AMC had there Super car too ( I guess ) - Page 2

1970Bluel78 · #11 02-07-2008, 06:20 PM

442w30...Did you read the article? AMC gave a " unofficial " type permission and suppied the 401's

442w30 · #12 02-08-2008, 02:10 AM

What article? Some guy who runs the website wrote it - am I supposed to think that's the final word? Why didn't the parts department just buy those engines and install them like most normal dealerships would?

Just doesn't make sense to me. . .

Yes, Paul, it was Dan's - tucked safely by your old cars!

StealthBird · #13 02-08-2008, 03:37 AM

The Randall 401 Gremlin was a dealer car. Not sure what the author of that article meant when he stated AMC gave "permission" to install 401's. These were simply crate engines. The 304 and 401 were the same dimensionally. Nothing unusual here, Royal Pontiac (and other Pontiac dealerships) were swapping 421's for 389's way back in 1964, and you couldn't tell which was which by popping the hood.

Now if AMC sent 30 crate 401 engines, with specific VIN's, and instructions for Randall AMC to remove the 304's, install the 401's, then send the 304's back to the plant, THEN it's an official authorization by AMC.

Pretty scary putting a 401 into a Gremlin. Putting nearly 400 hp into a poorly made little carnival ride of a compact car, with the build quality of a shopping cart, is not something I'd want to be sitting in while going through the traps at over 100 mph.

Randall AMC most likely had to discontinue these cars due to the fact that the Feds clamped down on dealer installed engine transplants at that time. Dealership engine swaps were very popular in the 1971-1973 era. Fantastic performance, cheap cars, and low insurance premiums.

Jim Wangers (of Pontiac fame) was the one that the Feds made an example of when he began placing crate LS7's into Chevy Novas at his Milwaukee-based Jim Wangers Chevrolet dealership. With his high profile name, the Feds decided to make an example of him, and suddenly Baldwin-Motion, and dealers like Randall AMC, quickly ceased their programs in fear of sustaining very hefty fines for violating Federal emissions standards.

Personally, I'd rather have a 427 or 454 Motion Vega.

agtw31 · #14 02-08-2008, 04:44 AM

[ QUOTE ]

Putting nearly 400 hp into a poorly made little carnival ride of a compact car, with the build quality of a shopping cart, is not something I'd want to be sitting in while going through the traps at over 100 mph.

[/ QUOTE ]

ever take a good look at the green acres engineering involved in a 68-70 B or E body Mopar?
putting a Hemi in those things to me was just insane.

StealthBird · #15 02-08-2008, 04:55 AM

Yep, Chrysler build quality may only be surpassed by those legendary AMC's...

As one writer so eloquently put it, when he drove an unrestored 70 Buick GS Stage 1 a few years ago, when he closed the driver's door of the Buick, it sounded like a bank vault, and then he understood why GM was on top of the world back then.

442w30 · #16 02-08-2008, 07:49 AM

I don't believe Randall Ramblers were "COPO" cars, and it doesn't make sense for them to be that in 1972, a year that reflected increased government regulation.

1970Bluel78 · #17 02-08-2008, 04:34 PM

I think the " ARTICLE " that was written made it clear that AMC would not or could not give a official permission ( wink wink ) but let the dealer do the dirty work and sent 30 401's to Randall. I'm sure AMC was watching. By 73 things were already changing ( comp ratio, HP, smog ). So that 401 thing was dead. 442, no where does it say they were ordered from AMC ( COPO ) type but Dealer installed. In any case pretty cool cars. Comparing a Buick to a Gremlin might be unfair. Perhaps a Vega would be better. Both had poor build quality.

StealthBird · #18 02-08-2008, 08:23 PM

Yeah, but the interior on 1972 Vega GT was like a Corvette compared to the way the 1972 Gremlin was laid out. Neither car would win any build quality awards, but in my opinion, the Vega GT's looked pretty cool, while Gremlins looked like sawed off Javelins.

One thing you can say about the Gremlin, it was appropriately named.

442w30 · #19 02-10-2008, 12:22 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I think the " ARTICLE " that was written made it clear that AMC would not or could not give a official permission ( wink wink ) but let the dealer do the dirty work and sent 30 401's to Randall. I'm sure AMC was watching. By 73 things were already changing ( comp ratio, HP, smog ). So that 401 thing was dead. 442, no where does it say they were ordered from AMC ( COPO ) type but Dealer installed. In any case pretty cool cars. Comparing a Buick to a Gremlin might be unfair. Perhaps a Vega would be better. Both had poor build quality.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's nothing clear about it at all - stating mentioning "official permission" implies a factory connection, when there probably was not any. Having a factory special in 1972 was not something that made any sense, and we know from Chevrolet's example that they pretty much got out of the Supercar business by 1971.

**300deluxeL79** · #20 02-10-2008, 08:16 AM

[ QUOTE ]
We had an AMC dealer in the Vancouver area who put out 10 - 15 of those little screamers. I think they were in Haney, just down the road from Musallem Motor Products, who sponsored Buck Kinney's 454 Chevelle ragtop.
Here's a photo I took in 1975 at Boundary Bay Raceway.
401 Gremlin

[/ QUOTE ]hey striper,
speaking of vegas and boundary bay,
got any more pics from boundary bay?
saw jenkins do some exhibition runs there in '74.
sorry guys, don't mean to sidetrack this topic.

dave.