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  • April 27, 2024, 03:46:57 AM

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Author Topic: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981  (Read 2699 times)

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Offline juhap

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AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« on: February 11, 2023, 05:55:34 AM »
This happened summer 2020...
A quite nice looking black Concord and a crash....

Brought it to new home like this.









Story begins..



"open the door, please..."



Did not help. Had to cut a window to door and unbolt it.



That sill is about 3" in...



...and here it is 1" too much in.



After I took  seats and carpet out, I found these "rust repairs"... Thin sheet metal and corrosion under coat and some adhessive...
Everywhere...all around...  :censored:



Windscreen removal... see that new roof line.



This started renovation.





Some damage here, too.



Removed that window frame.



Hornet donated window frame.



 After some drilling and cutting. Nice...



Some gap.



Taking door to pieces. Something to save here?



Fenders off.





More rust and some sheet metal taken from washing machine, that white stuff..



oh no...



Oh, sh..t



More Hornet parts...



Test fitted



Original pillar had some issues... so had to open spotwelds and fix it part by part.



Strated to take all apart...







So, is this the final stage? and then scrap yard...



Crap...



and more...



and more.



Started welding.



First job done



Then it was time to use frame machine, car-o-liner came to garage.



The first pull.



..and the second...



and so on...







Done..



New sills...



Inner part, test fitting...



Had to jack floor up like 1".



After cuttin rust away, there was a gap...



Previous builder had cut these beam ends away. Now I can weld it to a new sill.



mmmmm...nice...



More pulling









Repairing rust damages...



Final welding



Some adjusting needed..



Test fitting, again..



Sill needed some inner structure.



Inner structurer here, too..



Almost ready to welding, but not yet...



Testing door... and pull again...



Jack and port-o-power needed...



And this was end of year 2020.... There were too freezing to work untill next spring...

to be continued...
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2023, 03:50:03 PM »
After cold winter months and some other projects, it was time to continue.

Tried to get old pillar to new door post, but getting it rigt was not easy...



... so I took another.



there was a bad reparation done sometimes.



So...



Perfect fit.





Looks good...



"new" rear quarter... test fit.



This was all for 2021...
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline vangremlin

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2023, 06:38:52 PM »
Thanks for all the pictures. You are very skilled and very patient!
1981 Kammback 258 - "Pepe"
1980 Coupe 258 - "Ginger
1972 Gremlin X 304
1978 Gremlin 4 cyl 121 - sold
1964 TBird 390 - sold

Offline rmick

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2023, 08:53:26 PM »
Has to be a labor of love to bring this one back from the dead.
72 Javelin AMX
72 Javelin SST
72 Gremlin with 4.0
81 SX 4

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2023, 03:11:13 PM »
Here in Finland we have two Concords on the road... One yellow station wagon and one Sundancer (mine)... And if all goes well, this is going to be third. That´s why I´m giving it an other chance...

Finnish AMC importer didn´t sell any AMC after 1975-76... Every car after that, are private imports.
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2023, 04:45:23 PM »
Eleven months later...

Removing rust and bondo...



Cutting bad quarter panel.



Testing





New corner...



Inside.



Quarter panel needed new edge.



Looks like a Concord again...



Inner parts.







This area was quite bent and sad looking. Not good.



Found a donor.



This...



This is original Concord part.



And coming together, original and "new"



Done.





Repairing floor.



Found original license plate.



Now it is with finnish plate.



Replaced this wheel well piece...



..using new sheet metal.



And some more...



Side window frame got new metal.



Finished that area with schrinking disc to get it plat and even. Worked well.



I used very simple method to ensure straight line...



There was a bad area that needed welding.



Fixed...



Found rust under bondo.  >:D



Little hammering and sanding made miracles happen.



Left rear quarter tack welded.



It needs that lower part of wheel arch.



Very difficult to made, tried to hammer a couple patch...



Welded and seams grinded down. Used lead substitute instead lead...



First bondo...





Front fenders from a donor Concord that I bought about 10 years ago...

This car came from Netherlands ages ago... and it had some car crash repairs... done with bondo... alot of it...





Found a suitable piece for rear wheel arch. Original right side fender... or what is left of it. I used front part to fix my Eagle fender.



Here is that dutch Concord... a real rust bucket.



Removed that roof panel off it.



To replace original...



Nice corner



Coming together and bondoed.







Almost finished...







One fender finshed.



Rear quarter ready...



And another..



Some black spray.





