Print Page | Close Window

1981 Spirit DL

Printed From: TheAMCForum.com
Category: The Lounge Area
Forum Name: Member Projects
Forum Description: Are you doing a restoration or in the middle of a major AMC project? Show and tell us about it (*AMC projects* only Please. Others may be moved)
URL: https://theamcforum.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=86136
Printed Date: Mar/28/2024 at 1:58pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: 1981 Spirit DL
Posted By: SeanHatfield
Subject: 1981 Spirit DL
Date Posted: Mar/13/2017 at 6:19pm
Welcome to the restoration thread for my 1981 Spirit DL. I've owned this Spirit for about 5 years now (I got it about a week before the 2012 AMO National Meet in Auburn.) Throughout the time I have owned it, I admit I haven't done a lot to it, but love it and show it off. Now that I'm out of college, it's time to get started on a restoration. This 1981 Spirit DL is shown in glorious two-tone Cameo Tan and Copper Brown Metallic paint. Over the 5 years I have owned it, it has been mistaken for a Pinto, a Vega, a Chevette, and an "old Honda." I know this car will never be an American Cup or Heritage Cup winner, especially compared to the Concours quality restorations I have seen on this forum, but I feel like it deserves to be treated nicely and restored to a level that will make both me, and the previous owner proud. First of all, let me tell you a little bit about how I came to own this fine piece of art. I was 19 at the time, and I had (a year prior) purchased a 1986 Jeep Comanche. This was my first entry into American Motors Corporation. I know I just skimmed by before the Chrysler buyout, but to me, It still counts. Well, this Comanche was far from a reliable vehicle. A few months after purchasing it, the clutch fork finally gave up (So I found out after trying out 3 clutches) and it was sold to by good buddy in order to get the cash for the Spirit. My buddy Doug (AMCSavers on the forum) told me about a legitimate AMC that I needed to buy locally. Once I had the cash, I inquired about the Spirit. It was owned by a couple of folksingers in town who were the second owners of the vehicle, having purchased it a few years after it was new for the wife to learn to drive on. Boy, did she love that car. When we finally came to negotiating the price (I was firm at $500 and she insisted that she could not take any more than $300, for fear that it needed a lot of work), she handed over the title and told me that she wanted her baby to be shown off and appreciated; not hot rodded (nearly impossible with the little 4 banger under the hood), or beaten on until its untimely death. I promised her that I would be her guy and we went on our merry way. Immediately, I knew it needed some work. The harsh Indiana winters got a hold of the poor Spirit in the few times she drove it in the winter, and the rocker panels needed some attention, the chrome trim piece around the driver's wheel well got ripped off in a car wash, causing rust to form. Now, her husband (bless his heart) tried to do as much as he could to keep the rust from spreading. This consisted of putting spray foam into the holes to stop the spread of rust. Not a good idea... I also needed a driver's front caliper since it was leaking, and some various odds and ends from acquiring a driver Spirit that was 31 years old at the time. With little cash flow in college, I just drove and showed the car as it was, adding a few things to improve driveability and general maintenance. I got the caliper fixed the morning I headed to Auburn, and drove it the hour and a half there with no issues at all. On my way to Doug's wedding, the ignition cylinder gave out on me, so that had to be replaced. New struts to support the enormous weight of the rear hatch were installed. A radiator was put in last summer (not quite in time to drive it to Rockford without a shakedown test.) I did pick up some new wheels for it, but those may change as time goes on. The road was long (and still is) but it brings me to where I am with the car now. A tired GM Iron Duke 4 cylinder, still putting along (albeit at no break-neck speeds), rust that still needs to be addressed, and a slew of other things that I would like to upgrade on its way to the show field. I plan to keep the drivetrain completely original, but refresh it to give it a little more pep. Right now, I am working on the interior of the car, having removed the rear plastic interior pieces in preparation for new paint to match that gorgeous nutmeg interior that the late 70s and early 80s loved so much. My short term goal is to purchase new tires for it, replace the carpet, install sound deadener, repaint the interior pieces that were sunfaded from 36 years of the sun beating down on them, and go through the brakes front and rear. I hope to accomplish all of this before Kenosha so I can show it off there. Long term, I want to work on the body, get it painted in the original colors and paint scheme, then address the engine and transmission and rebuild them. This might seem like a lofty goal, and I am sure I will encounter problems along the way, but in my eyes, it is worth it. I have already invited the previous owner (who I still keep in contact with) to see it at local shows and she is blown away that her pride and joy is being taken care of. I hope to continue to make her proud that she sold me the car for the bargain price of $300 and restore it to the quality that it deserves. 

