For what it is worth, Houston is almost 10,000 square miles. There are not a lot of mechanics that know AMC anything anymore, the money is all in newer cars with chips and modules.
However, I know several old school mechanics some as close as two blocks away, who can take apart a engine and put it together in sleep, or rebuild a whole front end on weekend.
They are not the norm anymore. Anywheres. Whether for AMC, Plymouth, Studebaker, Olds or many other "orphan" marques. And as time goes on, expect it to get worse.
As for the 76 Gremlin, there was millions of Pintos and Vegas made, but you don't see them rolling around anymore either so why would one expect to see a fellow Gremlin? Think about all the 70s cars one don't see in daily commute, many of them, no, most of them, had higher production than anything AMC. My 72 Ambassador here had something like 5200 made, but I guarantee you it is the only one on the road, driven daily, in probably not only Texas but a six
state area.
Michigan had some of the highest volume of sales for American Motors in the 50s/60s/70s and there is more AMCs left in your state than all of AR, LA, OK, MT, ID, UT combined.
Again, two keys here: One would be to get involved. Did you know (or attend) the AMC Nationals in MI several years ago? There was over 250 cars on the showfield alone, few National meets
can get anywhere near that total. By involvement, I mena join the AMC chapters near you, either Michigan club of Glass City south of you.
If not willing to get involved, and this goes for anyone, then you are missing a wealth of fun and information, get togethers, and just hanging out with people from all walks of life.....but SAME interest: AMC.
A big problem is too many people rely solely on the internet, myself included. But the internet ain't going to get me off my fat ass and out to cruise night. Yes, it might tell me about it, but it is still up to me to shine (pick a AMC) up, and make time to
go out.
A great example is recently on this same site, someone didn't want to take their Gremlin to a meet for fear of being critisized, shot down, laughed at (from the Carrie movie "their all going to laugh at you!!" Spielberg's first great movie) but they went, had fun, and ironically enough, won something. There is a major lesson to be learned there whether one owns a piece of shit Gremlin in 8 shades of bondo, to a low miler rotisseried AMX with $50K restoration. Again, get involved.
The other key is partially mentioned above. The internet is a great, wonderful tool, however it is there to supplement one's old car experience. Yes, you can learn how to change a gasket, where meets are, find parts, ect, but at the end, or beginning of the day, it is still going to be up to you to put key
in ignition and drive to meeting, meet, swap, or whatever.
So contact some of those chapters, ask what events they might have coming up, and chances are you won't be only Gremlin there, much less lone AMCer in a sea of Ford, Chevy, Mopar & Imports. And by getting involved and being at that event, you represent all AMC fans. So have fun!
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2006 4:37 AM
Subject: Re: [BaadAssGremlins] getting crap for swapping to V8
The trouble with that is most mechanics around here are not old school. Parts for AMC are few and far between. My 76 Gremlin is the only one around. The only other amc's i've seen was a Pacer and a AMX and these were in car shows. Mechanics dont know how to work on anything this old.
twa1950@xxxxxxxxx wrote: I am the one along with Eddie said you didn't need the all the vacum lines and
you don't but I have to agree with Doc my 78 232 has them all on and it runs fine. I am going to take a look at mine tomorrow I swear I don't remember it having that many vacum lines on it. Then if you want to see vacum lines pop the hood of a new one. Personaly and I don't want to upset you either but I think you are getting vacum lines mixed up with other things. I would have to go back and look at your earlier post but I believed you said it was a 77 258. If this is true the first thing you are not missing the catalic converter. It never had one on it. The 77 258 AMC was one of the last cars made without one. I think you will also noticed it had no air pump. It never had one of these either. As for as what you are refering to as a vacum pump. Your car doesn't have a vacum pump on it. That is not how they crate vacum. What you are descriping is nothing but a vacum canister. It has no moving parts in it. Fords had them on them I didn't think AMC's did but I guess
they might.When I ask what is was suppose to do I was told it was suppose to smooth out the amount of vacum. If what you have is what Eddie thinks it is then it has nothing to do with your vacum actually it is your vent for your gas tank. My next question is why do you think it is your vacum lines anyway. Is it because it is running rough. That could be a bunch of things. I think Doc might be right without seeing and hearing your car run we can't tell you what is wrong with it with what you have told us. Before you start taking off hoses and disconecting parts you have no idea what they are it might be a lot cheaper in the long run to have a mechanic take a look at it.
Terry
Technology, sufficently advanced, would be indistinguishable
from magic.
Redneck from birth. Rebel by choice.
CJ
Technology, sufficently advanced, would be indistinguishable
from magic.
Redneck from birth. Rebel by choice.
CJ
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