Fenders got some epoxy primer.



Then it was time to do some rust repairs.



One bad gap...



Fender fits well..



There were some rust... needed cutting.



Frame got first patch.



And then floor..



Under front seat, there were a serious rust issue. Needed some attention and new sheet metal.



Emergency brake cable hole was a only survivor, no rust...



Inner fender area needed some sheet metal too...



And a couple patch more.



But there was a corner in front of the front axle that worried me. A little swollen area. Started cutting...



Removed bumper bracket... Oh no!!!



Opened more... more rust...



First piece welded.



Fabricated the second...



and welded it.



More to come...



And this was end of 2022. Welded new years eve that last...

to be continued...
« Last Edit: February 13, 2023, 12:44:08 PM by juhap »
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2023, 01:59:24 PM »
The first of January 2023 I cut a little bit more. Had to go under suspension...



Started to take all apart. And rust I found...



Removed control arm bumper...



Fabricated springtool...



Now I can weld all...



There were a patch welded. What could I find under it?



Rust rust...



No, no...



There is nothing but weld new sheet metal...



And more...



And as I guessed... rust.



Then I found that it was impossible to weld all... I have to take engine out of engine bay... but not now..



New metal.



And here too.





It needed that..



That small part is now behind that new sheet metal...



New bushings and ball joint



Spring seat sandblasted...



...and welded.



It had rust even here.



All welded.



Painted.



Grinding all smooth.





Last parts.



Done.





Suspension coming together.



OK...



When wheels hit ground, I decided to change my project to next one. So I drove this to another garage.



Next project is going to be my StreetJeep... 1989 Cherokee 2wd  with LM 4 engine...

« Last Edit: February 13, 2023, 02:01:01 PM by juhap »
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline djm3452004

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2023, 09:59:37 PM »
Your work is just amazing and as mentioned by others, you must have the patience of a saint!  A car over here in that condition would be considered by 99.9% of people to be "BER", beyond-economic-repair, and scrapped as a parts car only.


Just astounding work and effort, see 0:05 in video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIE_ITidaKY


David
Current Project: 1983 Eagle Wagon 258
Past AMC Project(s):  1979 Spirit Liftback 232
                                1968 Ambassador 287

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #8 on: October 17, 2023, 02:53:54 AM »
When summer was almost gone, I changed garage, so it was time to  continue.

Co-drivers side was next.

There is something rust inside of the front beam... why not!



Inner fender and beam needs to open and redone. There is so much swollen rust inside.



Sill end  has a "unique" design... Oh no!



Removed some silicone... this was hiding underneath...



Front part of sill... New sheet metal under, rust above and a slice of thin sheet between... and a weld with air gap. These thin sheet metal patches are from a fridge or a washing machine...



Rear part: new metal and a lot of underbody coating.



Pintamassa olikin sitten ainoa pinnoite. Pala on hitsattu! Kylkipellissä on mukana edellisen korjaajan pakkelitkin ja saumassa on hyvät ruosteet...
Oh my, there are some weld! But above there is a lot of bondo above and rust in that body seam.  :P



There is something weird in wheel well...



YES! yes! no.....




There is something hiding under that silicone putty...
Front ...



...middle...



...and rear. In this section I found some pretty good reparation, but just few inches...



Front seat fastening point, always rusted. Here too...




This was hiding under that s...t
Rear wheelwell...



Behind right headlight...



Door pillar.. outside ...



No se oli siäpuolelta vielä kauheampi.
And same inside...
Some holes, rust and a piece of fridge....
Floor pan don´t sit right... hammered and rusted...


 
Rear floor and under seat, there was that same mess...
Holes, rust and bad job done.



It needs attention, again!

Starting point... door pillar.



And inside of it... oh no!



New sheet metal.



Hmm... more rust..



That was under piece of fridgerator...



Took bad metal away...



That was not enough, so ... cut more!



I had to cut floor pan too...



And outside after cutting... no rust.



That needs to be done.



It needed some metal inside, too...



Welded together with new outer part.



Outside... grinded and some paint removed.





...and zinc paint.





Sisähelma työn alle. Nyt tuota ei voi laittaa kokonaisena, joten...
New sill... done years ago...



Had to cut in pieces...



Then some welding....



Floorpanel needed some new metal.


...Grinded and painted...



Testing that missing brace.



Front....done!

Rear...rusted floor opened and fridge metal removed...



Seat belt bracket was hanging free... rear leaf bracket had no welds, just silicone...