If you made it this far in the introduction, time to reward you with some pictures of what it looked like when I got it, and what it looks like now; along with some pictures of some of the projects I have done so far. Thank you for taking the time to read through this post and I will keep you updated as funds allow and I hope to see you at Gettysburg and Kenosha! 


A year after I got it. Note my terrible 19 year old sensibilities in buying those mirrors.... They're back to factory now. 



The interior on this car is actually in really nice shape, aside from all of the sun faded plastic and carpet.

Changing the radiator on a 4 cylinder means extra room for my 6 foot tall body to squeeze into the engine bay!

Shifter Knob got switched out after finding a much nicer example in Rockford.


Found these American Racing Wheels at Rockford for $75 with the tires included! What a deal! I will be upgrading the tires to Cooper Cobra Radial GTs before Kenosha though since these are pretty dry rotted. 15" in the rear and 14" in the front gives it a nice stance.

Finally found these mirrors to replace my previous mistake thanks to RebelX on the forum! Great find!

This is the beginning of the latest project for the Spirit. Repairing and refinishing the plastic interior pieces. This is what it started out like: faded from the sun beating down on it through a non-tinted rear window for 36 years. What a mess! It had a gritty texture to it and pieces of it were starting to peel off like a bad sunburn...

This was the result on the back panel after about 2 hours of wetsanding the crap out of it. Finally got it buttery smooth and ready for paint! Notice the other 2 panels awaiting their turn. The process was very messy so I had to do it in the basement to avoid freezing in this strange weather we've been having in Indiana. 

Finally done wetsanding! I think it turned out pretty great for my first attempt. Only time will tell once I prime them and repaint them. But already the texture is much better. I removed all of the old flaking plastic and now it is smooth and ready to be color matched and painted. Does anyone know if SEM makes a color matched dye that looks like this? If not, I'm going to my local NAPA paint shop in the next few weeks to get it color matched there. They should be able to make me a few cans of it to finish it up! Thanks for taking a look and wish me luck as I finish painting the interior pieces and then take on the carpet and the underlying rust in the rear hatch area. One step closer!

Thanks, 
Sean Hatfield ...



Replies:
Posted By: wantajav
Date Posted: Mar/13/2017 at 7:19pm
Hey Sean:

GREAT car, great story.  If/when the tired iron duke gives up the ghost, that car is a prime candidate for 4.6 AMC stroker or a 360. You can find a running 360 for less than $500. Tell the prior owner the 2.5 threw a rod. I'd leave the paint scheme and get a rear spoiler duplicolor painted to match.




Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Mar/13/2017 at 7:39pm
I've thought about doing an engine swap and tossed the idea back and forth between a big old v8 with a crossmember swap and spring swap in the front and then a change of the axle in the rear, or doing a modern fuel injected straight 6 like a 4.0 from a jeep (potentially stroked out to a 4.7) but I just couldn't bring myself to change the car. Once I finish up this restoration, then I'll get myself into something I can really go crazy with. It took a lot for me to convince myself to keep it stock, especially since I'm only 24 and burnouts are cool. haha. But for now, the plan is to restore it back to original and then we'll go crazy on something further on down the road. Who knows, maybe another Spirit!


