Update: Pro-Touring '75 Gremlin

[whitey02]

It's been quite a while since my last post (a year+), but I have finally begun some real progress on my Gremlin.

Here is the backstory: my Dad and I are building this as a father/son project. Right now I have just finished my first year at The University of Texas at Austin and we are hoping that we can get our long term project driving by the time I graduate (4 year plan :D ). We are making no compromises on chassis and suspension so I will not ever have to upgrade those components. We're building it right the first time!:thumbsup:

We did some thinking about the direction we wanted to go with the car, and with seeing some of these amazing builds on this forum, my head has been filled with cool ideas along with some ideas that I already had on my own.

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves as I introduce Project Barf Bag:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3555/3605175713_9079c96d97_z.jpg

This build has officially begun with the installation of the AME Tri-4 Bar with a factory Ford 9" housing that I already had. First my dad and I had to put new tubes on the housing center section because of some factory ridges that were in the way of the triangulated links

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4745962741_c9eac2bcb2_z.jpg

Originally I was planning on cutting the factory frame rails out of the car and using some 2x4 bent rails left over from my dad's race car days, but as we discovered the factory rails are quite beefy (much more than a Camaro!!) so we went ahead and began building the 4-link on the factory rails. They are 2.25" wide and parallel from front to back. They were also in the correct place for AME's Tri-4 bar so since this is never going to be an all out race car, they will do just fine.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4746601938_be09dac7dc_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4117/4746602472_bc93270603_z.jpg

Here you can see the frame rail as well as the gap between the inner tub and the rail. The car will get the tubs expanded at a later time.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4745964491_02722593f4_z.jpg

Here you can see where the brackets have been tacked on to the housing. Getting the angles correct on the triangulated links took a little bit of patience :_paranoid

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4746604202_30705ac897_z.jpg

more to come soon :lateral:

[whitey02]

Explanation on the title of Project Barf Bag

"Suddenly, Teague had an idea...what if he took the brand new Javelin platform, and simply ‘chopped’ it off as short as possible to make it a subcompact?... Teague grabbed the nearest available piece of paper and sketched out the idea, and that very same piece of paper made it all the way back to the design studio when it was time to mock up a proposal. Never before had an air sickness bag played such an instrumental role in a new automobile program!" - http://www.gremlinx.com/Gremlin-history.htm


Short version: The Gremlin was designed on a barf bag! And any passengers that will ride with me are going to need one when I'm through with them! I'll have to get one for the glovebox:cool:

[deuce_454]

i love it!

but how will you get the stance right with the stock rails in place??

[whitey02]

Getting the housing squared up in the car

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4745966331_69c281e363_z.jpg

The top links are tacked into place onto the frame rails

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4745967009_808c5d1ef3_z.jpg

Here is the front crossmember (not surprisingly another leftover from a race car) for the bottom parallel links. Already cut to fit

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4746709232_f7bebe1834_z.jpg

Here are the attachment brackets already boxed for the front mounting points for the parallel links

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4115/4745973709_0f91a7dbf2_z.jpg

[whitey02]

but how will you get the stance right with the stock rails in place??

The factory tubs are almost already there in terms of wideness, they will only be widened about 1.25". They also have a large amount of height. Where we have the rear end set gives us 2.5" of upward travel at a drivable ride height, I don't remember off the top of my head the exact figure because the car is at the shop. But these quick and dirty mock up pictures may give you an idea. The wood box is the ground, distance from the top of the box is ride height. It looked good:thumbsup:

The wheel is a 18x12 with a 335/30 18R tire borrowed from another car for a second

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4746744876_a57b5d6c67_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4746105601_6f014c0486_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4746105667_cbf745951b_z.jpg

sorry about the cell phone picture, I didn't have my camera on that day.

P.S. do you like the trailer light connection? It had a hitch on it when I bought the car, thought about leaving it there... :rofl::willy:

[detailing_dude]

They had unbelievable kick up in the factory rails; it was like this car was begging to be modified.:willy:

[ArisESQ]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4746744876_a57b5d6c67_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4746105601_6f014c0486_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4746105667_cbf745951b_z.jpg




That's with the stock tubs?! I'm shocked that much tire would fit under there! It'll be a perfect fit once you get them pushed in another half an inch or so!

[whitey02]

That's with the stock tubs?! I'm shocked that much tire would fit under there! It'll be a perfect fit once you get them pushed in another half an inch or so!

All that we're going to do is bring the tub in one more inch in the middle and square it up in the back, the back of the tub tapers as it goes to the back of the car. A lot of the things on this car have worked out very well so far in regard to measurements

[whitey02]

All four bars tacked into place

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4745970957_7a3b1b1f6a_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4746612120_49a8f67981_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4745974377_dd0ca34409_z.jpg

[whitey02]

Cutting out a section off of the bottom shock mount. The shock mount will be tied together onto the bottom link/swaybar bracket on the housing. I have a picture of the shocks mocked up into place, but none up close of the bracket on the housing

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4077/4745968319_5b4aa2d185_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4746607940_3f08d1d81d_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4745969675_67ddbb6beb_z.jpg

All the brackets on the car and the brackets on the housing are ready to be welded out and should be finished later this afternoon. More pics later :lateral:

[coolwelder62]

Nice work on the project you got going there.Cant wait to see more.:thumbsup:

[steinepstein]

Man, this is really cool and great fab work....subscribed.

Where did you get the shock mounts...fabbed or purchased...I need some of those.

Thanks,

Jon

[ja.stoner63]

Sweet idea in motion...keep us posted. :thumbsup:

[whitey02]

Where did you get the shock mounts...fabbed or purchased...I need some of those.

Nearly everything came in the kit from Art Morrison including those 3 hole shock mounts for the housing. I'm guessing that is what you are asking about... They probably sell those separately

[mike343sharpstk]

This thing is cool, I hope you keep it AMC powered.:_paranoid
Now that my '69 Javelin is on the road I've been thinking about what I might do next, I want to do a Red White and Blue humpster Javelin, but both my wife and a good friend want me to do a Pro Touring Purple Gremlin, which would also be cool.
Interestingly Gremlins do have some SCCA race history.
http://www.genefeltonrestorations.com/pics/genes_rides/1976_may_genes_mighty_gremlin_laguna_seca.jpg
http://www.genefeltonrestorations.com/pics/genes_rides/1975_august9_gremlin_imsabfgoodrichradialchallenge _talladega.jpg

[Headlines]

Very cool

My brother bought a Gemlin X New when he was in Art School (Snot Green in color)

I know it is sick to say, but i always liked those cars! Then again I liked The Monkeys Music back in the day as well

:rofl:

[Bryce]

awesomeness!