PDA

View Full Version : 73 Vintage GL Super Project


Komet
June 25th 2010, 00:26
So I've had my car for a while, and I just finished up my bachelor's degree, so I got it out of storage to start working on it again. Here's what I brought home in 2006, got it for $600 I think. The story goes that this was originally a drug dealer's car, and he went to jail shortly after the car got painted. His girlfriend sold it to a friend I had in one of my classes who was into restoring mustangs, and I bought it from him because he wanted it gone. It had quite a bit of money dumped into it, and although it had some really tacky stuff, I saw a lot of potential, so I picked it up.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1430/4731582991_8466ee5803.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4731582991/)

Parked next to my old '72 that I flipped on its roof one morning. Had a quart of bondo on the roof and never drove quite right after that, so I stole most of the goodies I had and sold it off.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1094/4732226414_d4b0b119d2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4732226414/)

This was just about exactly as much fun as it looked.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1205/4732226438_c1ceccfd94.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4732226438/)

My good 'ol 1600 S/P in the middle of a doghouse and alternator conversion.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1036/4732226454_758cbf1fd7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4732226454/)

Streetglow brah!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1058/4731583017_8daf737277.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4731583017/)

They're actually still on the car because I have to take the runningboards off to get them out, and I just haven't bothered. I promise, they will go. Although I did try powering the ballast box to see if they worked. They didn't.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1044/4731583031_982dbcebb8.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4731583031/)

Fast forward one year from when I bought it. Before I left for college, I managed to get the car running to my parent's house, but it was still far from complete electrically. Over the course of my first year's summer, I completed the wiring and daily drove the car. Got a summer job and pretty much sunk all the money into the car. Up to a total of $1300 at this point:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1317/4732226574_e28c8fc1a1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4732226574/)

I forget what I traded the centerlines that came with the car for, but I know I ended up with these 914 sport wheels with tires for the back, and some other stuff. At the time I was in the middle of de-tinting the windows and putting black rubber on the car.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1084/4732226640_916edf8352.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4732226640/)

Looks good that low. Surely the previous owner didn't cut the springs that much. Right?

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1234/4731583057_385e52da75.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4731583057/)

Wrong. yellrhd from SBO sent me some stock springs for free (nice guy!), and although it's at 4x4 status, at least it's functional. Something's not right with the camber on my left rear wheel.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1020/4732226628_21df43078c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4732226628/)

By the end of the summer, I had gotten the car street legal save for a license plate light, and I finished installing all the interior bits that came with the car. Really don't care for the black velour everywhere, but hey, it was free.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1413/4731583201_bd8f6e088f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4731583201/)

I put the car away at the end of the summer, and was too busy to go get it for the next three years. Went to get it last week, and it's pretty much the same as it ever was. I *think* the condenser died on me, so I had to trailer it home. The ebrake cable snapped getting it up on the dolly, and I accidentally pushed a dent into the front apron getting it off the dolly. Anyhow, I bought some goodies to take care of my shimmies:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1440/4731640189_38c686aea4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4731640189/)

This red wire was causing battery drain. Not sure what it does yet, but I don't get drain anymore.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1033/4732226710_3205285a3e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4732226710/)

Remember when I said I disliked that velour? Well, compound dislike for three years turns into utter disgust. Hey look, a map light!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1162/4732226676_fd78960a61.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4732226676/)

Did this today. Need another pass to get off all the rubber cement, but the dash basically only has one crack and a few little chunky bits. The cracks are filled with silicone, so other than the fact it was completely dipped in glue, it's pretty nice.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1355/4732193956_6c676f5862.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4732193956/)

So yeah, working on the bug again and it feels good. I want to turn it into a vintage-look autocross racer. I'm taking a lot of inspiration from the 70's RS Porsches.

NO_H2O
June 25th 2010, 07:35
Looks like you are getting it sorted out. Keep the updates coming.

Komet
June 26th 2010, 19:25
Finished up the dash yesterday, ended up being in pretty good shape. Installed all the goodies on my previously bare wiper shafts today. Only had 1/8th in. of space between the body and wiper arm on the driver's side, and that's AFTER removing the inner nut (just running a washer underneath). Not sure what's up with that, but it's all sealed up and it works now.

