Fairmont U/S Build AKA Craigslist Racer

[Shadylane]

I don't know what your paint plans are, but since I was going to strip and paint my car I used a torch and body hammer to roll my fender lips. That Eastwood tool is nice, but I already had the torch and hammer. Worked out OK. And don't believe those YouTube guys who say you can do it with a baseball bat...

Dale[/QUOTE]

Baseball bats on wheel wells are for the circle track crowd, in my opinion.
I discussed this with my body guy yesterday, he is going to split the lip on the inside and fold it in. Should be about 1/4 to 3/8 thick when done.
Car is going to body and paint Wednesday. Front fenders, trunck lid, hood and bumpers are already done. They look great.
I found a one in a million with this guy. He works out of a single car garage, charges $20.00 an hour for body work and $35.00 for painting. I bought all the materials so he doesn't make any money on that. Is reasonably fast, gives me a bill every Thusday for work done the previous week. I inspect the work, if im not happy I don't pay until its corrected. No money up front.
I'm pretty happy so far.

[Dwight Southerland]

Originally Posted by Shadylane

I found a one in a million with this guy. He works out of a single car garage, charges $20.00 an hour for body work and $35.00 for painting. I bought all the materials so he doesn't make any money on that. Is reasonably fast, gives me a bill every Thusday for work done the previous week. I inspect the work, if im not happy I don't pay until its corrected. No money up front.
I'm pretty happy so far.

Any possibility we could clone him???

[black88coupe]

Cool build. Good luck with it. Subscribing.

[Shadylane]

Finished getting the shifter installed on the trans. Looks cool and works like a charm on the bench.

The rest of the car went to body and paint, got the bumpers back. I wanted the bumpers to be silver originally but the painter being the creative type talked me into a candy blue over a silver base. I like the way they turned out.

Car is Wimbledon White over dark blue on the lower body line. You can see in the picture of the fender.

Now I have several weeks of nothing to do while I wait for the car to come back. Never mind I have plenty to do.

[Shadylane]

Pictures of the car while body work was being done, then in primer. The roof originally had a landau vinyl top which turned out to be a mess. Should be ready to paint by early next week.

[Pinballer]

From past experience, (many times...) they always look the worst right before they turn beautiful. That color scheme will be a knockout!

Had to laugh seeing the car parts scattered around in a bedroom picture you posted-- that hasn't happened in my house since Feb 16, 1985. Had to remove the freshly machined 454 block from the foot of the bed, the tunnel ram and carbs off the kitchen microwave cart, and the BBC heads out of the laundry sink which at the time was doing double duty as a parts washer.
She's still here in the house, the car pieces are not and have never returned. Funny how this works, huh?

Loving the show here on this build and getting some stick car pointers for later on if it ever comes to that in my AMC world. I'd KILL for a 3.19 first gear in my 6 cyl automatic right now!!

[Shadylane]

Had to laugh seeing the car parts scattered around in a bedroom picture you posted-- that hasn't happened in my house since Feb 16, 1985. Had to remove the freshly machined 454 block from the foot of the bed, the tunnel ram and carbs off the kitchen microwave cart, and the BBC heads out of the laundry sink which at the time was doing double duty as a parts washer.

That's funny.
I hear you on this one. I told my wife it is just temporary storage. This is the room where our grandkids stay in when they are with us. Any more parts and I'm sure I'll get a stern talking to.

I went to work at Don Kennedy's car dealership in 1980 and my first demo was a 79 or 80 AMX 258 4 speed. It was considered pretty gaudy at the time and no one wanted to drive it. I was just happy to have a new car to drive with gas! Those were the days.

[Pinballer]

I went to work at Don Kennedy's car dealership in 1980 and my first demo was a 79 or 80 AMX 258 4 speed. It was considered pretty gaudy at the time and no one wanted to drive it. I was just happy to have a new car to drive with gas!

You lucky guy! They gave you gas??? (laugh). Hey, you ever drive your demo in an "enthusiastic" manner?
I got a true story about a local sales guy who got fired for blowing up a brand new Buick GNX that had 12 miles on it. The car was already sold too.

AMC's gaudy?? No, never noticed that...too caught up in the sight of Monza Spyders and Mirages and striped Pinto Porthole wagons roaming the streets back then to notice any silly looking AMC's.

[Shadylane]

Brought the car back from paint and body. Only took seven weeks!

I like the blue lower belt line, I didn't want a plain white car this time.

A couple of years back, my wife and I had 4 white cars and trucks at the same time, she said it reflected our personalities, so I'm living on the edge with this one!
I knew that I didn't want a dark color on top, get's too hot while waiting to race.

Once the paint gets buffed for the final time we are going with a 1/4 inch orange pinstripe between the two colors.

Now the assembly begins.

[Bunkster]

With a little imagination, and that blue and white...you could turn back the clock to 1978 and think you were in Whiteland, Indiana.