V.I.S.I.T – Gremlins Need Love, Too.
About two months back, as I was leaving the Main Street Cruise in the Kansas City suburb of Belton, I stopped for taquitos and Lizard Fuel at the nearby Quik Trip. At the gas pumps, a few young whippersnappers were congregated around this AMC Gremlin.
From a distance, my first view from the left rear suggested that it was a faded but otherwise stock example of AMC’s stubby Horn-ette. But as I greeted its crew and circled it, I found not only aftermarket wheels with fatter, lower-profile tires, but a mismatched replacement door and fender on the passenger side. I thought the stuffed movie Gremlin in the back window was a nice touch.
All the guys were extremely friendly, engaging, and perhaps a bit amazed that a total stranger would be interested in photographing the worn Gremlin when $100K hot rods were parked a block way.
The owner said he was contemplating a repaint, but one of his friends encouraged him to keep the car’s current, ironically cool, junkyard-sourced mojo. A more pressing concern is stemming the tinworm’s turn. In the owner’s words, the car is “rusting away from the inside out.”
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Does it actually have the 2 liter Porsche engine?
God, I hope not. Those things were famously unreliable (and not terribly quick), I expect that a six or eight has been swapped in at some point.
No, according to the owner it actually still has its 2 liter mill.
Excuse me, "litre."
Wasn't it actually an Audi engine, the same used in the 100LS? And I dig those wheels and tires.
Lose the Low-profiles and put proper 14" steelies on it.
I'd go with 15" slot mags, but definitely lose those ugly-ass 18s or whatever they are.
Maybe it's because I'm a nerd, but I would rock a Gremlin, or a Pacer. Of course, my wife would be driving separately from me, and probably would require I park it around the block.
what kind of wheels are those, I kinda like them
They look like American Racing ATX Series Mojave wheels. Teflon coated off road wheels.
A set in 15" would look nice on my Eagle with dedicated snow tires on them. For this application, though, I think they are utterly inappropriate.
I meant more the style than the size.
They look like cop steelies almost.
I agree, those matte black low-pros look plenty different, and in a good way.
I'm dubbing this car a junkyard-donk.
I'm jonsein for another Gremlin-X. Make mine a 4.2 Litre six with a glasspack,..
I've always wanted to swap in the turbo version of that engine from a Porsche 924 into a Gremmie just because it would seem like a good idea. Plus, the Stuttgart variant of that engine was far better built than the Kenosha one as AMC's workers were not really used to such tight tolerances.
I love the truncated arse-end of the Gremlin, the taillamps look almost like afterthoughts. Plus, Marge Simpson drove one. As did Sarah Connor in Terminator.
And I declare those wheels to be both righteous and off-the-hook.
I was curious and found a pic of Marge in her Gremlin….
<img src="http://www.imcdb.org/images/025/067.jpg">
…but then found another Simpson's Germlin too:
<img src="http://i43.tinypic.com/2zqed6a.gif">
Who knew they were so popular!
Hans Moleman switches to a Contour in a later episode, though.
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2f/Aabf10.jpg/235px-Aabf10.jpg">
Did somebody say "loser cars"?
I totally dig the Gremlin, but I'd need more power. SVO 2.3 Turbo maybe? And the little guy in the window is a Mogwai, not a Gremlin. He becomes a Gremlin if he eats after midnight.
I like that they aren't ashamed, they rock it and love it. Also, thinking about black steelies on the Jeepy… hrmmm
If loving that car is wrong, then I don't wanna be right.