Resurrecting the Rambler

[Pinballer]

That is one flyin' Pacer Jim!

If my T car can run a 14.29 by the end of this year, I'll be ecstatic.

Not really much to report from here as far as the build, most of April and early May are super busy for me. Spent the last three weekends doing pinball work everywhere, and running back and forth to Pennsylvania to a major pinball event. Today, I finally got to spend some time with the car. Couldn't get real deep into anything, the car is on the trailer and too much still going on today catching up on things, but in between people coming by and picking up their games I hauled back from out east, I was able to attach the newly purchased left fender flare and a front spoiler that I finally unearthed from a real good AMC guy out in Colorado. These pieces are like hen's teeth, there just aren't any out there (they only made about 2900 of these AMX cars and that was 37 years ago), and if you do find some flares and spoilers that might be available, you expect them to be roughed up to some extent and you have to fix them and make them work. The blending in the flare edges where they mate together into the spoiler comes later when the weather gets a little hotter, I can't fiberglass this stuff when it's 55 degrees out.
Couple of pictures after I resize them...

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by Pinballer

That is one flyin' Pacer Jim!

If my T car can run a 14.29 by the end of this year, I'll be ecstatic.

Not really much to report from here as far as the build, most of April and early May are super busy for me. Spent the last three weekends doing pinball work everywhere, and running back and forth to Pennsylvania to a major pinball event. Today, I finally got to spend some time with the car. Couldn't get real deep into anything, the car is on the trailer and too much still going on today catching up on things, but in between people coming by and picking up their games I hauled back from out east, I was able to attach the newly purchased left fender flare and a front spoiler that I finally unearthed from a real good AMC guy out in Colorado. These pieces are like hen's teeth, there just aren't any out there (they only made about 2900 of these AMX cars and that was 37 years ago), and if you do find some flares and spoilers that might be available, you expect them to be roughed up to some extent and you have to fix them and make them work. The blending in the flare edges where they mate together into the spoiler comes later when the weather gets a little hotter, I can't fiberglass this stuff when it's 55 degrees out.
Couple of pictures after I resize them...

Hide the box in the wheel flare. Don't tell anybody I told you that.

[Pinballer]

Too late Ed, the box is in a different location.

Here's the pics I promised, and I forgot about the striping effort on the left side. I'm painting them all on instead of ordering the immensely overpriced decal kit. Save money where you can you know...

[Tom keedle]

Originally Posted by Pinballer

From the way I read the rule book, the car has to have a complete dashboard that appears factory original, so I can't leave a gaping hole in my dash. Doesn't say things in the dash have to work, they just have to be there.
AMC did not have a radio-delete option on an AMX in 1979--they were normally pretty well-optioned cars with plussed-up interiors--or I would have had the chance to leave it out. Maybe some of their ultra-cheap-for-fleets Spirits of that era had the radio delete option, but I can't truthfully claim it on the model I'm building. The last thing I need is to haul to an event and get tossed for having no radio, so I'm playing it safe. The 2.8 pounds is worth it, and I can lose that much body weight to offset it! No cake for me...

gut the radio...

[MR DERBY CITY]

Originally Posted by jmantle

???? I read the rule book, I built my car to be legal. It has run 14.29 on my 15.50 index.
I really don't know where you're coming from. I always thought part of S/SS was to be legal, not to see how much you can get away with.

Jim Mantle V/SA 6632

Love your car jim, that s quite an accomplishment.....and I thought Ed. F.(Red Sox fan ) AMC was unique....LOL....

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by MR DERBY CITY

Love your car jim, that s quite an accomplishment.....and I thought Ed. F.(Red Sox fan ) AMC was unique....LOL....

Also a dejected NY Islander fan MJ.
Brian, I hate topee on your corn flakes but if you want to run deep into the index some of the things you are doing (full interior,wheel flares etc) will have the effect of going down the track with an open parachute behind you. You'll see that a lot of fast older stockers were built from bottom end no frills models.Just saying.

[Pinballer]

Ed--all I can say is I intend to surprise you and make you and all my fellow Rambler racers proud. Just need some time.
Money wouldn't hurt either...

[Pinballer]

Been a while since I posted an update, the car work sessions have been sporadic due to other commitments, but the long holiday weekend was pretty beneficial. Got several things done and feel good about those. Right now I'm so tired I had to quit and come in and sit down for a while!

Remember that list of 712 other things that needed to get done to the car in one of my previous posts? I've knocked a few more off that, maybe we're down into the 600's now...this sucker may even run by fall!
Line lock is mounted on the firewall now, the gas tank is finally out of the car after having to saw off some rusted bolts out that held it in, and surprisingly the tank was pretty clean inside. Not sure if I'll ever use it on this ride, but it's perfectly good for something else Spirit-related on down the road, which is about all it fits. All the proper fender flares are mounted, and there was one that required some fiberglass work inside and out to keep it from totally disintegrating. The majority of the work sessions in recent days have mostly been filled up with painting the AMX stripes on the driver side of the car. I know I know...stripes don't make this car run any better, but it does makes the owner happy to see it evolving into something that won't be such an embarrassment while sitting still. Even my wife came out and remarked at what a change there had been in the whole car since she last saw it. She said it looked way more "aggressive". OK, I'll take that!! Now I have to do the other side.
Repaired some damage to the rear taillight fill panel and right fender extension by replacing them with pieces from the blue parts car. Had to repaint them both of course.
Tried plasti-dip spraying one fender flare as a test with the deepest red color I could find, but was not all that happy with the results, so peeled it all back off and will resort to using regular paint later on for a better match. At least now I know it's not quite the stuff for me.
Bought a new Snell 2015 helmet, my old helmet with it's 1985 Snell rating wasn't going to cut it, even at our local track. They told me not to come back with it. Guess it's been a good while since I bought a helmet!
Changed out the outside passenger door handle with a new one today, great to have two fully working doors again.
Lastly, cleaned out the entire car of all the leavings of unused parts, bolts and screws, wiring, and assorted pieces of whatever, and vaccuumed out everything really good. Made sure all the spare tire stuff was correct and mounted back in it's proper place and called it good. Have to get the driver seat re-upholstered soon, it's the worst looking thing in the interior now. I'd replace with with another, but I don't have any black ones as spares.
But it's all come a long long ways from the day I first pulled this car out of where it sat in front of the shop. Look back at the beginning posts and it's been a major change!

[goinbroke2]

looking great! can't wait for it to hit the track.

[Pinballer]

Neither can I !! It's hard seeing and hearing about your racer friends heading over to the track and what's going on with their racing pursuits while you stay home every spare waking moment working on your own car so you too can get there some day. Some of them are pushing me onward with this build because it's kind of unique, some of them are still shaking their heads and asking me what the H I'm doing this all for.

Got curious tonight and added up all the expenditures since the beginning (about 9 months ago) that I had on part store tickets, Jeg's tickets, Summit tickets, NHRA fees, and so on plus the initial cost of the car body ($250) and the rear end assembly with Moser axles, gears, and the install that I had a shop do way back in the dark ages. ($700). I even threw in $500 extra for misc expenses in case I forgot anything.
It's still a "nickel" rocket, but not by much. Sure to be well on the way to a "dime rocket" before it's all over. Main thing is that it eventually becomes a "rocket."

$4518.95