1971 AMC Gremlin X 4.2L 258 6-cylinder

Summary:

Unique transportation with power!

Faults:

Blown head gasket 150k.

Clutch replaced at 120,000.

Upper ball joints replaced.

Door hinges & pins replaced, plus regular maintenance.

General Comments:

Powerful old car, drives very boxy, poor braking with factory drum brakes all around.

Comfortable and roomy in the front seats, they don't recline, but an excellent heater!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 28th January, 2009

1971 AMC Gremlin 3.8 litre, 232 cubic inch

Summary:

The car is a pleasure to own, despite costs associated with it

Faults:

The main problem has been rust (both frame and body). Door panels and under the rear bumper have especially worn.

Carburetor needed to be rebuilt.

I've had various brake problems.

The reverse gear is starting to slip.

Several front end problems persist that are hard to fix because of rare parts.

General Comments:

My Gremlin has been a great car that gets plenty of attention, probably due to the electric blue paint with a white stripe.

The engine is wonderful with decent fuel economy (for a '70s car) and great reliability.

The car, while definitely a keeper, is a money and time pit. Rust is by far my biggest concern and is slowly eating away the under-body. Parts are scarce and somewhat expensive, and it's hard to find a good, honest mechanic to work on such an old car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th October, 2004

26th Apr 2008, 23:32

Yes they are hard to find, but they last and they're easy to work on. With the newer cars, well you have to be Bill Gates to fix them, including the new Corvette and Mustang. 250 dollars for a steeda front bumper? On my Cutlass its about 60 dollars and it's only a 95, so screw paying the high price of a newer car, give me an old car any day!

Funnyman141.

27th Apr 2008, 10:04

How about a new Viper hood? $19,000... But how likely will it need ever replaced however. Just an interesting comparison to your bumper comment. Dollar per Dollar you can beat a Ford Mustang for endless upgrades. My son owned 3 of them before the Viper and they were heavily modified. I actually had a new Gremlin X 304 V8 in college; it was a great indestructible car. In 1973 I recall my college having them everywhere; both size sixes as well as my lone V8,Javelins, and many 1969 AMX 390's as well as one SC360 Hornet, which I would say was the rarest. I did see a Machine once as well visiting the campus.

27th Apr 2008, 11:09

I'm curious as to which old cars this person has owned, since my own experience contradicts everything he said. Not only have I found an honest mechanic, but parts are still easy to find for the 1985 and 1973 Dodges that I drive. Lack of available parts is not why "most older cars end up in junkyards." Nor are they "usually made of rust".

5th Jan 2009, 09:49

The problem with underbody rust may have to do with the fact the car likely was not undercoated.

My '74 Grem still has bare metal underneath. No Undercoating. Here in Michigan, these cars were known to start rusting after 1 winter. Mine is a So. California car that is garaged all winter.

My email address is Fuegoflame@aol.com. Id love to see digital photos of your Gremlin if you have any.