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78 GT JOURNEY

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kcsamc View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kcsamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/22/2021 at 10:12pm
The two big goals for winter was to get the undercarriage completely cleaned of undercoating and to get the major metalwork/body welding projects done so that we could blast the undercarriage and engine bay on a good day in the spring.  As the dull and boring undercoating stripping continues, I decided to start some of the metal repair projects while the car was in position it was in on the rotisserie.

I decided to start in on the battery tray apron replacement and front splash pan fix.  Bob DeCosta had salvaged a clean apron panel from a junk yard donor car and had started some prep on it, so we didn't need to fabricate from scratch.



It looks like some battery leakage over the years had taken its toll and front splash panel was compromised as well.  I thought I would be just putting in a few small pieces on the splash panel but when I got to drilling out the holes where the splash panel and apron overlap for spot welds to the frame, the metal on the splash pan was paper thin from corrosion - I decided at that point the splash panel needed replaced.


I was hoping to keep moving on this once I got started so I put word out on facebook groups to see if any 1977+ NOS right splash panels were available in the wild.  I didn't get any quick hits and I was feeling like this could be a long haul search...  then I remembered that I had one or two later model panels in my swap meet for sale boxes and I went digging.  I found this panel - it is for 1980+ Eagles and upon close inspection, it had just (2) minor differences - the hole profile next to the battery - a vent?  who cares, and down at the bumper bracket - the geometry around the bracket looked different but still fit - cosmetics that can be fixed.  So with the NOS "bird-in-hand" I decided to call off the search and make use of this on this project for zero $ cost.



The above photo was taken after the panel was removed and the NOS Eagle piece was overlaid over the original 78 Gremlin piece for direct comparison.

Having decided the course of action, I got busy and drilled out the spot welds on the old apron / splash panel and got them separated from the body:




Body prep could now get started, as I began comparing the original apron to the metallic blue salvage unit.  On first glance things looked like it would be an easy transplant.  Below is the side by side (the original got hacked a bit so hard to see all comparisons).  In the next posting I will walk through the differences of an early battery tray apron panel verses a late model apron panel.  I had a bit of work to do!















Edited by kcsamc - Feb/22/2021 at 10:15pm
Kevin Shope
1964 Classic 660
67 Rogue 290-4V 4spd Conv
A-Scheme SC/Rambler (69 SC JOURNEY)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kcsamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/05/2021 at 9:45pm
Finally downloaded a few more photos so I can share them tonight.  When we left off, I was going to share what I learned in the differences between an early battery tray apron and the later ones, so I'll try not to be confusing.  The photo below is the donor apron just as I was cataloging what I had to do.  I'll describe the items below the photo per letter designation:



A - (14) factory holes must be welded shut, then new 1978 pattern redrilled

B - The 77-78 cars have more frontal slope, requiring a tapered snip across the top of the apron to fit the same

C - The whole lower front section that welds to the splash panel is different; I had to hammer the lip out flat, cut a section in the bend out, and add a new small piece in the lower front

D - A round cutout is needed to the top bumper bracket mounting bolt

E - Shown below, the splash panel has a headlight bowl recess in it that early panels do not, the weld lip has to be ground out here or there is interference as shown here.



Chronological photos of the modifications through to weld in place:











A blast and metal etch/weld thru primer where needed ( I'm not stripping every square inch of the undercarriage surfaces on this car - if the rust dip primer is biting hard - it stays - can see some still on this panel underside.



Clamping this panel was not easy - I really needed some monster sized clamps - I got the job done, but just barely with what I had.  The top rail of the aprons is too wide for the throat of most even large clamps.  After a couple hours I had it welded in and the next day got the welds ground down and dressed:



The front splash pan was up next, but I decided I wanted to have that panel welded on with the car sitting upright, so I worked on prep of that new panel, while doing one more welding project while car was over on its side.  Next posting I will dive into that interesting fix that I'm betting few have ever had to do...Confused

The above is done except for putting in some "fake" spot welds to make it look more factory.




