Gremlin had a stronger body than Vega or Pinto. Better build up potential as a small hi performance car, and quite good looking before the 1973/74 impact bumpers came.
At least they had the brains to put some serious HP in them. Watching it run the autocross on roadkill I bet it was scary with a the 6.6 in it. Great stuff!
I've got a neighbor that has a Gremlin sitting behind his house, don't know what year but it hasn't moved in 10 years or so. Are these things worth much?
1972-74 Randall got 30 401 crate motors from AMC. They were putting out 255 SAE net at this time, and that was enough to drop a Gremmy into the 13s.
AMC planned a factory Hornet S/C 401, but insurance scared em off, only used the 360.
Word is AMC's 1978 304 V8 Pacer option was based on Randall's work putting the 401 into Pacer.
When I lived in Fla. in the early 70s we had a Gremlin we ran in I believe C/Gas with a hilborn injected BOSS 302 in it,it was caged and tied together but not a full chasiss car,ran real good,very light.
About 1971, I got my doors blown off by a Gremlin X, the light turned green, he pulled the front wheels off the ground a few inches. I clutched, shifted into second and watched him disappear. I was driving a 64 Comet Cyclone that I thought was B/A. ain:
Back in the late-70's, early-80's, there was a purple one running around town that was rumored to have a hemi in it.
I don't know for sure what was really under the hood, but I do know that it moved
I used to have an article, from '64 or so, about how it was something like 20% cheaper to put an Ambassador engine in a Rambler than it was to buy a V-8 Chevy II, and it would still be faster
Plus, the old Hudson/Nash 327 could be bored and stroked to something like 444
Gremlins were cool. Lots of the bodies were used on Modified dirt and asphalt cars. As far as V-8 Vegas, they can work with front to rear clip connectors. I had a '76 Monza 2+2 which is the same as a Vega chassis. The one I had was a factory original V-8. The engine was bad and I put a '66 Vette 340 HP 327 in it. The car had full length headers with 2.5" dual exhaust to the rear bumper with Hush Thrush mufflers, big front and rear sway bars, 4 speed manual trans, front air dam, rear spoiler, frame connectors. Very light car that would go and handle. It surprised me and a lot of people. I miss that car.
Cool thing about AMC was they never cought the new box car styling till about 1978, so most of their models till '76-'77 still kinda looked like they could have come from the late 60's
I bought and drove several Gremlins back in the day.. When they would die, or the door fell off. I would canniblize the dash instruments, fuse box and switches/relays, Door locks and front spindles/hubs..
Hubs make excellant trailers or tow dollies. Dash and electrics are great rod parts as were the dor latches..
There was a chevy powered one that was a regular winner at Central Michigan Dragway.
I bought and drove several Gremlins back in the day.. When they would die, or the door fell off. I would canniblize the dash instruments, fuse box and switches/relays, Door locks and front spindles/hubs..
Hubs make excellant trailers or tow dollies. Dash and electrics are great rod parts as were the dor latches..
There was a chevy powered one that was a regular winner at Central Michigan Dragway.
Back in the mid eighties I had owned 3 gremlins, 2 were factory 304 gremlin x's. The last one I had was a 3 speed stick with a factory 3.54 posi. Ran the car with a 360, then a 343. I have owned and abused quite a few muscle cars over the years, but I must say I had the most fun and good times in that gremlin.
It's that sleeper image
I had a lot of fun with a '66 Bonneville
Looked like somebody stuck nice rims on Grandma's car...
But that 421 tri-power blew the door off the shiny new Turbo Trans Ams :evil:
Let me go get my '57, it's got a **ahem** "327" :mwink:
What's with the funny valve covers?
Oh, those are Edelbrock Hemi heads :evil:
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