Bricklin FAQ

The questions presented in this FAQ are the results on numerous emails and telephone calls I have received about the Bricklin. As more items come up, they will be added to this document.

The answers provided here are the results of numerous phone calls and discussions with Terry Tanner and the knowledge gained restoring my Bricklin (#887).

©By: John T. Blair (WA4OHZ)
1133 Chatmoss Dr., Va. Beach, Va. 23464; (757) 495-8229

There are a number of vendors that have specific knowledge of the Bricklin and that have provided invaluable parts and services over many years. We encourage you to support them! Current vendor contact information is located here: Bricklin Vendor Information

Click to jump to the following categories of Frequently Asked Questions:
General Storage Body Doors Interior Drivability

General

  1. I want to know how much a Bricklin goes for today and where can I find one!!?

    1. There are Bricklins for sale on this web site at the Classifieds Page.
    2. Also, there are usually some advertised in Hemmings Motor News. You can get Hemmings at a newsstand or book store; it looks like a phone book and comes out monthly.

    Bricklins are bought and sold in a very wide price range depending on its fit (door seams, hood seams, etc.), the condition of the body (original acrylic, painted over, etc.), its running condition, and its originality. There are very good buys to be had if you are willing to do some work and give it some TLC. How much work and what kind of work you are willing to deal with has allot to do with it. You can spend less than $5,000 for one in good running condition but might have some body cracks or a non-original interior. You can also spend $15,000 to $20,000 and get one that is nearly mint and totally original (except for air doors).

    Before ever buying one, I suggest finding a club member in your area and asking him/her to go see it with you to evaluate it, if possible. The club is an invaluable resource for info on maintaining the car. If you are interested in becoming a member, please visit our BI Membership Page.

  2. What modifications or upgrades are there for a Bricklin?

    1. Air doors conversions from hydraulics - improves door opening and closing times and puts less stress on the doors.
    2. New air release latches - replace the older electric ones and provide substantial increase in pulling power.
    3. An auxiliary electric air pump - to assist the vacuum air pump.
    4. Fix the heater/AC duct - the factory installation misarranged the AC and heater ducts so air flow is restricted. To improve the air flow, a patch or mini duct is made to go between the two units.
    5. Auxiliary blower fan for the heater - this mod puts an additional fan in the ducts to increase the air flow to the AC coils.
    6. Upgraded emergency brake rubber boot - the new boot is designed to withstand temperatures over 400 deg. Fahrenheit.
    7. A replacement console with glove box - Replaces the original console which is no longer available.
    8. Replacement "D" rings for the door latches - these are cut from a single piece of metal. Substantially stronger than the original 2 piece part.
    9. Coil tower reinforcement kit - support bars installed to stiffen the alignment of the coil towers, keeps them from moving when cornering.

  3. I've heard something about a torque rod that goes between the rear end and the chassis.

    According to Terry Tanner there was an engineering change that eliminated the torque link rods. However, since they had the brackets laying around, many cars were shipped with the torque link brackets and no torque links. It is a good idea to remove the bar that attaches to the axle as it is poorly designed and negatively effects handling.

  4. Are Bricklins susceptible to rust?

    The bodies aren't. However the chassis and the metal reinforcement plates for the body do rust. All metal should be painted with some form of rust inhibiting paint. I've used POR-15, but Eastwood and several other companies sell a similar product.

    The rust problem areas were:

    1. The boxes at the front of the fender wells, - easy to fix
    2. The front fender wells, - easy to fix as long as the shock towers aren't rusted. If the shock towers are gone, you can look for some used one from any AMC Hornet, Concord, or Gremlin. The can be cut off a donor car with either a cutting torch or a saws-all.
    3. The transmission mount cross brace. The only difficult part about making a new one is the flange that the xmission sits on. This part is usually in good shape due to oil leaks. - So it can be easily transplanted to the rebuilt cross brace.
    4. The main for aft rails are quite strong (thick). Where they are welded to the cross braces (at each end) there is a reinforcement plate. These plates will rust. During a restoration it is not uncommon to cut the reinforcement plates off to open the chassis so it can be cleaned and painted inside. Then make new plates and weld them on.
    5. There are a number of sheet metal parts that attach to the fiberglass body for reinforcements(All these part can be easily fabricated) :
      • front floor pan pads
      • the transmission tunnel liner
      • rear vertical deck supports
      • seat slide reinforcements
      • new sill plates.
    6. The bottom piece of steel for the door frame.