As I was finishing up in there, I gave a tug on the junky piece of wood which used to be molecularly bonded to my gastank. BEHOLD:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4737080752_30bbc2248f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4737080752/)

Four years of humid foresty weather finally took their toll on the glue, and I finally ripped it loose. Once I remove the white fender beading and neons, my car will finally be showcar mod free!

Komet
July 1st 2010, 22:59
Small update as I get everything together. Fixed the no-start issue. My condenser died on the road, and I had replaced my old, working points with a new set of faulty points. The combination of new condenser + old points got me running just perfect.

Put the dash back together, lost my screws for the fuse box so it's just kinda hanging out right now:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4753900290_ea7b5745b7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/4753900290/)

Going to take it apart again when I re-run the tach wire, so I didn't bother to make it all real nice yet. The stock wheel isn't nearly as much of a bother as I thought it would be, although I can't quite get my knee straight up and down over the brake, it's not uncomfortable. At least I can see the speedometer.

Next up is to drill myself holes for the license plate light housing and then drive over to the shop for a suspension overhaul.

Komet
November 24th 2010, 03:25
Long time no update. Well, I got that license plate light housing installed and pulled out the neons. I also blacked out the headlight surrounds and bumpers.

Got a new house, new job, new car, and a divorce since my last update. Anyhow, my new place has a garage and I've really been enjoying working on concrete.

Right now the entire front suspension is out of the car. I've rebuilt the struts and rebushed the control arms, and finally got that idler arm bushing swapped out. Aiming for reassembly of the front end this weekend, and hopefully being able to start autocrossing next spring/summer!

BTW, I got all my parts from Topline and they are excellent as always.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/5203155427_da2608578c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/5203155427/)

Komet
May 3rd 2011, 23:24
I seem to update this pretty infrequently. I did end up finishing that front suspension rebuild and everything works great. It rides like a brand new car, and I couldn't believe what a huge difference fresh shocks make all around for so cheap. I put some KYB GR-2s in the back as a cheap starting point and so far they've been working well. Better than my previous shocks, which had lost absolutely all bound on both sides, and only the right one had the slightest inclination of rebound which surely wouldn't have done anything on the car.

After that I did some boring stuff like replacing the soft fuel lines (which fell off after a gentle tug :nervous:) and a shift rod bushing. I've been driving the car around breaking it in again. Currently getting terrible fuel mileage (15), but it runs strong and the plugs are tan which makes me think my carburetor is all gummed up or something from sitting. Anywho, I did a few things that were picture worthy:

I was really sick of having an armrest that only served to press into my thigh, so I made me a mount, cut the handle off a dog leash, and slit a small hole in a stock door panel. Instant RS door handles!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5298/5685423945_41d40a4e4a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/5685423945/)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5286/5685423895_eb035a9a0f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/5685423895/)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5029/5685992308_08ac20948b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/5685992308/)

I'm not really sure if that's terribly tacky or what, but it works great and doesn't get in my way.

I also put my old Raid steering wheel on, which I haven't used since I had my old '72 about six years ago. It hasn't aged terribly well, but it's still functionally a nice wheel. The adapter it came with rubbed horribly on this steering column, so I needed something else. The car came with a Grant wheel which fit great but looked and felt awful, so I bought a Grant to Nardi/Momo adapter from foreversharp (http://www.foreversharp.com/servlet/the-Adapter-Kits-cln-Automobiles/Categories) and a 50mm spacer from race911turbo on eBay (http://motors.shop.ebay.com/race911turbo/m.html), which works like a charm. Consequently, I can mount any Nardi or Momo wheel in my car no problem, and if I ever want to change the distance between me and the wheel I can just buy a different length spacer. It doesn't look too shabby (unlike my car) either:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5255/5685459619_6472955d78_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/5685459619/)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5283/5686028550_ff1bb8e533_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465873@N03/5686028550/)

I scored a sweet wolfsburg horn button off eBay as well, but it's for Momo wheels and my Raid wheel's hole is slightly too large.

Well, that's what I've been up to. Mainly testing the car, I'll pretty it up for summer and take better pictures of it when I get some fresh rubber on the wheels.

Humble
May 6th 2011, 13:53
i really like that dog leash door pull, such a brilliant and simple mod!

Xellex
May 7th 2011, 19:12
and it looks pretty good also ;)