Posted By: racerkilla
Date Posted: Mar/13/2017 at 7:43pm
I saw you had posted year or so back interested in side louvers. I figured out how to make sets and have been selling them if you still want a set. Think one set left until next batch now


Posted By: hassyfoto
Date Posted: Mar/13/2017 at 7:48pm
Nice car story and photos
Love the photo with you in the engine bay, seems to me I have been there once or twice (dozen) times!
Looks like a nice solid car. 


-------------
Murphy's Law:
Any given mechanical job you decide to solve alone will imminently require a third hand, at its most critical moment



Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Mar/14/2017 at 5:25am
Ronny, I might hold off on those side louvers for a little while yet. They do look really nice though and I appreciate all of the time and effort you've gone through to make them. They look really nice! Maybe once I start getting into the body work, I'll pick up a set.


Posted By: blumontag
Date Posted: Mar/14/2017 at 8:47am
Great looking car...good luck!

-------------
72 Gremlin X


Posted By: DrRambler69
Date Posted: Mar/14/2017 at 10:00am
Awesome car, man! Keep us updated!


Posted By: kirkwood
Date Posted: Mar/14/2017 at 10:31am
Looking great Sean! Looking forward to seeing the improvements this summer!

-------------
AMO Newsletter Editor


Posted By: Mr. Ed
Date Posted: Mar/15/2017 at 9:09am
Looking good Sean!

Later!
Mr. Ed


-------------
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo "Gwendolyn."
1978 Concord Sport coupe "Mr. Black".
1982 Concord wagon. The Admiral. FOR SALE!
1976 Sportabout X, 304, auto, air. The Bronze Goddess



Posted By: pit crew
Date Posted: Mar/15/2017 at 10:33am
Looks like your off to a good start.

-------------

73 Hornet - 401EFI - THM400 - Twin Grip 20


Posted By: amxmachine
Date Posted: Mar/15/2017 at 1:53pm
Keep up the good work drive and enjoyBig smile


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Mar/16/2017 at 4:34pm
Good news for the Spirit! I finally was able to get a solid color match for my interior pieces from Ridge Napa in South Bend, IN. The people working there were very helpful and were able to get a pretty spot-on match for the oddball Nutmeg interior color. I could not for the life of me find any company that made a vinyl paint anywhere near this color, so I went to them to have it custom matched. I will post the formula in a picture below so that if you need to get your interior redone, it is much simpler than the rigmarole I had to go through. I ended up picking up 4 cans of the paint for around $75 which I thought was pretty reasonable. I also picked up some SEM Flexible Primer Surfacer to prep the pieces for the actual color finish. I hope this comes out well! Also, if you have any experience painting interior pieces and want to lend me some knowledge, I would greatly appreciate it! I don't want to have gone through all of this process only to screw up the application process. Hopefully these will be getting painted in the next week or so and I will keep you updated as we go. After this, the next step will be taking the car to the body shop to get quotes on repairing the rust I found in the rear hatch area and then finishing up the interior with sound deadener and new carpet! 


I used a scrap piece of plastic interior that had chipped off somewhere for them to test the paint up to. The first mix was a little too light, but the second one was about dead on (or as close as it could get.)

All of the cans are ready to roll! I might pick up another can of primer, but this should be plenty.

And finally, the secret formula for Nutmeg interior. Apparently this is a variation of a 1980 Volkswagen interior color called Assuan Brown. If you need the info to go to your local paint guy, have at it. Happy to help!


