The seller refers to this 1976 AMC Gremlin as a pretty high-option car, and that doesn’t include all of the go-fast accessories, which may or may not actually make this Gremlin go any faster, but it sure makes it look fast. Doesn’t it? Hello? It brings me back to the late ’70s when it seemed like everyone dolled up their cars like this: skinny wheels in the front and fat ones in the back. Let’s check it out.
We used to say, “70s in the front, 50s in the back”, as far as the tires and wheels – or rims, as we called them way back in the Jurassic era of the 1970s. I like the clean look without a front bumper, but I’d want to fill in the bumper mount areas or put a smaller bumper on the front. The hood scoop is interesting, to say the least, as are the “just for looks” Corvette side pipes. You can see that this example is far from perfect, but they say that it has no rust, so that’s good!
Here’s a classic view. I can hear BTO’s Takin’ Care of Business cranked on the stereo as you jump in this Gremlin with a friend or two, or three, and drive around doing absolutely nothing, just burning up as much cheap gas as you can and getting away from the world of high school for a while.
AMC made the Gremlin from 1970 to 1978 for the U.S. Market in exactly one body style, this two-door classic chopped-back hatchback that wasn’t really a typical hatchback, but the rear window opened up so you could hang your surfboard out of it and look cool, whether you really surfed or not. The plaid seats are exactly what you want here. A barefoot gas pedal? Check. A column-shift automatic? Check, dang. A manual would be fun in a car like this.
There’s no 304 V8 under that scooped lid, it’s AMC’s smallest engine for this car, a 232-cu.in. OHV inline-six, with 90 horsepower and a one-barrel carb. This isn’t exactly what a person would expect to see with the side pipes, fat tires, mag wheels, and hood scoop. It runs and drives great and the seller has it posted here on craigslist in Vancouver, Washington and they’re asking $7,600. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Matt H. for sending in this tip! Would you keep the original engine or change it out for an AMC V8?
$7600 😲🥴
Paging 📞 Howard
Thanks, Stan,,,
Not seeing the white vinyl top? Front bumper?
I’m trying to see the plaid seats!
Ok its a joke expecting a 401 under the hood!! 🤦🤦
Chevy steering wheel?
Yes, the best part on the car.
This would cost too much to get back to original, and any self-respecting person would be too embarrassed to be seen in it as is.
I’m not self-respecting by that measure. My 1st car was a sheep in wolf’s clothing.
This car makes me smile. Mid 70’s all the way.
I was quite upset someone would have the audacity to accuse me of being insensitive to our vets( ’67 Datsun pickup) I suppose to some, I’m just another bozo behind a keyboard. I realize, any forum is fair game for unrelated gripes of our society today, but from now on, I will not tolerate the posts to be derailed, for such silliness. Save your military rants for Facebook. I know this author understands.
Naturally, I think this is just the coolest. Again, am I the only one that notices no air cleaners? ( but a new fuel filter) The Gremlin enjoyed huge success in drag racing. While this is just a visual concept, and a cool one at that, except not sure about rear tires outside the body, but this bolsters what a Gremlin was all about. I watch vintage drag racing from the 60s-70s, when it was more than Toyotas and Camaros, Gremlins did an outstanding job, and yes, most with AMC motors.
All that aside, this really makes a rather mundane car pretty cool looking, and BTO who? My 1st trucking job, the owners kid had a Peterbilt, ( in an all Mack fleet) and on the hood, they used to paint catchy sayings on, he had “Takin’ Care of Business” on the side.
We grew up in Windsor, across the river from Detroit. I was born in 61. My dad had a 73 Gremlin X when I was 16. Red with black stripes, 3spd stick, cold AC, manual brakes and steering, 232. 73 was a unique year where the bumpers were concerned. They had the mandated energy absorption, but they weren’t as large as subsequent years. 3mph vs 5mph i think. Learned to drive a stick right out of the gate, as did my brothers. We all still prefer a manual, but I’m the only one who still drives one. I loved that Gremlin and would still do one up today. It did nothing well, but it was reliable. I’d stay original in appearance, but either with an AMC 4.0 and 6spd, or a 304 with a bit of cam, fuel injection and dual exhaust. 401 will bolt in wherever 304 will go, but a lot more $ to drive it. Hmm. Maybe Cragar mags too, as they just bolt on. I always thought the Gremlins had a cool look, even though my friends disagreed. Of course, a Hornet wagon done the same way, black with the Cragars, would also work.
I miss AMC.