Some missing welds and rust holes...



Opended more. Now I can do some work... saw saw and air chisel...



Had to cut sill...



Not very nice wiew...



Leikeltynä ja hiottuna, valmiina uusia osia varten. Yläpuolella näkyy pois katkaistu tukipalikka.
Many hours later there is no rot at all... almost.



First a small job.



Missing parts done...



An other wiew...



Then more metal... I did cut a piece of that sill...



Rear part done....  :)

And seat mounting point...



Then it was time to do the rest...



That´s what is left.



There were some rust, already after a few years...



Inner sill removed.



Crossbeam was welded and it was covered with a lot of silicone...



Cleanded...



No trace of inner sill...



New fits quite well...





It needed drainig holes



One had to be done to welded part... And mad that missing bracket too.



Seat belt bolt...



Edellinen mestari oli vaan hitsannut 12mm mutterin "kattopeltiin". Nyt on alkuperäisen kokoinen 2mm lätkä tukena.
Now it looks right. There were just a nut welded before.. not safa at all..



And after that... Welding time!

Rear...



...middle...




...front. Floorpan needed a patch.  But this was very easy, compared to the other side.



Welded underside too...



Floor pan welded





Under...





Painted.



New outer sill...



Before welding some rust needs attention.



Wheelwell patches taken away...



Test fitting and cutting....



Front bracket needs to be redone... Otherwise it is fine.



Inside it needs sound deadnig stuff removed some hammering and rust removal. Then just weld...

« Last Edit: January 01, 2024, 03:48:45 PM by juhap »
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline djm3452004

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2023, 07:43:53 AM »
Your work is just plain amazing. 

The amount of effort you're putting into this Concord is immense, and ultimately why I truly love this group of later-vintage AMC owners as a whole.  One cannot enter into these cars ever expecting to make money "flipping" them; the cars will never be worth that.  I don't know if it's their quirkiness, rarity, or the memory of the general scrappiness of the 1980's American Motors, but there's just some funny aspect to them that begs to be recognized, respected and remembered.

Thank you for reminding others, (and us too) what true dedication to these cars really looks like!

David
Current Project: 1983 Eagle Wagon 258
Past AMC Project(s):  1979 Spirit Liftback 232
                                1968 Ambassador 287

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #10 on: October 17, 2023, 05:52:55 PM »
Yes, that´s true... And here in Finland those seveties and eighties AMCs are very rare. Earlier we have plenty...

There are some models of AMCs that have been in my memory since childhood and years after... I have collected some like 50 Jeepster... SC/Rambler (replica thou)... Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini and NASCAR... 64-65 Americans wagons, sedans (one Gasser) and one Hardtop... 63 Classic.. Hornet... and some rare ones like Eagles, Concord and Sundancer... just because they are rare here in  Finland.


Back to the business.... Today was a busy day.

That bracket is second try. First did n ot fit propely...



Had to do some space for weldings. And then started to put all together. My son needs that car lifter for his purposes, so I have to get this on its wheels...



Welding outside too.





...and later got it all finished...





After that something else... Hornet I guess.
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #11 on: December 10, 2023, 04:05:14 PM »



Sill needed front piece. Copied it from the other side... Almost original...


Starting...




And then the rest...



Fender fits. No screws thou.



Rear part of sill started by cutting bad parts.



The first piece... Going to fabricate this using two pieces... not so original...



That second part welded.



And then third...



So it is done..



Made new patch for rear floor...



Done.



Grinded and cleaned all and painted the floor in black.




All my Eagles and Hornets have rust in these seams. So i had to clean those... nothing bad rust here.



I used some rust seal to keep it sound.




I had two sets of stainless steel sill mouldings...
Both of them were in bad shape...

This is from a Hornet... it is the best one..



I used wooden dolly and english wheel to streighten them.



I found a finnish guy who sells correct fasteners.



Little TLC needed after first attempt.. but not very bad anymore.





Body sealer and paint time..








Rust protection added...





Next rust area was near battery,,,



Did some cutting and rust removal.



Used cuct tape and packing tape to make a pattern...



Made it out of steel.



Fits well.



Welded and cleaned.


Black paint time...







Then fasteners...



...and finished moldings.





Next the roof...
« Last Edit: January 01, 2024, 03:52:51 PM by juhap »
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline djm3452004

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #12 on: December 10, 2023, 05:37:53 PM »
I love watching the progression on this car, thank you so much for sharing!

