1972 AMC Gremlin

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

My Modeler's ADD is in full stun mode!

Received my Bandit Resins 1972 Gremlin on Saturday. Here's what was in the box.

Body, hood, front and rear pans, bumpers, grille, taillights, interior tub, dash, and vacformed glass. Here's some close up pics of the body.

Very clean casting, typical Bandit Resin quality.

I'm using the chassis and interior from a partially built AMT 1975 Gremlin X annual. Watch for updates real soon!

Edited October 31, 2010 by Marc @ MPC Motorsports

[bigdaddyfan]

I've always wanted to build one of these but was put off by the price of an eBay buy or trying to fix up a built up. I have an autographed picture of Wally Booth's Gremlin when he ran at Union Grove back in about 1974. I want to build it to look like his. I have 6 or 7 autographed pictures from the same visit that I have found models of or at least parts or decals to build them.

All except a hydrogen peroxide powered jet go kart that went 235 mph in the quarter mile. That was great to watch. It made a small whoosh noise for about a second and was gone. The nozzle on the jet was about 1" in dia at the bottom and about 8" long. The jet itself was no bigger then a large mailbox. The pics are packed away so I can't post his name. I think his last name was McClurg or something like that.

[Monty]

Marc, any chance you can have Bandit Resins cast the stock chassis and interior for this car? Also, what engine would you recommend for replicating a bone-stock 304-powered car?

Edited August 9, 2010 by Monty

[Jim0205]

Love the gremlin, I will be watching.

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

Marc, any chance you can have Bandit Resins cast the stock chassis and interior for this car? Also, what engine would you recommend for replicating a bone-stock 304-powered car?

Due to popular demand, Bandit Resins will be casting the seats and chassis for the Gremlin. Most of the engine in the AMT Matador NASCAR kit is the same engine from the Gremlin kit, but you'll need to look to the parts box for manifolds, etc.

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

Shaved emblems and side markers. Attached front and rear pans and molded them in. Shot some Tamiya primer to check progress.

Gas tank narrowed, springs moved inboard and differential narrowed for Pegasus 23" Centerlines.

A cute little car and a fun build!

[Joe Handley]

Looks good with those big Centerlines Mark!

[aksarben]

I love it, those wheels do look perfect for it.

Steve

[cruz]

I am not much into big rims and low profile tires, specially on these type of cars, personally, I would go with something classic, you know, nice wide tires in the rear and skinnies in the front to ultimately give it a cool 70's street/strip kind of look. Nice project though!!!

[W-409]

Same thing, as Marcos said, don't like those wheels, 15'' Centerlines would be better ones... But car is nice, and with your building skills, this will turn out very very nicely too big wheels or not! Keep on the good work!

[Car Crazy 81]

Nice work on the Gremlin, Marc what color you had in mind for this build. I'll be watching this build just like the others on the forum.

[Karl Sheffer]

Due to popular demand, Bandit Resins will be casting the seats and chassis for the Gremlin. Most of the engine in the AMT Matador NASCAR kit is the same engine from the Gremlin kit, but you'll need to look to the parts box for manifolds, etc.

Please tell me that they are NOT going to cast the stock AMT Gremlin seats! Those things are hideously too narrow. Unfortunately, I don't know of a better seat short of cutting a set out of a Johan AMX interior. Or taking 3(?) of the stock Gremlin seats and making one good seat.

[charlie8575]

Once the stock parts are available, I'm picking one up.

I'm trying to think if any 232/258s are available. Barring that, a 304 would be quite acceptable. I'd recommend using an intake off a JoHan second generation Javelin, I have one and will probably make a duplicate. I might actually even make a duplicate of the whole engine.

I'll enjoy watching this.

Charlie Larkin

[Karl Sheffer]

Once the stock parts are available, I'm picking one up.

I'm trying to think if any 232/258s are available. Barring that, a 304 would be quite acceptable. I'd recommend using an intake off a JoHan second generation Javelin, I have one and will probably make a duplicate. I might actually even make a duplicate of the whole engine.

I'll enjoy watching this.

Charlie Larkin

The AMT Pacer kit has a nice AMC six cylinder engine.

Edited August 12, 2010 by Karl Sheffer

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

Please tell me that they are NOT going to cast the stock AMT Gremlin seats! Those things are hideously too narrow. Unfortunately, I don't know of a better seat short of cutting a set out of a Johan AMX interior. Or taking 3(?) of the stock Gremlin seats and making one good seat.

Karl,

I only had two seats, but I think I've made a better seat. These first two pics were taken on Saturday.

Still had work to do. Saturday night, I made and attached the modified seat back and continued to fill in seams. The next pic is where I'm at tonight. It's not perfect, but it is an improvement from the kit seats.

It looks much better sitting in the interior tub than the stock kit seat.

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

Small update tonight. With back to school for my youngest daughter happening on Monday, I didn't get as much done as I had hoped. Besides the seat mods, I have the hood finished and in primer.

I also started to piece the engine together. The stock engine in my AMT 1975 Gremlin kit was preassembled with lots of tube glue, rendering most parts unusable. However, the engine in the AMT Matador NASCAR kit shares the block, heads and front timing cover/water pump with the Gremlin kit. I'll be using these parts from the Matador along with its four speed tranny. Since the NASCAR engine has a dry sump oil pan, I had to salvage the stock pan from the Gremlin. I had to rebuild part of the flange on the pan after I got it removed. Then, I filled the metal axle holes in the pan and block.

I still have to salvage the Gremlin's accessory drive but plans call for use of the NASCAR headers and intake. Hopefully, I'll get all of this in paint sometime this week, life permitting.

Enjoy!

[Danno]

Ahhh, this is a fun build! Enjoying this.

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

Ahhh, this is a fun build! Enjoying this.

Thanks, Dan. I'm enjoying this one too. Any activity is more enjoyable when you have fun doing it.

[Jim0205]

I know what you mean about Life permiting, sometimes I am lucky to get 1 part glued Sounds like it's tricky save on the drive train looking forward to seeing the finished motor.

[Swifster]

My questions is where will you get the 1/25 scale Levi's tag for the seats...?

[Modelsbyroni]

NICE BUILD. I LIKE WHERE ITS HEADED.

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

First update for the weekend. I almost painted the chassis last weekend but I thought I better test fit the engine combo. Good thing, because I had to use the patented "BFH" on the floorboards to get clearance for the headers. The headers and most of the engine is from the AMT Matador NASCAR kit, which shares many components with the stock AMT Gremlin kit. Funny thing about the headers, the driver's side hung almost 3/16" lower than the right side so I had to shorten it.

Enjoy the pics and watch for further updates this weekend.

[Monty]

BFH?

[charlie8575]

BFH?

Big (expletive that begins with "F") Hammer.

Used to make any part fit anywhere, anytime.

Charlie Larkin

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

Been working on the headers. Separated some of the tubes and added definition to the grouping of the downpipes. Compare this pic to the non-modified right side header.