Your donations help keep this valuable resource free and growing. Thank you.
|
1973 Gremlin Project.... "The Demise of Sanity" |
Post Reply | Page <1 2829303132 101> |
Author | |
blumontag
AMC Addicted Joined: Mar/05/2013 Location: minneapolis Status: Offline Points: 834 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Nice work!
|
|
72 Gremlin X
|
|
farna
Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19611 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Looking good! Going to be one straight Gremlin! |
|
Frank Swygert
|
|
BrotherBamc
Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jan/22/2009 Location: Lewiston Status: Offline Points: 2248 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Thanks guys.. and that's the plan, is one straight, clean Gremlin.. Got the door hinges on the doors and got the doors bolted on the body. What a pain. Nothing is lining up properly and I knew it was going to be this way. Being's that I had to rebuild the hinges anyways and not marking anything on the body when I took things apart. Yeah, it has been one big pain. I used a motorcycle jack to help hold the door up and kind of in position. Plus a few 2x4's and a few other odds and ends. Part of my problem that I am having is even with the rotisserie locked in position, it still moves on you. (And no extra set of hands) So, today's plan of attack is to remove the rotisserie and put the car back on jack stands for a spell and recruit some help. This was one part that I was worried about. I had to replace the striker plate on the drivers side. Looks like I did good on this one.. Terrible body line... Looks like I have to bring the door up and out... Gap between door and fender is decent. (to my eyes) Passenger side has a terrible gap and the body line isn't up to snuff... Needs to come up and out just like the drivers side does. I think I can pull that fender in by grinding off a little bit of the bracket that holds the fender to the pillar...??? Not sure if that's such a good idea or not. Everything else looks pretty good on the doors. Bottom gap is good. Back body line looks really good too. I know that these cars came from the factory with not the best body lines nor the best fitting pieces and parts. But, I will succeed...!!! Or kill myself trying.. And I am not looking forward to having to remove everything for final paint. I just want to put it back together and go hot roddin'... |
|
farna
Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19611 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I was going to point out that the body lines are close enough that they are probably factory, but you got to that in your last sentence. I don't blame you for wanting to improve the front body line. If you an do it by grinding on the fender mount and moving the fender instead of the door on I don't see why not... unless it throws alignment with the A pillar off...
|
|
Frank Swygert
|
|
LeviBetz
AMC Fan Joined: Jul/30/2018 Location: Alaska Status: Offline Points: 21 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Hummm those lines don't look right, I think factory they were much tighter. I'd keep working on those gaps. Don't jump ahead or you will be hating life once it's all nicely painted and you have a giant gaping gap and misaligned panels. Mockup, mockup, mockup, mockup
|
|
BrotherBamc
Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jan/22/2009 Location: Lewiston Status: Offline Points: 2248 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I got the doors and fenders as close as I could with out breaking anything. I fought those for a couple days and I finally had to take a full day off from it. I removed the doors and loosened everything back up and I would come up with the same result(s) After everything, I sat down and did a search and found a few old threads on "twisted doors". I don't know if small bodied cars are as susceptible as big bodied cars or not. Couldn't find anything on small bodied cars doing that, only the big bodied. I've got a nice gap all the way around both doors and the body lines are pretty spot on. It's the gap between the fender and the upper part of the door. The upper hinges are all the way out as far as the they will go. It's as if the door has twisted some. The drivers door is of course worse then the passenger side, and that's par for the course. I might also add that the fenders are not original to the car either. The only other alternative that I can think of is hogging out the hinge holes in the direction that I need the door to go in and I am not digging that idea at all. For now, it is what it's going to be. Dug up a bunch of "stuff" that I've been hanging on to for a few years. I am trying to not use any aftermarket fasteners with the assembly except where needed. So this is some of the stuff that I either stripped from cars in the past or threw in my tool box when at a wrecking yard pulling stuff. Car comes off the rotisserie tomorrow for some more mock up. Rear end/springs and torque link time and I want to get some primer on where the rotisserie attaches to the frame on the front and the back. If I get "ambitious" again I might see if there is any body flex from being on the rotisserie causing the door issues. AND CHECK IT FOR ABOUT THE 10,000th TIME... I really don't think that's the problem, but I can check into it.
|
|
BrotherBamc
Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jan/22/2009 Location: Lewiston Status: Offline Points: 2248 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
More mock up.. I like this one. 1970 bumper. I just lost about 150 or so pounds off of the front end. And yes, the bumpers will be re-plated. I've thought about painting the bumpers, but with the bright work that I have already, I don't think painting them will do any justice for the car. Don't get me wrong here, I've seen lots of painted bumpers that I have liked, but it's not for this car. Looks all cool and stuff, but it's not going to work at this time, if at all. The emergency brake bracket on the drivers side interferes where the end link brackets would bolt to the frame on the drivers side. Also, the torque link bolts are really close where the end links would bolt up. I could cut the emergency brake bracket off and fabricate something up, but I would rather have a nice working emergency brake then a rear sway bar. More battles to continue...!!!
|
|
Fluffy73
AMC Addicted Joined: Nov/21/2007 Location: Castlegar, BC Status: Offline Points: 3059 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I had to modify my e-brake cable bracket slightly when I put the rear sway bar in my Hornet.
If memory serves, all I had to do was trim the rear part of the bracket maybe an inch? The beauty part in my case was that the bracket had 1 or 2 spot welds holding it on and nothing more! Once I trimmed the bracket, the piece just fell off. I think I put a bolt through the frame to keep it all together - just in case. Are you using the matching 1 1/8" front bar? (the big Spirit sway bar) ? The front & rear bars together transformed how my Hornet handled. |
|
I am genetically incapable of being Politically Correct.
|
|
BrotherBamc
Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jan/22/2009 Location: Lewiston Status: Offline Points: 2248 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
If only I was so lucky to be able to just cut off a few spot welds. No, my emergency brake bracket is welded on pretty good. Front and back. I have a front sway bar and I believe its the big one. I never measured the diameter of it. Now you've got me curious. I'll have to measure and see. I've found places that are really welded well, and places that aren't so much. Take for instance the left back seat bracket. The one that is welded on the wheel well. It was welded on so good that when the factory welded it, they blew through the wheel well. The front cross member that I have looked like it was started on the Friday, and finished on a Monday. The welds were terrible on it. I had a shop re-weld some of the welds and then smooth some of them up. There has been a few spots that I've seen and say to myself... W.T.F. ??? I guess as long as weld held it was good enough..!!! LOL..!!!
|
|
amcenthusiast
AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/02/2012 Location: SW Atlanta GA Status: Offline Points: 1778 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Oh yeah! Looking great BrotherB! ...big smile on my face...
That'll really pay off to apply all your patience & make the door and fender lines as straight as possible (how may I encourage you to do your best) It's work, but you'll get a very satisfying, long lasting, sense of accomplishment. Man, your car's gonna handle great with that Spirit AMX rear sway bar. (assuming stock front bar) You're gonna love it. I do, just lookin' at the pics. thanks for posting |
|
443 XRV8 Gremlin YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=2DmFOKRuzUc
XRV8 Race Parts website: http://amcramblermarlin.1colony.com/ |
|
Post Reply | Page <1 2829303132 101> |
Tweet
|
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |