75 Bricklin Restomod
- Thread starter JoeC
- Start date
chimp koose
Member
electric powered , neat idea . i always thought an old centredoor T sedan would make a neat electric powered rod .
Fred, the first time I saw that I had the same thought. Now, under disclosure, there is a self-centered greedy selfish reason. When I was taking the 5.0 HO out of a fox body car the suspension was of interest as a potential transplant. The fox body is not a true McPherson strut as it is hybrid because the coil spring goes from the lower control arm to a frame mounted bolted cross-member, the spring is not around the upper strut which is just a shock in a fox body. The front weight bearing is not by the strut tower but by a conventional coil spring.
I have searched to see if this has ever been transplanted and can find nothing ( oh oh) so that means either it will not work or no one has been dumb enough to try it (hard to believe) I might because I'm cheap, stupid, or like the challenge (all three). Your thoughts?
Sorry to the OP for the thread hi-jack. (my bad)
I skimmed a couple articles on this car and it appears to use AMC front suspension components from like the Gremlin. Im not familiar with those cars at all but seen a couple pics that show it to be a shock tower suspension similar to early Stangs cept for the placement of the strut rod.
Ray, Can't help you on the fox suspension.
Fred
Ray, Can't help you on the fox suspension.
Fred
I believe Factory Five use the mustang suspension for their kit cars and replace the strut with a ball joint adapter and an upper A arm. Then you either need a coil-over shock or add a shock inside the mustang coil. They have some videos showing how to do it.
Factory 5 front suspension using mustang parts
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Sorry too busy with work and moonlighting, didn't see this till now
I am getting some history from the Bricklin club
It started in 74 as mostly AMC including the engine, Ford Windsor in 75, only Ford
Unless you count Pantera tailights?
Front & rear suspension is 74 Hornet or Javelin
Here is a quote
".....the frame guys were AMC guys, they were actually the chassis guys from Penske's TransAm team (they were running Javelins at the time hence all the AMC suspension)which shared the building with Herb as he was designing the car....."
There were also vette guys, which is where the birdcage design and headlights came from....
Then the money ran out and it became whatever you could find at the hardware store in Saint John NB
Good to see factory five design, I am leaning that way....
When I get some time, I hope to give an update on the plans....
Joe
I am getting some history from the Bricklin club
It started in 74 as mostly AMC including the engine, Ford Windsor in 75, only Ford
Unless you count Pantera tailights?
Front & rear suspension is 74 Hornet or Javelin
Here is a quote
".....the frame guys were AMC guys, they were actually the chassis guys from Penske's TransAm team (they were running Javelins at the time hence all the AMC suspension)which shared the building with Herb as he was designing the car....."
There were also vette guys, which is where the birdcage design and headlights came from....
Then the money ran out and it became whatever you could find at the hardware store in Saint John NB
Good to see factory five design, I am leaning that way....
When I get some time, I hope to give an update on the plans....
Joe
Here is a long overdue update....hope to get more wrench time through this summer
100% torn down, starting to sandblast the frame and "birdcage" SO MUCH RUST!
The birdcage is similar to Corvette apparently. There are large areas completely rusted away, the mount plates from A pillar to frame are just completely gone
I actually enjoy the sandblasting, I just laugh as I see the rust holes open up - what else can you do
The Bricklin forum is great, so much help there.
This body is an oddity acrylic bonded to fiberglass like a bathtub, not like a Vette, no gel coat.
The acrylic has a different exansion coefficient from fiberglass and has no UV protection so it is spiderweb crazed and sunburned everywhere
A special bonding primer is needed to get paint to adhere to the acrylic and the cracks are always going to come back...
There are repro glass panels that can be painted, becomes like vette body work then, not sure if I will go down that road yet
It seems one person has had luck sandblasting (!) the acrylic to remove the oxidation...then sanding from 80 to 1500 and then buffing (4 weeks every night), turned out good, cracks still there but hidden in the shine....I have a panel ready to try but haven't got up the courage yet
I tried 220 wet first and the acrylic just laughed at it, got down to 80 and it still barely marked it, it is tough stuff, a good idea but not production ready...
351 Windsor is back home in garage for tear down, seems it made my son pretty happy, wife not so much.....
100% torn down, starting to sandblast the frame and "birdcage" SO MUCH RUST!
The birdcage is similar to Corvette apparently. There are large areas completely rusted away, the mount plates from A pillar to frame are just completely gone
I actually enjoy the sandblasting, I just laugh as I see the rust holes open up - what else can you do
The Bricklin forum is great, so much help there.
This body is an oddity acrylic bonded to fiberglass like a bathtub, not like a Vette, no gel coat.
The acrylic has a different exansion coefficient from fiberglass and has no UV protection so it is spiderweb crazed and sunburned everywhere
A special bonding primer is needed to get paint to adhere to the acrylic and the cracks are always going to come back...
There are repro glass panels that can be painted, becomes like vette body work then, not sure if I will go down that road yet
It seems one person has had luck sandblasting (!) the acrylic to remove the oxidation...then sanding from 80 to 1500 and then buffing (4 weeks every night), turned out good, cracks still there but hidden in the shine....I have a panel ready to try but haven't got up the courage yet
I tried 220 wet first and the acrylic just laughed at it, got down to 80 and it still barely marked it, it is tough stuff, a good idea but not production ready...
351 Windsor is back home in garage for tear down, seems it made my son pretty happy, wife not so much.....
With so many rust holes in it how are you ever going to make it safe and sturdy again?.....
Starting to go back together, still a lot of rust repair ahead
Now its decision time, we have the wheel houses cut off to fix rust and twists
Easiest fastest cheapest option is to put back original suspension - which was old style AMC / early Mustang with the coil on top of the top A arm...
But that clean frame rail looks like it needs Mustang II type, would also open up engine bay.....more time, cost.....
Leaning towards electric power steering - any thoughts?
Dumb question, but how did the Mustang II style become so popular?
Now its decision time, we have the wheel houses cut off to fix rust and twists
Easiest fastest cheapest option is to put back original suspension - which was old style AMC / early Mustang with the coil on top of the top A arm...
But that clean frame rail looks like it needs Mustang II type, would also open up engine bay.....more time, cost.....
Leaning towards electric power steering - any thoughts?
Dumb question, but how did the Mustang II style become so popular?
They're Ford parts, so like the 9" rrar ends there were tons of them in the junk yards.
Check out this vidStarting to go back together, still a lot of rust repair ahead
Now its decision time, we have the wheel houses cut off to fix rust and twists
Easiest fastest cheapest option is to put back original suspension - which was old style AMC / early Mustang with the coil on top of the top A arm...
But that clean frame rail looks like it needs Mustang II type, would also open up engine bay.....more time, cost.....
Leaning towards electric power steering - any thoughts?
Dumb question, but how did the Mustang II style become so popular?
Fred
