Transcript AMCman Ramblings

AMCman Ramblings
VOLUME 2 NUMBER 1
NEWSLETTER OF THE AMC MANITOBA CAR CLUB
Nov 2005 – Jan 2006
Feature car: Kurt and Marian Dmytruk’s Rambler American
www.amcman.com
FOR ALL WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE CARS PRODUCED BY AMERICAN MOTORS, JEEP, RAMBLER,
NASH, HUDSON AND JEFFERY FROM 1902 TO 1987
From the President
As I write this, I am very thrilled to report that we are
sitting at 53 members. We just enjoyed a great lineup
of classy AMC cars (12) all in a row, at the Flashback
Weekend event at the Garden City Shopping Centre.
With over 50 car clubs in Manitoba, we are consistently
getting more cars out than most of the other clubs. I
am confident that we will only improve on the number
as there are a high number of cars on the project block
& not rolling yet.
Moving into the fall, I hope to get some more work
done with the Javelin & I will be working throughout the
winter on my wife’s hot rod, the Spirit GT.
We have a plan for a big car show next year. We have
spoken to the Regent Casino & they are interested in
hosting the show in the spring. They are quite excited
about it & would partially sponsor the event.
With our ambitious plans for next year, we will be
requiring assistance & I hope we can count on some of
the members to volunteer with car show & newsletter
preparation.
See you at the next meeting.
Robin Carruthers
From the Vice President
I would like to welcome Brock Philip Member #50 into
our club, he just purchased a 1969 AMX. Brock was my
racing partner when we raced the 1969 Hurst AMX from
1969 – 1975. Brock is going to be a real asset to our
club.
We have met with the Regent Casino rep. several times
and we will be meeting with him again to finalize and
discus details for the show. The car show will most
likely be held around the second weekend in June at
Club Regent Casino.
Jim L’Esperance
From the Editor:
Summer is over and as I write this I am still
driving my car until the snow flies. I
thought when I took over the newsletter
from the AMC guru Colin Hillyard that it
would be a piece of cake, will I was wrong.
After I finished it I thought I did a good job
and realized that it was a little fun. The next
one should be easier and better.
I hope you enjoy my first newsletter. Kurt
and Marian’s red Rambler is a very cool car
and I am looking forward to seeing Gerry’s
SCRambler clone next year. If you have any
story or tech. Ideas, take some pictures,
write a story and email them to me at
[email protected]
Chris Penny
To be eligible for membership, all you have to be is a true AMC
enthusiast. Ownership of an AMC is not required.
Club Executive:
Robin Carruthers ([email protected])
Jim L’Esperance ([email protected])
Gerry Saunders ([email protected])
Chris Penny ([email protected])
Board: Kurt Dmytruk, Duane Beach
Bob Mai ([email protected])
All American Motors, Jeep, Rambler, Nash, Hudson and Jeffery
models from 1902 to 1987 are recognized by the club.
Members will be added to a group e-mail and will receive a
quarterly newsletter in the mail. Club event announcements
will be sent out via e-mail and printed in the newsletter.
You can use this form to join the club or e-mail
[email protected] to request membership or to
change your membership details.
NAME:_______________________________________________________
ADDRESS:____________________________________________________
CITY:_____________________PROV:_________POSTAL CODE:_________
HOME PHONE:______________WORK PHONE:_______________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS:______________________________________________
VEHICLE YEAR / MODEL:_________________________ENGINE:_________
TRANS:______________COLOUR:_________________________________
OPTIONS/REATURES:___________________________________________
*If available, send along photos of your car for our files. If you own more than one vehicle, please attach details.
Mail payment to : AMC MANITOBA CAR CLUB
3 McMURRAY BAY
WINNIPEG, MB R2M 4G3
Annual dues are $15.00 and include a club window sticker, a quarterly newsletter, free classifieds, updated
membership roster, picture of your car on the website and invitations to all monthly meetings and club sponsored
events. Website: www.amcman.com
Project Car: Gerry Saunders 68 SCRambler Clone
The car was originally purchased new in Sask. As a Blue 290 Automatic Roque. Thorr
Erlendson Bought the car from the original owner and brought it to Eddystone Manitoba.
He drove it for a couple of years and eventually parked it with the odometer reading
90,897 miles.
Gerry, Colin, Robin and Jim headed out to Eddystone to pick up the rare little Rogue.
with a rented trailer, breakfast in there bellies and a pocket full of cash (Gerry anyways),
they traveled north on hwy 6 to pick the Rambler up. After seeing the car up close,
Gerry realized the rust was pretty bad but not devastating. They loaded the car up and
headed back to Winnipeg.
