How do I get the ash tray to stay closed?

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Gadabout

Gadabout

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Seriously. There doesn't seem to be any latch and it just flops open. Even has the original lighter! I quit smoking years ago, so won't do me much good, but short of JB Weld is there a way to get it to stay shut? I figured out how to activate the wipers, by accident, earlier this week, so hoping there is some obvious trick to this. The previous owner seems to have not been a smoker, either, there is no residue. The rear ashtray is also intact, but stays closed by itself.

I do remember a day when EVERYBODY smoked EVERYWHERE, in the line at the bank, in the teacher's lounge. Hospital break rooms, but they had banned smoking patient rooms some years earlier, probably because of oxygen fires. Banks used to give out not pens, but books of matches printed with, "For our matchless customers." Opening an account for the astonishing sum of $50 you might get a toaster.

I just noticed, what is that grate thing on the left? For tapping the ash tip? The little U shaped thing probably to hold the cigarette.

Overall, I'm trying to keep the resto as close to original as practical.



s-l1600 (3).jpg


20240329_143231.jpg
 
Looks like a Broken Remnant left on top that used-to scrub fit to the top...
Pull it out and look in there to see if there are witness marks from a scraper
 
Syleng1 said:
Buy another ash tray.
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Yup, you could by another ash tray, (May be hard to find a matching color & model one for your car) of find a similar ash tray with the good spring steel scraper thingy & replace your broken one, if you're mechanically inclined & have the tools to do it.
 
Just joking, what about earth magnets until you can find the clips.
 
Gadabout said:
Seriously. There doesn't seem to be any latch and it just flops open. Even has the original lighter! I quit smoking years ago, so won't do me much good, but short of JB Weld is there a way to get it to stay shut? I figured out how to activate the wipers, by accident, earlier this week, so hoping there is some obvious trick to this. The previous owner seems to have not been a smoker, either, there is no residue. The rear ashtray is also intact, but stays closed by itself.

I do remember a day when EVERYBODY smoked EVERYWHERE, in the line at the bank, in the teacher's lounge. Hospital break rooms, but they had banned smoking patient rooms some years earlier, probably because of oxygen fires. Banks used to give out not pens, but books of matches printed with, "For our matchless customers." Opening an account for the astonishing sum of $50 you might get a toaster.

I just noticed, what is that grate thing on the left? For tapping the ash tip? The little U shaped thing probably to hold the cigarette.

Overall, I'm trying to keep the resto as close to original as practical.



View attachment 1716229377

View attachment 1716229375
Click to expand...
WELDER.jpg
 
Maybe someone can post a pic of their ashtray so you can get a mental picture of what you're missing- then make a similar piece out of a scrap of thin sheet metal. Drill out the old rivets and pop rivet the new piece in place.
The original was spring steel, but a standard metal piece should suffice, since like you say, you're not a smoker and the thing isn't going to be opened and closed a hundred times a day. Regular sheet metal will also allow you to adjust (by slightly bending the tabs) the tension on the tray to ensure it's held firmly closed.
As far as your other question; yes, the U-shaped part is for holding the cigarette. The "grate thing" is for stubbing out your cigarette.
 
Yep there is a spring loaded tang that you depress to get it out, and it's not there. Also a rod going crosswise in the bracket for it to engage with.

Get/make a wood wedge and slide in the gap down low to keep it shut for now.

What is the year and model of your car? Surprisingly they changed these insignificant things regularly.
 
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Gadabout said:
Seriously. There doesn't seem to be any latch and it just flops open. Even has the original lighter! I quit smoking years ago, so won't do me much good, but short of JB Weld is there a way to get it to stay shut? I figured out how to activate the wipers, by accident, earlier this week, so hoping there is some obvious trick to this. The previous owner seems to have not been a smoker, either, there is no residue. The rear ashtray is also intact, but stays closed by itself.