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Mar/18/2017 at 9:01pm
More progress on the Spirit! Today I put 2 coats of the SEM Flexible Primer Surfacer and sprayed on 2 coats of the color matched paint I got at NAPA on the interior piece that was the smallest and easiest to recolor. 1/3 of the way done with the interior re-coloring! The result was above and beyond what I expected. Before I got started, I sprayed down the part with purple power (an industrial degreaser) and then followed up with isopropyl alcohol to remove any grease and clean up some of the remnants from my wetsanding. I was absolutely blown away with the result and I can't wait to finish the rest of the interior! On the nutmeg paint, I did have a slight hiccup when the spray can started to splatter a few little drops onto the piece, but I held the can upside down and cleared the nozzle and it didn't happen again. Luckily those few small drops seemed to blend right in after the second coat. I plan on ordering the front tires for it sometime this week and maybe spraying down one of those plastic wheel arch pieces if I have time. There are a lot more curves and crevices on these last 2 parts for the paint to run which makes me nervous, but if I go slow and apply light, even coats, that shouldn't be a problem. 


Looking good in the primer! SEM makes some quality products and the application went very smoothly.

First coat of the custom mixed Nutmeg is on! A few spots to add some more paint to, but that's better than getting runs in the paint. 

This is the before and after picture for reference. The top picture is the old, sun-faded, beat down, 36 year old plastic before wetsanding and painting. The bottom is the newly painted, nearly factory fresh piece. I think it came out amazing. Thanks to my wonderful girlfriend for putting up with me sending her pictures of what I spend my money on and obsess over from time to time. She actually used one of her photo apps to make this picture comparing the before and after. 

Here is that same part in a little better lighting. That nutmeg color really pops! I can't wait to finish up this interior and make it look like brand new. Again, a huge shoutout to Ridge NAPA in South Bend, Indiana for custom mixing a matching color for me. This wouldn't be a reality without your help. The next 2 pieces are in the works and will hopefully be finished soon!


Posted By: pacerman
Date Posted: Mar/19/2017 at 7:14am
Final finish makes it all worthwhile. Joe

-------------
Happiness is making something out of nothing.


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Mar/19/2017 at 4:25pm
Now officially 2/3 of the way through this interior plastic restoration! Today I finished one of the wheel arch pieces I needed to finish up. I went through the same process of 2 coats of SEM flexible primer surfacer, and then 2 coats of the custom NAPA paint. The result was incredible. Even with the curvature of the part, I feel like I got good adhesion due to the primer, as well as a pretty smooth overall appearance. Can't complain about that! Here are some pictures of the process:


First coat of primer!



Second coat of primer. Getting that surface nice and smooth and ready for paint!

First coat of paint is on!



Second coat of paint is on! Just have to wait for it to dry. 

This paint darkens up as it dries, which makes it look quite a bit better. Here it is after it's dried, in a little different light. 

I took the piece down to the basement to do a side by side with the other wheel arch. You can really see the difference this paint is making. Granted, the other piece is wetsanded and prepped to be painted, but it's not much different in appearance from how it was before I started this whole restoration. Overall, I couldn't be happier. The paint is going on extremely well, and I haven't had a run in the paint yet (I may jinx myself for saying that.) Can't wait to finish up that last wheel arch piece and then maybe further on down the road, I'll refinish some of the smaller interior plastic pieces to match if they look dull compared to the restored pieces. 


Posted By: 73LevisX
Date Posted: Mar/20/2017 at 3:58pm
Sean,

That looks fantastic! Kudo's for putting in the time on the prep work to do the job right.

Didn't you hear? All the best folks and smokin' deals are in South Bend. Many fond memories of the time spent there last summer... NOT! LOL!

Looking forward to catching up with you guys in Kenosha over a few brewski's.

Keep up the good work.

Chuck.

-------------
'73 Hornet X
304/904


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Mar/20/2017 at 5:41pm
Thanks Chuck! I've got a long way to go if I want to rival Tod's painting skills, but it's on its way. I started working on the final piece today and go figure, I ran out of primer half way through the second coat... At least this will give me an excuse to buy some more primer for the driver's and passenger kickpanels I wanted to redo. Look forward to seeing you and Tod in Gettysburg and Kenosha! Hopefully the Hornet makes it down and back without a hiccup this year. haha. If not, we'd welcome you back to grab some parts and some US beer along the way.


