THE AMC GREMLIN : BUILT TOUGH LEARN WHY
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- Опубліковано 17 гру 2021
- The idea for the AMC Gremlin began in 1966 when design chief at American Motors, Dick Teague, and stylist Bob Nixon discussed the possibility of a shortened version of AMC's compact car. On an airline flight, Teague's solution, which he said he sketched on an air sickness bag, was to truncate the tail of a Javelin. Bob Nixon joined AMC as a 23-year-old and did the first formal design sketches in 1967 for the car that was to be the Gremlin.
Ford and General Motors were to launch new subcompact cars for 1971, but AMC did not have the financial resources to compete with an entirely new design. Teague's idea of using the pony car Javelin resulted in the AMX-GT concept, first shown at the New York International Auto Show in April 1968. This version did not go into production, but the AMX name was used from 1968 to 1970 on a shortened, two-seat sports car built from the Javelin.
1971 AMC Gremlin X, 1972 Ford Pinto Runabout and 1973 Chevrolet Vega GT
1978 Gremlin X
Instead, Bob Nixon, AMC's future Chief of Design, designed the new subcompact based on the automaker's Hornet model, a compact car. The design reduced the wheelbase from 108 to 96 inches (2,743 to 2,438 mm) and the overall length from 179 to 161 in (4,547 to 4,089 mm), making the Gremlin two inches (50 mm) longer than the Volkswagen Beetle and shorter than the Ford Pinto and Chevrolet Vega.
Capitalizing on AMC's advantage as a small car producer, the Gremlin was introduced on April 1, 1970. The April 6, 1970, cover of Newsweek magazine featured a red Gremlin for its article, "Detroit Fights Back: The Gremlin". The car was available as a "base" two-passenger version with no rear seat and a fixed rear window, at a suggested retail price of $1,879, and as a four-seat hatchback with an opening rear window, at $1,959 (US$13,055 in 2020 dollars.
The AMC Gremlin was It's hard to find a car with more ignoble roots than the AMC Gremlin. It was named for the mythical creatures said to be responsible for crashing airplanes and breaking machinery. And as for the styling, AMC design chief Dick Teague made his first sketch of the AMC Gremlin on the back of a Northwest Orient Airlines barf bag.
Despite all that, the AMC Gremlin was arguably AMC's best car: It was inexpensive to develop and its timing was perfect. The AMC Gremlin was part of an uncoordinated response to the onslaught of the imports. Teague understood that the Gremlin was not going to win any styling awards and that the car at least had personality and character, and that it looked different. This is the story of the AMC GREMLIN.
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Oh you did
I liked the dorky appearance of the Gremlin. I also like rooting for the underdog, which AMC certainly was back then. They made good cars with limited resources. My father bought a 1971 AMC Ambassador SST wagon in 1973 and owned it until 1986. It was only 15 years old, but a savvy AMC enthusiast bought it the day the classified ad came out (he and his wife drove up in a Gremlin and drove both cars home 2 hours away). I hope both of those cars are still around and being loved and appreciated now that they're over 50 years old.
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The X, originally, was very sporty looking and had the performance to back that up (for a subcompact). Later, when the 5 mph bumper mandate was mandated, the Gremlin took on a chunkier, heavier look.
It's sad really but any AMC car is a rare thing to see today. Even rebuilt not altogether original versions aren't really out there. Maybe not the Gremlin but the Javelin for instance was a cool lookin' car.
My brother had an AMC Hornet. Thing was built like a tank. He had a chevy chevette pull out in front of him and he took the front end right off the chevette. Only damage to the hornet was the chevette paint on the bumper.
My first car was a '72 Gremlin X. It would start in all but the coldest weather. And go where nothing but a big 4 wheel drive would in the ice and snow. That car had more personality than most people I've ever met and I regret selling it to this day.
When I was in high school (well over 50 years ago, I got a part time job at a local AMC
dealer. The dealer was tiny (only 6 employees) and had been owned by the same family
since the late 1920s. Originally a Hudson dealer, they began selling Ramblers in 1957
when Hudson production stopped. Only 3 blocks up the street, was another AMC dealer
that had sold Nash automobiles until they too were discontinued in 1957. Both dealers
had solid customer bases and despite being within sight of each other, operated in perfect
harmony for the next 30 years. I prepped new/used cars and was the dealer's "gopher",
picking up parts, driving customers home and buying gallons and gallons of coffee. It
was a wonderful job, and my boss (half owner along with his father) helped me keep my
very tired 1959 Ford ex police car, running. The showroom, like everything else, was very
small...a full sized Ambassador wagon would barely fit. When the first truck arrived (March
1970), we took delivery of 4 brand new Gremlins...I'll NEVER forget how horrified my boss
Norman and his father Pat were, when they first saw those little cars! They couldn't imagine
anyone buying such an ugly little car...no matter how inexpensive it was. The only positive,
we could fit TWO Gremlins in the showroom! Their opinions of those "ugly" little cars changed
VERY quickly...the first 4 cars sold in just 3 days! Pat was on the phone to the New England AMC
distributor before the end of the week, asking for a DOZEN Gremlins. He was told that 5 or 6 cars
would arrive within a week, but he'd have to wait a while for the rest...Gremlins were selling like
crazy in New England! Unlike Pintos and Vegas, Gremlins were very sturdy and durable. AMC's 199,
232 and 258 6 cyls. were all 7 main bearings and virtually indestructible. These "unusual" looking
little cars could really take a pounding and continue running. Decades later, no one EVER sees a Pinto,
and the last Vegas rusted into oblivion by the mid 80s...but every now and then, you'll come across
an old Gremlin. Its probably pretty beat up and has some rust here and there, but it's still running,
which is more than can be said for any Pinto or Vega. More than 50 years later, not many people
remember Pintos or Vegas...but nearly everyone recognizes a Gremlin when they see one!
