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

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   Thanks Bob... I do have the 4 inch wide moldings to put on. I may have to do a little bit more trimming to get that lower lip straighter. I'll get the moldings on and see. 

But, in the mean time. I had to fix this "ugly". 

Drivers side door striker. Granny was a very "BIG" woman. Every time she got out of the poor Gremlin, she used the drivers door to pull herself up and out of the car. It didn't take very long after I got the car that the door hinges started to go south.  For the longest time I had just a steel bar just about the thickness of the adjustment washers that held the striker plate in line with the door. 

Trying to cut a straight line with an angle grinder wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. 
But..!!! 
I was able to get the lower right hand corner square and I had some measuring to do also. 
I had to get the striker plate and the hole where the striker bolt in the right spot or this was going to be all in vain. 

The piece that I started with was quite a bit bigger then this. I had to cut it down. And being from a late model Javelin it was doubled walled construction. The Gremlin is just a single piece of metal. 
So, I cut this down just above and below where the spot welds are. 

Striker bolt has to be no more then 2 inches away from the inner wall. Since my Gremlin has pop out windows there is a hole that I measured from to the bottom of the striker hole. 18 1/2 inches. 
Not the prettiest cuts and my hole wasn't really square and I've gotten this far, so lets weld it up. 

I got this far and I was debating on what to use to cover this mess up with. Did a little youtube searching and I found a product called "bondo glass". I read that it is a lot more flexible then All Metal. So I went and bought a can of it and tried it out. 

Yep.. that's bondo glass. Sanded really easy and smooth too. 

After a skim coat of regular bondo. The only thing I am worried about is slamming the door too hard.  
I guess only time will tell. 

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BrotherBamc Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jan/22/2009 Location: Lewiston Status: Offline Points: 2248	Post Options Post Reply Quote BrotherBamc Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb/07/2018 at 12:03pm
	Thanks Bob... I do have the 4 inch wide moldings to put on. I may have to do a little bit more trimming to get that lower lip straighter. I'll get the moldings on and see. But, in the mean time. I had to fix this "ugly". Drivers side door striker. Granny was a very "BIG" woman. Every time she got out of the poor Gremlin, she used the drivers door to pull herself up and out of the car. It didn't take very long after I got the car that the door hinges started to go south. For the longest time I had just a steel bar just about the thickness of the adjustment washers that held the striker plate in line with the door. Trying to cut a straight line with an angle grinder wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. But..!!! I was able to get the lower right hand corner square and I had some measuring to do also. I had to get the striker plate and the hole where the striker bolt in the right spot or this was going to be all in vain. The piece that I started with was quite a bit bigger then this. I had to cut it down. And being from a late model Javelin it was doubled walled construction. The Gremlin is just a single piece of metal. So, I cut this down just above and below where the spot welds are. Striker bolt has to be no more then 2 inches away from the inner wall. Since my Gremlin has pop out windows there is a hole that I measured from to the bottom of the striker hole. 18 1/2 inches. Not the prettiest cuts and my hole wasn't really square and I've gotten this far, so lets weld it up. I got this far and I was debating on what to use to cover this mess up with. Did a little youtube searching and I found a product called "bondo glass". I read that it is a lot more flexible then All Metal. So I went and bought a can of it and tried it out. Yep.. that's bondo glass. Sanded really easy and smooth too. After a skim coat of regular bondo. The only thing I am worried about is slamming the door too hard. I guess only time will tell.
	77 CJ5 360 73 Gremlin 401 4 speed 2006 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD My Garage

mrblatzman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Oct/01/2008 Location: Alabama CSA Status: Offline Points: 2155	Post Options Post Reply Quote mrblatzman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb/07/2018 at 6:02pm
	Good looking repair of this problem area...Properly aligned striker and door latch that has been cleaned of all old grease, dirt, and relubricated those doors will shut with just a little click and never have to be slammed or shut hard again....Most of the problems with these parts are caused by misalignment and lack of lubrication...I don't ever remember lubricating any hinges or door latches on any of my newer daily driver vehicles...ever...Bob in Alabama
	Thankyou....Bob

farna Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19676	Post Options Post Reply Quote farna Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb/08/2018 at 6:14am
	I don't think you'll have to worry about slamming the door -- unless the panel the striker is on actually starts to bend. I have used a fiberglass reinforced bondo before, the shop that clued me in on it called it "kitty hair" -- looks like someone stuck cat hair in the bondo (but it's fiberglass strands...). Sands down nice though...
	Frank Swygert