David
Current Project: 1983 Eagle Wagon 258
Past AMC Project(s):  1979 Spirit Liftback 232
                                1968 Ambassador 287

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #13 on: December 15, 2023, 01:22:33 PM »
Next step was that roof panel.

It was not the brand new piece... not at all...





Some cutting done. Little better.. four door had different shape than two door has...



Some cutting and cleaning done...



I´ve done some rust removal over a year ago. I used citric acid, but there is some rust left...



Next thing was to use phosporic acid gel to remove those



I bought a new nibbler and removed that old sheet metal.





Rust removal continues...



A few days later...

Some testing... sheet metal and moldings.



Fits quite well, not finished yet.



New quarter panel needs some holes for fasteners.



I ordered some metal body panel adhesive.



Now it is completed... 15 mm over lapping... 5/8 inches...





Needs some epoxy.



Drilled 3 mm holes for rivets.



Epoxy time...



And then... it is glued with countersunk blind rivets.





A few days later...

Did some grinding and started to  finish this all...





To be continued...
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline vangremlin

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #14 on: December 15, 2023, 03:23:34 PM »
Fantastic work!  How many hours do you figure you have into this vehicle?
1981 Kammback 258 - "Pepe"
1980 Coupe 258 - "Ginger
1972 Gremlin X 304
1978 Gremlin 4 cyl 121 - sold
1964 TBird 390 - sold

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #15 on: December 16, 2023, 02:55:46 AM »
Have not the faintest idea of used time... many, too many because of those bad rust repair jobs...
« Last Edit: December 16, 2023, 02:56:22 AM by juhap »
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #16 on: December 24, 2023, 04:52:28 AM »
Cleaned to bare metal and tin metal filler added...









It took several evenings to smoothen that... And then some fiberglass putty..



At last it was time to spray epoxy primer...



Testing vinyl... two years of storing... it has turned one size too small... oh s..t  :help:





Here you can see primer...  :banghead:



New roof and quarter panel need some holes... Checking my measurements using old sheet metal...



Wanted to see... what if...



But no. Saving this to my Matador Coupe.



Then it was time to clean windscreen frame to bare metal. There was just a little amount of rust... drivers side upper corner was the most..



Some weldings needed grinding and then some filler...





And at last some epoxy primer..



Merry Xmas to you all from Finland, land of Santa Claus...
« Last Edit: December 24, 2023, 06:37:07 AM by juhap »
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #17 on: December 26, 2023, 12:28:48 PM »
Did some paint job...



This inner panel had some damage, because the accident. So used fiberglass filler to fix it.





Testing...



I glued that "wood trim" to it and that "chrome" window frame as well.



Dashboard needed some washing.



Did some sanding and suddently roof looked like it needed some black paint....





Now there is a decent paint, so I can glue that vinyl roof and gloss paint helps me to do final finish before final paint.
It is quite nice... just a couple of small dents at the drivers side... nothing much. There is no bondo at all...



Front side looks decent...





And these too.





It is not finished yet...
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #18 on: December 31, 2023, 11:53:35 AM »

I needed new light bezels and frames. And front parklights. Donor cars has left some parts behind...



Then it was time to take front end apart... spring first...



Brakes then... Discs are shot... they are "one year only" rare version...



Rest of brakes are also dead. But the best of this is...I have got a load of new parts...



Nice factory rust here...



Under body treatment hides same rust above. Spring is OK.



Thank god it is only surface rust. No welding needed



This "sand box" is full of dirt... are there any rust, ist the question...



No onhan sitä siellä. Peltiä sen verran, että ei näy läpi.
Of course there is rust... Sheet metal is very thin layer...



This side needs almost same amount of welding than previous...

Happy new year!
Hauskaa uutta vuotta!
« Last Edit: January 19, 2024, 02:16:39 PM by juhap »
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #19 on: January 19, 2024, 02:53:05 PM »
Puhalluksen jälkeen oli aika ottaa ylätukivarsi työn alle...
Uudet puslat ja toisen puslan hela sekä prikka, jolla vahvistan toisen puslan kohdalta tukivarren reunan. Jostakin syystä nuo takimmaisen puslan kohdat ovat ruostuneet ohueksi...
Putki on asennusta varten.

Sandblasting and new bushings...



Done.



Then it was time to take apart the rest of the front suspension.



And there was rust a lot of it and dirt..



Parts waiting to be cleaned. Brake discs are beyond salvage...