  5. Is the front saddle that goes under the engine, an available part?

    The front engine saddle is unique to Bricks and they are very susceptible to damage.

    I've been told that these parts are NO LONGER AVAILABLE. If damaged, the existing will have to be reworked. I think you could have one made (not stamped) - but welded up out of several pieces fairly inexpensively.

  6. How are the Bricklin wheels cared for?

    The wheels should be polished with an aluminum wheel polish.

  7. Do Bricklins have any unique electrical problems/considerations?

    1. The battery is kept in a compartment behind the passenger's seat (not in the engine compartment). If you are replacing the battery, use a battery with the highest amp-hour rating you can find. There will be losses due to the long cable length and Bricklins often sit for extended periods without running. To make you own battery cables, try using the ground cables that can be purchased for an electric arc or MIG welder. These are capable of large amounts of current and are very flexible.
    2. If the car still has hydraulic doors and the original latch solenoid, operating the door system is a very heavy current draw on the battery. If you go in and out of the car every day without driving it, for instance to work on it, you will be quickly killing the battery and learning the alternative method for getting into the Brick, the hatch!

  8. How are they to insure?

    Bricklins are now old enough that you can get antique or classic auto insurance on them. This is much cheaper than a regular policy, but restricts how much and for what purposes you can drive the car. Some states have antique or classic car license plates which may be cheaper than regular plates. Normal auto insurance (non-antique) is reasonable (compared to a late model car) with some major insurance companies but not in line with a 30+ year old car. They may also limit the value $12k-$14k unless you have some Bricklin International criteria judging it as a show car.

  9. How well do the doors seal against water?

    Bricklins tend to leak, even with replaced weather-stripping. Standing water in the car will cause much damage due to rust and mold. Store your car in a garage or other covered area. A car cover is usually not sufficient.

    Note: If you make any modifications ALWAYS save your old parts. Some may no longer be available and you may want to bring the car back to original condition before selling it.

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Storage

  1. My Brick has been sitting for years. What should I do to it before trying to start it?

    1. The gasoline has probably been in the tank WAY too long, and should be drained. Unfortunately, no drain plug was provided; consequently the tank will have to be removed.

      I put the car in the air on jackstands to give me a little more room. The put the jack under the gas tank. You might want to put a board on the jack to help spread the load across the gas tank.

      The tank is held in place by 2 straps. The front of the strap has a small rod on it and slides into the trunk support. Then back of the strap is attached via a long "J" bolt which goes into a notch cut in the trunk support.

      Start by applying a liberal amount of WD40 to the rods and nuts. After letting it soak in for a few minutes try to undo the nuts. If the don't want to turn, you will have to hold the "J" bolts with a pair of Vise Grips while you try to undo the nuts. The metal for the trunk support is pretty thin and you can tear the head of the "J" bolts out of the notch if you apply too much torque trying to undo the nuts.

      Once the nuts have been unscrewed until they are just about off of the "J" bolts you will need to disconnect the line and electrical connections to the gas tank.

      1. There are 2 rubber lines that must be disconnected. These are the main gas line, and the return line.
      2. The clamp on the main filler hose will have to be loosened.
      3. There is also a ground wire coming from the sending unit to the chassis above the tank. You will need to undo this screw.
      4. There is a electrical plug for the power lead to the sending unit. Disconnect this plug.

      Once the tank is out of the car, you can undo the sending unit. It has a bayonet fitting. I suggest that you put a block of wood against one of the wings and tap the wood with a hammer. You don't want any sparks!!!

      Once the collar is removed, you can remove the sending unit and the dump the old gas out either the filler or the hole for the sending unit. When you think you have all the gas out, I suggest that you fill the tank with water and wash it out at least once.