Remove stupid hood scoop, remove comically big wheels in the back and drive it.
For some reason I don’t get this one. If they had left it alone from factory (The original exterior and interior are fantastic.) or if they had put in a giant motor.
The car equivalent to ” All hat and no cattle.”
But it’s blue!
Not near enough cattle to support that (or any ?) price .
lol!!
Straight axle, 429, top loader. Done
You’d flip it onto its back!
Oh wait. wheelie bars..
You saw a lot of these Gremlins with this look, back in the day. Custom paint, big and littles, faux hood scoop made out of a newspaper tube, with the wheezy 6 banger under the hood. They were cheap to buy, and you could make them look the part, for not much money.
Well, let’s see. Roadkill built a Caddy-Gremmie and a Hemi-Gremmie. How about them building this one into one with a 460 Ford? Would you call that a Henry-Gremmie?
I have a 401 to put in something. Would need a V8 cross member though but getting hard to find. Needs a stick, maybe 5 spd
Gremlins actually came with flip up back window, or optional hatchback. To each his own- but this is a rolling joke- a bad one.
Gremmies had some success as drag cars, and surprisingly, I remember a couple being surprisingly competitive on the local 1/2 mile roundy round track with a 258 6!
383 stroker, 4 speed, nine” rear, I’d have fun in that ! When I was in the army i had one with a 258 6 banger and it was a fun beater until I sold it to a buddy and bought a 71 Torino fast back with a Boss 351, there was no going back after that !
You can stroke an AMC 360 with a modified crank but no need to. An AMC 360 can have minimal parts added and run very well it’s a street car and still speed limits. If you want to go racing the Hornet hatchback is still a better platform and proven in 1972.
4 speeds were good but a 5 spd is better
Keep in mind (1) you don’t need to put a Chevy in a AMC. That’s going backwards. Those that know. Know.
(2) No matter how you hate it. You won’t beat the kid in his K series swapped Honda Civic. Hopefully someone will enjoy it for what it is and not spend $7 large then try to change the world.
“Where’s the rest of your car, Toots”
This car looks like something that an 18 year old drove through a time machine around 1978 and landed in 2024.
Many of us kids did these types of things to our rides back then. Definitely kind of sickening to look at today.
Sickening to look at. That is us too for anyone born after the 1900s. Thanks for the smile.
Shave off the scoop, Then warm over a 4.0 Jeep engine with a SNIPER f.i. unit. 15″ Mopar Rallyes with modern rubber.
Right on man, that ain’t no joke. You can get 500hp out of those 4.0 engines pretty easy.
Mopar Rallys? A Gremlin is not a Mopar. AMC had their own Rally wheels that look so much better.
If one wanted to keep the six a superior engine comes from its Mexican variant a VAM a 4.6 282 and makes 200 stock HP. With a turbo can make very respectful numbers. The engines show up on FB cheap so not the end of the world to locate.
Using a 4.6 you can leave the wheels and scoop can stay put.
A high school friend had a brand new Gremlin X same color 304. It wasn’t the best looking car on the school parking lot but it was a fun car to drive. After all you were doing good just to have a car in high school then but it was something that attracted my generation to this car back then I don’t know what it was but it did.
Is the driver’s sidepipe functional, or just there for symmetry?
Even with a V8 under the hood, that hood scoop doesn’t belong. I’m good with the big tires and sidepipes, though. Blue and white is a nice combo on these cars.
Back in the day my Gremlin had a pro stock snorkel hood scoop. But it did have a 360 that was heavily modified. The car looked and played the part very well.
It would still look good on it today
Ditch the rear bumper and drop in a mild 401!
Listing update: the seller removed the ad, did one of you buy it?
I’m from Wisconsin where the Gremlin was produced and I proudly own a 1971 AMC Gremlin with a built 420 AMC Stroker motor set for nitrous. All in all it was not a cheap date BUT I’m telling you right now this car will smash 3/4 of the cars on the road if not more unless you got some serious fire power. I got its fighting weight to 2672lbs with just under 600hp naturally aspirated and with a 200hp shot of nitrous up to 350hp it’s a wheelie standing animal. It also has the old school scoop like this one listed and is fully functional. It runs on pump gas and I drive it everywhere and everyone goes absolutely bananas over this car you wouldn’t believe it.. Just to think this combination could have actually existed in the late 1970’s and would have been one of the fastest cars around the streets period. I have my pizza delivery sign on it also as I’ll occasionally take a delivery in it and people just love it and that’s all that matters.😊