TheAMCForum.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > The Lounge Area > Member Projects
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - 1973 Gremlin Project.... "The Demise of Sanity"
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Click for TheAMCForum Rules / Click for PDF version of Forum Rules
Your donations help keep this valuable resource free and growing. Thank you.

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

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 2829303132 101>
Author
Message
blumontag View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted
Avatar

Joined: Mar/05/2013
Location: minneapolis
Status: Offline
Points: 834
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote blumontag Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/11/2018 at 2:23pm
Nice work!
72 Gremlin X
Back to Top
farna View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar
Moderator Lost Dealership Project

Joined: Jul/08/2007
Location: South Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 19611
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/13/2018 at 7:12am
Looking good! Going to be one straight Gremlin!

Frank Swygert
Back to Top
BrotherBamc View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar

Joined: Jan/22/2009
Location: Lewiston
Status: Offline
Points: 2248
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrotherBamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/14/2018 at 11:16am
Thanks guys.. and that's the plan, is one straight, clean Gremlin.. Big smile

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.. Clap

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.. Ouch
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'... 






77 CJ5 360
73 Gremlin 401 4 speed
2006 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD
My Garage
Back to Top
farna View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar
Moderator Lost Dealership Project

Joined: Jul/08/2007
Location: South Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 19611
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/15/2018 at 6:41am
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
Back to Top
LeviBetz View Drop Down
AMC Fan
AMC Fan
Avatar

Joined: Jul/30/2018
Location: Alaska
Status: Offline
Points: 21
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LeviBetz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/15/2018 at 6:59pm
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
Back to Top
BrotherBamc View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar

Joined: Jan/22/2009
Location: Lewiston
Status: Offline
Points: 2248
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrotherBamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/22/2018 at 12:32am
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. Ouch
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. Big smile
77 CJ5 360
73 Gremlin 401 4 speed
2006 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD
My Garage
Back to Top
BrotherBamc View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar

Joined: Jan/22/2009
Location: Lewiston
Status: Offline
Points: 2248
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrotherBamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/30/2018 at 11:30pm
More mock up.. 
I like this one. 1970 bumper. I just lost about 150 or so pounds off of the front end. Big smile
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...!!! Big smile
77 CJ5 360
73 Gremlin 401 4 speed
2006 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD
My Garage
Back to Top
Fluffy73 View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted
Avatar

Joined: Nov/21/2007
Location: Castlegar, BC
Status: Offline
Points: 3059
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fluffy73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/31/2018 at 2:05am
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.
Back to Top
BrotherBamc View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar

Joined: Jan/22/2009
Location: Lewiston
Status: Offline
Points: 2248
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrotherBamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/31/2018 at 8:21am
Originally posted by Fluffy73 Fluffy73 wrote:

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.
 

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. Big smile
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. Ouch
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..!!! 
77 CJ5 360
73 Gremlin 401 4 speed
2006 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD
My Garage
Back to Top
amcenthusiast View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted
Avatar

Joined: Jul/02/2012
Location: SW Atlanta GA
Status: Offline
Points: 1778
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amcenthusiast Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/01/2018 at 9:00am
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/
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 2829303132 101>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.03
Copyright ©2001-2019 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.156 seconds.
All content of this site Copyright © 2018 TheAMCForum unless otherwise noted, all rights reserved.
PROBLEMS LOGGING IN or REGISTERING:
If you have problems logging in or registering, then please contact a Moderator or