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Silver '68 - The Project Update

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Ohio AMX View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ohio AMX Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/02/2010 at 9:03pm
We're finally getting some cold weather here so today I decided to roll the AMX into the work room I have walled off from the rest of the barn. Definitely not as much room to move around but at least it can be heated. Of course it will also contain most of the dust once I begin stripping the paint. And in preparation for this, today I removed the GO Package stripes from the roof and behind the rear window. A heat gun allowed them to peel right off leaving only the glue behind.
 
 
I also did some more work in the engine compartment. I found some rust when I removed the cowl seal but it will be pretty easy to repair. Next I decided to remove the strut rods and brackets. Well at some point one of the top bolts was severely overtorqued, actually drawing the head of the bolt half way through the thick flat washer! A thin wall socket just barely grabbed the very top of the hex but because the bolt was so tight it pretty quickly rounded it off. I was finally able to loosen it by clamping Vice Grips to the bolt and after a few turns of the nut enough of the bolt was exposed to remove it. So the strut rod brackets went from a 15 minute job to a 90 minute job, and now we have more replacement parts to locate:
 
 
But hey, this was the first thing on the project to fight me! Big smile
1940 Hupmobile Skylark
1968 Javelin future Pro Street
1969 AMX 290/auto (first car)
1997 Dodge SS/T 5.9L
AMO# 983
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ohio AMX Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/06/2010 at 6:30pm
Yesterday my helper stopped by so we finished removing the wiring harnesses and steering column. Definitely a lot easier with two people, one outside and one inside. That just left the wiper motor, but the clip that connects it to the linkage is mostly rusted away. Luckily it can be removed as a unit. Luckier still a brand new wiper motor arrived today!
 
With so many brackets and reinforcements under the dash I have learned to wedge pieces of cardboard under there in order to seal all of the new holes in the firewall. This will keep out the dust and overspray.
 
With the AMX now sufficiently disassembled it was time to begin stripping the paint! I began with some suspected problem areas which will need repairs. First up, lower quarters.
 
The passenger's side has a fairly large patch which was expected. There is new rust around the lower edges and even some rust perforation through the patch. In order to conceal the repair someone used a heavy coat of filler all the way up to the body line. It took well over an hour to grind all of this away, but now I can see where the good original metal ends.
 
Moving to the driver's side produced another heavy coat of filler, more than 1/4" thick in most places. There was apparently some collision damage here which, combined with rust patches, has produced this ugly scar. This will all be taken out and replaced with new lower quarters!
 
More to come later...
 
 
1940 Hupmobile Skylark
1968 Javelin future Pro Street
1969 AMX 290/auto (first car)
1997 Dodge SS/T 5.9L
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ohio AMX Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/07/2010 at 5:00pm
I spent this morning clearing a foot of snow from the driveway, then got back to work.
 
My next area of concern on the body was the lower corners of the rear window. This is a problem area on these cars and someone had already done a quickie rattle can touch-up here, so I wondered what I would find. I still worried as I began grinding and hit red glazing putty. But, thankfully this area has survived with no rust through, only pitting from some serious surface rust. After cleaning it up better a base coat of POR15 will ensure the it will not return. 
 
Next up was to remove both front fenders. They had been off before, and someone used some type of sprayed on black coating on the gussets (which are perfect) and underside of the fenders. It has held up fine so I think we'll leave it there. I did find a critter nest on the left side so I'm glad I pulled the fenders!
 
 
 
1940 Hupmobile Skylark
1968 Javelin future Pro Street
1969 AMX 290/auto (first car)
1997 Dodge SS/T 5.9L
AMO# 983
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amx39068 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/10/2010 at 5:31pm
Looks excellent. 
 
I actually had the pleasure of seeing and driving Will's car earlier this year and found the interior to be exceptional and one of the nicest I have seen.  It was definitely a car worth spending the money on to make the outside as nice as the inside.
 
I am always amazed to see a car that some prior owner had painted but didn't spend the time or effort necessary to do it right the first time.  With any paint job there is always the remote possbility of solvent pop if the paint was not mixed right or multiple coats were applied improperly but in this case it was obvious that the underlying issue was plain old improper preparation before the car was previously painted.  Nonetheless, the paint on the car actually looked really good other than the issues shown in the pictures that got more pronounced the closer you got to the car.
 
When finished, the car will no doubt be a real head turning show winner.