      This is a good time to take the tank down to a radiator shop and have it lined to keep it from rusting out. While they are working on the tank, ask them to install a drain plug.

    2. I suggest that you pull the plugs, squirt some oil down each cylinder the help lube the cylinders. Remove the low voltage wire to the coil.
    3. You might want to try to turn the engine over by hand before trying to use the starter. Put a socket and a ratchet on the main crankshaft bolt and try to turn the engine over by hand. If you can turn it over, you're ready to try using the starter to bring up the oil pressure.
    4. Check the oil level in the engine. Is there any in there?
    5. You might want to drain the water and refill the radiator.
    6. Now turn the ignition switch to the start position. As the engine turns over watch the oil pressure gauge to see if you get any oil pressure. Don't crank on the starter for more than about 30 seconds. Wait for 10 seconds and try again. If no oil pressure observed after 2 min. Don't keep cranking. You need to check to see why there is no oil pressure.
    7. Once you have good oil pressure, the bearings etc will have been lubed, now reinstall the plugs and go for it. Don't forget to prime the carb. You might want to have some starting fluid on hand to help things along the 1st time.
    8. Let the engine come up to temperature and see if the thermostat opens. When this happens the temp. gauge will go from around 200+ down to around 160 or 180 degrees. If the engine starts to over heat, shut it down and replace the thermostat.
    9. It's now time to change the fluids:
      1. Change the engine oil and filter.
      2. Drop the transmission pan and replace the xmission filter. Then replace the transmission fluid.
      3. You might want to think about draining the rear end lube. also.
      4. Start the engine again and bring it up to operating temp again. Let it run for a little while. Hopefully this will clean some of the crud from the water jackets. You might even want to run a can of radiator flush through it. Drain and refill with the proper mix of water and antifreeze.
    10. By now any trash that was in the fuel line is probably clogging the fuel filter and in the float bowl. Replace the fuel filter. You might want to think about getting a carb. kit and opening up the carb. to clean it out and replace the gaskets.
    11. First time you try to move the car under its own power, be very careful. You don't know if the brakes are going to work. It wouldn't be a bad idea to check the hydraulic lines for cracks and leaks. If you are really paranoid, you might want to drain the brake fluid from the system, and refill it. Also check the brake shoes and pads for their thickness and even replace the rear wheel cylinders, master cylinder, and calipers.

      Remember a car that won't run is a pain in the a$$. But one that won't stop can kill you!

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Body

  1. What is used to bond the body panels to the metal?

    There is a glue available from Bricklin Parts and Services (Terry Tanner) and from Bob's Brickyard (Bob Hoffman). I'm not sure if they are both using the same glue or not. It seems to me that I heard that it was a 3M product and it runs about $25 per tube. Before you replace any panel, you will have to grind any paint off the outer lip that the skin is going to touch. Then you should clean the metal and the door skin with isopropyl alcohol.

    Vendor contact information is located here: Bricklin Vendor Information

  2. Can a Bricklin be painted?

    1. Yes, but! The Bricklin skin is an acrylic sheet bonded to the fiberglass panel. Before the body can be painted, the acrylic MUST be sealed with a WATER based sealer. Otherwise the petroleum distillates in the paint thinners/reducers will eat the acrylic. Resulting in the paint flaking off and the acrylic skin being destroyed.
    2. The body panels flex so it is a good idea to use a paint that is flexible such as polyurethane. Brittle paint such as lacquer will crack.

      See Brickline article "Do Not Paint"

  3. The body of my Bricklin is cracking. How can this be fixed?

    1. Carefully grind each crack open a little, really clean with isopropyl alcohol and fill with Dynaglass. This is the preferred method. Dynaglass is a very short strand fiberglass based product. (See Note 1)
    2. You can sand the areas down until there is no more cracks. This usually means that you have sanded off the acrylic sheet down to bare fiberglass. (See Note 1).
    3. Purchase new panels. Both the NOS. acrylic and replacement fiberglass panels are available. However, the acrylic panels are more expensive.

      Note 1 - After doing the body work, you will have to seal the body with a water based primer. Then paint the panels. If you don't seal the acrylic with the water based primer, the petroleum distillates (sp.) in the paint thinner will slowly eat the acrylic and the paint will flake off.

