When surfing the net, I rarely pass up an opportunity to check out a ten-worst-cars-of-all-time list, a controversial subject many auto authors seem to enjoy writing about. While I typically agree with some of their opinions, a car that frequently appears which I don’t really get is the AMC Gremlin. Back in the seventies, my dad taught me how to drive on one of these odd-looking machines, stick-shift tranny and all, with that poor vehicle strongly soldiering through all the many miles of abuse we put it under during those formative years. Even if you’re not a fan of the appearance, once you get under the hood of this 1974 Gremlin here on eBay, you may find it difficult not to appreciate this one from a performance standpoint. The AMC resides in St. George, Utah, with the no-reserve auction up to just $3,100 so far.
The Gremlin was in production from the 1970 model until 1978, and although in folklore the name implies an unexplained electrical or mechanical problem, it seemed like a pretty cool moniker during the seventies decade to use for an automobile with such an unusual and mischievous shape. Other than telling us the car has been a long-term restoration project, we don’t get much else regarding the body. However, the sheet metal appears reasonably straight, and the paint seems more than good enough as it is for most Gremlin connoisseurs.
AMC offered an optional V8 for their Gremlin, beginning in 1972 and lasting until mid-season for the 1976 model. That motor was in the form of a 304 cubic-inch powerplant, providing plenty of get-up-and-go for an auto weighing considerably less than 3,000 pounds, with more than 40,000 buyers ticking this box during those five years. However, the seller of this one had other ideas, as the bay here now holds a 350 HO Chevy V8, with fewer than 10 miles since the installation. There’s no word on whether or not this one was originally a factory V8 example, but since the original engine is no longer present, I’m not sure how much it matters.
The weak area here is the interior, with the front seat currently in tatters and needing repairs or replacement. It looks like the dash may have either been painted or possibly had some new materials installed, and I’m thinking how fun it would be if you could find a Gremlin X-model donor to get a more fun steering wheel plus a set of buckets for the front. I like the B&M stalk inside, although there’s no mention of what exactly it provides shifting for. This one doesn’t seem very far from ready for the streets, and if bidding doesn’t get too out of hand, this could end up being a lot of good performance for an affordable price. What are your thoughts on this 350-equipped 1974 AMC Gremlin?
All this shows, is how brand loyalty has gone the way of common sense. There is no valid reason I can think of, to put a GM motor in a Gremlin, when American Motors had some of the best V8s, made by the most skilled craftsmen from Europe, or where ever they came from. The AMC 360, their most popular motor, BTW, was everything the 350 was, and it was somewhat original. A 390 or 401, still considered small blocks, would eat a 350 for lunch. 10 miles tells me it may have been a scary 10 miles, and the builder has no experience with AMC motors or their cars. Just a kooky looking car with a renowned GM motor,,I’d have to think a stock Gremlin in this nice of shape, with a 6/automatic would be far more collectible, but what do I know?
I don’t understand why anyone cares what engine goes in which car. If it’s your car, do whatever makes sense to you, if it’s not your car, just move along.
Perhaps I can answer this cordially. If you look at my 1st sentence, there was indeed a brand loyalty. You wouldn’t go into a church on Sunday spouting atheism, nor would you put a competitors motor in one of your cars. Especially when the original was good to begin with. This tells me, the builder had no experience with AMC motors, and installed a more common motor, something more people would recognize, than an AMC motor. Is it wrong by todays standards to do so? I suppose not, but to someone who grew up with these, where friends and neighbors put these things together, yeah, it’s a kick in the bum to us.
He might have had the Chevy motor and trans in the corner of his garage. Who knows? I often have one in my garage. The b come available all the time. However, finding a 304 isn’t easy these days, at least not up in my area where most older stuff got crushed years ago.
Lack of knowledge doesn’t stop anyone from commenting here, evidenced over and over
Ive seen more SBC/SBF Gremlins since the 70s than AMC V8s.
During much of the Gremlin’s production run, the general focus of cars of this type, was, economy. A V8 defeats the purpose.
