'75 M-M Classic Duplex restoration

[John Burchfield]

Last week I had a chance to go to my favorite body shop where work has gotten going again on transforming my rusty M-M into something much better! Seeing the progress has renewed my excitement about this car. I'm using a '72 Duplex as a parts car, but the shop also happens to have some spare sheet metal on hand that they've used to patch a couple of the doors and a rocker panel. The car runs great, has a solid frame, nice interior, and 64k miles, so that's why I decided to bite the bullet and fix the body and paint. I've already had to replace the heater core and the AC compressor will need replacing after the body work is done. New extra load tires are waiting at the tire shop! In the first photo you can see the nasty rust at the bottom of the driver's door and rocker panel.

 

[Russell Dalziel]

Last week I had a chance to go to my favorite body shop where work has gotten going again on transforming my rusty M-M into something much better! Seeing the progress has renewed my excitement about this car. I'm using a '72 Duplex as a parts car, but the shop also happens to have some spare sheet metal on hand that they've used to patch a couple of the doors and a rocker panel. The car runs great, has a solid frame, nice interior, and 64k miles, so that's why I decided to bite the bullet and fix the body and paint. I've already had to replace the heater core and the AC compressor will need replacing after the body work is done. New extra load tires are waiting at the tire shop! In the first photo you can see the nasty rust at the bottom of the driver's door and rocker panel.

John It will look and run Better. My car is Still in the Body Shop But every time I look it gets Better and Better. hopefully I will be able to drive it Soon LOL ( It has Been Awhile since i have driven it)

Russ

 

[Tony Karsnia - Deceased - 1971-2020]

John's car in 2001

John,

I am happy to see you are giving this car the restoration it deserves. I don't remember if I've shared this photo with you, so here it is. As you know (but others probably don't), this car saw service in Iowa and was traded in to United Coach Sales of Minneapolis. It was on their lot when we had a spring "Tri-Chapter" meet here in the Twin Cities in 2001.

This was a car that showed well, but closer inspection revealed a lot of the rust issues John is now correcting. Here, former United Coach employees Chris Olson and Dan Fisher are showing me the car. Chris was playing with the Federal 28 siren that was still hooked up.

 

[Tony Karsnia - Deceased - 1971-2020]

Found this photo too...

Can you identify these people? A couple of Miller-Meteor inspectors, or just PCS members trying out your jump seats?

 

[John Burchfield]

Tony, thanks for the pics! The 28 is still hooked up! The interior looks pretty much the same now, except instead of Saethers, it has a bunch of disassembled parts back there .

 

[Steve Lichtman]

Can you identify these people? A couple of Miller-Meteor inspectors, or just PCS members trying out your jump seats?

Looks like she approved of the quality of the M-M workmanship. I think he still prefers Superior!

 

[John Burchfield]

update!

I was back by the shop Saturday and work is progressing! Using the '72 driver's door revealed some challenges in moving the power window motor from the '75 as the inner center panel had some different patterns/indentations. The solution was to remove that area from the '72 donor door and weld in the one from the '75. Sill/rocker repair is progressing nicely, too.

 

[Richard Vyse]

Coming along very nicely John. Congratulations and thanks for the pictures. It always gets me more motivated when I see others and the work they are doing on their cars. Now if we can get Russ to post some pictures of his Lifeliner.:thumbsup:

 

[John ED Renstrom]

I was back by the shop Saturday and work is progressing! Using the '72 driver's door revealed some challenges in moving the power window motor from the '75 as the inner center panel had some different patterns/indentations. The solution was to remove that area from the '72 donor door and weld in the one from the '75. Sill/rocker repair is progressing nicely, too.

that is the challanging part of repairing one of these cars. were they look the same they are all diferent. your so used to the rubber stamp productions cars the when you find they made something like the door frame and changed that from one year to another on a panel that lookes the same. you really get to understand how much each cars is a custom car. I have never seen a door frame like the one you have pictured. it was not what the 75 MM of Roberts used. I'm thinking that the drive motor for the window is the black box we see on the out side? all most like a aftermarket one but the frame is formed to fit it.

 

[John Burchfield]

Ed, The window frame to the door you pictured has been removed, but the inner panel of the door looks pretty much like my '72-converted-to-'75. Those two squarish indentations at a 45 degree angle just ahead of the inner door latch represent the mounting area for the window motor, as you guessed. What doesn't look the same on these doors? I should get a photo of the center section of the '72 door panel. The mounting of the window was also slightly different, and the '75 window has a different tint than the '72. Everything will be moved around to match!

 

[Ron Devies]

Looks awesome John, bet your anxious for it to get done and see the final product.

 

[Kevin Kocur - Deceased 1962 - 2019]

John,

I am happy to see you are giving this car the restoration it deserves. I don't remember if I've shared this photo with you, so here it is. As you know (but others probably don't), this car saw service in Iowa and was traded in to United Coach Sales of Minneapolis. It was on their lot when we had a spring "Tri-Chapter" meet here in the Twin Cities in 2001.

This was a car that showed well, but closer inspection revealed a lot of the rust issues John is now correcting. Here, former United Coach employees Chris Olson and Dan Fisher are showing me the car. Chris was playing with the Federal 28 siren that was still hooked up.

Is this the coach that was sold by United back in '03/4?
Black, burgundy interior, removable panels and a 28 controlled by a foot switch?
-K

 

[John ED Renstrom]

the door frame is going back on it in this picture and the glass has just been put back in. this one has the motor inside the door. the square cut out in the upper right is for the switch. the oval is for the cable for the mirror. other then the indents this should be the way the 72 was set up. the door is off Roberts 75 Criterion. but as you see them side by side there is a lot of different in the stamp for the frame. but some may be parts of the 72 we're looking at. but one would think that two door shells from the same company in the same year would be the same. I would bet these doors are a different size also. I know the upper frame and glass are different. I was wondering about the raised portion I'm pointing to. it is a lot higher then the white door. same shape same spot. what is here? the screw heads hold the window regulator on.

 

[John Burchfield]

Is this the coach that was sold by United back in '03/4?
Black, burgundy interior, removable panels and a 28 controlled by a foot switch?
-K

That's the car, Kevin! Actually the interior is black. What throws you off is the maroon flannel drapes. I'm sure they're not original and sound weird, but someone actually did a nice job with them. There is a small black tattersall pattern on them and the outer face has faded considerably to a sort of taupe gray. My long term plan is to get/make some more formal white or off white drapes similar to the OE type. The foot switch for the 28 is activated by a siren/horn switch. I haven't seen this exact arrangement before, but I like how it prevents accidental siren activation by my big feet!

 

[Bill Marcy]

Best wishes for it's speedy recovery! I can't wait to see it done, bet you can't either.