David that don't surprise me. There were many a dealership that had special
vehicles unheard of in maybe next county over. Sometimes AMC didn't even know
about it. Randall's AMC out in Mesa was dropping 401s in Pacers even, and AMC
sent team out to see what's up with this. I don't remember the executive's names
except several were with marketing. And they liked what they saw. Next year
Pacer had production 304V8, no 401s like Randalls dropping in them, or custom
flair kit, that would have been nice but here is classic case of right hand not
knowing what left hand doing. Left hand being company that makes the vehicle,
and right hand company that modifies it to their specifications.
There are hundreds.....no one will ever know....(gee, the no paper trail
thing again) of local, regional and actual Kenosha blessed mods that were made.
Some well known like 67 Rebel wagons Briarcliffes, Westerner and Mariner
wagons
to Rebel Raiders
Ambassador Yellow Jackets
even more mentioned in the Badger Javelin file off my site, uh, forgot
about that one sorry:
my favorite is possibly the Canadian 'Green Hornet' editions made mentioned
there. There were Mexican VAM specials also, and I would guess, Australian and
Euro AMC special cars built we have never heard of or will never know except
some like Karmann Javelin.
I would not read too much into 'unofficial approval' of the Randall Gremlin
venture....AMC knew exactly what it was doing sending 30 401s down after Randall
had already modded others.
too bad it never became a production vehicle but insurance companys were
already clamping down on muscle cars and performance by that time. $3K for a 72
Gremlin 401. Ah, those were the days.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, April 15, 2011 6:20
PM
Subject: Re: [BaadAssGremlins] re: Rebel
Machine rims Hemmings Find of the Day - 1972 AMC AMX
Eddie
you are always giving us so much info that I never knew. I have never seen
or heard of the 8 slot wheels. but when we are reminiscing we should remember
all the nice oddities had a steep price back then. I looked into getting a
Randell 77 hornetAMX when i was buying mine. I was told that having them
convert it to a 401 would be an extra $2,000 that,s on a car loaded that costs
$6400 and yes that was more than a Z28 or a Trans Am. Then image my shock when
i moved to Denver and found out that it was not sold here with with a V8
because AMC did not want to go through the expense of having the car tested
for high altitude emissions.
From: Eddie Stakes
<eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: baadassGremlins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent:
Fri, April 15, 2011 9:26:58 AM
Subject: [BaadAssGremlins] re: Rebel
Machine rims Hemmings Find of the Day - 1972 AMC AMX
How would one know what to order? A quick look around at leftover dealer
stock or trade
ins on the lot usually helped. Had a nice longer
conversation with old customer yesterday,
and part of conversationw as his
email:
========================
Eddie,
Thanks for your reply! I
thought all of the console woodgrain went horizontal. Your site
is
absolutely amazing. I have been looking at AMC's since 1965 when I would ride
around on
my 150cc Honda Beneley (like the 250cc and 305cc Dream) in TN
going to new car
dealerships, and was taking Motor trend and Hot Rod in the
early 60's.I was attracted to
the previews regarding each new Model year,
and was going to the Drag Races at Virginia
Beach Dragstrip in 1962 &
1963.
I lived where Chevy was King and Ford & Mopars were the only
other rides. I would drive my
motorcycle to Nashville, and Chattanooga to
see AMC's and Sunbeam Tigers in the showroom.
I had a nice Visit a few
months ago in Montgomery to the Alabama Department of Public
Safety at the
Criminal Justice Center where I have researched many sources,
and
interviewed many Top Brass and now retired troopers Since 1994.
For
many years I was not able to get much correspondence from John Rosa, and that
site is
now just on hold until John Gets it updated. John and I finally
connected and he has
credited me for the information I had verified and
validated, and I thanked him for that.
I have the 1972 Gold (Yucca Tan)
longest serving ADPS Javelin (9Years), and the only known
to exist 1972
ADPS Ambassador which is in great shape with all the property #'s still
in
place, and would like to finish the Javelin, but will install original
display Radio
equipment for both that I have gleaned through sources in
Alabama.
I am going through a small 40 year accumulation of NOS parts for
the 70 AMX and Javelin.
In reviewing your dash # collection I noticed the
glove box plaque AMX 01275, and I have
the glove Box and Plaque AMX 01270
with the SS VIN off a Black wreck that the junkyard
would sell me but would
not sell the car.
Stay in touch, and be sure to let me know what you may be
looking for. I just bought a Big
Bad Green white stripe loaded AMX that
will need full restoration, but I have all the
stuff
for.
======================
He ordered a black/black 70 AMX new. When
the dealer called him to pick up there was issue
of insurance $900 a year.
The Buick AMC dealer had never had a Javelin or AMX on lot, so
was oddity.
All they had ever sold was Ramblers at Security. So I don't recall if he
got
back deposit or not, but they sold car to a Middle Tennessee football
player next day. No
one knows what happened to car after
that.
Relevance being not all dealers knew every option and accessory.
Some didn't even know
certain models like SC/Rambler or SC/360 Hornet
existed. Many could not name some of the
veteran AMC NASCAR, Trans Am or
SCCA races like Paschal. Few dealers ever heard of Topel
Rebel or Randall
Gremlin XR-401 or P38 Gremlin or Hornet Rallye. Had to pick up books,
and
not all books current, updated, or had photos or ordering information
so had to make
calls. And when you went to order your new AMC, order forms
always had extra lines to
customize add ons:
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/main/69_amc_order.jpg
of
which "stuff" was written in if customer wanted, and dealer could ID
it:
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/main/70_amc_order.jpg
PS:
the 8 slot rally rims AMC had starting in 1971 you had 14, and 15 inch type.
Those
too, made by KH....and while they don't show up in all dealer
catalogs...or Group 15
Accessory books, were available into 1979 to order,
but AMC still had mess of them in
inventory past when Mopar bought out AMC.
I ended up with about 40 of them, 14 inch, in
Carlsbad TX dealer buyout in
1990, some in box, others not, all $20 a rim NOS. Not sure
how one would
order them after Mopar buyout, but Mopar stuck "J" in front of AMC
part
numbers on everything.
======================
on this
comment:
no kidding! the standard AMC wheels were considered boring.(and
all other factory
issued wheels from any maker). after all they were all
over the place. soon as i could
afford it i bought the Western 5 spoke,
which was a much lessexpensive SS look alike. now
when my poor, starving
nephs & nieces spend $400 for a phone, i try to remember that.
years
later i wanted all stock, thank goodness my parents don't throw anything away,
they
still had the original wheels, though a little
dusty.
=======================
I wished I had pulled ever 14 & 15
inch 8 slot rally rim at Houston pick a parts in
1980s/90s, only $8 for
steel rim. No place to put them, and watched HUNDREDS of them get
crushed
along with whole cars. Also wished had $1 for every (pick 1) original air
cleaner
assembly, smog equipment, thrown away in 70s/80s replaced by
purdee shinee chromie
aftermarket one; also wished had $1 for ever dash
drilled into for gauges, and door panel
cut for speakers. It's what people
did in 70s.
=======================
and: Back in those days though, lots
of folks ditched the stock wheels on their rides in
favor of the Keystone
Classic, Crager SS, and Centerline mags. It would be pretty cool to
see
those put into production again!
========================
You can still
get the Cragar SS rims in 14 inch.....also 15 and big 17
inches:
http://www.cragarwheel.com/wheels/?fid=2
A
look thru Summitt and Jegs also shows a variety of Cragar rims. Timeless
rims.
Eddie Stakes
713.464.8825
eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.planethoustonamx.com
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