Edited by kcsamc - Mar/13/2021 at 9:26pm
Kevin Shope
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67 Rogue 290-4V 4spd Conv
A-Scheme SC/Rambler (69 SC JOURNEY)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kcsamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/06/2021 at 9:28pm
The other Saturday I started fixing this rather butchered heater motor opening in the firewall:



Bob had given me a salvage piece he had got from somewhere to repair this section, so I was able to dive right into it.  I set the profile and cut out the section I wanted plus a little temporary alignment section at the heater core tube opening:





After a lot of cutting and fitting to get it just right, I locked it in tight for tack welding:


I see that my welding and finishing photos are still on the phone, so I'll have to post those the next time I continue on.  One more posting to catch up to current events.  On the above I just wish my welding was as nice as the buttweld fitting Confused










Kevin Shope
1964 Classic 660
67 Rogue 290-4V 4spd Conv
A-Scheme SC/Rambler (69 SC JOURNEY)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kcsamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/10/2021 at 9:57pm
To finish off the firewall patch in project, after some fun welding and lots of grinding, reweld and more grinding, we had a finished product for this highly visible area in the engine bay:



Back on the battery tray area, I needed to make one big modification to the NOS Eagle splash panel to make it a bit closer to the original Gremlin piece.  Down at the bumper bracket opening, I cut the bottom piece from the old original one, removed the necessary section of the NOS one and butt welded the old piece on for a nicely grafted hybrid NOS part, then it was time for blasting and treating for welding:











I decided I wanted to get this welded in with the body up flat so I could get the proper positioning for radiator mounting, etc. so I needed to finish up the last of the left side undercoating scraping.

A last photo of the 70% cleaned undercarriage before rolling over:


After getting some help to roll, it was time to start some final fitup of the splash panel this past Saturday and clamping it down:



Step one was to get the splash panel welded to the front frame rails, grind and then set for the core support to the splash panel.  I will post final attach photos next time.

I enjoy a chance to get dad involved in something on the projects in the shop when they visit.  We had a few hours in the shop together last Saturday and to give him something meaningful to do, I asked him to polish the paint a bit on the rear quarter so we can find the dents easier.  I have decided to bring in a dent doctor to help pull the dents as much as possible - the rear quarters were knocked around a bit.  Hoping by May to schedule in the dent doctor.  Caught dad rubbing down the original blue paint:



The fun days are when parts arrive for the build.  Recently a friend dropped by on a Sunday afternoon with some great stuff for us!



A really nice condition grille from his 77 Gremlin that we can refinish into the GT grille.  This one has just one very minor crack so it is better than the original one from the car.  A thread later on will cover the process of getting this ready for the car.

The main purpose of the visit was to review our plan for decal reproduction before I start stripping mine off the car.  With some non UV damaged pieces of my blue and this NOS side set in Orange, plus flares and a hood we can take along with for scanning, it looks like we can pull off making a complete decal set for these cars.  For those other few GT owners that are salivating right now, be patient, we are cooking up an opportunity for the future.



The same weekend the grille came, we got two boxes we were expecting with some goodies!



Some NOS smalls for P.S. pump mounting, an NOS rear bumper guard, NOS lower V8 radiator hose, and in a another shipment from a fellow forum member here - a used right side mirror!

A few days later Jim Webb sent me these NOS front bumper guards - the box smelled heavy of rubber when I opened that musty original box!



NOS stuff is so addicting!

While surfing the net checking out sources for items - I ran across a Jeep place that sells the correct orange LEVI tag for the front seats.  They are not cheap, but they are well done, and at least I don't need to go thrift store shopping for old blue jeans to rip apart.  Maybe this will help someone else out there:










Edited by kcsamc - Mar/10/2021 at 10:01pm
Kevin Shope
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67 Rogue 290-4V 4spd Conv
A-Scheme SC/Rambler (69 SC JOURNEY)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zioamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/13/2021 at 9:54am
if i remember correct them tabs on the rocker were for holding park brake cable up so not to drag coming from the body shop upstairs car is coming along maybe see it next year in Kenosha
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BU1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/13/2021 at 2:04pm
Originally posted by Zioamc Zioamc wrote:

if i remember correct them tabs on the rocker were for holding park brake cable up so not to drag coming from the body shop upstairs
 
 That sounds logical to me!  Thanks.
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#2 1968 AMX Rally Green 290 N code 4spd since 2019 #02959
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kcsamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/13/2021 at 9:19pm
Originally posted by Zioamc Zioamc wrote:

if i remember correct them tabs on the rocker were for holding park brake cable up so not to drag coming from the body shop upstairs car is coming along maybe see it next year in Kenosha

Dave - interesting recollection!  So did the bodies have some of the dash items in it before coming down?  Assuming there must have been some stuff if the brake cable was hanging around there.

