Backyard build Pro/Street Gremlin

[arcticwolf]

I'm not kidding, a Gremlin. Why would an F-1 guy want to build a Gremlin? Well, a Gremlin was the first new car I ever bought. First American car I ever owned. And I had this AMT kit - if you could call it a kit, I mean its pretty crude to put it politely. I also had this Roush Mustang chassis left over from my disaster JPS build. so.........

Put Gremlin body on Roush chassis?

Obviously thats not going to work. Besides, where's the fun in that? So I bought another Mustang kit, just to get the body so I could finish the Mustang. Of course I had left one complete unassembled Trans Am chassis.

[arcticwolf]

So I decided to build a street/strip/canyon racer. And surprisingly, some of the sizes might just work. If I cut off the front of the Roush floor pan (it was warped anyway, so this kit was never getting built as a car) and the tube frame sides, and cut out some of the Gremlin engine bay....

it fits perfectly. It'll stick out too far forward but I'll adjust that much later.

I can flip the front suspension over and install it from the underside (the AMT kit didn't have a front suspension). Maybe I can use the axle?

[arcticwolf]

AMT vs Revell axles. Gremlins had leaf springs. This one won't.

I was going to fill and sand out the grafts, but a coat of primer and it looks exactly like what a backyard stick weld job would look like. So I'm going to leave it.

I know I'll have to trim more later.

Meanwhile, I modified some headers I had lying around. By this point I realized the old glue issue wasn't going away. Nothing works on this Revell plastic, and it sure won't stick Revell to AMT, so, everything is getting super glued in one form or another. I'll dress it off later. Fords and AMC's were blue, so its blue.

I'm using the Mustang motor as its much better detailed (duh!) and also I'll need the dry sump.

[arcticwolf]

German grey floor, some detail painting. Lots more cut out to make it work, and had to modify the headers again. Twice. But front suspension in, crossmember replaced. The side pipes came with the Gremlin, so I used them.

The rear I replaced the leafs with trailing arms and the Penske coilovers.

Some more chopping out involved, but the motor is in. It sits a fair bit lower in the chassis than stock!

Even the Roush dashboard fit! Well, most of it. The interior will be Nato Black. That blank guage is a digital speedometer. Honest.

And thats where I'm at. Probably 25 hrs in this build already, so at minimum wage................never mind. I already know I'm running more rake angle than I wanted, but I want to keep the exterior bone stock and I need to clear the back tires.  We shall see.

Later guys.

[afx]

I like it!

[robhart]

Probably the most sophisticated Gremlin ever!

[4wheels]

Neat idea! The only usable part on a Gremlin, to my knowledge, is the body skin! First pic is a local dirt modified I watched in 1972 as a (much) younger man, second pic is my replica of it at the last vintage race last October, won my class!

[arcticwolf]

OK 4Wheels, thats a horrible fate for a decent little car!  .

I liked my Gremlin. Beat the hell out of a Pinto or a Vega (yeah they worked out well). Mine had a 304 with a 3 speed manual and Goodyear Polyglas tires.

Smog motor, all the power of a diesel without the accompanying noise and smoke. And it handled about as well as a north sea trawler. However, it was light (relatively), short wheelbase, kind of handy in a way. An Edelbrock intake, Holley 600 and dual exhausts cured the power problem mostly, a big help was swapping in a Warner T10 4 speed and changing the axle to a 356. Koni shocks and BF Goodrich T/A's on Keystones helped the handling a lot. It had factory power disks so the brakes were decent. Nowhere near emission legal. It was a respectably quick fun car, and then, of course, I sold it. My (ex) wife suggested that as we were renovating our new 100 yr old house, a pickup truck would be more appropriate. I should have sold her.

[arcticwolf]

A few tidbits about AMC engines. There are no small blocks or big blocks. All the V8's were the same in-between block. So bulkier and heavier (about 80#) than a Chevy 327. But they all came with forged rods and crankshafts, bullitproof bottom ends. You could squeeze a bit more HP out of them than a Chev or Ford, but not as good a torque curve. Penske made them work well. I know a few guys who swear by them, and the 6's, they're mostly Jeep wierdos, lol. But they are a really tough engine.

I wouldn't mind a Rebel or a Javalin if I could find a clean one.

[arcticwolf]

I just wanted something simple for a break. Nothing ever turns out simple, lol. I think I'm done from the firewall back. Drilled 4 holes in the Gremlin, modified the Mustang roll cage a bit, boiled it for 5 minutes and then sqeezed it to fit into the mounting holes, so no rebound when it cooled back down. It worked. Added some accessories, wiring, oil lines, Porsche 904 seats and gas tank. The seat belts are the old painted masking tape trick.

Now to finish the engine bay and make the front of the car fit somehow.

[sam]

That is just a freakishly amazing thing to do to a quirky little car. I am an AMC fan. Mom had a sweet little Hornet sedan, and my father in law has owned Gremlins and Pacers.