The internal differences between the 304, 360, and 401 cubic-inch AMC V8 engines are utterly moot for most modern gearheads, who will likely want to tear down and rebuild any half-century-old engine they acquire. Before you reach for your impact wrench and start yanking heads and shafts, though, consider the longevity of these engines.
Many owners of V8-powered Jeeps report getting close to or beyond 300,000 miles on their original motors, and the dearth of AMC models with high numbers on the odometer may be more the fault of hard-driving owners than any shortcoming of the powertrains themselves. Were it not for the success and popularity of the equally durable 258 and 242 straight six engines that replaced the 304, 360, and 401 cubic-inch V8s, AMC might have kept the larger motors in place up until it was bought by Chrysler in 1987.
Chrysler’s purchase was primarily motivated by interest in the Jeep brand, but AMC’s new owner also kept the Eagle nameplate alive for another decade or so. The cars it released with that badging were largely underpowered disappointments, and Chrysler’s smartest move after the AMC buyout might have been to keep the 360 under the hood of the Grand Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee through 1991.
[Featured Image by Greg Gjerdingen via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC-By 2.0]
