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1973 Gremlin Project.... "The Demise of Sanity"

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CWarmouth View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CWarmouth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/16/2018 at 6:42pm
Cool project.  I have friends in Moscow so I might have to look you up next time I'm passing through Lewiston.
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BrotherBamc View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrotherBamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/17/2018 at 8:24pm
I'd be more then happy to show you the mess that I have going on now..!!
Just shoot me a p.m. and I'll give you my phone number and how to get to my house when you get up here...
77 CJ5 360
73 Gremlin 401 4 speed
2006 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD
My Garage
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrotherBamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/21/2019 at 9:33am
This wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be.
I screwed up the first one and had to order another hoop.
We are just going to paint it body color, when that time comes and that time is coming soon. I gave myself a target date to get this done.
Hoping to have this done and completed by late spring of 2020. That's only 16 months away. I've made this on my "bucket list" to be at Kenosha for the 50th. Anniversary/Birthday of the Gremlin.







The idea is to use the original back seat. But, I will have to have the back seat modified a little bit to make it fit. Here are the 2 ideas that I have to make it fit.







I have an upholstery guy that's fairly reasonable that is going to do my back seat, door panels and eventually the stock set of bucket seats that I have. I am going up to talk to him this morning. I am thinking black with some silver in the stitching to match my dash and maybe some white accents of some sort since I already have some nice vinyl that I have laying around from a project that never got done or even started.
Also rebuilt my manual steering box while I was waiting for stuff to arrive. I removed my original pitman arm and I almost threw it in the scrap pile. Well, I did throw it in the scrap pile and had to go retrieve it because everything that I seem to find, doesn't fit the shaft. Everything that I seem to find is too big and doesn't fit the pitman arm shaft. I may end up having to reuse it as I can't seem to find one that fits.
So, more battles ahead...!!
77 CJ5 360
73 Gremlin 401 4 speed
2006 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD
My Garage
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farna View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/22/2019 at 6:48am
IIRC the back seat is nothing but a padded piece of plywood. Won't be hard to notch it for the two bars, which is the way I'd go. I personally think that would look better than lowering the center section of the seat. I see you can't just make the seat shorter unless you move the latches and rest on the ends above the wheel wells. A short seat wouldn't be very useful except for kids. Well, the back seat in a Gremlin isn't much good for anything but kids anyway. Have you considered eliminating the back seat and making a flat floor panel for the lower cushion area, more like an AMX?
Frank Swygert
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote maddvector Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/22/2019 at 8:42am
Originally posted by BrotherBamc BrotherBamc wrote:

Been plodding along like an old plow mule on this the past couple of weeks. Been colder then a well diggers A$$ and I can easily go through a 5 pound bottle of propane trying to heat the garage up enough to blast and paint just a few parts. Plus been waiting on parts to show up too. Hope everyone had a happy Holidays.
New Year, equals new goals! I'd like to have this driving and stopping by the end of summer. IN MY DREAMS! LOL!!
Mocked up the rear end a little and installed a few new parts.





Fine Lines rear brake lines in stainless. Nice parts and fit very well.
Cheap raybestos rear e brake cables from Rockauto. By cheap, I mean the were cheap to buy. Not sure if I like the look of them or the hard plastic covering.
I am going to "try" to incorporate both Gremlin torque links and Spirit rear sway bar. Have 2 concerns...
One is where they mount to the frame and two is there going to be any interference between the end links and the torque links themselves.
Waiting on bushings to show up so I can mock the sway bar in. The jury will be out until I get the car in and get the old rear end out and get the new one installed. But, I imagine that some kind of bracket can be fabbed up so both might be able to function properly.
Still out on springs too. Not sure if I just want to have these springs rebuilt or purchase new ones.


Nice RebuildQuote.

I would seriously consider going with rear disk brakes before you put your Gremlin on the road.
It is going to almost fly with a 401 in it. You want the added stopping power of 4 wheel disk brakes.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ollie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/22/2019 at 12:56pm
I agree with Farna on the back seat....

I removed the backseat altogether on "The Rambler" and will do the same on the 69.

I think you will like the storage factor more than some seats up don't use anyway.  Our cars are road trip cars anyway. The backseat storage area holds our chairs, sun tent and ice chest, car show essentials and trunk is ready for luggage.

Having AMC Fun,
Ollie
1966 American Convertible -- "The Rambler"..SOLD
1974 Postal Jeep -- "Rapid Delivery"...SOLD
1969 Rambler 220 post car--"Road Warrior"
1989 Jeep Comanche Pioneer, 4.0L, auto, 2wd
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrotherBamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/22/2019 at 1:18pm
I will post up pics after work tonight. I've already removed the seat cover and foam from the back seat rest. Couple hundred Staples. 
Made a new back seat of plywood. Marked it and if I hadn't of had to go to bed I'd of already had it cut out.
My girlfriend said the back seat is only good for all the trophies that we're going to win..!! Big smile And Buddy. Buddy is a golden retriever.. 
And yes I agree.. it does need disc brakes on the rear. Not only would it add to the "cool" factor, but also add to the safety and stopping action that it will need. 
77 CJ5 360
73 Gremlin 401 4 speed
2006 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD
My Garage
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farna View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/22/2019 at 5:08pm
Drums done right will stop the car easily. The rear brakes aren't going to be doing much of the work anyway. Unless you plan on road racing or autocrossing you won't need to worry about brake fade either. If you do plan on that kind of running, ventilated disks are the way to go. There are kits that use GM calipers with or without a park brake. You can get a little manual caliper made for go-carts and such and use that for a park brake. It will hold the car from a stand still, won't hold if you p[ut any power to it though.

If you're making your own brackets Subarus have a park brake built into the front caliper. I've looked into using them instead of the harder to find GM calipers with park brake. With the GM you need to use the park brake often to keep it in adjustment or you'll find it doesn't work when you need it! I don't know how the subaru park brake works, but there was nothing in the owners manual of the ones I've owned before about using the park brake to keep it adjusted.
Frank Swygert
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrotherBamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/22/2019 at 5:52pm




This is just a rough cut of the back seat. Still have the one that I made yesterday that needs a little bit more detail done to it. I don't think that I am going to make the bottom of the cut outs square. I am going to give them either a U shape or some type of curve on the bottom.
77 CJ5 360
73 Gremlin 401 4 speed
2006 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD
My Garage
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BrotherBamc View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrotherBamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/22/2019 at 5:56pm
Originally posted by farna farna wrote:

Drums done right will stop the car easily. The rear brakes aren't going to be doing much of the work anyway. Unless you plan on road racing or autocrossing you won't need to worry about brake fade either. If you do plan on that kind of running, ventilated disks are the way to go. There are kits that use GM calipers with or without a park brake. You can get a little manual caliper made for go-carts and such and use that for a park brake. It will hold the car from a stand still, won't hold if you p[ut any power to it though.

If you're making your own brackets Subarus have a park brake built into the front caliper. I've looked into using them instead of the harder to find GM calipers with park brake. With the GM you need to use the park brake often to keep it in adjustment or you'll find it doesn't work when you need it! I don't know how the subaru park brake works, but there was nothing in the owners manual of the ones I've owned before about using the park brake to keep it adjusted.



Thanks Frank...
Disc brakes are a ways off for now. I just put all brand new hardware on the rears. I think that they will suffice for the time being. Being that the car probably won't be on the road till probably late spring of 2020.
77 CJ5 360
73 Gremlin 401 4 speed
2006 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD
My Garage
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