles. The cam is a custom grind Comp Cam
that makes all of this work in harmony, and the
sweet sound it produces is chilling. Feeding the
oil is a Milodon dual swivel pick-up oil pan
with a stock oil pump. The block also has an oil
line added in the oil galley to feed oil directly
to the rear main bearings. Anns research
showed it was a must do modification as these
motors starve for oil over 6000 rpm otherwise.
Sitting on the top is a Herman Lewis cast aluminum
high-rise intake with a tweaked 1050 Holley
Dominator, as the other end of the mixture flows
out through a custom set of Hooker Super Comp
headers and Dynomax Race Magnum Mufflers. A full 3
1/2 inch exhaust exits out the back of this AMX.
All that was fired by a full MSD ignition. Power is
sent through a 5000 stall 8 Dynamic
Converterr to a fully built Turbo 400, Tom Goldman
out of Allentown, PA is responsible for adding a
low first gear set and a reverse manual valve body,
with a and a JW Performance SFI approved aluminum
bell housing to keep the trans safe and running in
its power band. The custom drive shaft turns the
cut and modified Dana 60 rear's Richmond 4.11 gear
set. Moser supplied the axles for the stock width
Dana rear that replaced the original AMC series 20
and is supported by standard leaf springs and
traditional slapper bars. The AMX stops with stock
drum brakes that were installed to the modified
Dana rear with the AMC backing plates after it
hooks and books on Hoosier Quick Time Pro 27 x 11
.50 tires mounted on Weld Racing wheels. The front
also sports the same wheel and Moroso front runners
on a 4 inch rim with stock disc brakes and stock
springs surrounding the performance shocks.
The ultra straight body
had already been re-painted when Ann bought the
car. The color on her AMX is the original color of
the car. It's an AMC factory color called
"Bitter Sweet Orange"; however, the re-paint is a
little darker than it should be. The car is all
heavy with factory steel and glass, except the
bumpers and hood are fiberglass. In 1969 AMC built
approximately 52 AMXs that were specially
prepared by Hurst. The cars were prepped with a
forward facing scoop. The scoop on Anns car
is an exaggerated version of that Super Stock
Scoop. It measures an extra 2-1/2 taller than
the original, which was Steves idea. Cowl
hoods get this treatment all the time; why not
stand out in the crowd with a tasteful modification
of the original too on a car that captures your eye
like this one.
Inside Anns
workspace she seats herself in new Aerospeed racing
seats, behind a 70's era AMC steering wheel and
Autometer gauges in the stock and fresh as new
looking dash. The 5' monster tach with shift light
lets her know more of what she needs to do on a
pass. Husband Steve fit and tacked the 10-point
mild steel cage that was finish welded by Lamar
Neidigh of Palmyra, PA. Ann and Steve both added
new carpet from A1, fiberglass headliner from
American Performance, and new door panels from
Legendary. The strict attention to detail inside is
fantastic, all the panels fit well and give the car
that clean factory look, I have to hand it to both
of them for some fine work that rivals the most
competent interior shops Ive seen,
Performance:
Anns AMX is a street
car, its licensed, insured and inspected and
she really enjoys driving it and thrashing it on
the streets. Its no slouch by any means and
look out if it's on the other side of you at a
stoplight. The AMX is taken to two AMC races a
year; they regularly try to make it to the Street
Car Shoot out at Cecil County Dragway whenever
possible. The best quarter mile E.T. has been 10.75
at 126 MPH which was at Cecil County and we remind
you it's all motor. Anns best 60 foot time is
1.49 and her best reaction time has been a .006.
This car works well and the numbers prove it for a
fully street able show quality ride. Most of the
time the announcers in the tower take as much
notice to the car as we did and add extra
commentary on each and every one of her passes.
In January of 2007 Steve
and I bought another AMX together. This time a
1970. We race it in a Naturally Aspirated heads up
series called RAM Racing. We also plan to race it
in some NMCA events in 2008. So far the best 1/4
mile time is 8.89 @ 151 MPH. I am the driver of the
1970 AMX. Before purchasing it I worked three jobs
so I could buy my other car a 1969 AMX. I drag
raced the 1969 AMX for the last 6 years. The best
1/4 mile time in that is 10.19 at 131 MPH. Besides
racing we stay busy. My husband Steve also has a
1970 Chevelle, a 1970 Rebel Machine and a 1969
Pontiac Lemans. So there is planty to do in the
garage. I also try to get to the gym three times a
week for two hours. My goals are to be strong, and
look lean. I am not interested in losing weight on
the scale but I would like to see less body fat.
Nutrition is a big deal to me. I don't eat any
meat, eggs or dairy and I try to eat as much
organic food as possible. In addition to that I am
the Newsletter editer for an AMC club called the
Mid Atlantic Classic AMX Club(MACAC). I try to get
four newsletters out a year. Yes I am an AMC geek.
I also like to write and so far I have been lucky
enough to have two articles published. Both of my
articles were published in RPM magazine. I didn't
get paid, but I don't care becuase I was just happy
to see my subjects get some ink.
myspace.com/annsxs
www.e-emetalfab.com/SteveAnn/1970%20AMX%202008.htm
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA_WKVK_R1I
video.streetlegaltv.com/video_detail.php?mId=6244
About
2 minutes in the above video
Results
Schedule
2008
Schedule
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