I do remember a day when EVERYBODY smoked EVERYWHERE, in the line at the bank, in the teacher's lounge. Hospital break rooms, but they had banned smoking patient rooms some years earlier, probably because of oxygen fires. Banks used to give out not pens, but books of matches printed with, "For our matchless customers." Opening an account for the astonishing sum of $50 you might get a toaster.

I just noticed, what is that grate thing on the left? For tapping the ash tip? The little U shaped thing probably to hold the cigarette.

Overall, I'm trying to keep the resto as close to original as practical.



View attachment 1716229377

View attachment 1716229375
Click to expand...
The small ugly one is a '65 Dart, The larger clean one is a'70 Dart.

65DartAshtray.jpg


70DartAshtray.jpg
 
Professor Fate said:
Maybe someone can post a pic of their ashtray so you can get a mental picture of what you're missing- then make a similar piece out of a scrap of thin sheet metal. Drill out the old rivets and pop rivet the new piece in place.
The original was spring steel, but a standard metal piece should suffice, since like you say, you're not a smoker and the thing isn't going to be opened and closed a hundred times a day. Regular sheet metal will also allow you to adjust (by slightly bending the tabs) the tension on the tray to ensure it's held firmly closed.
As far as your other question; yes, the U-shaped part is for holding the cigarette. The "grate thing" is for stubbing out your cigarette.
Click to expand...
Ahhhh, stubbing out the cigarette! Sorry to say, back in the day I just flicked the butts out the window, and sometimes the slip stream would circle the burning thing either down my back or into the back seat, where I would eventually smell something burning and have to pull over to douse it. I am really glad I don't smoke anymore.
 
Gadabout said:
Ahhhh, stubbing out the cigarette! Sorry to say, back in the day I just flicked the butts out the window, and sometimes the slip stream would circle the burning thing either down my back or into the back seat, where I would eventually smell something burning and have to pull over to douse it. I am really glad I don't smoke anymore.
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Well, the good thing is, at least cig butts are biodegradeable, so there's that. lol
 
RustyRatRod said:
Well, the good thing is, at least cig butts are biodegradeable, so there's that. lol
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Cigar butts should be to a point, but, cigarette filters aren't considered biodegradable however. It takes a real long time for them to decompose and they have hazardous chemicals in them.
 
cudamark said:
Cigar butts should be to a point, but, cigarette filters aren't considered biodegradable however. It takes a real long time for them to decompose and they have hazardous chemicals in them.
Click to expand...
Yeah and some people say styrofoam cups and plascit are not biodegradeable. Those people have never run out of gas on the side of the road and had to walk somewhere. You can find styrofoam cups and all types of plastics on the shoulder that are rotten and THIN.
 
Gadabout said:
Seriously. There doesn't seem to be any latch and it just flops open. Even has the original lighter! I quit smoking years ago, so won't do me much good, but short of JB Weld is there a way to get it to stay shut? I figured out how to activate the wipers, by accident, earlier this week, so hoping there is some obvious trick to this. The previous owner seems to have not been a smoker, either, there is no residue. The rear ashtray is also intact, but stays closed by itself.

I do remember a day when EVERYBODY smoked EVERYWHERE, in the line at the bank, in the teacher's lounge. Hospital break rooms, but they had banned smoking patient rooms some years earlier, probably because of oxygen fires. Banks used to give out not pens, but books of matches printed with, "For our matchless customers." Opening an account for the astonishing sum of $50 you might get a toaster.

I just noticed, what is that grate thing on the left? For tapping the ash tip? The little U shaped thing probably to hold the cigarette.

Overall, I'm trying to keep the resto as close to original as practical.



View attachment 1716229377

View attachment 1716229375
Click to expand...
Red Green Show. Duct tape. Racers call it 200MPH tape to hold damaged fibre glass fenders together to finish a race.
:)
 
Wedge a book of matches in there. That would be the "period correct" fix. :poke:
 
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