Project:
Since getting the car back, Gerry has dismantled the entire car, had it sandblasted and
stripped all the paint and undercoating off the entire body and undercarriage. Gerry has
purchased a 1969 390 engine for the Rogue as well as a 69 T-10 four speed transmission.
The summer was spent changing out the inner and outer rocker panels with pieces from a
parts car and cutting out all the rusted areas. All the rusted areas have had the metal
replaced with new welded in pieces. The car sits in bare bones Vinyl Wash primer
awaiting the body shop.
The rear quarters and wheel wells are rough and will need new fabricated sheet metal,
as new material is not available for the Rambler Rogue. Gerry’s body man can not start
on the car until Nov. or Dec., so in the mean time he is restoring all the suspension
parts, and rebuilding the motor and preparing pieces for assembly, once he gets the car
back in the spring. The car will look identical to a 69 SCRambler (plan A) on the outside.
The inside will be charcoal leather bucket seat interior, with HURST embossed in the
seats as well as the door panels. The factory looking rallye wheels and Red Line tires will
also be used on the exterior. Gerry is hopeful that the car will be completed July 06.
Feature Car: Kurt and Marian’s 64 American
When Kurt Dmytruk was
looking for a classic car, he
and his wife Marian made
countless trips all over
Manitoba searching for just
the right car. They ultimately
found the right car here in
Winnipeg. Kurt and Marian
were checking out the cars at
the Pony Corral on Pembina
Highway in the fall of 2002.
Marian spotted a mint red
1964 AMC Rambler American
Convertible with a for sale
sign on it. The car was in
really nice shape and it was
completely stock, even the
AM radio and factory
hubcaps.
The shiny red paint, a power
drop-top and the wife-likes-it
equaled to an easy decision
for Kurt to make. The deal
was struck and the couple
picked up the car a few nights
later in the pouring rain. The
car definitely found a good
home. The first thing Marian
did when they got the little
Rambler into their garage was
to wipe it dry with towels.
Although Kurt was ecstatic
about the car, the
performance of the Rambler
was of concern. The car had
its original 195 AMC inline
six-cylinder engine under the
hood, and the old Iron Horse
was getting tired.
Feature Car: Kurt and Marian’s 64 American
“You can beat it of the line with a garden
tractor” is the way Marion described it.
In the winter of 2003 Kurt removed the
worn-out little motor and squeezed in a
freshly rebuilt AMC 290 cubic inch V-8.
The donor engine was purchased from
Ron Lechman, and was originally taken
out of a 1967 AMC Rebel station wagon.
Kurt works at Rehau
Industries making PVC
window frames, and was
lucky enough to have
access to the shop evenings
and weekends to work on
the car. Friend and coworker Ed Zurek helped
him meticulously rebuild
the engine.
The new engine and three speed
automatic transmission was ready for
installation, and Kurt prepared the
engine bay. This was achieved by
carefully masking off the car and
cleaning and sanding everything under
the hood to perfection. Marian then
applied a fresh red paint job in
anticipation of the new engine.
Feature Car: Kurt and Marian’s 64 American
Even though you couldn’t get a V-8 in a
Rambler back in 64, AMC engineers were
thinking ahead. With help from pal
Steve Ylonen, and a few AMC donor
parts, the circa 67 engine bolted right in
with no welding required. This engine
looks totally at home and has given this
Rambler a much needed Boost.
Kurt and Marian’s other car a 1964
Rambler Classic 770 2door with a
287 V-8 and automatic transmission,
recently had a unfortunate meeting
with the back end of another car.
With the help of a few donor parts
and some time and money the
Classic will be as good as new.
CONFESSION OF A CAR-GUY’S WIFE
by Sharon Ste. Marie
When I first met my husband, Dave, he had long before restored his second AMX car.
He was a full-fledged “car-guy”. Dave had been a member of one or two hot rod clubs,
subscribed to car magazines, purchased hard cover car books, watched car television
shows, attended classic car shows, collected old automobile advertisements and even
owned caps, t-shirts, and jackets sporting car logos. You get the picture….he’s a true
“car guy”…a guy who really enjoys classic automobiles and all that goes along with
them.
I was certainly not a “car-girl”. I knew absolutely nothing about cars other than I
preferred to have certain obvious requirements … cruise control, air conditioning, power
door locks and power windows. Engine size, transmission type and even make and
model didn’t mean a whole lot to me.