Nice book. Obviously it's a fiction piece....There are 10x as many pinto's and vega's than gremlin's still kicking, which you would know if you had ever been to a drag race or car show in the last twenty years. If you were into that scene you would also be aware that the mustang 2 ( PINTO) front suspension was used in hot rods for DECADES because it worked so well and was easily adaptable. Something that has NEVER been said about an AMC gremlin's suspension...
The pinto 2300 4 cylinder was a great little engine, which is why it was used in the the ford ranger all the way until 1997. In it's defense the gremlins inline six turned into the Jeep 4.0, which was a great engine until 1997. After that they started suffering from weak pistons skirts, weak cylinder heads prone to cracking , and loose tolerances between the oil pump drive ( distributer) and camshaft which resulted in nightmare's for owners of 2004-2006 Jeep wranglers.
Don't get me wrong. I love gremlins and am searching for a solid early one with the small bumpers. It's just that your novel is full of BS...
Great story. Good to hear from an AMC fan. Like any car, they have their good and weak points. I bought one brand new in 1975. I loved it. I never thought they were ugly, quite the opposite. It was my first car. I am glad I did, for I had the experience of buying American Motors brand new. So sad they are gone.
@@dansmusic5749 I worked at the AMC dealer off and on for nearly 5 years...they helped me
pay a good sized chunk of my college tuition. I frequently got to drive older Hudson, Nash and
Rambler products. I also got to drive brand new cars practically every day...it really was a great
job. During the summer of 1968, I got to meet several members of the AMC Northeast Marketing
Team. They were actually interested in my opinions/observations about their cars...how cool is that?
The dealership closed shortly after AMC sold out to Chrysler...Norman (who had become sole owner)
was not the least bit interested in selling ANY Chrysler products. Several years ago, I was present at
Norman's funeral...he was 84 when he passed. When I started working there, I was a teenager and
Norman was 32. I have many wonderful memories of my time there and the incredible experience
of being around (and driving) many terrific and innovative cars...it turned out to be so much more
than just another part time job!
I knew 5 people who owned AMC Gremlins. 3 of the 5 complained about the Gremlin's rear traction issues. 4 of the 5 said their Gremlin was easy on gas. 4 of the 5 said their car was relatively trouble free.
And ALL 5 OWNERS LOVED THEIR GREMLINS. Enough said.
When I was growing up our neighbor had two of them.
He was a pediatrician and his wife was a professor of History.
They said they were never really interested in cars they just wanted something that started and ran every day and got them to their destination.
They said they chose the Gremlin because it was small enough to be maneuverable and easy to park but it had more than adequate power with an automatic transmission and they had good Ol American air conditioning and heating.
They drove them for years and years and years before rust finally got them.
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We drove a 73 Levi Gremlin from Nebraska to San Francisco on our honeymoon. Loved that car . Wish I still had it.
I am fairly wealthy. I give much of the credit to my first car, the Gremlin. It got me around until I was 30. Not spending money on cars and car loans allowed me to buy real estate in Colorado and Vegas. I ran that Gremlin over 300,000 miles with normal maintenance. Friends made fun of my Gremlin for years as I avoided a car payment.
Wow! Pleasantly surprised to read your comment as I can relate to it. My first car was a 1980 Spirit, aka a Gremlin in drag. It was dependable, easy to maintain and a useful design. I saved quite a bit of money by not financing new cars in my 20s which, in retrospect, was my first personal financial smart move. I retired when I was 56. When did I part with that AMC Spirit? I haven’t. In fact, this Thursday (Apr 07) will mark 42 years that I’ve owned that car. JACKPOT!!
@@RichInDet I love these types of stories, im 17 sitting on a 180k mile aeronose f150 and a 117k 77 gremlin both are the best cars I could own.
My son has taken this approach. Bought a 97 Lexis. Does his own repair when possible. No car payment. Bought it cash. Nice ride as well. He’s 27. Has had it 3 years so far. Im passing your story on to him.
Great story! My first car was also a Gremlin... a 1972 Gremlin X with the big 258 six. I put 100,000 miles on that car in 5 years without one bit of trouble. Best car I ever had... until my current Tacoma 4 cylinder LOL
If they were being made today. I'd buy as many as I could afford. I ❤AMC Cars!
We'd buy one Scott. I say one today on Facebook for sale. $12k... Too much for me but it was nice. Thanks for watching and for sharing. We hope you are a subscriber if you're not already.
I was circumcised in the back of a Gremlin, Mom said the ride was smooth.
@@jimijefferson82 There was a commercial of a circumcision in a certain car to hype their smooth ride and suspension.
@@dleet86 That was me, LOL I will prove it if we ever meet.
