Countdown

["Mahoney, John" <jmahoney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks to those who shared photos from Chilson's (Turbocast dually trailer!)
and Cordova (pink AMX/orange Pacer/BBG Gremlin Kenosha candy!); maybe I
should add some AMC pages with the "38-year-old Laguna Seca photo" [of a
Gremlin!] I promised someone (and no one said, "Hey, what?") and the "copper
retro" (only two readers requested it) to my summer '04 album and share it
also.  (And maybe I should show the first US car [with vertical quad
headlights] to illuminate the "Bentley becomes Ambassador" timeline further.
Keep watching.

Until then, watch Kenosha cars on sale.  Or sold.  

http://www.kruseinternational.com/results/return.asp?MAKE=Nash&AUC_CODE=AUBF
ALL04&AUC_BREAD=Auburn%2C%20IN%202004&YEAR=2004&RESULTS=1

http://www.kruseinternational.com/results/return.asp?MAKE=AMC&AUC_CODE=AUBFA
LL04&AUC_BREAD=Auburn%2C%20IN%202004&YEAR=2004&RESULTS=1

>>
That coffin-nosed Matador sedan with the custom front lights belongs to an
80 something year old gentleman named Jim Barton. He was the former owner of
Sayre  Motors (an AMC dealer) of Sayre, PA. This dealership was 
<<

Interesting, Joe; did you know that Eagle/Spirit Josh (one-time lister) was
from Nichols, NY?  AFA Mr. Barton (whose quad-rectangular-eyed Mat was at
the 6/03 Nash gathering --- where I met you --- in Canandaigua), AFAIK, he
might be over halfway to 90 now.  Fun talking to old-timers.    

>>
does anyone make replacement rear quarters for gremlins? i realy dont expect
anyone to, but what the heck. and if not what wheelwells match? i know a
spirit would do, but has anyone tried them off of a concorde or eagle? those
look close so long as one stayed within the flaired portion 
<<

108/109-inch rear wheel openings were never "squared" to match the '78-up
('77-up for 96-inch cars) shortened-and-raked fronts, so their arch profiles
should complement '70.5-'76 Gremlins, but AFA whether they can be grafted
successfully (panel length and departure angles would vary), I'll let
someone else opine. 

>>
I'm trying to touch up (actually re-spray) the silver
paint on 73 Javelin tail lights.  I also want to
recolor some AMC wheel covers.

I'm looking for detail masking ideas for spray
painting that actually work.  I have tried fine line
tape and regular masking tape.  I have tried a masking
medium (flexible membrane) used my model makers.  I
had pretty good success with the latter product but I
want something that will work PERFECTLY.  Pretty good
is not good enough.

Does anyone know what the factory used to mask these
items for painting?
<<

>>
Obviously the tail lights weren't masked from the factory but that may be
your only option.  I masked the lights on my 73 then cut the tape 
<<

They weren't?  So how did that silver paint get on (or not get on --- in the
case of those Matador and Ambassador wagon taillights during part of the
1972 model year) plastic?  If they weren't electrostatically charge-
painted, they weren't dipped and they weren't brushed (AMC still painted its
dual pinstripes when everyone else in Detroit rolled tape, but guns, not
sable tips, were used), then weren't they masked (likely with a die-cut
paper/plastic film) and sprayed??   

>>
gritty details.  Does anyone on the list know of any good literature
that talks about any aspect of this type of racing, i.e. detailed
suspension, engine setup, racing techniques, etc.  Also, at college here
we have an autocross club that I'm involved in, but I know nothing about
how rally racing works, like where races are held, what tech I need to
pass, and all that stuff.  If anyone knows where I can find info about
that, it'd be great.  I get the car this weekend, I need to replace a
<<

Literature:

http://www.goss.com/rrbkp.htm

http://winktimber.com/vintagerally/books/tsdbooks.htm
http://winktimber.com/vintagerally/books/rallybooks.htm

Websites:

http://www.perforce.com/perforce/widget.html

http://www.californiarallyseries.com/newtorally.htm

http://www.mco.org/download/rally/TSD_TheVeryBasics.pdf

http://www.swrt.com/
http://www.ralliart.com/
http://www.fordrallyesport.com/index2.asp
http://www.wrxrally.com/racing/groupnteam.html

>>
He was told that the mirrors were supplied by AMC for Avanti in the 77 to 83
period. Has anyone got a clue what they might be from in the AMC 
<<

AMC from 1972:

http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B26203-2.jpg

to 1983, actually;

http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B26249.jpg

then 1984-1987:
 
http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B26252.jpg

and GM to 1991.

http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B26284.jpg

(Ask and you might learn more than you ever wanted to know...)

Second part of Friday's history lesson: how fast the greats could fall.

In 1925, Hudson ranked #3, outsold only by #1 Ford and #2 Chevrolet.

In 1935, Hudson ranked #8.  (From 1925-1935, Japan built 12,127 domestic*
cars.)

In 1955, Hudson ranked #16 (as a nameplate) and AMC (as an umbrella) ranked
#10.

In 1957, Hudson ranked #19 (of 20 makes) and only [hand-built] Continental
sold less.

*If you'd Rather research yourself, Dan-O, here's where that number came
from:

http://www.japanauto.com/about/industry2.htm


Let's do the numbers on the '71 Hornet SC/360.

By now you should all know the exact number*** AMC sold.

Dodge sold 69,861 Demons plus 10,098 Demon 340s that year.

Plymouth sold 173,592 Dusters plus 12,886 Duster 340s as well.

(Plus a few more mid-year [six-with-340-trim-bits] Demon Sizzlers)

1/71 MT wrote that Demon 340 was faster than Nova 350, SC/360*** or Comet
GT.

It ran 0-60 in 6.5-sec and clocked a 14.49-sec 98.25-mph quarter-mile.  It
cost $2,721.

Despite such '71 sales (plus profits), after '72 (8.5:1 v. 10.0:1), that
Demon was done. 

Even if a "Dart Sport" lasted through 1976, just as an AMC [Hornet] AMX was
reborn.


**784; of ~4,000 units expected, with step-up capacity of up to 10,000 units
planned.
 

***12/70 HR (then --- as now --- favorite mag of many AMC types?) drove an
[AT] SC/360.

It got a 14.80 @ 94.63 time slip.  But a year "faster" than Demon 340, the
AMC was gone.

All in the numbers, perhaps.