Lost Muscle Cars. Wes Eisenschenk
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Название: Lost Muscle Cars
Автор: Wes Eisenschenk
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Автомобили и ПДД
isbn: 9781613253120
isbn:
AMC’s walk-off shot with the Rambler was the formidable 1969½ SC/Rambler. Almost all of the elements of the prototype found their way onto the production model. (Photo Courtesy Chuck Miller Collection)
GTO as Inspiration
In 1968, after testing the waters with the 343 Rambler, AMC dove head first into the pool. It unveiled new models with the AMX and Javelin that sported 390 cubes and 315 horses of AMC power. With muscle car offerings now in both the pony and sports car market, AMC began the process of phasing out its prized little compact, and it wasn’t going to go quietly.
Enter Hurst Performance and Styline Customs.
Legend has it that Dave Landrith of Hurst was chatting with Pontiac GTO godfather Jim Wangers at Hurst headquarters on a fall day in 1968 when the two schemed up an AMC version of the 1964 GTO. Dave took this concept to AMC brass who had gathered to discuss the S/S AMX program.
The idea then made its way to Walt Czarnecki (formerly of Hurst) at AMC. He pitched the idea to the engineers, who needed to confirm that stuffing the 390 into the Rambler worked structurally. (The 1967 343-powered Rambler had a history of blowing out its rear glass because of chassis flexing during launches, which is why engineering’s approval was so important.) The engineers went to work on making the Rambler chassis stronger.
The SC/Rambler was based on the Rogue chassis, which included connectors between the front and rear subframes and staggered rear shock absorbers modified to accept the V-8. A plate needed to be riveted into the trunk pan for the upper mount of the driver-side shock. Torque links were also installed, connecting the top of the rear leaf-sprung axle to the subframe. These reinforcements created the strength the SC/Rambler needed for hard launches at the dragstrip.
From Sketches to Reality
Hurst handled the components of the car while Gene Baker at Styline Customs, one of Detroit’s premier automotive customizing shops, created the cosmetic design. “Gene sketched the SC/Rambler,” noted Styline’s founder and chief artist Chuck Miller. It was these sketches that changed the whole dynamic of AMC’s image. “They had used the red/white/blue scheme in the Trans-Am race series, but had never offered it on a production model.” With the chassis improvements and the design concepts approved, it was time to begin creating the SC/Rambler.
The prototype SC/Rambler featured unique taillights along with a transparent blue stripe that traveled across the rear glass. Neither was affixed to production models. (Photo Courtesy Chuck Miller Collection)
The Rambler delivered to Styline Customs was painted white with a 390 and a Hurst 4-speed already in place. With Gene’s sketches, Chuck began the process of transforming the plain Rambler into the iconic image you see on posters and in books.
The bold red paint was shot and outlined with a black pinstripe. The recognizable blue stripe that traverses the hood, roof, and decklid was hand painted by Chuck (production versions had vinyl tape). The prototype also featured a transparent blue stripe applied to the rear glass; the folks at AMC ultimately vetoed it (a transparent gold stripe was also applied to the 1969 Hurst Olds and was also nixed). Frenched taillights also didn’t make it into production. Otherwise, all of the styling cues that Gene drew up and Chuck applied were accepted.
Debut and Success
When the prototype was completed, it was sent to AMC and displayed on the third floor of the company’s Detroit headquarters. The car definitely had an aura about it. Sure, the Javelin and AMX were impressive cars, but for little old AMC to stuff its largest engine into its smallest car was a shocking departure. Longtime AMC employees and buyers were surprised.
The response from the buying public and the support from AMC dealerships are a true testament to how successful this move was for the Rambler; 1,512 copies, 1,012 more than initially forecast, were shipped from Kenosha.
Walt Czarnecki and Chuck Miller both credit Dave Landrith with bringing the SC/Rambler to fruition, even though they all had a hand in creating this F-Stock weapon. Their lasting legacy is seen routinely at car auctions. Restored SC/Ramblers often sell for north of $50,000. Their visions and design elements created one of the most flamboyant and potent compact cars of the muscle car era.
All great muscle cars have a prototype, concept, or mule that were the basis of the production versions. For the SC/Rambler, all 1,512 cars owe their lives to the prototype envisioned by Dave Landrith and created by Gene Baker and Chuck Miller. This car ultimately changed how AMC cars were viewed in the printed media and at the stoplight. With Group 19 parts bolted on, SC/Ramblers dove into the low-12s at the dragstrip.
Rumors abound that have the protype AMC residing in a collector’s garage in Florida. However, no one has contacted Chuck Miller to verify the car.
I wonder what became of this first Hurst SC/Rambler. . . .
In muscle car terminology, the word “rare” is usually associated with increased value. As with coins, stamps, artwork, etc., the fewer examples in the marketplace, the greater the value. Rare muscle cars are no different.
Seafrost Green is a rare color for any Chevy muscle car, let alone an L78 1968 Nova SS. With just 667 L78 copies made, it’s safe to say that Sea-frost Green on this car makes it unique. (Photo Courtesy Mike Dolence)
When the Big Three began building American iron, rare wasn’t a word cared about or associated with preserving a vehicle. If it had been, Chrysler would have a warehouse full of 1971 Hemicuda convertibles aging like a fine wine. Rare came to mean that not enough people could afford one, knew about the dazzling array of options available, or even wanted one.
Some cars were built in extremely low volume due to increased costs. Convertibles typically fall into this category. Ordering a 1969 Trans Am added $725 to the bill of your Firebird. Add the convertible option on your order and it could reach $1,500 over the base price of a standard Firebird. Add another $500 in creature comforts and your base $3,000 Firebird checks out at the register at $5,000. Although these amounts don’t sound like much today, it would be equivalent of adding $20,000 worth of options on a $30,000 vehicle. In the end, the ultimate Trans Am was never constructed, as none of the eight convertible buyers checked off the Ram Air IV powerplant.
A base 1969 Road Runner could be had for less than $3,000. Add the Hemi and the components paired with it and you’ve just added $1,000 to your bill. Around 84,000 1969 Road Runners were built, fewer than 900 with the Hemi.
Another aspect of low sales volume is the lack of sales staff knowing an option even existed at the time. In 1969 Chevrolet built more than 86,000 Chevelle СКАЧАТЬ