Granted, the 600-pound six didn’t deliver great gas mileage, either. I’ve said many times, AMC missed the boat twice here: They didn’t keep the Kaiser-former-Buick V6 as a compact-space light powerplant, and they didn’t make a four out of their bulletproof six until it was too late. Chrysler actually got more use out of the AMC/Jeep four than did AMC.
And the first four they got, was a VW design, used in Audis in Europe – and VW refused to allow AMC to even allude to VW manufacture. That should have been a red flag. With a carburetor, it was a slug.
But…yeah. A V8 was not why most people would buy these cars. Weight distribution was a problem in the X models with V8s, right from the start – lots of rear wheel slippage and spinning out. If that sounds cool, look at some Youtube videos of street racers who’ve lost control when starting a car where rear traction is lost.
I liked the Gremlin for the quirky adaptation that it was – and I had one – but it was never going to be a powerhouse, and I’d have never spent the effort putting an SBC into one.
Did they use Plasti-Coat on the dash? This looks like another Miller High Life 48 pack project.
As long as its not a bud light project !
Yep the dash and wiring are a mess
You have to hand it to American Motors, with limited resources, they converted a Hornet into a compact to compete with the big guys.
I bought a 72′ X ,the last year of the smaller bumpers for $2,500 brand new,had the dealer add the air.258 six,3 – speed stick.
Sounds fun.
I don’t mind the 350 at all and the exterior with a decent set of wheels and tires could look presentable. The interior is a disaster. I agree with whoever said to try to find another Gremlin for the dash, seats and everything else they can use. I bought a ’74 Gremlin new and put 150,000 on the 232 before I sold it to someone else. It handled fine with that short wheelbase. I now have a ’30 Model A sedan with a 350. It is no longer than a Gremlin and I’ve never had it try to swap ends. Oh, I’m sure I could look into n YouTube and find videos on Model A disasters on the drag strip but, then again, I can find videos of any cars on the drag strip that have disastrous endings. This could be a fun car to take to shows and Cars and Coffee after a lot of sprucing up. Oh, the fact that they’ve driven it only 10 miles is kind of concerning to me too.
Looks just like the one Al Bundy bought when his “Dodge” croaked.
I bought my wife her first car, which was a 72 Purple Gremlin, $2300 out the door. Six cylinder automatic. Never had to take it back to the dealer, because it never had any problems. She drove that car for 10 years, never had a problem. She loved it.
I think the Gremlin ends up on those “worst car” lists because most people don’t remember them as cheap, cheerful little cars, they remember them as clapped out beaters on their fifth or sixth owner, held together with duct tape, zip ties, and bungee cords. The typical Gremlin lived a tough life. On the other hand, a childhood friend of mine grew up in a Gremlin family. When one of the kids needed transportation, her dad would go buy another Gremlin. I think at one point they had four or five of them, and they were all pretty nice, as I recall.
Why a pedestrian SBC when he could had a HEMI?
Had one with the 258 auto. Hit the salvage yard and Levied it. Fun car. I gave it to my son who drove it for about a year. That thing would spin those tires. I had to go to court and explain to the judge that the cars design was the reason it would spin those tires so easily. I’d buy one again except I am 80 and don’t need any more cars.
AMC did an amazing job of producing several different vehicles from one chassis. The Gremlin was no worse, or no better than the rest of the AMC fleet- because it used all of the same running gear, and most everything else, AMC V8s of that era were all the same block with different cylinder bore size, and internals. They were designed by GM. So when you put a Bellybutton (350 Chevy) in an AMC, you are simply choosing older technology from the same company. (GM)
290/304/343/360/390/401 are all bolt in swaps. 350 powered Gremlin? Thank you- No.
In 1954 with George Romney as CEO American Motors Research and Engineering designed for 1956 the American Motors V8 engines. They were not designed by G.M.
the only GM designed engine used by AMC was the Iron Duke. Non of their V8 were designed by GM.
The dash looks radioactive.
When no reference to trans is made it’s an automatic. IMO, building a hot rod with a press and go transmission contradicts why hot rods are fun. Also when I see an engine different than the car manufacturer, I loose all interest in build conversation with the owner. I suspect this builder has had an OMG(!) what have I done moment and is now embarrassed by what he’s done.
