Garage Kept: 1971 AMC Gremlin
AMC made almost 700,000 Gremlins and a lot of them seem to be showing up here on Barn Finds lately, which is a good thing in my world. They’re always interesting, even project cars. This original California car, a 1971 AMC Gremlin, is listed here on craigslist in Hemet, California and the seller is asking $5,500 or best offer – or trade. Thanks to Pat L. for sending in this tip!
1971 was the second model year for the Gremlin and they were meant to compete with Ford’s Pinto and Chevrolet’s Vega, along with imports. They were marketed as “the first American-built import”. It’s hard to believe by looking at a Gremlin that it was just a hair longer than maybe its biggest threat: the Volkswagen Beetle. You can see that this example needs some work in the photo above.
It goes without saying that the cut-off AMC Hornet rear end is the Gremlin’s most distinctive feature. There was never a four-door version but they did toy around with a concept called the Voyager which is pretty interesting. It looked and acted like a normal Gremlin from the front, but the sliding rear “drawer” was called the Grem-Bin. Unless that upright portion of the Grem-Bin folded down flat so a person could sit on it, it may not have been the most useful idea.
You can see the faded and cracked formerly-black stripe on the driver’s door looks like it’s been in a desert environment for ohhhhh, around 49 years, give or take. And, the front seats must have seen better days, but the back seat looks great. Dirty, but great. Is the top of the dash a bit wavy or are my eyes wavy? The seller says that this Gremlin is an original California car, it has always been parked in a garage, and has been sitting since 2007. You can see the three-speed manual column shifter. I love to see that.
The engine is AMC’s 232 cubic-inch inline-six which would have had 135 hp. Since it’s been parked since 2007, the seller has done some work to get it running, which it does, but it doesn’t run great at the moment. I have no doubt that most Barn Finds readers could have it running like a Swiss watch in no time. What’s your top offer for this ’71 Gremlin?
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Comments
I’m not buying the garage claim, with the black stripe looking that way. Maybe in a carport some of the time, or the “garage” was missing a fair portion of the roof. What a filthy place it must have been. Saying the car was always garaged means nothing if you can’t tell it by the looks of the car. I love Gremlins, but this is at best a $2000 project car.
Gremlins always go for decent money ; I don’t think $2000 would make a sale. Its nearly 50 years old, and compact cars back then were meant to be used up and thrown away, and good ones are now hard to find. The fact that it has no rust and hasn’t been hacked up are definitely in its favor , the down side of this car is that its a base model with few options (stripe ,roof rack ,bumper guards) . I would think $4000 would be a fair deal
Don’t forget the roof rack! I’d say this thing sat with one side facing out to the desert to fade the stripe that way. They might as well eliminate “garage” from the listing because it obviously added nothing to the upkeep on this little car. Wonder if the paint would polish up on everything but the driver’s front fender? Could mean that it was replaced and repainted.
Yeah, I’ll have to give some leeway to those facts. I guess I’m old enough that I watched them go from new dream cars to old $50 tubs – and it’s hard to readjust all the way back to $5K. But myself, I’d have to want one a lot more than I do, to pay that for this one.
Same here, unclemymy, I’m accustomed to thinking of a shabby-looking, used stripper Gremlin going for $50-$100.
The options determine whether a Gremlin is a fairly pleasant drive or a “What did I do wrong in a past life to deserve this?” penalty box. Unfortunately this one falls into the latter category.
It looks like a bare-bones car except for the wheel covers and roof rack.I wouldn’t pay over 800 for it.Locally found a rebranded Spirit hatch for$500 and auto tranny and bigger 258 c.i.d. engine!
My dad ordered a Gremlin X, 304, 3 speed manual, A/C. It was grey it was the 1st new car he had purchased. I remember riding in the back of it. On hot summer days, when dad got if work he would turn the A/C on let the clutch out and the rear tires would chip everything the compressor kicked on. I miss him and that car!
I read that to mean “when dad got OFF work he would turn the A/C on, let the clutch out and the rear tires would CHIRP EVERY TIME the compressor kicked on.”
I still do not get it. Chirp when compressor turned off maybe, even then something is missing in the memory as offered.
On this old of AMC (and others) air conditioning technology, wouldn’t the compressor set off some sort of high idle sequence on the carburetor?? In which case, on a manual transmission car with a high first gear the wheels would chirp as the engine would be running at an elevated RPM. Wouldn’t be pushing anyone back in their seat and you wouldn’t need a parachute to slow the Gremline down! :) :) :)
The old drag racer in me is thinking lots of bad things…remembering “Gruntin Gremlin” and many, many others.
I always liked them, and remember they had something like 500 mile range on a tank of gas, due to the gas tank size. Not because of exceptional mileage. The price seems a bit optimistic, but it doesn’t hurt to ask right?