Posted By: george w
Date Posted: Mar/20/2017 at 6:22pm
The car looks very good. The wheels make a big difference over the stock wheel covers. Nice job on the interior.

-------------
Long time AMC fan. Ambassador 343, AMX 390, Hornet 360, Spirit 304 and Javelin 390. All but javelin bought new.


Posted By: racerkilla
Date Posted: Mar/21/2017 at 8:06pm
Looks great. Its nice to make something old new again. I had done my full interior with sem black over faded black so was much easier but makes the interior looks so clean again

Your going in Gettysburg? I had a member that invite me.. around a 4 hour trip one way which isn't bad


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Mar/22/2017 at 7:11am
I will definitely be in Gettysburg for the international meet and Kenosha for homecoming! It's about a 9
Hour trip from Indiana, but it's worth it. Lots of cool people to meet and talk with and most of the parts you'll ever need to finish up your car. Definitely a great time!


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Mar/28/2017 at 8:10am
Well, started ripping out old carpet to prepare it for getting new carpet put in and ran into rust. Luckily, it's not too bad. I'll be taking it in a few weeks to get quotes from body shops on replacing the metal so I have a nice clean surface to lay the carpet on (and no more rust inside). I also have been working on recreating graphics for the air cleaner. To my knowledge, AMC never made a decal for the 151 engine, so I made my own. I may experiment with other designs and options, but for now, I'm pretty happy. Luckily I work for a company that can print these on a chrome background so it should pop really well. I also recreated the factory decal that shows you how to replace your air filter and I think that came put really well also. 

More updates to come soon. Front tires should be here Thursday.


Posted By: 73LevisX
Date Posted: Mar/28/2017 at 9:16am
NICE decals! They look awesome. I'm diggin' the 151 for sure.

Sorry to hear about the floor rust. Just take your saws-all over to Doug's... I'm sure you can find something that'll work for a patch panel...

Don't forget some sound deadening and heat reflecting material under the carpet. You won't regret it!

Keep the updates coming.

-------------
'73 Hornet X
304/904


Posted By: rickmetz
Date Posted: Apr/15/2017 at 6:43pm
Looks good


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Apr/17/2017 at 8:05pm
Finally grabbed the Spirit out of storage (Thanks Doug for letting me store it indoors this year) and started ripping out the rest of the interior. I haven't taken pictures of the rust just yet, but I will do that sometime this week. All of the old carpet is out, both front seats are out, the rear seat bottom is out, and all I have to do is remove the seat backs and it's completely interior free, minus the dash. Rust was to be expected, since this car has spent its whole life in Indiana to my knowledge. I did, however, manage to snap some pictures of my air cleaner restoration in preparation for the new decals I will have printed shortly. The air cleaner didn't come out as nice as it should have since I am impatient and taking off all of that old baked on paint would have taken hours. I may have it sand blasted further on down the road, but for now, it looks a lot better than it was previously. 

Before: 


After a little scrubbing and painting: 



All 4 brand new Cooper Cobra Radial GT tires are in and they should be going on by week's end. I will be taking the car out to a few body shops sometime this week and even to a buddy I know in town that works for a car dealership in their body and paint department to find out who will do the best job for the best price. Hopefully I don't run into more extensive rust.... I installed new speakers in the back hatch area and will be taking off the door panels to put new speakers in those as well. Nothing fancy, just something better than 36 year old technology. I'm not a huge fan of bumping speakers, and would prefer just to listen to the engine anyway, but my girlfriend likes to listen to the radio, so I will appease her and put new ones in. I just have a few more plastic interior pieces I need to refinish and then once the rust is gone and the floor is all sealed up, the new carpet and the plastic will go back in. I'm going over to Ian's parents' place this weekend and will hopefully come home with a new fender so the body work further on down the road will be minimal. I'll probably end up coming home with much more than a fender though if history serves me correct. One more thing to cross off the list! More updates to come. 


