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

Never fails...

I think I find a nice piece to this puzzle and U.S.P.S. smashed the package and broke it...

The person I got it from offered to refund my money, but I said it was fine. Just something else I have to fix...

Rear glass is over at the window tint place. I won't get that back till later this evening. Guy was nice enough to add it to his pile of work.

Still up in the air about the gasket that goes around the window and attaches the window trim. Did some running around today. Couldn't find what I was looking for. That's the way it goes in my home town. Try to support the local economy, and there is nothing to be found. Got a few ideas. One is urethane and the other is glass setting tape which I believe was what was original. Ask about either rubber setting tape or glass setting tape and people look at you like... DUH...?!?!?!

I have another option and that is to make my own gasket out of right stuff. The only problem with that is I don't know if it will stick to the glass and to the stainless window trim. Glass shop guy said to use a little primer in the channel to make sure the trim actually sticks.

Anyways...

Here's a few pics of my busted up junk...

Thank you U.S.P.S. AKA: United States Package Smasher's... 

Came out pretty nice. I think I could of used a little more right stuff in a couple of places, but I am happy with the results. All the mounting brackets got a nice blast and fresh coat of paint. The "buttons" on the outside were done in gloss black and a couple of coats of clear. N.O.S. gaskets and hand cut rubber from an old truck tube will hopefully keep it all in place.

There has to be a special tool that AMC used at the factory to install these "buttons" to get them tight. The ends are a square head and there isn't a tool in my pile that fits. Metric or standard. I'll worry about that when I get to install everything. The tint is 15%.

The spring shocks that hold the window are made of nice soft aluminum and they will polish up quite nicely. Found that out by mistake by just cleaning them with a piece of scotch brite. I'll finish them up in the morning.

Thanks for the tip and the reminder. I have a set around here, or I used to have. They might of got lifted when my storage shed was broke into by crack heads.

Had to figure out a new rubber bushing that goes between the brackets. Piece of rubber hose cut to length and that part was figured out easily enough.

 

They are kind of tight, but I figure once the new paint wears off and the rubber gets a little worn, it'll work just fine.

And so far right stuff seems to be holding everything together. I have seen no separation from the frame or the glass. My local glass shop said to use urethane. Read the back of a can of Right Stuff and it doesn't list really what it is, but I think that it is a form of urethane. (just a guess) I may try to fill in few of the spots on the outside of the glass that I think didn't get enough. There is a space between the frame and the glass on a few spots. I really think that those need to be filled so that water and dirt don't get stuck in between.

Still have drivers side glass to finish polishing as well as the quarter windows. Be next week before I can get those over to the tint shop. Then to tackle the head liner as it needs some cleaning and attention too.

I got about 8 inches for free at the local parts store.

I also got a free piece of old truck tube to make new gaskets with.

It's amazing what people will do if you tell them you are working on an old car...

This has been fun...

Been working on the hood that I got to replace the one that I screwed up. It was screwed up to begin with and I am pretty lucky to get this one in as good as shape as it is in.

AMC quality control here on the front of the hood. Not very straight to say the least. This hood is from a 74 and the only difference that I can find is the emblem is different. And these ones are crooked as all get out... 

Little bit more grinding, sanding and a little bit of "all metal" (its a type of bondo) and these should be gone. Once I got the front edge sanded down and got the rust off, it had some serious rust pitting. I didn't think that just primer would cover them so they all got a good coat of all metal and a light coating of regular bondo. And trying to save the body line on the very front of the hood wasn't fun either. But I think I did a pretty good job by not taking it out... 

This was worse then what I thought it was on the underside. Lot of surface rust and a lot of sanding to try to get it down. I used a product called Rust Prep, smells an awful like muriatic acid. I sanded all that I could reach with 80 grit then sprayed and then brushed on Rust Prep. Turned all the rust black and where it was black, I ended up sanding most of it off and reapplying more of the Rust Prep. Kind of a waste of product, but I want to make sure that it doesn't come back and rust from the inside. Thought about having it sand blasted, but cost factors and not wanting to warp this hood kept me from blasting it. 

Made a few plugs today for the passenger side door. Hardest part was trying to get the plugs small enough to fit. Thought that these holes that I put in the door years ago, for a mirror, were too big to just weld up. So I made a couple of plugs from some scraps and used a stud gun. 

And you don't need to tell me about welding in a pair of sandals either. I didn't... 

I used a cold wet towel to try to keep things cool and took my time. I didn't want to warp things like I did with the last hood. 

Little bit of work and these will soon disappear... 

Also gonna have to do something different when I have to sand stuff down. What a mess...!!! Figured I would put some plastic sheeting up and make a make shift sanding booth/paint booth. I will be able to primer and paint the smaller stuff in my small garage, but when it comes time to do the car I am going to have to purchase one of those temp. garages and use my drive way to do the car for final paint. 

If anyone hasn't figured it out by now, I am doing this all by myself. Can't find a body shop in my home town to paint my car, then I will do it myself.