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SC/Rambler Restoration #8 Chronicle.

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fast401 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fast401 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/16/2010 at 9:23pm
Looks like a really solid car to me.  We can only dream of finding cars like yours in North West Ohio.
Disturbing the peace since 1970!!!   AMX 19245
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amx39068 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/17/2010 at 10:25am
Here are some of the latest pictures of the minor metal work that is being done to the car.  The two areas that needed a fair amount of work were the lower rear trunk floor which must have held water due to the rear deck lid having a dingleberry and some rot in it with only a fair repair job with a poor final fitment done.  All else was the normal AMC areas that rot like the lower quarters due to the car living in the salty air in San Diego.
 
Driver's lower quarter before
 
 
During repair
 
Finished repair.
 
Hard to see but some lacey area in trunk floor right where it meet the rear tail light panel rise.
 
Bad area cut out shown from underneath
 
shown from inside the trunk
 
new hand fabricated repair piece
 
welded in and ground down for perfect fit underneath view
 
Inside the trunk view
 
Tranny hump area that was hacked out with what looks like an air chisel to raise clearnace for the scatter shield bell housing.
 
The removed hump.  When finished it will look perfect from underneath with a thin layer of reinforcement around the welded area under the carpet to ensure that the welds do no break.  This was the only bonehead thing done to the car which is a minor miracle considering it was a former racer. 
 
The "door hinge" looking brackets removed and extra metal lap band added to recreate the center humps original strenght.  Additional weld was added on both sides of the band after it was installed.
 
 
 
This is the area in front of the rear wheels where all SC/Ramblers rot due to metal against metal that is not treated correctly and due to being directly below the rear window sweep where water runs down the inner brace and settles on the pocket where the metal to metal contact exists.
 
The outer quarter panel metal was removed and the inner metal from the rear window brace was blasted and then doused in POR rust preventer and then sealed with water proof primer so it will never be a problem again.
 
 
Previous passenger's rear quarter lower patch panel to be removed. Uneven lines on the old panel and the fact that the weld bead is still clearly visible and how the seams are not as flush as they should be as well as the old patch was installed over bad metal.
 
 
 
 
Setting up the quarter to build a fiberglass hammer bolt that will be used to hand shape the patch
panel 
 
 
 
 
Next batch of pictures will show the correct way to do the patch panel so that is is darn near perfect.
 


Edited by amx39068 - Feb/19/2011 at 3:49pm
Dan Curtis-Owner and CEO AZ AMC Restorations; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amcmusclecars/ & Curtis Real Estate Development
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amx39068 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/20/2010 at 9:32pm
The latest pictures - you just never know what evil lurks behind someone else's patch panel!
 
 
 
Old inner and outer metal trimmed out (sorry for the small pictures, the bigger version is gone from MS pictures
 
New innner panel installed and then Covered with POR
 
   
 
New metal held in place and ready for welding
 
 
 
Note we welded the new piece in place low enough so that the factory and telltale rolled SC/Rambler wheel opening lip is retained
 
 
 
Looking better already!
 
 


Edited by amx39068 - Feb/19/2011 at 4:10pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amx39068 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/24/2010 at 7:12am
pictures lost when changing account name


Edited by amx39068 - Feb/19/2011 at 4:15pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amx39068 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/25/2010 at 7:20pm
A lucky break is the area below the battery tray only had minor etching which is a real plus.  The tray is junk but the brakets and frame rail and panel area below the tray were in excellent condition.  These are the places that you don't normally think about when buying a car that can be a major PITA if rotted away
 
As mentioned in the humpster chronicle thread, restorations are extremely expensive and actually more expensive on an AMC than on the big three due to the very limited availability of quality and useable AMC parts.  I stated on the other thread that it is very difficult to get a full restoration done for under $20K plus the price of the car but on this car that was a near rust free Southern California car, the restoration cost will end up being in the $25-$30K range plus the original purchase price of the car.  It add up very quickly.
 
I am considering keeping this restoration project for myself and putting a 450 - 500hp 390 engine in it and doing it up just like the Johnny Lightning B scheme SC/Rambler that I currently have only using Phoenix Graphics to make the B Scheme decals so if I or anyone else ever wants to revert the car back to its original A Scheme paint all that will need to be done is to remove the lower decals from the B scheme kit and paint the correct red on the sides.
 
Regardless, this car will more than likely get my last cross ram intake unless another collector contacts me and wants a pure stock restoration. Either way, this is a very fun hobby to be able to do and I feel blessed that I am fortunate enough to be able to do this stuff at this point in my life.


Edited by amx39068 - Feb/19/2011 at 4:21pm
Dan Curtis-Owner and CEO AZ AMC Restorations; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amcmusclecars/ & Curtis Real Estate Development
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amx39068 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/30/2010 at 12:26am
Got some really cool new work in progress pictures from the metal guy for the trunk deck lid that had previously been repaired.  This guy continues to amaze me in how he uses a mold to fit his hand formed pieces of metal to.  It cost a quite a bit more to repair than just getting a new deck lid but the lids are date coded so if we want the car to be date code accurate, fixing the original one is the only real option available.
 
original and badly done patches for both sides which distorted the deck lid's lower edge shape
 
 
 
Cut out the old and create new pieces to replace both end edges with
 
New piece welded in place and ground down now with original contour.  1000 times better than the old piece of trashy metal repair that was previously in there
 
 
 
 The inner back side of the outer corner of the driver's side of the deck lid needed to be recreated
 
This type of hand shaping a piece of metal is an incredibly difficult task and takes talent and experience that is way beyond anything that I would ever attempt to tackle myself on this type of high value car. Maybe someday but not today.
 
Old bad metal cut out and new hand shaped metal piece put in its place.  The outer edge of the deck lid will be reshaped to be realigned with the quarter panel end cap prior to any welding of the new piece of metal.  Pretty fascinating process from my perspective. 
 
 
 


Edited by amx39068 - Feb/19/2011 at 4:41pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amcrules00 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/30/2010 at 5:29am
Pure artwork.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 67RogueX-Code Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/30/2010 at 8:41am
Very nice work... I bet it's fun just watching this kind of talent.
 
But I do have to ask... wouldn't it have been easier to just cut out the date-code-stamping and weld it into the replacement lid?  Big smile
Bob Wilcox

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amx39068 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/30/2010 at 8:47am
Unfortunately I only get to see the results of his work in the pictures he sends. I am mostly a road warrior in my current job and often only get to see the end result in person.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AmeriMan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/30/2010 at 10:25am
Beautiful repair work.

Regarding which car to keep, it's hard to argue with a car as (nearly) rust free as this one and I don't know the condition of the body on the B-scheme car but I've always preferred the look of the B-scheme cars.

Back in the early '80s a friend of mine had two B-scheme cars.  I was fortunate enough to get to drive both of them.  I've never had any more fun driving any other type of car.

It's a sad story but both of those cars ended up getting scrapped.

Here's a photo of one of them.  This was at the Chicago World Of Wheels show in 1980


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