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Apr/26/2017 at 7:34pm
Just got the car back from the shop today and the new tires look amazing! Really brings the outside together with matching RWL tires on the car. I haven't gotten around to taking any interior pictures of the car since the rust discovery, but I will try to update on that. Luckily the body shop I took it to for a quote knew of me through my family and offered me a pretty good deal on getting the rust taken care of. I also got a quote from an upholstery guy on installing the carpet, including the backs of the rear seats, and fixing a split in the seam of the driver's seat. All of that work for $100. Can't ask for a better deal than that! Things are slowly but surely coming together. I also visited Kirkwood's father's compound and came out with more than just the fender I needed. He twisted my arm enough and I came away from there with a Concord parts car! That should allow me to replace the front fenders and eliminate any extra body work to repair rust damage on the current panels. The parts car also was nicely optioned with a 151 with air conditioning that I may rebuild and swap in so I can drive the car as it is for as long as possible. I also sent off those air cleaner and engine bay decals to the company headquarters in Wichita Kansas and they are going to print the air cleaner decals on chrome film for me! (And for free!) Big thanks to Ian for putting a dent in my wallet and a Concord at my buddy Doug's property. He wanted some parts for his Eagle, so we split the car 50/50 so we both win. Can't wait to get started once I save up some more for the rust repair on the interior. 

And now for the Pictures!

Here's a shot of the tire on the rim. Disregard the rust in the front of the fender... It will be taken care of once I grab a fender off of the Concord parts car and get it painted. I just noticed.... I must have either left a center cap at the shop, or it fell off on the way home.... I may need to find some snap in American Racing center caps soon if I can't find it...


And here's a shot of the passenger side with the new Cooper Cobras installed. Going to all RWL tires really makes this thing look sporty! I will probably pick up a set of 14" steel wheels and another set of the original wheel covers in nicer condition once it is repainted to maintain the stock appearance for shows. But for now, this thing looks badass! I went with 235 60 15s in the back and 205 75 14s in the front. Those bigger rear tires really fill out the rear wheel wells and make it look like it will go a lot faster than that tired old 4 cylinder will let it go currently. Wish me luck as we tackle rust shortly!


Posted By: Mr. Ed
Date Posted: Apr/27/2017 at 10:21am
Try gorilla products. They have a ton of old stuff for wheels.

http://www.gorilla-auto.com/

Later!
Mr. Ed


-------------
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo "Gwendolyn."
1978 Concord Sport coupe "Mr. Black".
1982 Concord wagon. The Admiral. FOR SALE!
1976 Sportabout X, 304, auto, air. The Bronze Goddess



Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: May/03/2017 at 10:02am
Well, after a few knuckle scrapes and a hammer and chisel to break free some of the floor welds, I got the driver's side floor pan removed to help cut down the cost of getting the floors done. Those things are stubborn! I'm now icing my knuckles since a hammer slip busted up one of them pretty decent. Gotta be careful! Here's a picture of the cut out floor. I may have to have them repair the tab on the u channel of the frame a bit, but I don't think it's too terrible. Now to cut out some of the rear hatch area and inner rockers and it will be off to the body shop!


Posted By: amc78concord
Date Posted: May/06/2017 at 8:27am
The Spirit looks good even before the Restoration!


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: May/16/2017 at 11:05am
Today I got my air cleaner decals back from Wichita. The company I work for can print on chrome film, so they made me 2 sets of each air cleaner decal I designed. I also there's an emissions sticker from my buddy's '73 hornet in the mix since they were already printing the decals for me. Fortunately for me, they printed them for free and I am very grateful for that. Here's what they look like:
Now I just have to decide what ones I want to put on the air cleaner. Any suggestions? I have 2 of each one in case I don't like how one looks or screw it up applying it. Tonight I'm grabbing that parts car concord from Kirkwood's place and then I'll have plenty of parts to pick and choose from including a complete 151 which I will plan on rebuilding potentially as early as this winter. Car will go in for floor pans and rust fixing in about 4-6 weeks!


