Dr. Cranky Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Yeah, it sounds like everyone is having different issue, so it goes. It's an old kit, and I much rather have it than not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 From what I remember all of the JoHan AMC V8s are the first-gen style, even the ones in the SC/Rambler and AMX. All they did was tool up a few new top end pieces to disguise the old engine as the second-gen AMC unit. That, and there's that big, flippin', 3/16" or so hole in the block. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 AMT 68 Mustang might be good....or Revell's version..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Dave Z, that's why I decided to do something else with mine . . . had I ended up building it stock, I think I would have gone the route you've decided to go. Look for better parts for the thing. Another harsh reality of the kit is that if you glue the drag style muffler where they are supposed to go on the headers, they will lift the front wheels off the ground. Very unnerving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I think mine will end up with a cut down '66 Nova pro street chassis, and a Mustang II front suspension. For some reason, this thing just seems like the perfect starting point for a drag car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Yes, it is, and Donn Yost has used so many of them he's lost count! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanSilva Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Back when I was building the mustang II reissue, I mocked up the great chassis from the amt 67 mustang fastback and it worked well as a starting point, that may also be the same for the gremlin too. Anyone mock up the firefighter mustang chassis to the gremlin yet? Im still waiting on mine to arrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1972coronet Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Neither of the local hobby stores had the Gremlin (nor the Chevy Van for that matter ...) , so I'm going to wait for about a month before I look again (and , no , I won't buy them online and give-in to paying shipping costs ! ) I have two AMT Matador annuals (1975 and 1976) and the 'generic' AMC 304/360 builds up nicely . Those vintage issues have two factory-stock induction setups ( 2Bbl and "Go Pack" 4Bbl) and the Tunnel Ram setup with its two carbs . The accompanying 727 "Torque-Command 8" transmission is a nice touch (and certainly better than the gaffes of the MPC kits wherein the interior bespoke of an automatic , but the drivetrain was a manual ! ) , and the stock , snorkled air cleaners are convincing . I painted the engines in the earlier , close-enough medium metallic blue (similar to Oldsmobile Engine Blue) ; however , my build of this Gremlin will have the engine in the light , turquoise blue of that era (planned Modified Production build's engine will be in blue metallic). I like that this Gremlin issue includes headers (!!) , something which was lacking in the Matador kits (in spite of the Pro Stock building option !!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Decent Matador headers in the NASCAR version.....easy to find too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I found some nice pics of the Matador and Gremlin engine parts in Marc's '72 Gremlin build topic: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=34122&st=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 What about using the engine from the JoHan Rambler S/C? I have an S/C,but haven't built it yet. IIRC, it has a pretty nice parts breakdown,but I haven't even looked at it for well over a year. The Javelin may also be an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 The Javelin is good.....just RARE!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Is the Javelin engine that much better than the more common S/C Rambler or the AMX? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 The Rambler suffers from that gigantic hole in the block- to me that's the worst offense on that particular engine. Sure, you can patch them shut, or just cross your fingers and hope the inner fenders and exhaust manifolds help to obscure them. Heck, I've done it myself... That's the SC/Rambler engine in a '53 Hornet. (By the way, that's not the kit air cleaner- I dug it out of my parts box, and the decal is a spare from a Fred Cady SC/Rambler sheet). Me? I'd still have to go with the Monogram Jeep CJ-7 piece- it's probably the best example of the second-gen AMC V8 in scale. The only deal-breaker (for some) is that it's 1:24 scale. That and you'd need to do something about replacing the transfer case with a proper 2wd tailshaft. The Revell Jeep J-10 engine (done in 1:25) isn't as nice as the Monogram engine, but still passable, though that kit isn't quite as easy to track down as the CJ kit. I suppose it would all boil down to how much work you wanted to invest into the finished model, and how dead-nuts accurate and realistic you wanted it to be in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I had actually forgot about the huge hole in the block Chuck. For some reason, I was thinking the Rambler didn't have that. I should have known better with it being a JoHan kit. I've always thought the engine in the CJ-7 Jeep looked a little on the small side in it's engine compartment,so to me, there's no reason it wouldn't work in the Gremlin. More than likely, I'll just do an entire tranny swap on mine. I have a CJ engine floating around here somewhere. Now, I just need to get off my duff and go buy a couple or three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I think lots of cool parts can be added to the Gremlin to make it half way descent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Pretty fancy for an AMC dealership, eh? (They do say 'eh' in Wisconsin, right? ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62rebel Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 dealership? signage says Chicago Auto Show... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 dealership? signage says Chicago Auto Show... Yea, I was going to say that looked like McCormick Place #2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 In that first auto show pic.....it looks like the nose doesn't fit well.....the kit is correct!!!!! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 The engine compartment looks plenty wide, too- a 1:24 engine would fill it out pretty nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 check out the ashtray next to the car in the one pic, another reminder of how the times have changed. I never caught that, probably neccessary after the loss of the original McCormick Place though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I have original issue kits....the nose/grille unit is exactly the same as the reissue. If you modify it as I had shown earlier it fits much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Sikora II Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Yeah, I built the 76 Gremlin when it was a new kit (and the 74 funny car before that) and that front grille piece never really fit. It was always too wide. The Gremlin kit wasn't one of AMT's best offerings in the 70s, but I'm still glad it was reissued. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitswapper Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Man I have never seen so much attention to the Gremlin, Here's another picture of the funny car that AMT did the kit of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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