The car was originally a six as the vin wound have an “ H” if it was a 304 V 8.
I own an original 74 X , H code 304 with the original engine.
Call me crazy, but somebody has to restore and display these fun, odd little cars!!!
Who would’ve thunk this car would get so much verbage. In the year 1981 my second wife and I split the sheets. She needed a car so we found a Gremlin with 232 automatic that needed new interior. we bought it on the cheap and I found all good interior at a wrecking yard that I installed. She like the car so much I decided to get one for myself so I found a 75 Gremlin X with 258 and three speed on the floor that needed a new clutch so I purchase it and put a new clutch in it. I drove it from Everett, Washington to Killeen, Texas with my brother and his wife. He was career Army and stationed there at Ft. Hood. I stayed there a year and half then headed north up through eastern Colorado and then west over the Rocky mountains to Provo, Utah pulling an foot covered U-haul trailer. That little car was a real great car. Not a fan of putting Chevy engines in anything but Chevy’s, but like someone said; your car do it your way.
God Bless America
SOLD for $3,600.
I’m from the land of the Gremlin, Wisconsin! My Grandpa worked at AMC until retirement and my entire family drove all of the different AMC cars because Grandpa got a discount. The story that stuck with me the most is when my dad told me he borrowed his sisters new Gremlin without asking and in typical teenage fashion proceeded to beat the heck out of it and afterwards immediately pulled it over to the side of the road jumped out and popped the hood and was like “Wow it’s got a V8!” Lol. All of these years later I decided to tip the hat to the old Grandpop and find and build me an AMC, a Gremlin! I did not realize how challenging this was going to be..They are becoming very hard to find including the parts and all of the ones on the internet that I found were already sold. I finally located one in New York of all places and had my friend transport it for me. He said “You wouldn’t believe how many people went crazy over that stupid little car!” I had the option of putting a SBC in it but I wanted to keep it as real as possible so I located a 401 which was just as difficult as getting the car itself. This was NOT a cheap date..$30,000.00 later not including the purchase and transportation of the vehicle it has a pump gas 420 AMC Stroker motor, new trans, new rear, new front end, roll cage, fuel system etc.. The body is good enough to pass for now but will need work eventually. The car is nothing short of amazing and when I tell you it flys, boy I tell you it flys! Lol. Ok sorry, now to my point. In the mix of all of this I was also able to obtain two AMC Pacers with parts for $6000.00! The one that runs and drives I turned it into the Mirthmobile from the movie Wayne’s World and gets more attention than a Lamborghini I swear! The other one needs a new heart and at this time I’m practically AMC broke! Lol. I have a complete ready to rock built SBC and trans taking up space and I’ve decided to do what will make every AMC purist cringe and put it in the pacer, but here’s my reasoning. I already have the glorified 401 gremlin, the other pacer has the AMC 258, and originally it was supposed to be a GM developed Rotary engine to go into the pacer, so if that would have happened then you would have had an AMC with a GM motor from the factory, so is it that bad that I’m mixing the two? Furthermore as much as I would love to put another killer AMC engine in the Pacer it would just cost way to much and I already have the SBC that I built years ago with no home and I’m pretty much out of money and time so in my opinion this would be considered a “Hot Rodding” situation where people used what they had on a budget and made it happen plus your still preserving the pacer and keeping it on the road and your able to have some fun with a lighter car with 500+ horsepower! SBC Gremlins and whatnot have been ripping up the streets for years, look up the famous “Chilly Willy” Gremlin. In my heart of hearts I do feel some kind of way about it but there are a million of other worse things happening all over the world right now than someone putting a SBC in his Pacer lol! At least it’s not an LS! Lol. Thanks for reading if you made it this far!🤦🏼♂️
Nice story.
I was lucky enough to find an originally equipped H code Gremlin x . And after the same 30000$ to relive MY early 20’s ( I had one then) , I decided to stop and call it good!! Mods cost even more as you know.
You are right, at the shows, they get ALOT of attention.
New England weather was not kind to the 1970’s cars. Mine came from Arizona- Randall dealership I believe. Faded paper work in the glovebox.
AMC LIVES!!