Edited by amx39068 - Dec/10/2010 at 5:33pm
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 Ohio AMX Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/13/2010 at 5:34pm

Today we're battling another winter storm with several inches of new snow being blown around by gusty winds. After the fun of clearing the driveway again with a sub-zero wind chill, it was back to work on the AMX!

I have been spending quite a bit of time in the trunk, basically finishing the prior repairs to the floor and tail light panel. AMC didn't finish the trunk area as nicely as the rest of the car. Sloppy seam sealer and paint runs were the order of the day as it really didn't matter back then. My goal is to make the trunk floor look like it's never been messed with, not over restored, just new looking.

I began by sanding away all of the speckle trunk paint someone put there, did just a little metal straightening, then put down a base coat of POR15 in the problem areas. I followed this with a thin coat of filler, just enough to smooth things out but NOT make them straighter than they were when new. In these pics it isn't even sanded yet. Of course all of this work will be hidden by the trunk mat but to me that's no excuse to cut corners like someone did last time!
 
 
 
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1968 Javelin future Pro Street
1969 AMX 290/auto (first car)
1997 Dodge SS/T 5.9L
AMO# 983
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AM XTASY Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/13/2010 at 5:53pm
I just finished work on a 40 Chevy business coupe which had similar paint problems, turns out who ever did the prior work just slapped bondo over the rust and then painted it causing it to bubble and flake. The sad thing about the car was the owner didn't have the money to have us do it correctly so I should be seeing it again with in a year or so to hopefully do it correctly.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ohio AMX Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/15/2010 at 7:26pm

Today I spent some more time sanding inside the trunk. The floor is just about finished and the tail light panel is close. After applying a second coat of filler in places, I moved to the engine compartment. I had mentioned earlier finding some rust on the cowl. As we all know AMC painted our cars with the metal cowl seal retainer band in place. This of course means no paint behind it, only primer, so rust behind the cowl seal is fairly common. This AMX is no exception:


After stripping the paint I even found an earlier rust repair, although the rest of the rust was just painted over. Not this time, this deep pitting just begs for an application of POR Patch to stop any further rusting and to fill in the pits. Again this area really doesn't show when the car is finished but that doesn't matter.
 
 
Today I also stripped the very top of the inner fenders. When I had an AMX painted back in the '80s the shop repaired my "troughs", then coated them and the inner fender flanges with some tar-like stuff. Unfortunately the fenders didn't cover all of it and eventually it cracked and discolored the paint. Now I am careful to completely strip and paint this area since it is so noticable when the car is finished and the hood is open!
 
1940 Hupmobile Skylark
1968 Javelin future Pro Street
1969 AMX 290/auto (first car)
1997 Dodge SS/T 5.9L
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mopar63 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/16/2010 at 3:15am
looks like a bit of funSmile , these pics will very helpful to me as I'm about to purchase a '69 AMX that has been stripped and sandblasted and is in 2 million bitsConfused,that silver sure is quite a neat colour 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ohio AMX Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/17/2010 at 7:09pm
Thanks for following along, and all of the positive comments. Smile
 
Yesterday we drove to American Parts Depot to pick up the new rear leaf springs, lower quarters and a zillion little parts that we will need to reassemble the AMX. Doug had all of the parts pulled and waiting for us, and even treated me to a tour of the new mezzanine he built to store all of his NOS parts. If you've never visited APD it's really something to see, almost like traveling back in time to a very well stocked dealership!
 
 
 
Today it was back to work. The trunk is basically finished, at least as far as it can be until the quarters are repaired, so I moved back up front to the engine compartment. I pulled both hood hinges which appear to have never been removed before by the lack of paint underneath.
 
 
They will be repainted in place along with the engine compartment so the hardware doesn't get chipped, but at least there wont be rust behind them! As you can see the top of the hinges are also rusty since the hood was bolted to them before the original paint was sprayed. These will be blasted and primed before reinstallation.
 
 
I also applied a thick coat of Por Patch to the pitted metal behind the cowl seal. This will ensure the rust does not return, and after some prep this area will look just like new.
 
 
 
Por Patch is not cheap, about $18.00 a tube, but it works great so I use it a lot. It can be sanded pretty easily so it makes a great base if there was any surface rust present.
 
1940 Hupmobile Skylark
1968 Javelin future Pro Street
1969 AMX 290/auto (first car)
1997 Dodge SS/T 5.9L
AMO# 983
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nosparts Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/17/2010 at 7:23pm
Your car looks great.Looks like you are having a lot of fun with it. The apd shop looks awesome where is it located and do you have a # for them
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