I was introduced to Dave by mutual friends. These friends gave me very little
information about him. They told me where he worked, how old he was, and that he
liked to go to the lake. That’s it! You’d think that the first thing out of their mouths
would have been something like, “He has a classic AMC AMX 390 that he restored.”
That bit of information would have been oh so very helpful.
On our very first date, Dave came to pick me up in his little red AMX. It was summer
time and I had the patio doors of my condo balcony open. I heard him coming before I
saw him. Just as I was thinking, “Man, that car really needs a muffler”, I saw that it
was Dave driving the loud car. He had the window open and he was resting his arm on
the driver’s side door.
I hadn’t been out on a date in a long time so I bravely soldiered on. I got into the car.
To me, it seemed to be just a really old car. Couldn’t this guy afford a decent
automobile? (as per my automobile requirements above.) He was playing the AM
radio! No stereo! Not even FM radio! Wow was it ever noisy! The evening was humid
and warm. Air conditioning would surely be turned on. My fine hair was not happy
blowing in the wind. I scanned the dashboard and couldn’t detect anything that
resembled AC. I must have made some polite comment about the weather because I
recall Dave telling me he had 260 air conditioning in this car. My heart leapt with joy
until he grinned and explained – 2 windows, 60 miles per hour.
Dave actually seemed proud of this car. He wasn’t apologetic about having to take me
out in it at all. I began to think that this was the best he could afford. I admonished
myself for being such a snob and just enjoyed the date. After all a car isn’t everything
about a guy, is it?
A day or two later, I went over to Dave’s home for the first time and I saw a brand new
blue half ton truck parked in his driveway. Company? He didn’t say he was expecting
anyone else. Imagine my shock and glee when I discovered that this new fully loaded
truck was his! Now I realized he was a decent guy with a decent car!
It wasn’t too many more car dates throughout that first summer that I got a true
awakening. I started to pay attention to the looks and comments that Dave would get
as we drove along in the AMX. I began to think that there must be a big deal about
this car. I did some internet research and would tell Dave facts that he already knew.
I’d offer information like “Dave, did you know that there were only 6,725 1968 AMX’s
produced?” He’d patiently listen as I acted like I discovered the car myself. “Dave, did
you know that the guy who broke the land speed record, Craig Breedlove, also set 106
speed records in an AMX.” It went on and on until I realized that I was falling in love
with the car myself. Or was it the car-guy? Or maybe a bit of both.
I never did tell Dave about my first impression of him and his car until many years later.
Field of dreams:
This Ambassador with a new tire would
look good in any driveway.
This Javelin in the right hands could
be restored.
This is a rare form of transportation
known as the Pacer wagon.
2door rebel would be a good candidate
for restoration.
Field of dreams:
These three Ramblers and the wagon would be more than happy to donate some body or
chassis parts so that another humble AMC car can live long and prosper.
Tech. Corner:
AMC came out with a service bulletin in the
70's to correct Javelin front windows from
falling out. The kit was basically a 1/4" thick
flat piece of aluminium stock, 1 1/2" x
approximately 30" long that gets bolted as
seen in the pictures to the front & back
window brackets. The installation makes the
two brackets act like one piece & the glass
bond will therefore hold longer.
I wasn't able to find 1/4" aluminums stock so I
combined two 1/8" pieces (available at
Princess Auto, Home Depot, etc. I used taped
head 10-32 x 3/4" bolts with lock washers. I
countersunk the heads flush. The scissor roller
brackets are attached to the new bar in the
same locations as original in countersunk
holes.
I used white lithium grease in all the channels.
The window went in fairly well with some fine
tuning to adjust the position of the glass. The
window works very smoothly now & it should
not fall out again.
Written by Robin Carruthers with
technical information from Colin Hillyard.
Summer in review:
AMC Manitoba car club summer windup,
generously hosted by Gerry and his wife
Devil’s Lake North Dakota. Robin and
Jim made a splash being the only AMC
guys at the show
A night at Buffalo Bills hosted by AMC Manitoba car club featured many fine AMC
products, some rarely seen at shows like the red Rebel and the blue 4 door
Ambassador.
Summer in review:
From the July 2 first ever AMC of Manitoba car club sponsored car show at Kilcona park, in
Transcona. Over 50 cars of all brands came out, including this rare low mileage Marlen. A
special thanks to the MS Society for help in putting the show together.