In the 70’s Ford, GM, and AMC all built small cars, Ford’s Pinto blew up, GM’s Vega rusted on the showroom floor and burned oil at 20k, while AMC’s Gremlin had no major problems. And which company failed?
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They were crap too.
AMC just didn't have the following. I was a big fan and owned a 1974 Matador X with the 360 4 bbl. Try finding one of those today.
Can't make money if your cars don't fail. Look at all new cars, they are all throw away spend $30,000+ to use it a few years before getting a new one
that yellow w/ black Gremlin at 2:00 was the exact same one I had in 1984 - PEACE LOVE n HIPPYNESS!
Peace, love and happiness! Thanks for watching and for sharing. We hope you are a subscriber if you're not already!
i remember clearly going for a walk on that nice sunny day as an 8 year old boy, an impressionable young kid and already a genuine car nut checking out every parked car in view no matter where the location - when sitting in the driveway of a neighbor's home a brand new and shiny purple and white Gremlin X with dual exhaust, V8, and wheels that might have been rally wheels or even Cragars. Keeping in mind there was no snobbery towards the Gremlin at this time, it was fresh and a positive vibe surrounded this car and I was in love with it! That romance lasted many years with the Gremlim. Thanks for video, guys, a thumbs up, and subscribe and I even watched the ads in support of your channel - can't get enough American classic cars!
Bruce from Toronto Canada.
Wow Bruce! We like to read stuff like this. It takes us back to the younger days. I can picture a sunny day and seeing the car passing by. Thanks man!
What you were experiencing my man was the original Hot-hatch!
My husband and I met in 1977, he had a Gremlin, we had many a fun date in that car. Will always have a soft spot in my heart for them.
Have to admit, remember seeing these on the local AMC dealership lot as a kid looking at cars with my dad. Thought the Levi's package was so cool and not knowing any better, believed the V-8's to be rockets!!!😅 As it turned out, these were superior to the junk Vega and Pinto. Thanks for the memories!!!👍
My friend had a Gremlin when we were in high school it ran forever.
I once rode in a new '73 Gremlin, at first thinking, what am I doing in THIS thing. To my amazement, I was floored by the smooth quiet ride and peppy I6 engine. Though I loved my '73 Plymouth Duster with slant 6 engine, I had to admit the Grem was more fun to drive.
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For what AMC had, the Gremlin was ingenuous! I have a 1977 and it handles quite nicely...no body lean in the back at all!
A 1973 white Levi’s Gremlin was the first car I bought myself. I got every option I could. Loved the seats. I got 100,000 miles before I sold it. Wish I still had it.
100k and Levi seats? wow!! awesome! Thanks for watching!
I am 63, and have always been a VW Beetle fan (the, uh, air cooled one) I have owned over 20 of them, and still have one. But I also love the AMC Hornet and Gremlin. I drag raced a Gremlin for nearly 7 years. I had over 450 rwhp under the hood, and it did not require any reinforcement. I have raced several other cars, and every one of them required reinforcement to prevent the chassis from flexing. Driving a Gremlin on the street was extremely enjoyable, especially with the manual transmission (yes, I owned a total of 3 Gremlins, one of them was strictly a street car) It's simplicity and lack of "technology" made it a pleasure to drive. It had a visceral feel that no modern car has. You8 could hear and feel the engine, and feel the tires on the road. It was not a sports car as far as handling goes, but it could easily be turned into a muscle car that would anything Chrysler made in the late '60s/early '70s. The one I drove on the street even had A/C, one of the Beetles few shortcomings. I only sold my Gremlins because I could no longer find parts for them, unlike the Beetle, which still has unlimited parts availability. You can build one out of a catalog. I definitely preferred the Gremlin over the Pinto and Vega. It was bigger, heavier, and much stronger. And I absolutely love the look. And yes, I still have several lava lamps, which, for some reason, can STILL be bought brand new.
They were good solid reliable cars! They were easy to work on, and parts were easy to get, maybe the car companies could learn from them! They were made mostly of metal, not plastic!
True Mark! hanks for watching and for sharing. We hope you are a subscriber if you're not already.
AMC was ahead of its time when it came platform sharing and mechanics!
Government emissions regulations ended the idea of simple and easy to work on.
I had a 1973 Purple Gremlin in college (mid-80s) and it was fun to drive. It was very reliable which was important to a college student. And it definitely got noticed. So '73 would have to be my favorite.
I was a high school kid in the late 70's. College in the early 80's. Had 2 Gremlins during that time in my life. They were both great little cars for what they were. Had a lot of fun with them.
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I love how it looks, how it feels, how it drives and how it lasts and lasts and goes and goes when other more expensive and fancier cars are stuck on the roadside waiting for a tow. I bought one in 1971 and traded it in 1982. Except for frequent (3,000 mile) oil changes, regular tune ups and the occasional replacement of spark plugs, etc., I never had a major repair done to it and it had around 70,000 miles on it when I reluctantly let it go because the body was rusting out. It burned around 18-20 mpg if I didn't gun it to much (no, it didn't win any stoplight drag races), and it didn't leak oil. It started in under 10F degrees every time, and it ran until I shut it off.
Oh, and I could park it in NYC almost anywhere, but admittedly, no power steering made that something of a chore.
