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Inexpensive Gremmie Street/Strip Build - Thoughts?
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    Posted: Apr/05/2012 at 9:47am
Fellas -
 
Have been thinking about an inexpensive Gremlin street/strip build; figure I could find one fairly cheap and I have enough spare motor/drivetrain stuff in the garage to do most of the build.
 
Here are my thoughts - .030 401, stock crank, stock rods with ARP bolts, forged flat tops from Bulltear, 291C heads with some garage porting/good springs/stainless valves, healthy solid flat tappet cam, steel roller tip rockers, Torker, 850 dp, MSD 6AL, full-length headers.  Would want something that would run on pump gas (maybe with timing dialed back) or maybe a pump gas/race gas mix.  I've got just about everything in the garage except for the valvetrain.  Any ideas on how much hp I could make with this combo?
 
I have a spare T10 (close ratio), but I think I would run a 727 (manual valve body, shift kit).  Will this be tough to fit?  Crossmember and firewall/trans tunnel?  Figure the V8 Gremmies came with a 904 trans, but not sure on size difference between the two.  Think I'd go with a 10" converter.  Would I need to cut a driveshaft to fit or is there a stock driveshaft in the right length?  What about a trans crossmember - what would work here? 
 
Out back I would go with an AMC 20.  Anyone have the overall width and the spring perch to spring perch width?  I do have a spare 68-69 AMX rear diff in the garage; if it's the right width, I could weld the tubes to the housing, reinforce the spring perches, get a set of 4.10 gears and some Moser axles, and use the spare Detroit Locker that I have.
 
If I found an original 6 cylinder car to start with, I'd need the correct engine crossmember, right?  I guess I'd also have to replace the rear; figure the 6 cylinder cars would come with the AMC 15.  Guess I would need a V8 radiator, too. 
 
Any thoughts on how much the car would weigh?  Figure manual steering, brakes (I've got a Kelsey Hayes front disk setup I could use), and no A/C.  Would probably leave the full interior in place, but add a roll bar.
 
I'd likely run drag radials out back; any thoughts on how much tire I can stuff under one of these?
 
Anything else I'm missing?
 
Any thoughts on what kind of times I could expect?  Somewhere in the 11's, right?
 
Thanks,
 
Scott
 
 
 
 
71 Javelin SST, Canary Yellow, 401, T-10
66 Fairlane GT Convt, 428, 4 sp
68 GTO Convt, 455, TH400
70 GTO, RAIV, 4 sp
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Points: 515 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Josh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/05/2012 at 10:02am

You don't necessarily need a v8 crossmember, Bulltear makes bolt on mounts to convert 6cyl cars to a v8.

'66 Marlin, 327/Shift-Command

'64 Rambler Classic 550, 401/727

'65 Rambler Classic 770 Cross Country, 232/Flash-O-Matic

'85 Grand Wagoneer, 360/727, 4" lift

'66 Marlin, 327/T10 (parts car)
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OK my take: Use the 6 cross member with bulltear mounts, and the stock trany CM should work with with the right rubber mount and move it back to line up the frame holes. I dod not know how much bigger the 727 is over the 904/998 but I am sure others have run a 727 in a Gremlin.
I do not know the rear measuremnts but think the early AMX/Jave will bolt in but is a little wider but not 100% on that. you may want to run a 3.73 gear as I think the 4.10 would be too low for the tires you can fit on the car. Dont think there is a lot of room for a tall/larg tire out back.
IIRC (from back in the late 80"s) my stock 75 factory v8/998, 4 wheel drums & P/S weight was 3250 with me in it and half tank of fuel but would need to did out my log books.
Other than running a Holley 500 cfm v2 carb, a shift kit, a lock right locker in the 2.87 rear and stock street tires would run low 16's. Again stock street car and was not going to cut/change when I was building a drag only car.
Dave ----
 
75 GremlinX v8

76 GremlinX i6 (sons)

70 Javelin SST 390/4sp (360/5sp now)

70 Javelin 1/4 Drag car 360/auto
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I have a 401/727 combo in my 74 Gremlin.....bolt in using 72 up V8 727 trany mount....yes use the Bulltear mounts...have a friend who just put a 360 in his 79 Spirit using the Bulltear mounts.....your 68/69 AMC 20 will bolt in you will need to shorten the drive shaft or get one made to fit.....you can fit at least a 26 inch tire....
Jim..NAMDRA/AMCRC
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Originally posted by Josh Josh wrote:

You don't necessarily need a v8 crossmember, Bulltear makes bolt on mounts to convert 6cyl cars to a v8.