I think the next Kenosha will be too early for a debut but it would be so cool if it was - would make a great Kenosha cruising car for that weekend.  I work on it every week - but you know me - I'm way too slow!
Kevin Shope
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67 Rogue 290-4V 4spd Conv
A-Scheme SC/Rambler (69 SC JOURNEY)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bwrpacer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/15/2021 at 2:13pm
Kevin, thought this might interest you. There is a 1978 Gremlin X, Levis edition for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Warminster, PA. 96,667 miles, orange /black interior. I didn't know how close Warminster is to you. Item  # 445698850024800. Only a 4 cylinder
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kcsamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/16/2021 at 10:33am
Originally posted by bwrpacer bwrpacer wrote:

Kevin, thought this might interest you. There is a 1978 Gremlin X, Levis edition for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Warminster, PA. 96,667 miles, orange /black interior. I didn't know how close Warminster is to you. Item  # 445698850024800. Only a 4 cylinder

Bruce - not tempted - you need that!  don't need trouble at home for dragging home more stray cats!  A V8 convertible is the only thing on the wish list right now.  If it was a $400 Blue Levi interior parts Gremlin maybe...
Kevin Shope
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67 Rogue 290-4V 4spd Conv
A-Scheme SC/Rambler (69 SC JOURNEY)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kcsamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/21/2021 at 9:22pm
A little progress report from the past week or so.

First a little history on the car.  A few owners back, the car was gutted and looked to have been prepped for a potential racing career.  Thankfully it didn't make it any further than the roll cage when Bob grabbed up the car:





Bob had cut the rollcage out and did some prep work on the floors before we got it, however the floor reinforcement plates were still solid welded to the floor.  At first I planned to leave them, but after doing some inspection underneath, I had found that they had a first drilled a hole in the floor, most likely planning to put the tubing through the floor and then decided not to - but that left an opening for water to get into a trapped area and start rust, so I had to remove the front floor pan plates to prep and do a repair - there was also a quarter sized spot on the overlap seam that needed cut out right beside it and repaired on the left side.  So a lot of grinding later, both plates were removed and welds ground down to start the repairs this week.











I used the firewall patch piece to make this insert since the metal is 100% the same.  Welded a nail to it to help hold it and use as a good welding ground for the clamp.  I'll get both sides finished up this week and that will leave just one legit rear quarter rust patch to make for the right rear to finish the body metal work requirements on this CA body.

I started a side project on the back porch the other week - the restoration of the heater box.  I grabbed a DMT heater box foam/seal kit and started tearing this down.  These are more complicated than the old 60s boxes I'm used to...

This box is a hot mess inside - it appears as though the original heater core had been leaking for some time and the inside of this box is rusted worse than the suspension parts on this car or anywhere on the undercarriage.  I guess it will just make for better before - after comparison photos!  Some photos of the tear down:











After a fair amount of drilling and grinding rivets - the box was apart and the pieces for restoring were sent to the shop for rework, there will be a fair amount of work to do to make this ready for the car again.  Some of the crusty parts before work started:



The heater fan motor had a bad ground wire and didn't seem to be in the best shape so I sourced a NOS one from Harold Wenner on a good deal.  I have to grab a heater core yet and then I will have all the pieces.

The heater box did cough up one relic from the car's past - a parking pass from California!





This past week I also started restoring the right side spindle assembly pieces in OEM black powder coat.  These pieces turn out nice with such great base metal:



I blasted and zinc-tin plated the caliper holder's machined surfaces and then black powdercoated the rest so that no bare metal exists (although it looks like it does):


The spindles are getting down in similar way.  Blasted and plated up to the surface point for the rear bearing, then masked off and the back powder coated so that the front doesn't rust bleed someday:







After all the parts restoration work was finished this weekend, the tally of finished parts was a good grouping of heater box pieces and suspension parts (all the black parts powder coated):



Right before calling it a weekend, the buzzer went off on the final powder coated part of the weekend - a mid sized heater box cover plate in OEM black:






Kevin Shope
1964 Classic 660
67 Rogue 290-4V 4spd Conv
A-Scheme SC/Rambler (69 SC JOURNEY)
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