It cost leas than $2,000.00 ($14,197.73 today) brand new with warranty, and yearly maintenance was under $70.00 ($332.10 today) every year I had it. It carried four in comfort and five scrunched together (yeah, it had a back seat), the radio and the heater were fine and always worked. It also carried lots of bulky stuff in the back, easily loaded through the rear window, the struts of which only broke once and was cheap to fix.
I had an automatic transmission in mine (my wife did not yet drive standard) and it never needed more than the usual service. It never broke and it ran like a watch.
Find another car like that. In1971 the was nothing on the market that could compare to it and there still isn't.
I owned a 1972 Gremlin with the 304 V8 engine and automatic Trans. I had it custom painted in black with diamond dust flake and 6 coats of clear. I installed wide Mickey Thompson rear tires and narrow tires in the front. The car was very dependable and i drove it everywhere. I really enjoyed cruising in it around my home town. everyone that saw it, loved it. never wanted to sell it, but i finally traded it for a restored 1960 Corvette. I wish today I still had my Gremlin.
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My first car of only four I've ever owned. The BEST PERFORMANCE, SPEED, MILEAGE, STOPPED & TURNED ON A DIME, VERY STURDY, 1972 @ $2,600. No trunk space, but I was single & despite the size & My 6'3" height, I slept in it when I was poor .. I had a fresh shipment of fifty to choose from .. Chose a Baja Brown Metalic with racing stripe after examining every one. TgT
I'm an AMC fan and owned a 70 AMX. The Hornet SC/360 was a sleeper, so when AMC chopped the Hornet and made a Gremlin it was great. My buddy and I flagged down an elder woman with her new Gremlin. She was nice and gave a ride. She had one of the first and told us all the defects and dealer repairs. She still loved it. lol. Same friend later bought a Gremlin X with a 304 V8, 4-speed, positraction, and power disc brakes. It had 7x15 wheels with fat BFG Radial TAs. The car was quick and I thought it was fun to drive such a quirky little car.
The orange with black striping my fave colour scheme on a Gremlin 👍
That probably be mine too. My brother is Yellow with black! Thanks for watching and for sharing. We hope you are a subscriber if you're not already!
I spied a 72 sitting behind a Buick dealer one day. When I inquired an old women who had always driven Buicks purchased it and did not like it. Three months later she traded it for a Buick. I asked them to hold it until the next day. That evening I told my girl friend (now wife) about. Her 65 LTD was falling apart. I finally convinced her to get the Gremlin as it had less than 2000 miles on the clock. When she first filled it up she thought certainly some gas must be pouring on the ground. Great car, had the 232 automatic. Several years later I drove it from Western Illinois to Central Florida. Loved every minute of it. It today's world I wish we still had it.
I drove for a pizza delivery place in 78 . THIS WAS THE COMPANY'S CAR . It was indestructible . Hard as I tried , I couldn't kill it .
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In my home town in the Midwest, there were 2 Gremlins that were hot rodded, a '72 and a "74. Those cars were so cool. The dude that had the '74 put a small block Chevy in it with side pipes, and it sounded sweet. The '72 also had a small block, but no pipes. They both had wide tires and Cragar S/S rims, which are my favorite mags of all time. The 70's were a great time to mod your ride, you had Dusters, the original panel vans that were turned into bedrooms on wheels lol and we had our CB radios, too. Good times.
Had a 1971 with 232 straight 6 , auto and AM radio Never did any repairs , only oil and tires , Loved it !!!!!!
Nice to see all the nice ( for the most part) comments. I bought a new 74 x with the 304 back in the day. Loved it. All the comments about snow , rust and body roll is true. Car went away when marriage came along.
Fast forward to three years ago when one very similar to the first one became available. Restored it and now I have a small piece of my younger years back.
Went to register it. My state allows for antique auto vanity plates- was able to get” Gremlin “. Probably the only AMC Gremlin in my state.
Factoid- approximately 43,000 over the entire model run had the 304.
My first car was '74 Gremlin, blue with gold accent stripe and Levi's interior. Loved that car, fun to drive.
I would love to have a Levi’s interior in my car. I wonder how much it would cost to have someone make it
Had a 72 X ( Red with Black Stripes) 258 with BMX transmission. Loved that car!
In the early '80's I bought a '72 Gremlin X, black with gold stripe, pretty rusty, previous owner put a 304 V8 from a jeep in it, I got it rebuilt and put a mild cam and headers on it with a custom 'shot-gun' exhaust, flipped the rear springs, 10" TA's on the rear and 8"TA's on the front, it was one of the most fun cars I've ever owned and not many could follow me on the back roads of my town, though the valves would start to float around 95mph it got there pretty quick and surprised a lot of people :) Miss it to this day.
Always liked these since I was a kid in the 80’s
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@@ThisOldCarChannel yes I am! Also joined the f/b page
Pretty cool.
'74, i'm 16 and doing yard work for some spending money.
A few regular customers, one a widow with a Gremlin. Every other week, front and back yard.
Every other month, wash and wax the car.
Her example was silver. I dug it.
Pacer next video? Always love AMC. They were inexpensive and easy to work on. My love for them started as a kid when I saw a Marlin.
The Marlin was a damn nice lookin car… still is.
We will begin doing some research guys.
