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So. CAL. Hot Rod Gremlin Project |
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THE MENACE 
AMC Addicted 
Joined: Nov/04/2008 Location: So. California Status: Offline Points: 4439 |
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 Topic: So. CAL. Hot Rod Gremlin ProjectPosted: Dec/20/2021 at 9:51pm |
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As some of you know I have been working on a new AMC project so I figured I would start a build thread. This one is a 1972 Gremlin that I’m building to be a fun hot rod, street car that should be somewhat competitive in Autocross racing. Almost 4 years ago I bought this rough little base model Gremlin that had been sitting out in the desert area for several years. The originally green Gremlin with tan interior came from AMC with a 258 six Cyl. , automatic trans., manual steering, manual drum brakes,13” wheels, stationary rear side windows, vinyl floor covering instead of carpet, and no roof rack. It also had a very generous treatment of undercoating when it was new. Pretty basic car to start with! When I picked it up the car was pretty complete, running and driving. It had previously been in a fender bender on the right front, so it had a broken windshield, bent core support and inner wheel well, and parts of a Hornet hood and grill on it. The dashboard and other interior plastic were broken and cracked from age. Sheet metal all solid no rust issues. All things considered it’s rough around the edges, but a solid car! I started disassembly sometime in April 2021 so I’m going to try to do a little catch up with progress I’ve been making. I’m bad about remembering to take pictures as I go and then bad about uploading them once I have taken pictures LOL, but I’ll try and catch up this thread as I go. The day after I picked it up.
About 3 years later It gets a spot in the garage to start the tear down.
And now the fun starts!! I hate doing bodywork, and I'm not very good at it, but I wanted to get some of the damage repaired before doing anything else so I started by pulling the front fenders off to fix the damaged inner wheel well and core support. Fortunately, the frame rails were not bent, but there was some very badly wrinkled metal hiding under the top of the front fender to deal with.
After heating and beating on this metal and making a new piece for the top of the inner fender, welded it all up and gave it some primer. I'm no body man so it's not 100%, but everything is solid and square.
Core support is also pretty straight now as well, but I don't have a picture of that right now. Time to pull it apart.
Cleaned up the floor pan with a big wire wheel and 5" disc sander than primered the bare metal.
Fun, Fun, Fun!!!
Edited by THE MENACE - Sep/08/2022 at 12:51am |
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Former Owner of:
The Craig Breedlove "AERO AMX" Still Owner: SS/AMX #9 replica (THE BIG MENACE) 70 AMX 416, EFI, Nash 5 speed 70 Javelin 401, 727 (Wife's car) 72 Gremlin Autocross Project. |
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blumontag
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Joined: Mar/05/2013 Location: minneapolis Status: Offline Points: 837 |
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Posted: Dec/21/2021 at 7:15am |
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Nice work. Looking forward to seeing how things progress!
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72 Gremlin X
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BrotherBamc
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Joined: Jan/22/2009 Location: Lewiston Status: Offline Points: 2248 |
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Posted: Dec/21/2021 at 9:01am |
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Got some good bones..!!
Gonna be a fun project and looking forward to seeing the progress..!!
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73Gremlin401
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Joined: Mar/02/2013 Location: Stmbt Sprgs CO Status: Offline Points: 946 |
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Posted: Dec/21/2021 at 9:11am |
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Wow what a nice solid foundation for a resto. IMHO 72 was the year that AMC really hit it's stride with the Gremlin, with most of the early bugs sorted, hatches that almost sealed and the switch to the 904 from the BW trans. And the original color of Grasshopper Green is to me one of AMCs most iconic, and very popular, 70s colors - planning on going back to that?
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73 Gremlin 401/5-spd.
77 Matador Wagon 360/727. 81 Jeep J10 LWB 360/4-spd 83 Concord DL 4-dr 258/auto  |
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amxdreamer
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Joined: Jul/30/2008 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 8508 |
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Posted: Dec/21/2021 at 2:38pm |
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I agree, plus they still have the small bumpers! Looking forward to updates Dennis.
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Tony
Vancouver, BC 1970 AMX 1972 Badassador AMO#10333 |
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DragRacingSpirit
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Joined: May/27/2009 Location: Mo Status: Offline Points: 903 |
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Posted: Dec/21/2021 at 3:45pm |
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Brings back memories of a new 73 Gremlin my mom and dad bought when I was a kid. Took my driving test in it the day I turned 16 and passed. It was a 232 3 speed on the floor and a lot of fun to drive. Good luck with you project!! iIt looks like you have a nice foundation to start with.
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Best 1/4 mile 8.99, 1/8 mile 5.71, 60 foot 1.27, no power adders
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THE MENACE
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Joined: Nov/04/2008 Location: So. California Status: Offline Points: 4439 |
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Posted: Dec/21/2021 at 4:04pm |
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I spent the next few weeks on my back cleaning over 40 years of grease, grime, sand and dirt from the underside. Scrapping off undercoating, pressure washing, and just cleaning up stuff.
The rockers were packed with sand/dirt, but the pressure washer did a great job blasting it out.     I also pulled the doors off gutted them and rebuilt the worn out door hinges.   Since there will be no back seat, I removed all of the OE back seat pivots and brackets that were spot welded to the floor and primered the bare metal on the inside floor.   To be continued! Edited by THE MENACE - Dec/23/2021 at 12:06am |
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Former Owner of:
The Craig Breedlove "AERO AMX" Still Owner: SS/AMX #9 replica (THE BIG MENACE) 70 AMX 416, EFI, Nash 5 speed 70 Javelin 401, 727 (Wife's car) 72 Gremlin Autocross Project. |
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DragRacingSpirit
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Posted: Dec/21/2021 at 4:59pm |
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Is that there Gremlin going to get a V8, or are you going to put the 258 back in it ?
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Best 1/4 mile 8.99, 1/8 mile 5.71, 60 foot 1.27, no power adders
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THE MENACE
AMC Addicted
Joined: Nov/04/2008 Location: So. California Status: Offline Points: 4439 |
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Posted: Dec/21/2021 at 6:49pm |
I have a 401 stroker motor ready to go for it.
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Former Owner of:
The Craig Breedlove "AERO AMX" Still Owner: SS/AMX #9 replica (THE BIG MENACE) 70 AMX 416, EFI, Nash 5 speed 70 Javelin 401, 727 (Wife's car) 72 Gremlin Autocross Project. |
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THE MENACE
AMC Addicted
Joined: Nov/04/2008 Location: So. California Status: Offline Points: 4439 |
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Posted: Dec/22/2021 at 11:57pm |
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After spending way too much time under this car covered in 40 + year of grease, double thick undercoating, mineral spirits I finally got to do something that looks like progress. Sprayed the underside of the floor pan with a thin coat of (rattle can) truck bed liner, and the frame rails with satin black. Nothing fancy, just wanted to cover the metal.
  Started mocking up the front suspension after some paint and bedliner was sprayed. Upper arms and brakes will be changed later.  Edited by THE MENACE - Dec/23/2021 at 4:16pm |
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Former Owner of:
The Craig Breedlove "AERO AMX" Still Owner: SS/AMX #9 replica (THE BIG MENACE) 70 AMX 416, EFI, Nash 5 speed 70 Javelin 401, 727 (Wife's car) 72 Gremlin Autocross Project. |
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DragRacingSpirit wrote: