Quote:

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Rick Ehrenberg says it was from the consolidation of the AMC engineers when Chrysler bought AMC/Jeep in the 80s. When the 5.2/5.9 magnum was being developed, the AMC guys insisted on the pedestal mount design.

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That could make sense. AMC sixes used shaft-mount rockers through 1972 and the first-generation V8 (250/287/327) also had shaft mounted rockers. So, AMC was no stranger to using them. The reason the second-gen V8 and the '73-and-up sixes use individual (then later, "bridged") rockers was two-fold: cost & weight.

I'd still be willing to bet it was more of a decision based on cost than anything else.

And also, the later aluminum bridged rockers used in '74 thru '80 AMC V8's were prone to failure. Even today, you can still buy hardened steel replacements to get rid of those ridiculous aluminum bridges.

Leave it to the AMC boys to think outside the box.