In January of 1984 I purchased a 1974 AMC Gremlin with just over 22,000 miles on it. It's previous owner was a former AMC executive who moved here to south Florida in the late 70s after a long illness. He barely drove the car from 1981 until his passing in late 83. The Gremlin was immaculately maintained and garage kept. His widow hated the car and put it up for sale soon after his passing and I paid her $850.00 for it. I had it until 1989 when it developed transmission issues that were complicated by severe rust to the chassis and undercarriage. I do still miss it all these years later
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My first new car. A 1973 Gremlin X. A great car!
Glad it worked for you Glenn!
The Gremlin was so ugly it was beautiful. I grew up in the 60’s and graduated high school in ‘72. Other than the Javelin/AMX, no serious car enthusiast in our crowd would touch an AMC. Dads with a little cash would buy their daughters Gremlins to go off to college, though VW Beetles were still the economy car for many.
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My dad bought one in 1970. Three speed, 232 straight six. I remember the neighbors coming over to see it parked in our driveway and laughing at him for buying it. He was hte one laughing not long after when people were waiting in line at the gas station for gas. 😀 Drove that sucker for a good 12-13 years, no issues but tire, battery and normal wear and tear. Until some woman hit it in a parking lot, the unibody frame did not like it. But still, a great little car. With good snow tires on the back, it handled Michigan winters just fine. I liked driving it so much I bought a used 1975 Gremlin and drove it another couple of years. Thanks for the memories!
I have grown to love my little 77 Gremlin X Levi's edition. I didn't get my dad's fascination of the Gremlin until I rode in mine. I found it on Facebook forsale one day and my dad had to have it and bought it the next day. It is he 4th Gremlin he owned he absolutely loved them lol. Unfortunately he only got to spend a year with it before he passed away and handed the car to me. He did have a blast driving it and showing it off to every time he stopped. Now I own it and I love the ugly little shirt. It's slow, doesn't brake or handle well at all but man does it command attention. Every time I drive it I get waves/smiles and if I stop anywhere 95% someone comes up and wants to talk about it or memories they had with a Gremlin. It honestly bothered me for a while that people would walk right past my Clean and rowdy GTO like it wasn't there to go check out the Gremlin. Now that I'm the caretaker of it I don't mind as much plus it reminds me of good times with my dad.
I loved my 1972 gremlin in 1987! 3 speed on the floor, 6 banger!
My wife bought a new 1975 Gremlin with a 6 cylinder when she was just 16 years old. A/C and plenty of options. I inherited it when I married her in 1977. A fine running car and really no issues EXCEPT for the horrible weight ratio from front to rear. Emergency stops were actually dangerous. The dealership did their best with correcting this but physics takes over and it became a serious enough issue that we sold the car in 1982 after 60k miles.
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For the Levi’s model, AMC only licensed the design (and logo) from Levi Strauss as cotton wouldn’t have met the interior materials flame retardant standards of the time. In the prototype stage, they found when using actual jeans fabric in seating areas, it began showing excessive wear almost immediately. This issue was solved by switching to a rayon blend used in other production vehicles.
The door panels had genuine denim. And Levi’s buttons.
Gremlins were made in Mexico by VAM through 1982. At the end they had the Spirit hatchback roof and a Concord grille.
I LOVED my Gremlin - 1973, I think it was, white with a blue stripe and those fancy blue jean seats. I lovingly waxed around the rust.
That little thing was much sturdier than it appeared - my older sister owned it first, I believe she may have had an accident in it, then it was handed down to me, and after a couple years I had a serious accident in it, the insurance company considered it totalled but, it was still drivable which I still used it for a few more months, then gave it to our younger brother and he kept driving it for awhile. It was a beast, in the best sense of the word.
My wife and I bought the 71 Gremlin. She thought it was cute and I liked the engine and the price at $2400 for a stick six. The engine was a 230 cubic inch displacement. Seating was cramped with zero trunk area. The rear window was spot welded on and was always popping off.
The three speed stick was a Borg Warner manufacturer , but 2nd gear was not synchronized so gear grinding wore out the transmission i the first year. My wife had the car most of the time and didn’t know his to double clutch. I wished we has bought the automatic. It was the last tome I bought a car with a stick shift ever. One Easter we drive to Disney World and back from Philadelphia, Pa. it was a back breaking trip. I got the transmission fixed and in six months the gear box failed again. So one Saturday I took the car out for and oil change and came hime with a leftover Ford Grand Torino, automatic and V8 that cat lasted me 8 years. I had a philosophy of not keeping a cat once it his 80k miles. The next car was the Pontiac Phoenix. That car lasted 12 years and rode beautifully, good on gas and had umph with a V6 engine. Currently I am driving a 2007 Chevy Impala LT with 180 k miles. Its leaking oil somewhat but still gets 18 MPG. This will be my last car. Im 80 years old now and its question of who or what is gonna last longer. Happy Easter!
I owned a 73 Levi Gremlin X , blue with white hockey stripe. I wish I still had it , great gas mileage.( first new car, I think it cost 2,395.00). my best friend who got me hooked had a 72 gremlin x purple with gold stripe. that car was the most fun you could have back in the day.