BrotherBamc Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jan/22/2009 Location: Lewiston Status: Offline Points: 2248	Post Options Post Reply Quote BrotherBamc Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb/09/2018 at 10:18am
	Pretty much scrap...!!! The one on the left. The plate is heat warped and doesn't fit either the upper frame rail right or the rear frame rail. After spending most of the day trying to figure out where it was bent. In my disgust, I set it on the floor so it was flat and then stomped on one end (the plate end) and that's when I found the warp. Everything is square, but I guess when they (who ever made them) got the weld(s) too hot and warped the plate. The only other option is to cut off the old plate and try to weld on a new one. But I am afraid that cutting the plate off might warp the tubing itself. The other option is to go buy some steel and make my own. Buddy suggested heating the plate up with a rosebud but I'm afraid that it would just warp more. Fit's like crap..!!! Doesn't even align with the front frame rail. And if I do try to make it fit the plate doesn't fit square against the rear frame rail... Passenger side fits great. Except for the floor pan. I'd have to cut part of the floor in the back seat area to get these to fit right. I've already had to cut about 2 inches out of them. They were too long to begin with and interfered with the transmission cross member. So, I am back to square one when it comes to sub frame connectors... It's a must have on this car, IMO and I guess I will have to make new ones. I want to run them down the inside of the frame if possible as I would loose too much ground clearance with these and I am NOT going to cut the rear floor pan up. Taking the weekend off from this. kind of frustrated and disgusted with it. I don't know how much CRAP I've purchased over the years that doesn't fit or work.
	77 CJ5 360 73 Gremlin 401 4 speed 2006 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD My Garage

pit crew Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: delete Status: Offline Points: 5341	Post Options Post Reply Quote pit crew Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb/09/2018 at 12:17pm
	If you do decide to make another set of frame connectors consider using rectangular tubing to claw back some ground clearance.
	73 Hornet - 401EFI - THM400 - Twin Grip 20

BrotherBamc Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jan/22/2009 Location: Lewiston Status: Offline Points: 2248	Post Options Post Reply Quote BrotherBamc Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb/26/2018 at 11:46am
	Thank you everyone... Not much to report on. Still having a hard time locating the proper sized steel for making a set of frame connectors. Every place that I go to, in my home town won't order the size that I am wanting to use. So that's on hold for right now. I am in a much larger town for a couple of days and I am hoping that I can find what I am looking for here. Been playing with the rocker trim for the past week. I would not recommend attaching a buffing wheel to an angle grinder like I have. It's rather dangerous and you get everything everywhere. Clean up consisted of a very fine scotchbrite pad and purple power at full strength.... Cleaned up pretty good... Not too bad considering what I have to work with. Top piece is un-touched and the bottom piece has a few hours into it.. Just a few "HOURS"... These are used so there is going to be a few dings and creases that are far beyond my paygrade to remove. I wasn't too happy with the condition of the metal once I polished it up. Being used and from what I can tell being on the drivers side it must of took an awful lot of abuse from the weather and such. Look closely at it and you will see flaws that I can not get out. Maybe its a good thing that it went "flying" As I was finally almost done with this one piece, I had my "buffing wheel" in the wrong direction and I caught the edge. The only thing that I remember was like a huge explosion and stuff went everywhere. Yup, I kind of ruined it.. I was able to repair the dent along the edge but the piece is warped and I don't think that I will be able to repair it. Couple days worth of work right down the ole crapper... I was able to find a N.O.S. one on ebay and I have that one on the way. So, now my problem is how do I match the used one with the N.O.S. one. I will have to wait until I get it to see. Once I finally figured out the clips I was able to mark and drill the holes. This was prior to any clean up or polishing work. But now that I have holes in my rocker panels I am kind of committed to using these. The "Battles" continue...
	77 CJ5 360 73 Gremlin 401 4 speed 2006 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD My Garage

