Curious sets of dots on car

[AMC Diplomat]

I don't know how well they'll show in these pics, but I'm wondering about these pairs of dots all along the car. Are these just from poor manufacturing? And yes, the paint on this car is horrible.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

Guess I'll file this one under "stupid questions"

 

[Mikes5thAve]

Never seen them before. They look consistent maybe something was there before.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

Never seen them before. They look consistent maybe something was there before.

They're down both rear quarters and someone tried to bondo over the ones on the front driver fender. There's also a few sets down the driver side roof. I'm completely mystified as to what the hell someone would have mounted to the car like that

 

[GregG48213]

pairs of dots all along the car

I wonder if they were temporary welds for some kind of dent puller.

 

[Mikes5thAve]

They're down both rear quarters and someone tried to bondo over the ones on the front driver fender. There's also a few sets down the driver side roof. I'm completely mystified as to what the hell someone would have mounted to the car like that

Beata me but they're not normal.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

Here are the ones down the roof. They're only on the driver side. Just weird

 

[kkritsilas]

Is it possible they are hail damage? I know they are pretty evenly spaced, but it seems like they are the sort of dents hail would leave.

 

[Ele115]

That almost looks like the old school method of dent pulling before people used stud guns. They welded a rod into the center of the dent then pulled it out and cut the rod off. Bigger dents would have more than one rod in it. Hail or something fell on that side of the car.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

I'm wondering if they're spot welds from construction and that the sun cooked off so much of the paint that they came through. When someone really half assed the paint job they did a poor job covering them?

Or what if it has newer quarters and front fender from an accident and these are spot welds? Not sure how the fenders and quarters are attached to the inner fenders and unibody. Wouldn't explain the roof though.

Hail damage is possible. The car spent its life out west. Originally purchased in Idaho, but by '92 was registered in Utah and '96-2015 was in Arizona. Came to NY and was stolen, recovered, laid up with a cracked column, then changed hands several times while garaged, then I was foolish enough to buy it.

 

[Mikes5thAve]

It's nothing factory. Paint doesn't hide stuff like that and there's no welds in those areas.

 

[78VOLAREWAG]

View attachment 50598
Here are the ones down the roof. They're only on the driver side. Just weird

Those look like something was screwed down at one time and they plugged the holes.

 

[MoparDan]

I noticed your Diplomat is an SE, vinyl tops came standard on the SEs and I see yours doesn't have one so maybe at some point the vinyl was coming off and someone put something in those spots to try to hold it down?

 

[AMC Diplomat]

I noticed your Diplomat is an SE, vinyl tops came standard on the SEs and I see yours doesn't have one so maybe at some point the vinyl was coming off and someone put something in those spots to try to hold it down?

Maybe, but that wouldn't explain the dots on the rest of the car

 

[PursuitSpecial]

You sure your diplomat wasn't a cop car? Mine has weird holes and stuff all over it for several antennas, light bars, pushbar, etc, including in the roof. The NCHP had some sloppy car flippers, they didn't weld the holes up, they put bondo on them and sent it, now it's flaking off. I just covered the holes up with metal plates and screws to keep water out

 

[AMC Diplomat]

You sure your diplomat wasn't a cop car? Mine has weird holes and stuff all over it for several antennas, light bars, pushbar, etc, including in the roof. The NCHP had some sloppy car flippers, they didn't weld the holes up, they put bondo on them and sent it, now it's flaking off. I just covered the holes up with metal plates and screws to keep water out

I haven't found any indication that it was ever set up for police use. It's running a 7 1/4 axle and had the 4 leaf springs, it was all power locks and power windows until I converted it to manual.

The only surprise I found in this car was the $100 bill under the back seat, which i used to buy the starter and the alternator. For a car that has no rust, it was definitely neglected. My current theory is someone was a ham radio operator and had some weird crap mounted to the car.

On crown vics I've used knockout covers/seals and silicone to plug the holes left in roofs. Knockout seals come in all kinds of sizes and look like they're supposed to be there.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

Found an 87 Fifth Ave for sale on ebay with paint bubbles in the same spots as these dots on my car. I'm beginning to think it has something to do with Kenosha Assembly.

 

[Mikes5thAve]

According to the vin the ebay car isn't a Kenosha car.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

According to the vin the ebay car isn't a Kenosha car.

Good catch! I didn't notice. This car is St. Louis No. 2. I just assumed that because my car has the W all 87s were Kenosha.

I have an April of 87 date of manufacture. I wonder when the switch occurred exactly

 

[toolmanmike]

View attachment 50598
Here are the ones down the roof. They're only on the driver side. Just weird

Is your car an ex cop car?