Well, bias aside (I do love these) I’m in for the $5,500. This one is complete and unmolested. The Driver’s-side door looks like it is sagging – Natch. But this is an early, base model – They’re are scarce, and she’s got the almost-never-seen three-o-the-tree, so that cinches it – Sold! Excellent find!
Grab it, XMA0891, it has your name written all over it! I agree, an early three-on-da-tree example would be great. Let us know if you end up with this one.
Sadly, Sir, as is the case with most finds; this one simply could not be located any further away from me and still be in the Continental US. I’m in MA, she’s in CA – I’ll round out the rhyme claiming maybe they’ll be another someday, but admittedly the time to buy them is when you find them. *Sigh*
My driver’s side door began to sag…7 years after the car was born! My 1973 was a mid-trim level, carpet, air, radio and heater with a pop out rear glass window (this might have been standard). Dog dish hubcaps with trim rings and raised white letter tires. I bought it as a cheap college car but it had been hit on the passenger side. Damage confined to the door skin only so I was glad no frame damage. It was a pretty unremarkable ride for me at the time having had sportier Corvairs and Skylarks before this.
Where’s the rest of your car, toots?
That was a great ad campaign! American Motors had the best ads.Try it today and see what kind of reaction you get.
I like this Gremlin.
I had a metallic orange 1974 Gremlin , I paid $1500 for it in 1979 at a local dealership. It wasn’t a V8 , but it was a high line car , with the 258 , auto , ps, carpeting , two tone interior , stripe package and full wheel covers. It was mint and it was a fun car to drive. 5 months after I bought it a kid rear ended it with a Dodge Polara wagon and totaled it. Its still one of my cars that I miss .
It has a 1972 California license plate (the letter E was used in ’72). Must have been brought here when it was a youngin’ or purchased late in the model year. Hmmmm….
Say what you will, the Gremlin saved our sorry butts in Milwaukenosha. AMC has their flash in the pan with Javelin, and needed something quick for a changing world. Chop the back off a Hornet, voila! No new tooling required. The Gremlin was the LEAST expensive car available at the time, under cutting the VW Bug’s $1,995 price tag, the then cheapest car at the time, by $100 bucks. Type of car aside, it was exactly what Americans, who feared for their economic lives, needed. A cheap American car to get to the plant and home, and we couldn’t make them fast enough. Train loads left Kenosha. Like the Beetle, they were more of a novelty, graduation presents, and such, and never really taken seriously, once the grad moved on to better cars, yes, they adorned junkyards and back lot car dealers, then, poof,,,they were gone. Great find here, just don’t expect too much, it was 1971.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XPnT66S2fU
$5500 is steep, but throw in a 401 and a 727 tranny and run it!
I bought one new in 1975 for $3400 and some change out the door with extended warranty and rust proofing. I rebought the car many times over paying for repairs. I wouldn’t take this car if he gave me the $5,500.00
Just needs fat tires, SBC LS and nitrous…
Perfect sleeper.
I always like these. And I always wanted to fill the fender wells with tires. Naturally, you would need something that could use those tire fully!
I’ll bet this car is infested with “Gremlins!”
My 73 Gremlin has a 327 with aluminum heads Hughes auto OD & a Mustang posi. I love it & The purists hate it!
Oh, and btw i paid $450 for out in 29 Palms CA.
Had a new ’74 Gremlin with Levis package. Very cool seats in Blue jean like material with brass studs. Blue exterior with white stripe. It was prone to tuneup needs and not much power. Sold it to neighbor teenage girl.
No Gremlin post would be complete without the shenanigans of Brian Ambrosini at Byron Raceway, Ill. I believe this guy is sitting in jail now for stealing tools from his Snap-On job and selling them later. Brian Ambrosini, ladies and gents,,I’ve seen him flip it on it’s roof, and what flew out the back?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TUY60KUP8I
I have a chance on buying a 1971 X with a 360 in it. Decisions, decisions………
Looks a lot like my ’70 Gremlin down to the three-speed column shift, roof rack, and 13″ wheels with the same wheel covers. Mine was Frost White with red interior and stripes. If my memory serves me right, the column shift was only offered with the smaller 199cid engine. 232 would have come with 3-speed (all syncro) floor shift. At least it was like that in ’70. Maybe different in ’71?
I notice the usual annoying blast of keyword spamming at the bottom of the craigslist ad. Grrrrr.
@onree, are you ornery? The “usual keyword spamming” is a simple way to make a free Craigslist ad attract more buyers with related search words. However, unlike most real spam that hits ones inbox or creates interest when you surf the net, this stuff is totally harmless. If you search Craigslist often as I do, this sort of stuff gets tiresome but I don’t growl about it (I growl about a lot of things, so much so my son has now mimics my sounds). It is odd that the string of words includes “Chevy Ford and hot rod classic muscle” but I just carry on! Enjoy the search!
I really like this little car. I imagine it would not be the most pleasant as a daily driver, but for an occasional toy, it would be awesome!
Bonus point for the 3 on the tree!