Re: [gremlintime] 1970 two passanger Gremlin - ready to ruin -

[Henry Hultquist <onree@xxxx>]

Bruce, 
I would like to thank you for the pics you sent me of your car a couple of
weeks ago. I still have some interest and your asking price is not really
the issue, but back to that later.
Your post asked for comments, so here are some from a guy who has been
involved in the lower end (no $40,000 '57 Chevy convertibles for this old
car nut) of the old car hobby since before there even was a Gremlin. Most of
my old cars have been worth a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. My
first old car was a 1953 Buick woody bought in 1966 (for FORTY dollars!!!)
Of course I wish I still had it. In the first week of April 1970 I bought
the very first Gremlin sold in Lincoln, Nebraska--my home town.

In the mid nineties, after many years of acquiring cars (because they seemed
like a good deal or just because I wanted them) my double lot started
looking like little appalachia with about ten cars--and most didn't run. The
neighbors didn't like it, the cops didn't like it, but most of all my wife
didn't like it. I always said that I would restore them "some day" but my
wife said "Hell no, all you ever do with your old cars is STORE them--there
is no RESTORE involved." And she was right. I hadn't done any significant
amount of car work for six or seven years--all I did was let them follow me
home. Even my dad (who loves cars) said that I might just as well nail
hundred dollar bills to the inside of the garage as keep buying non running
(or barely running) cars to sit in the back yard. And he was right. The
upshot of all this is that on Jan 1, 1997 I bought my wife a new Dodge
Caravan, and I made a new year's resolution (and a promise to my wife) that
I would not buy any more cars that I could not get in, turn the key, start
it, and drive it home. Since then I have sold three Corvairs, a Cadillac,
two Volkswagens, and a 1952 Pontiac Sedan Delivery. I have put my Morris
Minor, 1986 Dodge convertible, and 1953 Chevy BelAir into reliable,
licensed, insured, running condition. I enjoy driving them. I have since
bought a 1981 Eagle SX4 (off eBay in Oklahoma city) a 1984 Eagle wagon (in
San diego) and a 1972 Gremlin (in Sacramento) AND DRIVEN ALL OF THEM HOME!!
(I did have to buy tires for the SX4) I have absolutely no regrets about the
promise I made. I think that at this point I could have a "slip" and be
forgiven, but I'm not sure I want to go back to that. I have to think very
seriously about my promise.

As far as values go, a car that does not run and drive is ALWAYS worth
significantly less than the same car in driveable condition. A half
finished, unfinished, nearly finished, (whatever) work in progress just
raises too many questions in the buyers mind. A rebuilt engine that's never
been started, (not even a starter on the car to turn it over) really scares
me. If the car is so close why don't you get it running and driving? It will
not only be worth MORE MONEY but will be much, much, EASIER to sell at
whatever price.

Questions---
1--What is the basic body color?
2--1970 Gremlins came with 13" wheels, do you have the original 13" wheels?
3--Is the engine a 199 or a 232 ?
4--Floor shift or column shift?
5--Is the interior intact and complete, and what color?
6--Do you have a 1970 AMC Technical (shop) Manual with the car?
7--Do you have organized documentation (receipts) for what has been
done/spent on the car, like machine shop bills for the motor work, etc?
8-By when do you need to sell it? I'll be driving past Chicago in early
October.

Still interested at ~~$2000 (or maybe even more) in a running, driving car.
Sorry to be such a "Rambler" but I guess that's an AMC characteristic.

Onree




on 9/2/03 1:35 PM, ecurbpope@xxxx at ecurbpope@xxxx did write:

> Hal,
> 
> I have to agree with you. Pop on to Yahoo used cars ... punch in any Honda
> and keep scrolling untill you see what you get for 1,250 bucks. What people
> are telling me is that my 1970 is worth the equivilant to a rusted out Honda
> with 140,000 plus miles on it.

The markets for the two are not comparable because nationally there are
millions of people looking for cheap transportation (the rusty Honda)
compared to a few thousand people (at most )interested in old AMC cars, and
maybe only a few hundred willing to buy one that doesn't run.

> I find this hard to believe coming from the same people who are expounding
> that AMC's were the best cars on earth.
I like AMC cars because they are different, interesting, and
affordable. I like the underdog and "David vs. Goliath aspect too, but would
never call them the best. Not even close. I like them anyway.

> Not ever selling my car before, I
> realize that I have to break through the emotional aspect without expecting
> someone to pay me for my sentimental value. But when the suggestion is made to
> sell @ the $ 800 level, it generates a lot of questions in my mind.
A seller can set the ASKING price at whatever he wants based on the
criteria of his choosing, but the actual sale price is always determined by
the willing and able buyer. I have outright given away a couple of cars and
also sold several for much less than I had "invested" (generally the wrong
word to use when talking about money spent on a car) when I needed the
space, or the money, or my automotive interests simply changed. I asked a
realistic price because I wanted to sell the car, not just try to sell it.
When someone showed up with cash in hand I sold the car AND THEN I LET GO OF
IT. Your price is probably realistic, but a non running car is really just a
well organized collection of parts.
> 
> I made the comment on another posting. I can see why people run out and drop
> other parts such as Chevy engines and other stuff into their AMC's. When the
> bottom line is that you are going to get peanuts for them, bolt on or in
> anything you want. Why would I want to perpetuate "purest" attitudes at my
> expense.
I have never been able to understand why AMC people are so against
brand X engines in AMC cars. A Gremlin with a Chevy motor is still a
Gremlin. In CORSA (the Corvair club) you are welcome with a Corvair motor in
anything (like a dune buggy, boat, airplane, motorhome, trike, etc) or a
Corvair body with any motor, and I have seen Corvairs with Chevy v-8s, Buick
v-6s and 8s, Porsche motors, even a Jaguar V-12 (yes!) and a Subaru flat 4.
The CORSA club is very tolerant and accepting--which is probably why there
is only one national club instead of several like AMC.
> 
> 
> So, anyone want to comment. Are Gremlins and other AMC's equivilant in value
> to say a 1984 rusted out Honda, a mid grade new mattress, a new push mower or
> bar- B- Q grille.
> 
> 
> Just a thought.