AMC had there Super car too ( I guess )

[StealthBird]

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]

[ 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

[ 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.

[juliosz]

AMC mentioned Randall in their factory racing publication "Performance American Style" which I believe was published in 1972. I think that was about as close as Randall got to "official permission". Also having a "factory special" (if that's what it was)for AMC in 1972 made perfect sense as a year earlier they won the Trans Am championship (I think they did in 72 as well but without Donohue), they were heavily involved with Wally Booth and also Penske in NASCAR. So when the big three were winding down their hipo programs starting in 71, AMC was just getting a bit more serious from there efforts in the late sixties. Why was this? Remember, this was AMC, either they were running behind everyone else or were several years ahead in some cases (4x4 eagle, Grand Wagoneer ect.). In a few cases they had the right product at the right time but very few. Oh, one last thing, my brother ordered a brand new 73 Hornet hatchback with a 360, 727 Torque Flite and posi and it was a really fast ride and was just as safe as anything from the big three in those days. Structually the car was solid but what gave people the impression of poor build quality was the cheap all-plastic interiors AMC used. Coming from a family that had many AMCs, FoMoCo and GM products, GM and Ford were at the top in solid, nicely appointed interiors, Chrysler was a distant third and AMC was behind them IMHO.

[LS6 RAT]

Very true! AMC did have a horrible reputation for poor quality interior materials used.
I owned many 68 thru '70 AMX's and Javelin SST's. The headliners would separate, the vinyl from the foam backing, earlier headliners in '68 models would warp and shrink pulling away from edges. The vinyl dashes would peel up, the door armrests would peel and separate from their ABS plastic housing. The carpet knap would disintegrate due to heat and sun. The leather seat facings would dry out, pulling the thread stitching apart, causing the vinyl piping to go out of shape. Plastic seat shells and lower surround plastic side shells easily broke, because of poor engineering of the support mounts. It is endless!

I probably owned 12 1970 AMX's and 6 1970 Javelins. You could count on the same problems with every car!!!!!