Having owned 5 I'd have to say the 73 was my favorite followed closely by the 75. I couldn't stand the 77-78's with their larger rear taillights
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@@ThisOldCarChannel also had 2 Spirits and dated a girl who owned a 77 AMX
And I'm a subscriber. Love your channel
I will admit the late years are very slowly growing on me, but i still prefer the early year narrow lights snd smaller rear window. My father and I are working at restomodding a 78 gt with levi interior, and giving it the amc v8 it deserved to have with it's decal performance kit 😅
I had one the first year it came out, with the back seat, automatic transmission, power steering and air conditioning. Apart from that it had a vinyl interior that screamed “cheap!” It got me through 4 years of college. The problem it developed in that time was rust. Not just the body. The engine rusted inside. The green/yellow coolant turned completely rusty and no matter how often I changed it the rust color and particulate came back quickly. The 232 CI inline 6 cylinder engine was rated at 135 HP that year! All its competitors had 4 cylinders and less than 100 HP. That made up for its quirky styling. And its 21 gallon fuel tank gave it great range.
Had a 74 Gremlin hand me down from my sister. Kept a cinder block in the rear for extra traction in snow, was able to replace the alternator myself (I’m definitely no mechanic) and fashioned a metal dustpan in the engine to keep the carburetor dry. I love that car! Plus a removable 8-track.
Boca Brothers Classic Cars
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Saw a hatchback white with black stripe without a hood the guy put a mustang rear end under it a 454 chevy out ot caprice classic 4speed muncie and a shortened mack truck driveshaft raised all the way around with dunlop cheater slicks and dunlop front tires i think they were about g 60s never saw it driven but looked badass as hell ! Always thought it was little over built ! This was in the late 1970s
Over built ? YUP! LOL Thanks Alton
I bought an 8 cylinder gremlin for my first car. Bought it used with 12,000 miles on it. I used to say that it must have been built on a Friday or Monday when half the workforce were off work drunk or hung over. It had crazy electrical problems, amongst other problems too, but I loved that stupid car. It went like crazy. The whole back end was gas tank. I learned a lot about car maintenance and repair, but ultimately had to let it go and get something cheap, but reliable. I always thought it was charming and different. Still have fond memories.
Proud owner of a 72 red Gremlin X with 304, absolute solid car that both my sister and brother drove after I moved up to a 78 Monte Carlo
Took 2 cross country trips in '74 Gremlins. 3 of us. With a cooler and all our camping gear, the back seat was tight but not really uncomfortable, and the front seats were as roomy as any. They handled the mountains really well and were a lot of fun to drive.
Easy to work on, simple design. The car was great for do it yourselfers turning wrenches in the backyard. I remember pulling the straight-6 with a friend, a length of chain and a 4x4. Then there was the time we were laying in a river of slush and uphill driveway runoff as we replaced the starter on a gremlin.
They were also incredibly popular at Limerock raceway with the weekly race crowd.
I had a 71 gremlin 6 with a stick. I absolutely loved that car!
Loved my gremlin, good little car. Mine was a neon blue 76.
Good looking car. I never saw one in person. Thanks for the history lesson.
No problem Not Sure. Thank you for watching!
Randall AMC in Mesa, AZ built a number of 360 and 401 Gremlins that were street and dragstrip terrors. Sort of American Motors' answer to the Motion Vega, one might say!
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When I was in high school, (almost 50 years ago) an upperclassman who I ran on the track team with had a '73 with a 304 V8. He worked at Gemco Dept store and saved up for his rims and tires to put on his car. First he put F-70 14's with white rims since the car was red, in the front and later the fat G-60 14's on the rear. That car was very fast. One day after practice, he gave me a ride home, and we were listening to "Philadelphia Freedom" from Elton John. From that moment on and to this day, whenever I hear that song, I think of his Gremlin. When we were talking in the school parking lot, he did a power-brake in reverse and that 304 had no problem making those fat tires spin. After he graduated (two-years ahead of me) He traded up to a '70's Corvette. HOWEVER, he found a black '75 Gremlin X with a 304, bought it, and put headers on it. After riding in both cars, it seemed like the Gremlin was faster. His license plate on that Gremlin was: "FRNTHAF" which was iconic!!! He said: "If you ever find a Gremlin with a 304, GRAB IT!! They're rare!" People nowadays make fun of the car, and I was never happy with the comments. But they don't understand to me it was more than a unique looking car, but it was a symbol of very good memories. I MISS those days!!!
Hey Dave, this is Ron. You're talking about me. In fact, I just posted about my beloved FRNTHAF in this comment section. I still have the car. Send me an email and let's reconnect.
I bought a 1972 Gremlin X when I came home on leave, the sticker price 3506.00, I had the 304 V8, the chrysler automatic, it was ugly but cute at the same time kind of like a newborn. I added Hooker Headers (8 hours to install), Accel Dual point distributor, Crager Mags, 60 series, tires, also had a custom dual exhaust system installed and that thing would fly. My first wife ran into a bus and after that I got rid of it, lots of fantastic memories, I loved every minute of it.
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Where I live, there was a yellow Gremlin X sat beside a house, with a really sad For Sale sign in the window. It was a 304 stick car. Mock me for not buying it, but it was so rotted one of the headlights was hanging out, only the wires kept it in. When an AMC rusts, it rusts really bad. I couldn't have fixed it. That thing was done.
I had a 74 in college. It had 258 6 3 speed on the floor. It was a quick car.
