David G. Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 (edited) Here's my current project: One of my all-time favorite cars. I was lucky to find this kit at the most recent Desert Scale Classic in April. I usually start with the engine. Here I've got most of the bits already painted. I don't like "floating alternators" so I usually make some kind of believable bracket. The silver thing on the front of the engine block is the bracket I made to "support" the air pump instead of having it hang solely from the fan belt. Here's the finished engine complete with spark plug wires and fuel line. As always, thanks for looking and feel free to comment. David G. Edited June 19, 2021 by David G. Photos Restored Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Irwin Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I love seeing these old kits getting built! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Nice, i wish they would reissue this kit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepxj Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Ah yes,the good old ugly AMC Matador..Man that was a weird looking car.In fact I used to hate them.And that was because my father drove a split pea greenish color one around for about 4 years.Till one day,BOOM?,the motor blew.I mean you can't deny the fact that most AMC cars were a bit odd looking,to say the least..(Of course the Pacer,the Pacer wagon,the Gremlin,and again the Matador).However now to me,they are some of the coolest cars out there.They are still odd looking,but I love them.Anyway,good luck on the build.I look forward to seeing the finished build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custom Mike Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Great job on the exhaust manifolds David, just the right amount of rust! Didn't this kit's engine have a hole through it for the axle? If not, I've gotta find one, it would be much easier than filling the hole in the one that came with my Javelin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 Great job on the exhaust manifolds David, just the right amount of rust! Didn't this kit's engine have a hole through it for the axle? If not, I've gotta find one, it would be much easier than filling the hole in the one that came with my Javelin!Thanks Mike. On this one the axle rides under the shallow part of the oil pan. David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 Ah yes,the good old ugly AMC Matador..Man that was a weird looking car.In fact I used to hate them.And that was because my father drove a split pea greenish color one around for about 4 years.Till one day,BOOM?,the motor blew.I mean you can't deny the fact that most AMC cars were a bit odd looking,to say the least..(Of course the Pacer,the Pacer wagon,the Gremlin,and again the Matador).However now to me,they are some of the coolest cars out there.They are still odd looking,but I love them.Anyway,good luck on the build.I look forward to seeing the finished build. Thanks Brian. I saw my first Matador in 1974 at the age of 10 and immediately fell in love with it. Maybe being 10 years old had something to do with that . I also have a Pacer kit. While standing in line at the checkout counter of my LHS with the Pacer kit, one of the employees there commented on my selection, "A Pacer?!" I replied, "Yeah, a Pacer." "Why would you get a Pacer, did you used to own one?" He asked with a slight air of derision. "No, I just like the orphans, the oddballs. You know." He still wasn't convinced of the wisdom of my selection. "But... a Pacer?" "Well, you know, I could put it back." With that, he saw that the path that this conversation was taking was in conflict with his goals as an employee and he decided to change his tack, "Naw, it's cool man." As I got ready to complete my purchase, I glanced up at the cashier and noticed that she was glaring at him. I smiled at her to let her know that all was well and bought my Pacer. David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 Nice, i wish they would reissue this kit...Thanks Carl. I agree. The one I'm looking for though, is the 77 Hornet hatchback. David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 I love seeing these old kits getting built!I but them to build them! David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepxj Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Oh yea,I forgot all about the Hornet.Another cool car from the boys @ AMC.Especially the Hornet 360.I found this rare gem at a car show this past weekend.A rotisserie restored 70 AMC Machine.The only ones I've ever seen,are the well know red,white,& blue "Rebel"Machine.Never did see one in any other colors.Very nice car, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepxj Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Hey sorry,I got off the subject of you building your AMC Matador.I just really like AMC cars.First car I ever drove,was my mother's 72 Ambassador BIG &@%# station wagon/W a 390.The car was pretty cool.How about a pro street Matador?Ha ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custom Mike Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Looks like I'm not the first to add ground effects to a Matador....at least mine was on a model though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Nice job on the engine. Sheet plastic or sprue for the brackets?Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 Nice job on the engine. Sheet plastic or sprue for the brackets?Charlie LarkinThanks Charlie. The alternator bracket is sheet plastic. The one for the air pump is a modified parts-box bit, a suspension part I believe. David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69NovaYenko Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 It is uplifting to see an AMC subject...any AMC subject because they are so seldom built. By the way who released this one I thought the lion share of AMC`s were issued by the now defunct Jo-Han models.Good luck with your build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted October 15, 2015 Author Share Posted October 15, 2015 It is uplifting to see an AMC subject...any AMC subject because they are so seldom built. By the way who released this one I thought the lion share of AMC`s were issued by the now defunct Jo-Han models.Good luck with your build.Thank you Greg. It's an AMT original 1977 release. David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69NovaYenko Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Cool...very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share Posted October 17, 2015 Hey sorry,I got off the subject of you building your AMC Matador.I just really like AMC cars.First car I ever drove,was my mother's 72 Ambassador BIG &@%# station wagon/W a 390.The car was pretty cool.How about a pro street Matador?Ha ha Looks great Brian but pro street is not really my thing. David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share Posted October 17, 2015 (edited) Time for a little update. The chassis masked and painted with oxide primer, semi-gloss black and aluminum plate paint. This is why we test fit. When mounted in the proper position on the chassis, the front end of the exhaust pipe fails to meet the manifold. One way to fix this is to add material behind the original bend then fill and file to fit. After getting the manifold end of the pipe in the correct location, I needed to attach the cross-over pipe. I pinned it by drilling a hole through the pipe into the cross-over with an index drill bit (#75 I think) and inserting a wire to hold them together. The wire helps them stay together after the glue dries. I also decided to change the location of the cat along the exhaust system. The slot I'm filling in was there to clear the transmission support cross member which placed the cat right next to the transmission oil pan- bad location. The left side pipe now meets the manifold properly and I've attached and pinned the right side cross-over. Weathering the completed exhaust and chassis with pastels. As always, thanks for looking and feel free to share your opinions. David G. Edited April 13, 2021 by David G. Photo Update Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) Finally, I have some time to post a few more photos. Stripping the kit chrome and preparing to replace with Alclad. The trickiest part of the process is achieving the flawless gloss black undercoat. The chrome is re-chromed and ready for additional detailing. Wheels! As always, thanks for looking and feel free to comment. David G. Edited April 13, 2021 by David G. Photo Update Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bismarck Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 That looks super clean!! I need to get started on my Matador. Will oven cleaner get the clear undercoating under the kit chrome off the plastic too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atmobil Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 This looks very good and it really is nice to see one of these built Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 That looks super clean!! I need to get started on my Matador. Will oven cleaner get the clear undercoating under the kit chrome off the plastic too?Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Oven cleaner might work but I use Castrol Super Clean. Affectionately known also as "the purple pond". It's available at most auto parts stores.Thanks again,David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 This looks very good and it really is nice to see one of these built Thank you Gaute. I buy them to build them and enjoy them. David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DumpyDan Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Nice work, really like them wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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