Birthday Gremlin

[Joe Handley]

Finally got around to start mocking up the stance I want for my C.A.R.S. in Minature Christmas 2018 build. We're building "Cars from the Year  You Were Born" and having been born in 1976, I'm kinda limited on interesting things to build that are interesting. I had a couple of these AMT '76 Gremlins laying around as well as a couple 70's Chevy Van kits and decided to start with one of the Gremlins in a psuedo ProTouring build with the stance from the 70's Pro Stock Gremlins and rolling on the Pegasus Centerline style wheels. Right now I'm going to keep the 5.0l AMC V-8 with some of the NASCAR goodies from an AMT Matador unless somebody knows of a 1/25 scale Jeep 4.0l that just might fit.  Interior wise, I'm planning on modding the tub to fit the seats the Vette/Recaro style seats from the AMT '57 Fairlane 500 kit, as well as the aftermarket shifter and Viper-esk steering wheel from that kit. Here's what I have so far.

 

[PARTSMARTY]

This looks cool !!!

[Jantrix]

Gonna be some chassis work getting those tires to fit for sure.

[Brizio]

Looks good!

[Joe Handley]

4 hours ago, Jantrix said:

Gonna be some chassis work getting those tires to fit for sure.

Very little actually!  The rear is stock height  and those steamrollers juuuuust fit and I just had to redrill the front axle holes just above the stock ones and flatten out the boss that comes out to locate the stock wheels. It'll be more effort to get the piano wire to make the axles from then cut those down to fit as well as making that Recaro style rear seat from the Fairlane kit fit the Gremlin interior tub!

[Slotto]

Nice.

[iamsuperdan]

That would be an interesting idea for a community build!

I traded this kit here. Part of me wishes I had kept it.

 

[Joe Handley]

35 minutes ago, iamsuperdan said:

That would be an interesting idea for a community build!

I traded this kit here. Part of me wishes I had kept it.

 

I just so happened to buy 2 of them and a couple of the afore mentioned Chevy Van kits back in 2012 and when this club build came up, I knew 1976 kits, new or reissues are few and far between without hitting the shows or the www and decided to use those. Could be worse though, the only club members younger than me were born in '79

[Joe Handley]

Finally was able to get the interior pics to load, need to start attacking things with my new Dremel to make the back seat fit.......good thing the weekend is about here!

[Geno]

I always thought the Gremlins made cool street machines. A buddy in high school dropped a built 350 in one, man that thing was scary quick. Looking great so far.

[Joe Handley]

Got some more work done on it yesterday, glued the engine bay togethet as well as put the nose piece on (talk about fiddley!), and stripped the chrome off the wheels so I can give them the proper aluminum finish.

[espo]

I like your interior setup. A little trimming of the side bolsters and maybe a notch to clear the drive shaft tunnel and it should look almost factory.

[Joe Handley]

2 hours ago, espo said:

I like your interior setup. A little trimming of the side bolsters and maybe a notch to clear the drive shaft tunnel and it should look almost factory.

The tunnel notch is nearly perfect, so that can be left as molded. I may clearance the wheel tubs a hair as that portion of the wheel well has way more rhan enough room for those 23 inchers from Pegasus though and will look into the bolsters after that, they're almost a perfect fit otherwise!

[Joe Handley]

More pics!

Sorry, I can get the pics to load from my phone, so here's my Instagram for what I've done so far.