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AMC Rebel's Other ill advised American Iron


AMC Rebel

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A few folk have suggested I should post some pics/details of this, so here goes.

 

It really is a project - and one of those typical of me where, 18 years in I have made almost no progress except for dismantling more bits, then wishing I hadn't, and wondering if it's ever going to get done in my lifetime.

 

Back to the start -

 

Back in (about) 1984 I go to a car show in Wollaton Park in Nottingham.  I see a Tri-Chevy (55,56,57) Bel Air and resolve to have one one day.

 

In 2000, I see one advertised by  Eady's American Autos in Burton Latimer, Northants.

 

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It is a (as I later find out), a 1956 210 Sport Sedan, so not a Bel Air, but the same shape.  It is also a RHD car that was imported and bought new here - a fact that some folk seem unable to grasp.

 

This is it more or less as bought using the primitive digital photo tech I had at the time -

 

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As bought it ran and stopped but had no MOT (it needed one back then).

 

It had been dismantled and stripped back to bare metal by a previous owner - then filled full of wob and badly resprayed by a "restorer" the guy had taken it too.  The story goes that he was hugely disappointed and fed up after all the prep he'd done so gave up and offloaded it to some old bloke who made zero progress for several years (ahem) and then his wife made him sell to Eady's

 

I tracked down the guy in Coventry who stripped it back to bare metal and he sold me the door handles and some other bits.

 

When I got it there were some hilarious things, presumably done by the "old bloke".  The front of these has a lot of different sheet metal parts - they had been badly bolted together using the kind of cheapo zinc nuts and bolts you get in a bag in B&Q if there's no other choice.  The lights were all wired using 3 core household flex and mostly didn't work.  

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Just to cut to the chase - it's currently in my garage in bits, progress mostly stalled as I have no idea at all how I am going to redo the missing bits of rear wing or (in particular) the rear screen surround.

 

I  bought a shrinker/stretcher in the mistaken belief I could teach myself to make complex shapes - I haven't managed it so far :)

 

post-20411-0-86740800-1539771121_thumb.jpg

 

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My favourite style of Tri-Chevy!

 

I would have thought an American car mag would be loaded with parts suppliers for these, so even if the cost is horrible, the body parts you need should be available somewhere.  In fact aren't there magazines that deal exclusively with Tri-Chevies?

 

Good luck!

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In 2000, I see one advertised by  Eady's American Autos in Burton Latimer, Northants.

 

attachicon.gif3.JPG

 

Blast from the past. I used to buy all my Camaro and Oldsmobile parts from them(when I had those cars) They used to have a seriously impressive stock of breakers in the back field. They then got a bit less good over the next 10 years or so, then eventually sold it all up, there is just a modern housing estate where Eady's used to be now :?

 

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Can you get repair sections from Amerikar.................? TADTS

 

Yes and no - very very few repair panels are available for the 4 door hardtop version as they are comparatively rare. 

 

There's certainly nothing available for the rear screen surrounds or the missing bits of the rear wings (57 panels are now made but not 56) or at the base of the roof.  A few folk I have spoken to over the years visited scrappies in dry states and cut out the bits they needed - not an option for me.

 

My favourite style of Tri-Chevy!

 

I would have thought an American car mag would be loaded with parts suppliers for these, so even if the cost is horrible, the body parts you need should be available somewhere.  In fact aren't there magazines that deal exclusively with Tri-Chevies?

 

Good luck!

 

They are (loaded with parts) - pretty much everything except the sheet metal bits I need.

 

There is an outfit that now does more than there used to be - maybe if I wait long enough-

 

They will make the bits I need

 

or

 

I will be able to afford one of their kits to make the body into a 2 door or convertible :)

 

http://realdealsteel.com/search.html?q=4door+hardtop&go=Go

 

http://realdealsteel.com/c-1105810-bodies-1955-57-chevy.html

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Luv It!

 

Also kudos its not a Bel Air

 

210 Because Base :mrgreen:

 

It was probably converted when it got here guessing it probably came in as LHD got converted then was registed as RHD at first UK Registration ;-)

 

 

A couple of small points of pedantry - 

 

150 was the base :)

 

https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://www.paddockparts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/1956_Chevy_ID.pdf

 

It was manufactured RHD - at the time Chevy was producing factory RHD.  Mine was built in Tarrytown.  I have the Factory Assembly guide which details all the RHD parts.

 

<Trivia> The RHD 57s had a 55/56 Dash as they never bothered RHD converting the 57 dash. </trivia>

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Just to cut to the chase - it's currently in my garage in bits, progress mostly stalled as I have no idea at all how I am going to redo the missing bits of rear wing or (in particular) the rear screen surround.

 

I  bought a shrinker/stretcher in the mistaken belief I could teach myself to make complex shapes - I haven't managed it so far :)

 

attachicon.gifDSC_2897.JPG

 

attachicon.gifDSC_2896.JPG

Even though body panels may not be readily available for the 4 door 210, surely the same basic contours and curves would be present in the 2 door panel?  Can't you buy a rear quarter for a 210 2-door and cut out the section that comes closest to what you need?

