Hello All! New member here!

["robot_tank" <robot_tank@xxxx>]

Hello all,

Thought I'd try my hand at posting to the group. I've been an AMC 
owner for over 15 years, and have had a few of them. I've always 
liked Gremlins even when they were first introduced in 1970. I was 
only 9 years old but I liked the style. I tried to get my dad to buy 
one late in '70 but he came home with a Pinto. Oh well... least it 
wasn't a Vega!!

My first AMC was my '72 Gremlin X 304/3speed. I loved that car and 
should have never got rid of it. But as I'm sure you all know... the 
grass is always greener story... well that is what I thought when I 
traded my Gremlin for a '73 Javelin/AMX. Suppositly fully restored, 
turned out to be actually just a cosmetic restoration. Ever since 
then I've kind of looked on and off again for another Gremlin to 
replace my old one. I even called the current owner (not the looser 
that I traded it to) to see if he'd sell it back to me - no dice - 
even though it's now torn apart and has been that way for years. I 
don't know why as it had just been rebuilt (engine that is) about a 
year before I traded it.

Well, anyway, fast forward up to last November when I saw a '73 
Gremlin X for sale on the classic auto trader page. Said it was 
a 'hot rod' with a 390 engine in it. I was on the phone! It was also 
in my favorite color - Maxi Blue - with white X stripes. Needless to 
say, I drove down and bought it several weeks later. I live in 
Northern CA and it was in Southern CA - about a 12 hour drive one way 
but I didn't care. The body is straight, paint was great, interior 
was terrible, and it didn't run quite right but the potential was 
there. Had not been run for over 2 years as the owner had died. His 
parents finally got to doing something with the car. Got it home and 
started working on it right away. Timing was WAY off, no wonder it 
would hardly start. Yanked off the old Holly carb and replaced it 
with a new Edelbrock AFB, new plugs, wires, MSD coil, timing adjust, 
belts, rebuilt alt, flex fan (clutch fan was shot), and it is running 
like a scalded cat. I also found out that the advertised 390 was 
really a 401!! Yeah! No wonder this thing frys the tires at the 
slightest amount of pedal. Anyway, I've been working on it since 
December of last year bringing it back to a condition I can be proud 
to drive and show at the cruz-in's.

People still are not ready to accept Gremlins at car shows, but no 
matter, I still go and put up their incorrect information and crap. I 
try to straighten out the ones that will listen. Most people seem to 
ignore the car (you know, it's not a true 'classic' I'm told - say 
what!? it's 30 years old!! Dolt!) as I don't open up the hood (even 
though its a 401, it's not all dolled up to show), until I start it 
up that is. Then a crowd appears asking what's in this 'thing'? It 
has a pretty loud Flowmaster dual exhaust system. I might start 
opening up the hood and see what happens.

Anyway, this is getting too long winded... I posted pictures of 
my 'Gremie X' in the photo section. It's under the name: Robot_tank's 
Gremlin X. Take a look and let me know what you think. If I get some 
pics of the front and engine I'll post them later. Glad to be here!

Keep on AMC'ing!

Tom Cloud
'73 Gremlin X 401/auto