Posted By: 23baseball3
Date Posted: Jun/25/2017 at 12:24pm
Spirit is looking great! Glad to see it's being well cared for.

Any updates?


-------------
1979 Spirit AMX 304/4 Speed AC
2005 Volvo V70R


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Jun/26/2017 at 6:02am
Just got all of the rust cut out from the floorboards, and while I am waiting for my buddy to have availability to weld the new floors in, I have installed new rotors and pads in the front as well as new wheelbearings; inner and outer. I can take some pictures of the progress so far, but for now I'm biding my time until a spot is open to get the floors welded in. My buddy is working on his falcon right now so naturally his projects get priority over mine. I got a huge shipment of parts in from RockAuto and got the rocker panels, as well as nearly every brake part you can imagine. Also grabbed some new belts so they don't squeak anymore. Forgot to order my parking brake cables and wheel cylinders for the rear or else that would be done as well. Lots of work to do, but I'm optimistic that it will all come together and I can drive it to Kenosha in about a month!


Posted By: AMCsavers
Date Posted: Jun/27/2017 at 9:27am
Just wait until we throw those new speaker grilles I picked up for you in Gettysburg!! Only charging you $9.95 for Shipping and Handling too, what a great friend I am!

-------------
Nashes, AMCS, Ramblers and Jeeps. Even a few Fords, Mopars, and GM!

Forget the Whales, Save the Ramblers!

**Always looking for 78 AMX cars and parts!**


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Jun/29/2017 at 6:46pm
Spirit just went into my buddy's garage to have the floor pans welded in, all of the interior rust addressed, and the rocker panels installed. This is the hardest part for me since I have to wait... I'll probably be paying him a visit at least once a week until it is done just to check on it, and offer a hand when I can. T-minus 25 days until I leave for Kenosha... Let's hope I can get all of this stuff done. Plastic interior pieces are all done, just need to be installed. Carpet got ordered today and that is on its way. It will be holed up getting the carpet installed for at least a few days after my buddy finishes the floors, so that leaves me very little time to button up any little issues along the way. Time is ticking!!!


Posted By: amc78concord
Date Posted: Jul/16/2017 at 9:28am
Originally posted by SeanHatfield SeanHatfield wrote:


Dude...this is awesome stuff here.  I've been wondering what I was going to do find the yellow decal for my air cleaner...I'd be interested in purchasing stuff like this from you!  I'm sure others here would probably be on board as well!


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Aug/01/2017 at 4:54pm
Well... I've got some news to share with this thread. After finally getting the ball rolling on this project, it quickly became too much for the '81. I took it to a friend's house to get the floors and rocker panels patched on and he informed me that the frame was pretty well toast. All 4 attachment points for the rear leaf springs were rotten, 2 spots just behind the front tire where the frame kicks up to support the engine, as well as the steering box nearly ripping off from the frame spells the unfortunate end to this vehicle. However, it is not in vain. I have managed to locate and purchase a 79 Spirit, which I will be picking up tomorrow. It's a factory V8 car, 304 4 speed originally, but it has been swapped to a 360 and T5 combination which will be an absolute blast to drive. When 19 year old me purchased this '81, this was my original plan for the build. To be young, with triple the horsepower or more of the factory 4 cylinder was a pipe dream that can now be made a reality. I plan on using some of the rust free body panels ot repair any outside rust I can see when time and funds allow me to do so. When I looked at the car, I made absolutely, 100% sure that the frame was rust free, having learned the hard way to double and triple check a vehicle before you purchase it. The frame is absolutely spotless, but it does need a little bit of work. Some water must have sat in the floor pans in the front, so that needs to be patched, but overall, the vehicle is very nice. I believe it has belonged to a few members on this forum over the years, so if you have any more information on it, please pass it along. Here are a few pictures I have managed to find of the vehicle. 





