The AMC Forum - AMC 304 Power Possibility

Gremlin71 AMCrazy American Motors Corporation Posts: 81 Gender: Medford, OR	AMC 304 Power Possibility 06/16/12 at 21:02:34 So I've been finding lots of 304's for cheap lately, and I'm really wondering about their potential. Can they make power or are they like the 305 chevy and just a waste of time and money? If you were to build one for a street driven hornet that will see some 1/4 mile time, what would you do to it? -Caleb
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klvn8r

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Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility
Reply #1 - 06/17/12 at 01:04:34

I've got a 304 Hornet...stock block and valvetrain. Just headers, a Performer, and a Holley. Goes 14.40s like that, and 13.teens on a 100 hp bottle. Do it.....if you blow it up, no biggie. But don't believe the hype that a 304 is 'junk'. Look at 305 Chevys in SCCA American Sedan. Not alot of difference, and the AMC head is superior.

klvn8r

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Too many lame-ass projects, not enough gumption to get them moving!!!

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Vintageracer AMCrazy American Motors Corporation Posts: 444 Gender: Scarborough, Ontario	Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility Reply #2 - 06/17/12 at 01:40:57 Wouldn't the AMC 304 have been the American Motors TransAm base motor for the '60s and early '70s Javelins? I expect they made a reliable 400+ hp. David
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Gremlin71 AMCrazy American Motors Corporation Posts: 81 Gender: Medford, OR	Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility Reply #3 - 06/17/12 at 02:57:13 From what I've found the TA motors were a 360 block with a very short throw crank. Please correct me if I'm wrong. -Caleb
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FuzzFace2

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Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility
Reply #4 - 06/18/12 at 12:30:38

75 Gremlin 304 stock other than a Holley 2300 v2 500 cfm carb, auto with shift kit, lock right locker w/2.87 gear, 1 pipe exh & street tires would run low 16’s all day long. Bone stock was mid 17’s. The rear gear is what hurt as it would shift into 3rd just before the line.
Had a pretty built up 304 in my drag Javelin and the few passes I made with it was in the 14”s IIRC then went to a 360 when it lost oil psi.
If running brackets you don’t need to be fast you just need to run the number on every run and the 304 did that. I say go for it and have fun.
Dave ----

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75 GremlinX v8 64k 4sale
76 GremlinX i6 (sons)
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70 Javelin 1/4 Drag car 360/auto

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AMXRalf

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Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility
Reply #5 - 06/18/12 at 13:17:36

I too had a 304 car. I was the track champion at my local track, so as Dave says, for bracket racing you can have a good consistent and fun car with a 304. Mine also ran mid 17's stock and low 16's with dual exhaust and tuning, all with the stock 2 bbl and 2.87 gears.
BUT! When the time comes to spend money on block prep and pistons and head work, that money is better spent on a 360.
ralfy

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SKeown

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Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility
Reply #6 - 06/18/12 at 21:24:51

Hemi Adkins said when he gets too old to old to pass the drivers test he's going to revert to 304 power. Like anything else, if you pump enough money into one it'll make power. I have a friend that made over 600 HP out of a de-stroked 283 Chevy. He became the only two consecutive year Winston Comp champ, he twisted it 13K though.

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Fluffy73

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Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility
Reply #7 - 06/18/12 at 23:47:54

I love my 304-powered Hornet hatch. It's no screamer by any stretch of the imagination but it's all stock block/heads/intake. Edelbrock 4bbl, Edelbrock Perf + Cam, twice pipes and a fan clutch. Add in the 5 speed and it's a hoot. It's only drawback currently is the 2.87 gears. Once I swap those for a 3.54, it's should then become a screamer.

All the 304 cars I've driven have been torquey, but having a steeper final drive really helps.

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'75 Hornet Hatchback 304/5 Speed Chrome Yellow
'74 Hornet Hatchback 258/Auto Maxi Blue
'73 Javelin "Victory Edition" 360/Auto Trans Am Red
'70½ Gremlin 232/3spd Big Bad Green

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ChevelleSSLS6

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Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility
Reply #8 - 06/21/12 at 00:37:33

Quote from Victory360 on 06/18/12 at 23:47:54:

I love my 304-powered Hornet hatch. It's no screamer by any stretch of the imagination but it's all stock block/heads/intake. Edelbrock 4bbl, Edelbrock Perf + Cam, twice pipes and a fan clutch. Add in the 5 speed and it's a hoot. It's only drawback currently is the 2.87 gears. Once I swap those for a 3.54, it's should then become a screamer.

All the 304 cars I've driven have been torquey, but having a steeper final drive really helps.

those highway gears really kill the E.T.s. I'd love to run 4.10s or better and an overdrive unit. Wink

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1996 Jeep XJ- 3.5" lift and 31" tires
1974 Javelin 360 4sp- underfunded project car
2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 900- summer dd

FOR SALE: AMC 360ci shortblock, AMC 360ci longblock

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MrEd

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Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility
Reply #9 - 06/21/12 at 13:58:10

I had put a '79 304 with trans and rear out of a Concord into my '83 Spirit GT. The only addition to the engine I did was an Edelbrock manifold and 500 CFM carb. I could light the tire easily. It was very quick. I never ran it at the track. I did add a locker gear set so then I could light up both tires. Now I have another 304 in my '77 AMX and I have the manifold and carb ready for this winter project.

Later!
Mr. Ed

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You can learn as much from what isn't said, as you can from what is said.

Madam "X" 304 automatic

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imacarfan2 Forum Veteran High Performance Everything is for sale for the right price... Posts: 2852 Gender: West Newbury, MA	Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility Reply #10 - 07/04/12 at 14:09:06 I had a nice running 304 in my Concord and really liked it. I think they're a great engine in a driver. Mine had a Crane 260, Performer intake, Holley 600 carb, stock free flow manifolds to 2 1/4" duals. Think I got it into the mid-14s. The same engine in my 4000 LB Matador coupe with an open 3.15 axle ran 17.09.
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MrEd

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Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility
Reply #11 - 07/04/12 at 20:03:17

I just put a nice chrome air cleaner on the stock two barrel because the snorkel on the stock air cleaner looked way too small for the engine to breath right, and I have been giving it a littel work out lately. I haven't gotten around to stomping on it from a dead stop but I have dropped the hammer after getting it rolling and staying in it and it chirps seconde gear! Never had a stock engine do that before.

Later!
Mr. Ed

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You can learn as much from what isn't said, as you can from what is said.

Madam "X" 304 automatic

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old_and_rusty Ex Member	Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility Reply #12 - 07/04/12 at 20:40:18 MrED Way back when I roamed the streets in my 304 Gremlin I solved that problem by taking a hole saw to the flat part of the air cleaner base. Looked completely stock. No one knew except me.
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abdywgn Forum Junkie American Motors Corporation Posts: 800 Gender: Darien, IL	Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility Reply #13 - 07/04/12 at 23:58:43 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLClCZLEVdQ&feature=related
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amc49 AMCrazy American Motors Corporation Posts: 61 Fort Worth, TX	Re: AMC 304 Power Possibility Reply #14 - 07/20/12 at 16:08:56 I used to have a '69 AMX that ran a 8.5/1 compression stock short block 304 with some heavily modded heads, car ran 11.80s 1/4 mi. @ 118 or so mph. Motor came out of a station wagon, pretty funny actually.
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