AMC Eagle Den Forum
1979 - 1983 AMC Spirits and 1978 - 1983 AMC Concords => Spirit/Concord Projects => Topic started by: El Matador on January 26, 2010, 08:11:08 PM
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Bought in Dec 2008 and pretty much haven't touched it since. Needs some rust repair (thankfully not structural) but runs well and the interior is very good. Not currently registered.
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Did you mean to put a picture in the post?
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can't wait for a pic!
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I do have a bunch of pictures, but they were taken at super high resolution so I have to downsize them first.
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This just got weird... ???
Last night I decided I would get this car mechanically roadworthy and at least drive it for a bit while I tackle the body. Before committing any time or money to it, I opted to run a history report on the VIN just to see if there were any surprises lurking in its past that could be troublesome.
I was surprised, alright... the report turned up nothing. I mean NOTHING, zero, zip, nada... according to every motor vehicle database in Canada and the United States, this car doesn't even exist. No registration or insurance records on file. I know the VIN is valid and I entered it correctly, because the check digit worked fine.
I'm going to physically go to the registry over my lunch hour, and see if they can dig anything up. I'm guessing that these online reports can only access data going back to a certain year (oldest entry I've seen so far is 1992), and maybe this car's last registration was prior to that. I know it has been in my local area for at least 25 years, but if the registry can't verify anything, then I don't know how things will proceed.
Stay tuned.
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I'm sure it's to old for the website. I'm sure the registration office has info on your car. I entered the VIN on carfax from my '85 Grand Wagoneer and it showed about 15 reports so I know carfax goes back to 1985.
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And I tried it for my 84 wagon and it worked for that to.
maybe I should try the SX/4?? that's an 81.....
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Mystery solved...
Turns out the car has been registered under the wrong VIN all these years. At some point, probably when it was first registered way back in the early '80s and the new 17 digit VIN system was just coming onstream, someone shortened the VIN from 17 digits to 13.
The actual VIN is 1AMCA0658BK1xxxxx, but the "1AMC" was truncated and the car was registered as A0658BK1xxxxx. The registry was able to search the Alberta government database based on the last eight digits, and that's how it was located in the system.
I was told that the process of correcting this will be a simple matter of physically bringing the car with me when I register it, and they will do a VIN verification by going outside and actually reading it straight from the dash. I hope that's accurate information, and this doesn't become one of those cases where the boys in blue :police: get involved and assign me a stupid government issued VIN. >:(
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Well as long as you get it legal and able to drive it. It wouldn't matter to me as long as I got it to that point.
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A bureaucrat thinking outside of the box -- I wonder how many more there are like that from that time, still out there.
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I owned an 84 Mustang from 86-08. I did a Carfax on it when there was a free offer about 2006 and nothing came up.
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I forgot to say that it was involved in 2 accidents while I owned it and both were ran through the insurance company.
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Yup, I got on there and checked out my old Escort a couple years ago... it had been in about 5 accidents all reported. NOTHING came up on the report.
The front end of my Blazer was tweaked a bit like it had been hit before I bought it.... soe of the plastic trim just didn't match up right and there were large gaps... so for some reason is was all pulled off at some point... AND it a drunk driver backed into it about 3 times in a 10m period one night...
Nothing on the report when I checked.
Because of those, I have never taken those seriously....
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It also wouldn't be funny to hear at the registry......
OH......wait a minute Mr. Matador......this car was reported stolen in Drumheller in 1984.
I'm sorry but we'll be impounding the vehicle....... :o
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It also wouldn't be funny to hear at the registry......
OH......wait a minute Mr. Matador......this car was reported stolen in Drumheller in 1984.
I'm sorry but we'll be impounding the vehicle....... :o
In the eyes of the registry, the car doesn't even exist under its correct VIN, much less have any kind of abnormal history (other than the truncated VIN thing). Besides, isn't there a five year statute of limitations on stolen cars? As in, if not recovered within five years, it's automatic forfeiture of ownership?
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Ya I know, but it'd be pretty funny though wouldn't it?
I mean maybe 5 yrs from now kinda funny.....look back and laugh......maybe not.... ;)
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Update on this one (and hopefully pictures to follow)...
I just finished dumping a pile of money into it in order to get it mechanically sound. I now have the necessary inspection report to get it registered, and if all goes well I'll have that done this weekend. I don't anticipate the previously mentioned VIN problem to be any big deal. It should just be a matter of someone making a few keystrokes and finally correcting a 29-year-old error in the registry database.
Once the registration is complete, then comes the fun task of the bodywork. It's amazing what a couple decades of neglect will do to a car. :o
Nine out of ten people probably would have parted this one out. Fortunately, I happen to be the other one in ten. ;D
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I would just like to know where you found that pile of money and were there any others lying around? Seriously, how can I find out about my cars history and where it was originally sold etc. ?
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Seriously, how can I find out about my cars history and where it was originally sold etc.?