Bolts were tight...



This cover plate was bent... touching exhaust pipe... nice sound, I recon...



Bushings are dead... Local shop had new ones...



There was a lot of rust covered with stone chip spray. Needed cleaning.



Clean parts are happy parts... there´s more to come.



It´s welding time...again.
Took a part of solid metal to find rust, again...



After removing that "dirt shelf", I found more rust. Wall towards engine bay and spring tower have rust holes.



I did cut new sheet metal.



Welded with counter nut.



New side panel.



There is more rust to be found. Whole this area was swollen...



Cutting more... Here you can see brake pressure regulator.



Inner part has some bent because of the rust...



Inner fender fixed.



Upper part welded.



Finished.



Painted...



And then I covered it all.



What is under there...



Finished that area. Brake hose bracket welded...



Surprise... there were no holes at all, just rust layers between sheet metals.
Cleaned it all and then paint between.



Done...



And then some paint...

American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #20 on: February 08, 2024, 02:42:15 PM »
Started to remove motor..



Steering arm needed proper puller.



Oil change and rust removal...



Motor removal in action...



.. radiator and many other part removed.



Done...





Something to weld...



Oh boy...



Sad....



Firewall.



There was oil and s..t all over.

Cleanig with brake cleaner gives some results.



Cleanig and wireloom removing.



Something to do...





There was an older repair...



Beautiful..



Oh...



...so beautiful.



OH s..t   :-[



This needs some new sheet metal...




There was a hole hidden...



Opened front strut lower part...



Opened front leg.



Removed paint, rust and under body sealer...





New sheet metal.



Welded.



Cutting more.



Cleanig welds.



Made a new piece with nice bend...



fits well.



Welded.



to be continued
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline Taylor

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #21 on: February 11, 2024, 12:36:58 PM »
Awesome work! Awesome skills! Do you use a weld through primer on those areas that are hidden from view?
2010 Toyota Rav4 pack mule, totaled 3/26/24 rear ended REAL HARD. concussion and whiplash. not fun
1999 Ford E250 conversion/work van 238,000 see if it will make 300,000
1985 AMC Eagle Limited Wagon 🖖🏼🦅
2020 Honda Africa Twin, the long haul trucker

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #22 on: February 11, 2024, 02:28:41 PM »
No, I don´t.. welding creates heat and heat destroys that paint... I paint those areas afterwards using rustpreventing paint. I´m using under body cavity pipe... works well...

Using CAD to create new patch (carboard assisted design)



Done...



Welded...



Cleaned all...





Last job of saturday evening...



Fits well.



The next step...



Welded that.



Cleaned weldings... Left those "original" ones... factory look, you see...



This is finished. Then it is time to do passenger side...

American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #23 on: February 17, 2024, 01:51:07 PM »
Co-driver side looks kinda suspicious...



Surprise, surprise... rust...



Made a new patch... like before.



Used that old CAD-template... it just needed a couple of inches more...



Using that hitech template, it was easy to create new piece.. testing...



Finished part.



Welded.



Cleaned...

American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #24 on: February 22, 2024, 01:53:17 PM »
The last patch... i hope..



Welded...



Cleaned...



After some bondo it was time to spread filler primer.





And then I had to sand it smooth...



Both sides, of course.



Then some black primer.



Air is full of paint dust...



Started to clean engine... found out that transmission crossmember was very...dirty and mount was dead...



New mount and fresh paint.



Vinyl arrived...



Inner fenders are done...





Crossmember fits well



Little bit cleaning made...



This side too..

American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #25 on: February 27, 2024, 10:50:47 AM »
Little by little this is coming together. Wiring harness needed some attention. Polished old paint in engine bay. Battery tray bolted on as well as steering box.



Wiring had some issues, like this head lamp washer pump relay set up... removed all extras.



Fixed.



Ready to rock...



All bits and pieces coming together.. some small gogs still missing in some boxes...



Wiring and piping done. Steering column as well. Body protection sprayed all over...
Accellerator wire needs its spring clip. Where to find one... APD hadn´t one...



Cleaned radiator. It had rust, thick layers of paint, underbody protection and oily sand...



Engine had bad idling and it had no power at all. Cleaned carb and distributor, no big issues. Opened valve cover... oh no! Five push rods were out of their places... two of those were bent... No wonder it ran rough...