 

Classic Car Industries in Huntington Beach, California, which is a city in California, located in America do a selection of 210 parts

https://www.classicindustries.com/shop/1956/chevrolet/two-tenseries/parts/body-panels/quarter-panels/

 

Not cheap I grant you but, choices are somewhat limited.

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Also what on earth happened to that rear wing to rot like that?

25+ Years of regular use in all weathers. There is a little divider up inside, but the structure makes a mud trap on one side and a water trap on the other.

 

The repair wasn't bad I guess - beautiful gas welding (not seam welded but no-one did then) but the whole repair section was let in behind the main panel and then filled in with a massive slab of wob.

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I stand corrected,Never knew that :roll:

 

Either way though everybody saves Bel Airs nice to see something that isnt the bells and whistles model.

 

Your Shitters Still Need You!!!

A bit like fuel injected 57s, there are probably more Bel Airs around now than they made.

 

It would be really easy to "convert" to a Bel Air - the scripts on the dash and rear wings read Bel Air instead of Chevrolet and the interiors are a little more fancy. The stainless on the sides is a little fancier and the two tone paint (where fitted) is more elaborate - and that's about it for a 56.

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At that point they were probably exporting to a few RHD countries so it would have made sense really to offer them in the UK.

Was Canada still driving in the correct side then?

Have seen quite a few factory RHD Impalas over the years, they do like to rot......

 

The late (and much missed by me) Steve Miles photographed loads of RHD US imports over the years - available in the five volumes of his pics.

 

Canada changed over between 1922 and 1947 so they'd done with RHD by the time mine was made.

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By gosh I don't know how I missed this. That's a beautiful car, and a very rare bird in UK spec. American car sales in Britain plummeted post-war. I'm surprised it's got a V-8, was this specified as an option? Most Bel Airs were Sixes, not that you'd believe it nowadays. Good on you for saving it and please keep updating.

The 1955 Chevys were incidentally the cars Rootes took styling cues from for the new 'Series' Hawks and Snipe, as you can see the similarities.

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Was it supplied by Lendrum and Hartman?

 

I don't know for sure - but I'd be surprised if it wasn't

 

 

I'm surprised it's got a V-8, was this specified as an option? 

 

It's not the original.  It had a 235 six and 3 speed manual trans as original - sadly now both long gone, as are the made of unobtainium RHD column shift linkages.

 

The V8 fitted is a 283 from sixties Chevy truck according to the serial and casting numbers.  It was fitted sometime in the 1990s judging by the details I have from the V888 request I did soon after purchase.

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I suspected it would've been a Six, being a Two-Ten, but that would have plenty enough anyway. I don't think a gear linkage would be hard to make up, 3 speed being the simplest linkage compared to a 4. Can any antipodean enthusiasts help out if you convert back? Good luck with the old lady.

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I would quite like to put a period correct 235 six back in it.  

 

Paradoxically, because so many got junked in favour of fitting a V8, they are getting hard to find in a workable state and/or sensible price.

 

Wouldn't mind keeping the auto trans - they were available as auto new and I don't fancy my chances with the column shift manual - also finding a stock clutch setup looks tricky.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I hope this works out for you - it is a beautiful car and as you say, very rare in its RHD and 4 door pillarless Two-Ten form.   Reg dates from London April 1956 - Jan 1957.  I have seen Buicks with SXP letters so it seems likely that this may indeed have come from Lendrum & Hartman.     

 

I have a bit of a thing about original UK registered Yanks - this is well worth saving!   Easy to say that when it isn't me doing it but I will make you a deal - When it's finished I will buy a set of nice UK plates for it!

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This is a good Chevy website, they have sections for specific years and there is a lot of knowledge on there. May be worth joining: https://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/index.php

 

I may have said before that I may have seen your 56 years ago, the plate rings a bell. My first American car way back in 1976 was a RHD Impala Sport Sedan aka 'flat top'. Went from Sarf London with a Mk3 Zephyr 6 and trailer to Hucknall in Notts, cost the princely sum of 35 quid. Mind you a fair part of the bodywork was missing. Reg was WXT4. We got it back to base in Peckham and put it into a friend's unit where it resided with his 58 Delray two door. Ah the memories. May have a photo of the Impala somewhere, should scan it and let you all see its magnificence. I also had a RHD 58 Belair four door sedan reg VXO9, that has a 283ci V8 and three on the tree, yes it still exists albeit the plate has gone. Another one was a RHD 68 Chevelle wagon, had a 230ci six and Powerglide, came to the uK in 1975/6. That was built in Canada for export to I believe South Africa. Good luck with the 56, hope someone can help you with the repair section.

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This is a good Chevy website, they have sections for specific years and there is a lot of knowledge on there. May be worth joining: https://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/index.php

 

 

  

Thanks - I have been on there since about 2000 :)

 

Interesting stuff about your cars - I wonder if any of them every appeared in Steve Miles' books - if I win the lottery I will pay someone to catalogue all the cars in his books - I wonder if there are more pictures he never managed to publish.

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