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My first car was a 1974 Gremlin X with fake mag wheels and racing stripes on the side...I LOVED THAT CAR. Named it Sophia!
I had a 79 Spirit GT with a 304 V8. I loved that car. One of my friends had a Levi edition Gremlin that was pretty cool. Another had a Gremlin X that had the 304 V8. My brother had a 74 Javilin. My first car was a 65 Rambler that had the 327 4bbl with a 3speed trans with an actual overdrive. I am very familiar with AMC.
I bought a 1972 gremlin x.... it was purple and had a sun roof. I loved that car. It had a really sloppy shifty but replacing it with a hurst shifter really made it better. It did have a problem with wet or very snowy roads, and I did a few 360 spins in it. One night me and a few friends decided to make a graveyard run (just run in and go around the roads in a graveyand.... no mischief was involved) there were 3 people in the front seat, 3 in the back seat (small people) and 3 in the hatch area. THAT was a fun trip!!!!!
My dad had a ‘73…I learned how to drive a stick in that car…I’d love to have it today!
My first car was a 1971 Gremlin with a 258 & AT. I bought it used in 1974, and it lasted me until a drunk driver totaled it in 1977. I am alive today because of my Gremlin. It was the only small affordable car of the era with a full chassis. If I had been in my '69 Chevy Nova six cylinder, I would not have survived the t-bone wreck.
I had a 74 Gremlin back in the 80s. Wish I still had it today.
I bought a used 1974 AMC Gremlin in late 1975 and still have it today. It has over 325,000 miles on it, only being rebuilt at about 150,000 miles. It is a more rare version with the stock 304 V8 in it. It was in perfect California condition when I moved to Utah in 2004. Unfortunately I had no garage and it sat outside in all kinds of weather for 14 years. Four years ago I built a garage, brought the car inside, and am now in the process of completely going through it and bringing it back to it's glory days.
You must really love that little car.
LOVED my '71 Gremliin! Three-on-the-floor, rubber in the first two gears! It felt a lot faster than it was to a 17 year old kid. Drove the wheels off it and then got a '69 Mach I.
Remember the first time I saw a Gremlin. Thought it was a really neat car, like the Hornet. Checked out the Gremlin's tires - they were 2-ply bias-belted tires. Most cars came with 4-ply tires. Gee, anything to save a couple of bucks...
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My 1974 Gremlin lasted 275,000 miles without needing an engine or transmission rebuild. Ultimately gave the car to my mechanic in 1983 for the years of his good service on it.
My dad had 2 AMC autos, the first one was a 1963 Rambler American. The American was a 2 door, an ugly green color with basic wheels and small hub caps, three on the tree and a flathead six, it was a reliable car. It had an assembly defect, wrong oil pan on the engine, it had one for the 258 six, this pan had a notch on the rear for a boss that the flathead six lacked. They ran out of the correct pans for the flat six and installed the one for the 258 and put a rubber plug in the pan notch, this was a temporary fix until the correct pan was installed as the plugs would fall out. He later bought a 1964 Classic, four doors creme color with three on the tree and a 258 six. This one was more comfortable and roomier but had electrical issues, it would catch fire and destroy the voltage regulator and other components, never found out why it did that.
I had two Gremlins, 72 and 75 , both :X" s . My 75 had Levi interior and a V8 !
I had a 70 gremlin i loved that car. Strait six three on the tree lots of room... I put a mina a mile cruising the beach. South texas you can drive on the beach!
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I purchased my 73 gremlin which was yellow with a racing stripe.. after graduating high school in 77... Automatic with AC.. the V6 seem to have plenty of pep.. I had slightly wider tires on the back but never had any problems with handling.. the ride didn't seem choppy to me as I remember... Not great traction in the snow though being very light in the rear... I did have the opening rear window and fold down rear seat..
FYI, it was a straight six, AMC never put a V6 in the Gremlin. You might also be interested to know that six evolved into the wonderful Jeep 4.0.
@@JeffDeWitt thanks.. meant to say straight six I must have had a brain fart 😂
I owned a 1971 gremlin from '75-'78. 232 ci engine with 3 spd manual on the floor, AM radio and after-market A/C. Very much late 50's and early 60's automotive technology. The unsynchronized first gear was a bit of a headache, as were the vacuum operated wipers. But it had plenty of engine for its weight and the engine was bulletproof, simple and very easy to work on. Drum brakes weren't great by today's standards but almost everything had drums then. The original window sticker was still in the glove box. It was $1990 new. My dad had '73 and '74 Vegas - their aluminum engine was terrible and it seemed the bodies were made of compressed rust. On quiet summer nights you'd swear you could hear them rusting.
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I had an AMC Eagle, with a Gremlin body. 4 wheel drive, with a 151 cid in line 4 cylinder engine, 4 on the floor manual transmission, and a low-high transfer case, 16" wheel rims, with nice, beefy tires, it was basically like a luxury Army Jeep. And I was an Army mechanic at the time! I didn't off road drive it much, other than taking it on camping trips, but, boy howdy, could it go in the snow! I lived at the top of probably the steepest hill in our town. in snow, few cars could climb it, even when plowed, sanded and salted. My roommates and friends would have to park at the foot of the hill, but I could ferry them up and down, with ease. I wish I could have had that car forever.
I’ve had my 74 Gremlin for a long time. It got me through life and was given to me by my great grandfather.