BrotherBamc Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jan/22/2009 Location: Lewiston Status: Offline Points: 2248	Post Options Post Reply Quote BrotherBamc Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Mar/14/2018 at 12:19pm
	I know that this isn't AMC related, but this is what I have been doing the past 2 weeks. When my Father passed 5 years ago, he left me his "Legacy". He retired in 1992 but he had been pretty much collecting his whole life as he was a "train" guy. I am to, in a way, but not to the length or level that he went. He spent most of his retirement and 20 plus years on this layout. This is all S-guage track and trains. He kept every box for every car or locomotive that he purchased through out his life. Underneath the layout was where everything was kept. After about 2 weeks of work, I now have everything boxed up in it's proper box. The sad thing is when my Dad died, so did the secret of turning on this massive train set. It has never ran since his passing. He had 3 different types of controllers for 3 different types of trains and from what I found out through some of his late friends is that you don't want to just go turning on things and trying to get things to run. Some of the locomotives have sound boards (electronics) in them and if you were to turn on the wrong train with the wrong transformer, you have a great possibility of burning up the electronics. Mom would always get upset or depressed when she had to go down stairs. It's been sitting idle since he passed in 2013. Mom wanted to sell the whole thing to one person, in one big lump sum, but I talked her out of it and hopefully we can get more for it by piecing it out then just one big sell. The "plan" is to go to the up coming Lewis and Clark Train show and sell what we can. I am also going to open up an eBay store after the show. He called it the "Oak Bridge Lines" after the 2 custom made solid oak bridges. One is about 12 feet in length and the other I think is about 14 feet. One is a single track and the other is a double track. I have a very large amount of A/C Gilbert American Flyer that he collected. (very few pieces are pre-war and most is post-war era) A very large amount of S-Helper/Showcase cars and locomotives. And, a few brands that I have never heard of. I've got box cars, stock cars, flat cars, 2 hopper cars, 3 hopper cars, tank cars, just about everything imaginable that you could and can think of. I am keeping a pair of Big-Boys and one of his Challenger models. I am also keeping a couple of the water tanks and a few smaller pieces as I am going to make a couple of "dioramas" out of those trains. Eventually that is the plan after I get the Gremlin done. A few pics before I started the inevitable... Do I feel bad..? Yes, I do. But what else can I do with it..? I gave the eulogy at my Fathers memorial service and he had a whole bunch of his model railroad friends there. At the end of the eulogy I asked if there was anyone that would be willing to come over and help me and show me just how to turn this on and to operated it properly with out ruining things. Want to know who showed up..?? No one. In the 5 years time since my Fathers passing not one of his railroad buddies has showed up. Such is life I guess. In the end we all will figure out the who and the what. I've also noticed that there are a few pieces missing. My Father, being legally blind since the age of 7 after a sledding accident had a couple of the guys help with stuff that he couldn't do to the caliber that he demanded from not only himself, but also to his layout. I think that he had sent out some pieces to either have "weatherized" (make look more realistic) or have some electronic(s) work done. Modern model trains sound and smoke just like the real ones do or did back in the day. I can remember coming home for a visit and smelling the smoke and the whole basement was almost like walking into a bar. Those pieces are gone and will never be recovered.
	77 CJ5 360 73 Gremlin 401 4 speed 2006 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD My Garage

pacerman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jul/03/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9057	Post Options Post Reply Quote pacerman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Mar/14/2018 at 1:25pm
	That is some layout. I both enjoy you for having a Dad so dedicated to his hobby and the fact that is now left to you. I empathize with you also regarding the effort required to dismantle, sort and sell it. I think most of us, even maybe some of our female forum members have an electric train story to tell from our childhood. Mine involves Lionel trains. Joe
	Happiness is making something out of nothing.

S Curry Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Aug/16/2012 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 598	Post Options Post Reply Quote S Curry Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Mar/14/2018 at 2:35pm
	That is a nice layout. I wonder if some of the locos were rebuilt with DC electric motors? Part of the layout could be run on DC and rest on AC that American Flyer was originally designed with? DC electric motors would give you better slow speed control. I'm just guessing. I do have several S guage sets along with Lionel and old HO and N scale. Since I've got into the AMC hobby, my wife said one or the other.....or I'd be interested...
	SC

farna Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19676	Post Options Post Reply Quote farna Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Mar/15/2018 at 5:32am
	There's a good chance none of his old friends really knew how to run the things... and didn't want to assist in burning anything up. Nice layout, I'm sure you're sad to break it up, but sounds like it might be best for your mother. I'm sure going down to an empty basement will be disheartening too, but at least she'll know someone somewhere is enjoying his trains.
	Frank Swygert