"Wow, someone more warped than me with all the AMC stuff. LOL."
AMC 49,
Yea, I seem to have "one of each" in the stable and "ideas" too. My '63 AMC American Hardtop (which I'm sure you know has the one year only roof) I want to drop in a Jeep 4.0. Everyone says it is too long, but I see "ways." I saw a Corvair Station Wagon (I have one of those too) on "My Classic Car" that was set on an '87 Buick Regal frame. It was really nice and got me to thinking... .. Then there is my '64 Studebaker Daytona I did a SBC 350/700R4 swap on. BTW, I find it ironic that this post is titled "289" and while most people think Ford, Studebaker had one too. And of course my Turbo Pinto swap.
So, I'm all for swaps, but like you I just found the one proposed lacking for a reason other than like you said, "because it's there." I mean at one time I contemplated the 2.0 out of the Pinto into the '63 American - just because it was there. So, I guess it happens to all of us.