Help!! --(arbs)

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hey guys
as you probably know by my previous posts, i am restoring a TD Coupe.I am 16 (almost 17) so this is my forst car and first project, and obviously im not to familiar with the mechanics of a car.Here is a list of the major problems
-Rust Rust Rust
-Body is very crappy and is in need of a respray

-Interior needs new carpet and some fucken moron sprayed armour all on the clear plastic covering the speedo etc (so there is little white dots all over it that cant be removed)and it fucken stinks inside

-The brakes are leaking fluid and I recently replaced the rusty water that was in the radiator with coolant and it has developed a leak not in the acual radiatior but from somewhere in the engine?? (any ideas guys?)

-Its seems to be giving off a bit to much exaust smoke for comfort

-Did I mention rust rust rust

-missing a rectangular headlight

the cable leading to the positive terminal on the battery is broken so its is basically being held together by tape

-Rust Rust Rust

Well thanks for reading ive got all the bullshit off my chest.Do you guys think tis car is worth fixing or should it go to the crushers?If anyone knows a good gemini spares place in melbourne please feel free to reply to this msg with the addy

thanks
arbs

ps:Any help with remedying the above problems would be greatly appreciated

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There are many places that the coolant could be leaking from. Check the thermostat housing cover and around the intake manifold generally, also there is a drain plug on the side of the block just beneath the exhaust manifold

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Arbs,

Firstly let me assure you that you are neither unique nor alone, when I got my TD gemini I was 16 years old, she had a dud smokey motor, auto gearbox, faded paint, rust and a dirty interior. Sound familiar?

I had absolutely no formal mechanical training, only minor prior experience (on my brother's geminis, the first of which he got as a rusty heap when he was 16....) and no idea what I was planning on doing.

Since then gertrude has had a coat of paint, two engine swaps, two gearboxes, two interiors and a handful of other upgrades and repairs which would take far too long to list.

Considering I had very little outside assistance, my friend and I (he knows less about cars than I do) have only had to farm out three jobs, the lower balljoints which require a press to remove and the brake booster/master cylinder reconditioning which is obviously not a handyman's job and of course the new motor.

Have faith that you too can do ANYTHING on your gemini, I personally suggest you should start pulling your car apart and putting it back together JUST to build confidence and basic mechanical knowledge.

New carpet, easy, two choices, moulded carpet companies are in the phone book, or if cash is short just buy some carpet and cut and fit it to shape, I think my carpet was $80 or so?

Interior smell? I assume the gemini has been out in the rain, then the smell is fairly likely to be mould and mildew, take out your interior, it is a damn easy job, takes about, er, 5 minutes, 4 bolts per front seat, about 12 screws to get the plastic strips which hold the carpet down, four screws for the front section of the centre console, four screw for the rear section. Put the carpet and seats out in the sun, or just throw the carpet away, I would. Once you have the interior out, vacuum it, or better yet buy some carpet/upholstery cleaner and scrub the years of shit out of the seats.

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thanks for the words of advice.Theres still one thing I forgot to mention that is that the rear left wheel somtimes locks up on braking, no matter what speed or how hard i apply the brakes.And then sometimes its fine!!?Any ideas?

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Most likely answer would be a warped drum. if you end up catching it right on the warp, it will lock up. recommend getting rear drums machined.
Less likely, could have a weak rear shoe spring, but I would try machining drums and adjusting rear brakes first.

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I will stick my neck out and say that is the drum thats leaking brake fluid and its on the shoes
good luck .. Slug