As can be seen, it does need a little love, and a front bumper if I want to take it back to stock appearance. I messed around with removing the front bumper on my '81, but got mixed reviews on it. Good thing I now have a parts car to source from! First step for sure is fixing those sagging door pins. When I test drove it, I had to literally lift the door up to shut my fiance in the passenger side since she couldn't close it from inside the car. At Kenosha, I found an NOS black center console armrest that I scored to go with the car, which comes with a black center console anyway. Hoping to get that all situated and installed to add some creature comforts. It also needs a new alternator as it is having charging issues and I need to figure out some wiring issues I am having with the electric fan. This car should be an absolute riot to drive with all of that power, a manual trans, stock fan removed, and manual steering. As time goes on, I might add the power steering back, as it comes with a power steering setup, to make it easier for my fiance to drive it (if she ever wants to drive it, that is). I did first and second gear "half pulls" with about a quarter or half of the pedal depressed and it shot the both of us back in our seats. Just have to make sure I can keep it under control or else I can easily see some speeding tickets in this thing. Overall, I couldn't be happier. Right now, it's not the most pretty vehicle, but after some massaging, parts sourcing, and some love, I can see this thing becoming my new pride and joy. The '81 and I had some incredible times together and I've taken it to probably 25 or 30 different shows, but time and rust are the great equalizers in the midwest. At least it will get put to good use on this car. 


Posted By: george w
Date Posted: Aug/01/2017 at 6:37pm
Nice looking car.

-------------
Long time AMC fan. Ambassador 343, AMX 390, Hornet 360, Spirit 304 and Javelin 390. All but javelin bought new.


Posted By: 401harry
Date Posted: Aug/01/2017 at 7:51pm
Smart choice...rust is public enemy #1. After years of futile attempts at restoring rusty cars I made the decision years ago to seek only rust free cars and pay to have them shipped to me. I no longer fear the rust reaper.




Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Aug/01/2017 at 8:13pm
I couldn't agree more about the rust. This car has a little bit of rust in the footwells, but I think it's from water sitting in there from a window being down or a leaking windshield because the frame underneath is pretty spotless. Hopefully it's a quick fix. The carpet kit I ordered for my '81 will be going in this as well as a likely complete interior swap since I spent all that time restoring the interior plastic pieces and would hate for that hard work to go to waste. I have a few car shows coming up in the next few days and weeks so I've got a little bit of a time crunch to get a few things done I want/need to have done to have an enjoyable experience.


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Apr/27/2018 at 9:13am
Well, it’s been a little while on this project, but now that the car is out of storage, I’ve started to address some things and get around to installing the parts I got for it over the long winter. Priorities right now are new remflex exhaust manifold gaskets since the old gaskets ripped and leaked. Those are on the way. Also, picked up a set of leaf springs from Suspension Specialists in Massachusetts. Great company to work with and they had NOS springs in a few different weight capacities on the shelf. They were wonderful and even took pictures of the springs before I agreed to purchase them. Can’t thank them enough. I ended up going with the Spirit heavy hatchback springs which are 505lb if i’m not mistaken. Those will go on soon to replace the flat springs I have in there now. I also picked up some reproduction side louvers that will be finished up and installed. RacerKilla on the forum has been doing small batches of them and I have to say, they look amazing! Got a few other small things to button up before the Auburn AMO meet but so far it’s looking manageable. I’ll add some pictures of that i’m adding to the car once I get better internet access on my home computer. The internet at work is tepid at best...


Posted By: 23baseball3
Date Posted: May/04/2018 at 2:33pm
Looking forward to seeing photos!

-------------
1979 Spirit AMX 304/4 Speed AC
2005 Volvo V70R



Print Page | Close Window

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Copyright ©2001-2019 Web Wiz Ltd. - https://www.webwiz.net