EDIT: found a couple of push rods... and found out that one hydraulic lifter is dead... It stays in compressed length... Tried to lift it with a magnet... and there is 5 mm movement... Should be zero...  :censored:



Painted radiator- If I find other one, I´ll change it. It is not in very exellent condition...

« Last Edit: February 27, 2024, 04:34:37 PM by juhap »
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #26 on: March 11, 2024, 02:17:51 PM »
Made a priming tool and tried to get dead lifters up...



Two dead lifters came up, but pressure sank when drill stopped... Oil water mixture look yammy...



Time to choose a new motor.



Found one.



It took some time to get it to downstairs.



It is in...


That used to be in my Sport Eagle.



Eagle has deeper oil pan, but it fits well to Concord.

Maybe the last weld...



Front suspension going together.



...shock tower...



Engine bay is done...



Front suspension done.



Minor jobs left.



Brakes are still old, new calibers are coming soon.

Eagle wheels needed spacers. Put winter tires, because I´m going to drive this outside as soon as possible.



Fits well...



Fenders...



Now it is roofing time. Some calculating had to be done.



4 cm smaller than it used to be.



New vinyl coming together.




Testing... not bad.





Glued seams, so these bacame flat...


American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #27 on: March 28, 2024, 03:58:37 PM »
It was too cold to glue that vinyl, so I had to do something else...

It needed windscreen... I had a new one and an old used original AMC Hornet glass. I chose that used...
I had 8 mm butylband, it was too small... It should be 10mm. I found one retailseller (webshop) here in Finland, and the price was not right... But I had to have it...



It needed some polishing, so I used ceriumoxide.



It took several hours to get it decent. And I recieved that 10 mm band.



Same web shop did sell vinyl spray paint with right color. (and a pinstriping set... for my SC/Rambler replica striping)



There was need for that paint... dashboard pad had scratches and steering wheel had sunkissed areas.



I had new (and old) window molding clips just enough.



My son helped me to install windscreen.



And then door glass. This is just temporary.. door needs welding and such...



It was too cold to vinyl roof... so I cleaned and painted and installed those parts...



It was not easy to wait warmer spring days. But today "Holy thursday" it was warm day so, it was time to glue.

I cleaned around rear screen and painted areas. Protected whole car.

Measured the centerline, again...

First I folded vinyl...



Roof was cleaned, again...



Sprayed adhessive to vinyl...



...and to roof.



After few moments it was time to glue vinyl... I could have use for third hand... Sidewindow area had to be opened to get vinyl even.



Same to the other side. Did that rearwindow area too.



Cut away all extra material and installed window frame.



And the other side too. Looks fine to me.



And from this angle too.



Testing roof molding. No BS, I think...



American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline Taylor

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #28 on: March 28, 2024, 06:33:00 PM »
That looks AWESOME. Great Work!
2010 Toyota Rav4 pack mule, totaled 3/26/24 rear ended REAL HARD. concussion and whiplash. not fun
1999 Ford E250 conversion/work van 238,000 see if it will make 300,000
1985 AMC Eagle Limited Wagon 🖖🏼🦅
2020 Honda Africa Twin, the long haul trucker

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #29 on: March 29, 2024, 02:24:50 AM »
Thanks... This was very first vinyl roof I sew and glued.... Not so bad for the first job...  :hello2:
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

Offline juhap

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Re: AMC Concord Hardtop 1981
« Reply #30 on: April 01, 2024, 03:00:07 AM »
Finishded rearwindow area...



New paint.



Semi gloss is too shiny...  :P



Found pieces of seat. Made a temporary seat...



Package tray has been sunkissed... not good...



But I had spary paint to fix it.



Fixed those side windows.



At last everything is ready to first start.... oils and fluids and such. Accelrator cable clip was last thing to fix...



So it was time to take this out of garage...



Exhaust fumes.... so it is a runner!



Jesh!!!


Hooded beast is resting now outside...



Why? That is my son´s ex-Diesel Volvo to be turbocharged...



This 2.4 comes out...



..and this R-sport turbo red block is going in.



New Concord adventures after while in my old garage.

to be continued...
American 440 Hardtop, American 220 2d (x2), American 330 4 d, American 330 Cross Country(x2), American F/EX Gasser, AMC Eagle STW (x4), AMC Matador Coupe Oleg Cassini(2x), Hornet 2d (x3), Willys Jeepster 1950, Jeep Cherokee 2d, Rogue 1966-SCRambler Replica
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465938  eagle
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2465930   american
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2263025   american HT

 

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