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Old 02-07-2008, 01:58 AM
StriperSS StriperSS is offline
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Default Re: AMC had there Super car too ( I guess )

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
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Old 02-07-2008, 02:01 AM
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John Brown John Brown is offline
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Default Re: AMC had there Super car too ( I guess )

oops...
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Old 02-07-2008, 02:23 AM
69hurstSC 69hurstSC is offline
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Default Re: AMC had there Super car too ( I guess )

nice pic Striper! love to see those AMC compacts battling it out in the early 70's!
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Old 02-07-2008, 06:20 AM
COPO 70 RS/Z28 COPO 70 RS/Z28 is offline
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Default Re: AMC had there Super car too ( I guess )

I would love to drive one of those, I bet it's a trip!!!


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Old 02-07-2008, 01:10 PM
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Default Re: AMC had there Super car too ( I guess )

Hey Diego,you must be referring to Dan Jensen. I have seen his Randell AMC.

My brother had a Gremlin with a 304 4 speed back in the mid 70's. I thought he was weird until I took it for a ride. It was a handful.
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Old 02-07-2008, 03:33 PM
Salvatore Salvatore is offline
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Default Re: AMC had there Super car too ( I guess )

Yep, All AMC's are pretty underrated in my opinion! Quick cars!
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Old 02-07-2008, 06:20 PM
1970Bluel78 1970Bluel78 is offline
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Default Re: AMC had there Super car too ( I guess )

442w30...Did you read the article? AMC gave a " unofficial " type permission and suppied the 401's
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Old 02-08-2008, 02:10 AM
442w30 442w30 is offline
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Default Re: AMC had there Super car too ( I guess )

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!


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Old 02-08-2008, 03:37 AM
StealthBird StealthBird is offline
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Default Re: AMC had there Super car too ( I guess )

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.
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Old 02-20-2008, 06:54 AM
AutoInsane AutoInsane is offline
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Default Re: AMC had there Super car too ( I guess )

Randall also made a Jeep CJ5 with an AMC 401 in it! Been looking for one of those for years now.
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