 
Thanks, Josh.
 
Scott
71 Javelin SST, Canary Yellow, 401, T-10
66 Fairlane GT Convt, 428, 4 sp
68 GTO Convt, 455, TH400
70 GTO, RAIV, 4 sp
www.bulletpruf.9f.com
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Originally posted by FuzzFace2 FuzzFace2 wrote:

OK my take: Use the 6 cross member with bulltear mounts, and the stock trany CM should work with with the right rubber mount and move it back to line up the frame holes. I dod not know how much bigger the 727 is over the 904/998 but I am sure others have run a 727 in a Gremlin.
I do not know the rear measuremnts but think the early AMX/Jave will bolt in but is a little wider but not 100% on that. you may want to run a 3.73 gear as I think the 4.10 would be too low for the tires you can fit on the car. Dont think there is a lot of room for a tall/larg tire out back.
IIRC (from back in the late 80"s) my stock 75 factory v8/998, 4 wheel drums & P/S weight was 3250 with me in it and half tank of fuel but would need to did out my log books.
Other than running a Holley 500 cfm v2 carb, a shift kit, a lock right locker in the 2.87 rear and stock street tires would run low 16's. Again stock street car and was not going to cut/change when I was building a drag only car.
Dave ----
 
Thanks, Dave.  That's a little heavier than I expected (unless you happen to weigh 400 lbs)...
 
Scott 
71 Javelin SST, Canary Yellow, 401, T-10
66 Fairlane GT Convt, 428, 4 sp
68 GTO Convt, 455, TH400
70 GTO, RAIV, 4 sp
www.bulletpruf.9f.com
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Originally posted by idrambler idrambler wrote:

I have a 401/727 combo in my 74 Gremlin.....bolt in using 72 up V8 727 trany mount....yes use the Bulltear mounts...have a friend who just put a 360 in his 79 Spirit using the Bulltear mounts.....your 68/69 AMC 20 will bolt in you will need to shorten the drive shaft or get one made to fit.....you can fit at least a 26 inch tire....
 
Good info!
 
Thanks,

Scott
71 Javelin SST, Canary Yellow, 401, T-10
66 Fairlane GT Convt, 428, 4 sp
68 GTO Convt, 455, TH400
70 GTO, RAIV, 4 sp
www.bulletpruf.9f.com
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my 72 factory V-8 Gremlin, with a 360/727/ 69 amx rear weighed in at around  2970- no rear seat, but with a 6 point bar in it- aluminum intake, headers, short exhaust
 i  use 15" volcano wheels on rear with 275-60-15 tires- stock type springs, no lift of any kind- they will occasionally rub under Deceleration, but thats probably due to age- never rubbed with L-60-15's
Oroville, Ca
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In my -77- 401/727  its a tight fit.. If i could do it all over I would go with a well prepped 904?  and Maybe still use the Lokar flexible transmission dipstick tube.     I run P275 50 15's on so 8in wide rims..   When i had my rims widen I assumed the offset would be the same for each.   But apparently some how one of them rubbed on the drivers side.. i had to send back to stockton...   Anyway.. With my latest meats i have barely a finger of clearance from rubbing on the springs.. My left side also has an additional 1/8 spacer lol.. (i was never too good at measuring.  I wish I would have went a little wider on the rims. So the tires didnt ballon out as much..          I did run some P245 50 16s on some wagon wheels which were 8 in wide i believe those fit nice.. So long story short when the rear diff is on the car measure your offset for both sides and adjust accordingly..  I had the same rear diff ,, Mine was from a -68- AMX   Rigth now there is a 77 gremlin in San Antonio for sale .. 6cyl 3 speed manual.  

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/3025804140. - http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/3025804140.html  unfortunately no pics.
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Oh and the radiator..  I have a long boring story story about how DAN DAN the radiator man in Charleston, Sc failed to follow instructions or meet the specifications I gave him and ruined my orig 3 core out of ambassador..  This radiator was good fit well in a 77..  I bought a 4 core of or e-bay for an AMX. My hood wouldnt shut.  I took it to a radiator shop in SC(where i lived at time)  He removed the brackets of the Ambo radiator and moved them onto the four core. .   lets just saw I had to pound the crap out of the bottom of my hood and my hood needs to be slammed to this day. Lesson learned..   I envy guys who can fabricate and weld. I don't have the imagination,patience, tools, facility, and resources to fabricate and same with welding.    Older Gremlins may not have the same hood closing issue as I did.   
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