  4. Can anything be done to the body seams where two panels meet?

    Body seams (e.g. the edges of the T-shaped panel on the roof and inside the rear quarter panels) need to be filled with a material that won't crack as the body flexes. The sealer that GM sells for use on Corvettes works well.

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Doors

  1. What is the "Air Door conversion" and why should it be done?

    Bricklin had a lot of trouble with the hydraulic doors:

    1. Slow to open and close (about 12 sec.)
    2. Fragile hydraulic pump - very prone to failure
    3. Hydraulic leaks inside the car were a mess
    4. High current consumption - about 90A. 6 or more cycles severely depleted your battery
    5. Could not open one door and close the other - 1 pump drove both rams, could only go one way at a time
    6. With doors open, the hydraulic ram was a stiff rod. So if you were to move the car and hit any kind of bump, the doors would flex and pivot around the rams, thus causing excessive stresses on the door and alignment problems.

    The air door conversion is approximately $ 1,000.00 (as of 1/1/2006) and uses the original rams. You should also install the 'assist cylinders' for an additional $ 300.00 (approximate cost as of 1/1/2006). It has the following advantages:

    1. Open & closing times reduced - about 2 to 3 sec
    2. No hydraulic pump. Initially it uses a vacuum operated pump 12 VDC compressor to generate the air pressure which is stored in an accumulator that is mounted behind the rear bumper. In addition, to the vacuum operated pump, there is an optional electric pump kit (approx. $250) to help augment the vacuum pump, or maintain the air pressure when the car isn't running.

      Note Vaccum operated pumps were originally used for the pnuematic door system but are no longer recommended. The 12 VDC compressor and air tank arrangement has proven to be a superior system!

    3. Eliminates the excessive current consumption - far fewer dead batteries.
    4. Since the system is now run on air pressure, you should be able to open one door while closing the other.
    5. With doors open, the air filled ram acts as an air shock absorber. Now if you hit a bump, the doors are allowed to gently close then are pushed back open, thus reducing the stresses on the door and alignment problems.
    6. A nitrogen strut is also provided (as a helper ram) which fits on the front edge of the door. This does 2 things: makes the door basically buoyant and helps spread the stresses; instead of only at the back of the door, across the entire top of the door.

  2. The air pressure for the doors leaks down overnight. Is there an aux. pump or something to help solve this problem?

    John Martin wrote an article for the Brickline back in October of '89 about adding an auxiliary electric pump. According to his article the electric pump is a Thomas Brand #4-5 ADC 38/12A from Norcal Controls (213) 337-9556.

    Note The Thomas pump is no longer recommended. Please check with our Bricklin Vendors for current recommendations and kits!

  3. The door skins are separating from the door frame. Can this be fixed?

    1. Yes! In many cases this is a blessing in disguise. To fix it, you should remove the skin. Now is the time to check and fix several other problem area in the doors:
      1. The metal door frame have a tendency to crack where they go for being vertical (the side of the car) to being horizontal (forming the roof). There is a lot of stress put on this area especially if the doors are still hydraulic and don't have the helper strut installed. There is a metal reinforcement brace that should be welded to the inside of the door frame.
      2. The bottom of the door frame. Debris collects and traps moisture. Thus causing the bottom of the metal door frame to rust. It is a lot easier to fix this, either by welding on a new panel or repairing the holes with bondo or fiberglass.
    2. You could simply pry the skin as far away from the door panel as possible and wipe the door frame and skin down with alcohol and then squirt some glue in there and clamp till it dries. However, this is more of a patch (quick fix). If you have any of the other problems (cracking door frame or rust on the bottom plate) now is the time to fix it right!

  4. The door solenoid(s) don't work. What can be done?

    1. It can be dismantled, clean out the solenoid bore and re-assemble the end cap with a little epoxy.
    2. I've been told that they are no longer available. However, I've been told that they looked like door lock solenoids for a Lincoln or something and that J.C. Whitney had a generic replacement.
    3. Terry Tanner (Bricklin Parts and Services) has designed and made a pneumatic replacement for them, but they are pretty expensive ($100 ea.). However, they develop a lot more pull than the electric ones so you can close the door tighter.