I had a job my senior year of high school which involved occasional deliveries. One of the cars in the fleet was a Gremlin with a straight 6 engine. All of us would try to avoid driving it, but that Gremlin was bulletproof and NEVER broke down despite the abuse we gave it. Eventually it became a favorite, but I guess it was popular to hate on the Gremlin. A friend's mom had the V8 Gremlin which was an over powered tire fryer!! It was faster than a Trans Am!! I made several Gremlin model cars as a kid (remember those??). AMC was a great American car company that I dearly miss.
I had a red '77 Gremlin with the rare VW 2.0L and 4 speed manual through my college years. Loved it. Rugged, economical and dependable. But with no weight in back, it could be frightening on slick roads!
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I owed a 1973 Gremlin X with the 304 V8 engine and torgueflight transmission. The car was so much fun to drive. I took it to the drag strip and turned a 15.1 quarter mile time. That was good back then for a stock smog motor. I loved to pick on Nova SS and Javelins. It never had a warranty repair or anything else for that matter.
Had 1974 Gremlin X with a 304 V8. Loved that little car!
I worked for a used car dealer back in the late Seventies. I hated the job but I'm glad I had it now, because it allowed me to drive a lot of cars I never would have had the opportunity otherwise. Including the Gremlin and the Pacer. Both were very weird feeling cars. I remember the Gremlin felt tractor-like. And the Pacer had weird acoustics. It sounded weird, boomy - I guess due, in part at least, to its general roundness. Corvairs felt like boats. MGs were fun as heck. The Dodge Dart was a fun favorite. Also a lot of fun was the notorious Hugo, which I actually owned. I couldn't get rid of my '73 Vega fast enough.
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My first car was a 1974 Gremlin that I had bought for $150. I loved that little car.
My first car was a 1971 AMC Hornet SST 4 door. A truck hit my dad in the rear quarter panel and flattened the fender against the tire so it could not turn. He gave me the car to see if I could fix it. I did and I drove it through my Junior year in High school (I bought a 66 Chevelle SS in my senior year - 1979). The Hornet was simple, cheap and ran great. Mine had the larger 6 cylinder and factory Air. I would buy a Gremlin today as a classic if I could fine one in good enough shape. The only issue with all AMC cars was their cheap interiors that fell apart.
Enjoyable lesson, thx.
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I, always liked it-particularly, in the light blue exterior. I never, though, drove one.
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1973 levis 304 3sd
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I Drove A Friend's New 72 Gremlin Almost Daily And Loved It. A Very Fun Ride
My younger sister had one. She liked the thing. The Temperature gauge ran high so I had to follow her to her summer job in Vermont just in case. Later that summer she was driving along and threw a coke bottle out the window and then watched it bounce down the road. She missed the bend in the road and ran over a low stone wall. The under side of the car was ripped to shreds, oil pan, bottom the transmission and the dif and axles. Father was livid.
In the ‘80’s, Santa Fe Speedway in Chicago had a spectator race class for small cars. Some Gremlins came with a V8 and would kick butt on the track against Vegas and Toyotas.
In a demolition race they were almost indestructible.
The Gremlin definitely gets it’s place next to the VW Beetle. Simple, Ugly and Reliable.
I remember in the 80's all the Gremlins ended up on dirt tracks as Modifieds and Sportsman cars. It was the best body for dirt tracking at the time.
I HAD A 1973 AMC LEVI'S BLUE GREMLIN. I BOUGHT IT NEW FOR $2059.00 . I SOLD IT IN 1986 AND IT HAD OVER 200,000 MILES ON IT. I LOVE THAT CAR.
My first car was a 1972 Gremlin! I got it in 1977. I learned to drive a stick in it and took my license in it. I wish I hadn't wrecked it but a telephone pole jumped out in front of me.
my family were AMC fans in texas. I started with a 1953 Nash 2 door station wagon. it got 27 mpg most of the time. my brother had 2 gremlins . i had a 60 rebel. then a 66 american which i still have. my brother presently has a AMX 1972 model. i regularly drive a 59 rambler custom. it has the 327 v8 that was in the rebel . it presently has 476k miles on it. and still gets 25 mpg .with 3speed w/od. all these AMCs have been dependable and got good fuel economy. (except the AMX passes everything but a gas station.
I inherited a 1973 Gremlin from my dad, it had 174,000 miles on it. I put another 100,000 miles on it. the only problems I had was the heater motor needed replaced at 203,000 miles and the shifter plate wallowed out and it was difficult to find the gears during shifting unless you really paid attention. I eventually sold it to a mechanic who rebuilt it for his kids to learn how to drive in. I got a Hornet from the same mechanic and drove it for a while. It had over 200,000 miles when I got rid of it. I started out with a 1968 AMC Rebel when I was 16. AMC vehicles were not the leading style by any means, but they were very durable. It is too bad they don't make them anymore they were, bullet proof. I have owned many nice cars one was a 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1 it was one and the reason I got the Gremlin was so I could keep the miles down on the Mach 1.
My oldest brother bought a used 1973 Gremlin in 1976 and drove it for years . He loved it, I dont think he ever had to do anything much at all to it other then regular maintenance. That AMC straight 6 was about bulletproof.
I was 11 years old when he got it and rode in the back quite a bit.