Lost Muscle Cars. Wes Eisenschenk

the Road Runner began. The car received a new, beautiful Candy Tangerine paint job. On the tops of the fenders, doors, and quarters, Chuck blended the paint to a deep coat of silver. The contrast was striking. Down the middle of the car, he added a Candy Tangerine stripe, visually dividing the car in half.

      The 1968 Bird received a series of fabrications, including raising the fresh-air hood scoop at a 45-degree angle with the filler plates facing each other. Cosmetically the car received a set of Cragar S/S wheels, Goodyear GT wide-tread tires, Hurst shifter, roll bar, Thrush mufflers, and Stewart Warner tachometer. Chuck added a rear spoiler and Cibie headlights.

      A large, brazen road runner ran across the bottom of the door and fenders, as seen on the 1969 models. The words “road runner,” in lower case, as on the 1969s, were scripted with a box outlining them. The word “Probe” appeared in cursive lettering under the box. Other than the tach and roll bar, the interior remained stock.

      The Winner Is

      Terry Taylor of McLean, Illinois, won the Road Runner Probe for the conversion of his 1957 Chevy. The car, named Fire Chief, featured a tilting front end and a chromed 292-ci Chevy powerplant. Terry also won a seven-day trip to Los Angeles.

      It’s unknown how long Terry owned the Probe. He passed away some years ago, and his relatives have no information on the car.

       This wonderful color shot of the Road Runner Probe really accentuates the creativity in color blending on the car. Of the noted fabrications, the fresh-air hood treatment, the custom roll bar, and the recessed headlights really stand out. (Photo Courtesy Chuck Miller Collection)

      Fortunately, the car would be recognizable if discovered, unless it was converted back to its stock appearance. Very little information on this car exists other than a few clippings from a magazine article and these four photographs.

      If you have any information on the Road Runner Probe, contact either Chuck Miller or Wes Eisenschenk.

       Hurst SC/Rambler Prototype

       By Wes Eisenschenk

      It’s hard being a manufacturer that holds onto the past when others are moving on to bigger and better things. That described AMC when Pontiac rolled out the GTO in 1964. Shortly thereafter Ford, Mercury, Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, Dodge, and Plymouth all unveiled performance models in their midsize and compact offerings while AMC watched from the sidelines. Late to the party, AMC dipped its toes into the pool with a 343-ci 280-hp Rambler with the mandatory 4-speed in 1967. The plan was to begin the transformation of its “Little Nash Rambler” in an effort to keep up with its competitors that were offering L79-equipped Novas and 383-powered Darts.

       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. . . .

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