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Interior

  1. The inside of a Bricklin has a tendency to be hot and noisy. Can anything be done about this?

    1. When Bricklin mounted the heater and AC box, they really messed up the alignment and in many cases broke either the heater or AC boxes. If you are willing to pull the dash board, you can work on realigning the two units by making new or altering the mounting brackets. Instead of that most people try to make a small duct out of plastic, cardboard or anything else and tape it all together. This is a big help, especially for the AC.
    2. There is also an auxiliary fan modification that can be added to help move the air better than just the standard fan. This mod is about $85 to $100 and fits into one of the doors for the heater or AC unit.
    3. A very common problem with the Bricks, is that the heat from the engine compartment comes through the firewall at the many holes in the firewall. To help this, remove the carpeting and put some lights under the car. Look for any light coming through the firewall around any of the bolts, accelerator cable etc. Then pack these areas with electricians putty (sort of a clay like caulk).
    4. While the carpets are out of the car, you can add some insulation to the floorboard and firewall. There are several sources for this "automotive" type insulation which usually as a Mylar backing, J.C. Whitney or an RV store in your area.
    5. The problem is the control valve. The heater systems have a vacuum switch that is mounted on the face of the heater box facing the inside of the cockpit under the dash. There is a lever on the heater box that when one of the heater controls is moved, it activates/deactivates the switch. This in turn allows or stops the vacuum from reaching the water control valve in the engine compartment. To check this, find the metal valve (possibly plastic if it has been replaced). There are 2 heater hoses coming through the firewall on the passengers side of the car. Follow them looking for the valve. With the engine running, and the heater set to the coldest setting, remove the vacuum line from the water control valve and see if there is any vacuum present. Now switch the heater control to the hottest and see if the vacuum is present. If the vacuum doesn't change, either the switch on the heater is bad, it is not being activated, or the vacuum line is broken or disconnected someplace.
    6. If the vacuum to the water control switch is being turned on and off, then it's possible that the water control valve is bad, stuck open. When the car is up to normal operating temperature, feel the 2 heater hoses. Be careful, you could get burned by these hoses. With the temperature control switch at max cold, one of the lines should be very hot. This is the hot water supply. The other should be pretty cold. If you now turn the temperature control lever to max heat, the cooler hose should start to get very hot.
    7. The foam seals on the various doors in the heater have deteriorated and need to be replaced. Simply get some foam rubber from the local hardware store and replace the old seals. (Note: they are glued in place.)
    8. Some folks say wrapping the exhaust pipes with asbestos tape will cut engine temperature and heat in the passenger compartment. I haven't tried this so I can't vouch for it.

  2. What can be done to protect the steering wheel and dash pad?

    1. Apply Leather balm to the steering wheel.
    2. Leather balm, Armoral, or similar product can be applied to the dash pad.
    3. There are carpet like covers that you can put over the dash pad.

  3. What other considerations are there for the interior?

    1. The original center consoles are no longer available. However, an improved center console that include a storage compartment is available from the various Bricklin vendors.
    2. The seat frames are flimsy and rust prone. They can be replaced with just about anything. Some of the better choices are a Feiro or an Omni Horizon. If you should decide to change your seats, it is suggested that you keep the original Bricklin seat slides and make an adapter plate to mate to the new seat instead of replacing the seat slides.

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Drivability

  1. What modifications are their to improve the drivability of the Bricklin?

    1. The FMX transmission on '75s can be replaced with a four speed automatic (called an AOD) from a late model 5 liter Mustang. It basically bolts right in.
    2. The original rear ends are from any AMC V8. A nice replacement is the Ford 9" rear end. If you are really lucky you can find one that has disk brakes also.
    3. For owners of 74 cars, you might want to consider replacing the front coil spring (they are too soft) with a pair for the 75.
    4. The shock towers have a tendency to move with respect to each other. A stiffening brace should be installed. Bricklin Parts and Services (Terry Tanner) is selling one. Several other people have also designed various ones.

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