I always like to know where a car started its journey, as in what dealer it came from. The ways to find out are:
1. Decal on trunk/tailgate, if it's still there and hasn't faded or fallen off over time.
2. Original bill of sale or other paperwork.
3. Making contact with original owner, if possible.
If none of the above are available, I don't know what else you can do. If you find a build sheet in the car, it will show a four digit code for the dealer it was destined for... but you would have to somehow find out which dealer that code applies to.
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Still don't have it registered or insured, maybe this upcoming weekend. :-\
Some pictures...
(http://www3.telus.net/reitand/concord/81CONC40.jpg)
(http://www3.telus.net/reitand/concord/81CONC41.jpg)
(http://www3.telus.net/reitand/concord/81CONC42.jpg)
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I still like the half vinyl roof treatment over the full one.
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Similiar to the one on auction in Keene NH.
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I still like the half vinyl roof treatment over the full one.
I do, too. From what I can see in the pictures this one doesn't seem to have the rust problems
usually associated with the vinyl roof.
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Looks very salvageable. How's the interior? Is that leather?
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Hi. Matt here. That's a really nice AMC Concord you have there. I hope you can fix it up nice. I love the vinyl roof and opera windows on the 80-82 AMC Concord 2 door sedans. Very Nice! -Matt.
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Looks very salvageable. How's the interior? Is that leather?
Not leather... only the Limiteds got leather. This interior is cloth, sun faded, but intact and not all torn up. This car is probably as close as you could get to a Limited without actually being one. It's a very loaded DL.
And as of today, it's officially legal! ;D Got the VIN thing straightened out with no hassle, and subsequently got the insurance, registration, and plate.
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Looks very salvageable. How's the interior? Is that leather?
Not leather... only the Limiteds got leather. This interior is cloth, sun faded, but intact and not all torn up. This car is probably as close as you could get to a Limited without actually being one. It's a very loaded DL.
And as of today, it's officially legal! ;D Got the VIN thing straightened out with no hassle, and subsequently got the insurance, registration, and plate.
Outstanding!
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It's been nearly a year since this was last updated.
After getting the Concord on the road, it served almost exclusively as my summer driver which gave the Eagle a bit of a break. I racked up 1400 km (870 miles) on it until the registration expired at the end of August, at which point it went back into hibernation for the winter.
During that time I did a few small things. Replaced a couple of speakers, repaired both front seat belts (yes, these can be fixed), and repainted the left rear quarter - rattlecan style. Looked pretty good for about a week, then the paint started to lift. Should have taken the time to prime. :-\ Still looks better than it originally did.
Next month I'll get it out of storage, renew the registration, and start driving it again.
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Over my lunch hour today I zipped over to the Pick-n-Pull and found a couple of vintage mag wheels for the Concord. The styling looks like a Keystone Klassic, although I don't know if they really are. At any rate, these things scream '70s/early '80s and will eventually be on the rear of the Concord. They'll need some work but hopefully will clean up, and they were missing the centre caps and four of the special lug nuts. Still, I only paid $8.00 each so can't complain.
"Pimp My Ride" with a twist of Rambler Mentality. ;D
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Lol... Where's the picture? I'd like to see how they look on the car
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Dean, you're still talking about the black concord shown above. I thought you said that one was gonna become a parts car - Or was that Russ' old concord might become a parts car?
What have you been doing with the LT blue Concord? Any progress with that one?
I still think you should get that 2 door sport into the garage. Or at least go out to the 'Lot' with about 4 cans of undercoating, and spray the underside before it rots sitting in that field. I'd hate to see that one rot away.
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Dean, you're still talking about the black concord shown above. I thought you said that one was gonna become a parts car - Or was that Russ' old concord might become a parts car?
The black one discussed here may still become parts at some point in the future, or I'll sell it. In the meantime I'd like to get some more use out of it, and also experiment with it bodywise to see how good it can be made to look.
As for the brown one, despite its ailments it's still too good to be a parts car. It's a fixer-upper.
What have you been doing with the LT blue Concord? Any progress with that one?
Haven't really touched it since December, when I removed the dash, replaced some things, and reinstalled the dash.
I still think you should get that 2 door sport into the garage. Or at least go out to the 'Lot' with about 4 cans of undercoating, and spray the underside before it rots sitting in that field. I'd hate to see that one rot away.
I don't want it to sit outside either, but I have no indoor storage options right now.
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Well since you want to practice fixing up the body on the black one, bring it down to Pat's someday. He's got the sandblaster now, and it would make short work of that rust.
Now that it's above freezing (Thank The Lord!!!) We can do blasting outside.
Blast it, patch it, then cover with some paint, drive it home, and then do the sanding there at your leisure. (if not Pat's, Keith also can sandblast)
As for the 2 door sport, at least give it some undercoating, or put some tarpaper under the car, to keep the moisture down. If you want, buy the undercoating, loan me a jack, and I'll go out and do it. I'd really hate to see that one rot.
Right now, there's no rot on that car. let's keep it that way.