Classified: For Sale
1960 Rambler Super 4-door. Body is rusty but
has all good glass, chrome, grill, stainless,
dash, fair interior, push-button AT. Engine not
seized, not running. Asking $500
OBO. Contact John at (204) 663-9098
1974 Javelin 360 4V parts car, good front
fenders, bumpers and trunk. Contact Dan
Masse at (204) 791-1226
1969 AMX 390 4-speed project car. Missing
engine, tranny and front bumper. Minor
damage on hood. Rest of car is almost
perfectly rust-free. Ex race car. Has Mopar 83/4 rear end. Pics available upon request. Car
is in central Alberta. Contact
[email protected] or call (780) 349-2244
1 only, 14 x 6.0, 5-bolt, 8-oval window AMC
Rallye wheel. Will need blasting and refinish,
but otherwise runs true and lug holes
good. Comes with chrome "Volcano-style"
centre cap, bearing part number
3222651. Asking $25.00. Call Bob at (204)
235-1697 (Transcona).
1973 Gremlin X 304, needs minor
repair. Selling due to injury. Picture available
upon request. Best reasonable offer. Contact
Greg at [email protected] or (807) 939-1297
1981 Eagle parts car, including 258-ci 6cylinder engine. Runs very well. Manual
transmission and front and rear seats also
available. Contact Karmyhn at
[email protected]
1958/1959 Rambler tail light lens, N.O.S.,
$12.00 Same years tail light lens, used,
$6.00 Contact Joe at (204) 728-7497 or
[email protected]
'71-'74 AMX/Javelin rear trunk
spoiler. Needs finishing repairs on rightside corner, $300.00. Call Kim at (204)
222-1611
79 Concord for parts call Lawrence
Friesen at 694-4177
1969 AMX 360 4-speed. Needs rear quarterpanel, floor pan, trunk pan, inner rocker panels
work. Otherwise good condition, with 1970
Ram Air hood, new grille, tail lights, 4 sets of
headlight bezels, front and rear bumpers,
chrome bits. 40,000 miles, Ohio car. $3500
as is. Clear title. E-mail
[email protected] or call (865) 9932455
New auto trans mount, red dash grab handle,
and good black dash for '74 Javelin. Call Terry
or Teresa at (204) 368-2433
1968 Javelin, 232 straight six, complete car,
lots of extra parts. Good body, interior,
suspension. Transmission needs to be rebuilt,
otherwise good. Have so far invested
$2500. Asking $2000. Firm offer. E-mail
Chris Dann at [email protected] or
call (204) 998-4666 or (204) 663-0236 after
4:30 PM. Pictures available upon request.
1964 AMC American for parts. Engine, 3speed transmission and other parts
available. Will sell very reasonably. Contact
Don at [email protected]
1966 Ambassador 2-door hardtop, good
running condition, 287 automatic, some rust in
the lower-rear quarters. Call Don at (204)
255-7010
1977 AMX Hornet A/C unit. Will trade for front
valence, rear louvers and grille. Will sell for
$800 OBO. Contact Glenn at (705) 942-1963
or [email protected]
Twin grip center section with 287 gears out of
75 Matador $50 call or email Chris Penny
586-3301 [email protected]
Classified: Wanted
Rear trunk fin to fit a '74 Javelin and looking for some 10-inch rear rims to put on a set
of 295/50's. Call Terry (204) 368-2474
Right-front fender for an '81 AMC Spirit needed. Call Robert (204) 772-3304 or
(204) 958-1250
Tail light lenses and fender extensions for '68 Rebel. Please contact Rick at
[email protected]
Transmission, heater housing or heater core for '68 AMX 390. Contact Joe at
(204) 728-7497 or [email protected]
Trunk spoiler for '73 Javelin. Call Terry or Teresa at (204) 368-2433
'69 AMX fuel tank sending unit. Call Andre at (204) 223-5447
'65 Ambassador Rambler, or compatible Rambler, control cable running from the dash,
through the firewall, to the vacuum wiper box. Must have the small washer attached
to the end that goes in the box. Please contact Stuart at [email protected]
'68 AMX side pipes, doors and mirrors. Call Terry at (204) 368-2433
'70 AMX hood and grille. E-mail Fred at [email protected]
'64 Rambler American convertible or 2-door hardtop right-hand vent window assembly
and right door glass. E-mail Gord at [email protected]
Gage cluster 140-mph speedo for '68–'70 Javelin or AMX. Call Dan Funk at (204) 2239406
Event calendar for 2006:
World of Wheels
March 31 – April 2 2006
Winnipeg Convention Centre.
Prime Steel show
April 8 – 9 2006
Grand Forks Alaris Centre.
Rod-a-Rama
April 28 – 30 2006
East end Community Centre.
If you are interested in showing your car in a AMC club display at the World of Wheels
please contact the club president Robin Carruthers.