April - AMC of Houston

Newsletter of the American Motors Club of Houston
APRIL 2015 Issue 19
1971 Gremlin X – page 7
From the Officers - Latest Club News You Can Use
pg 2
Upcoming Events
pg 2
Club Information
pg 3
2015 American Motors East Texas Cruise-In
pg 4
A Stock Javelin that Embarrassed the Competition
pg 5
AMC’s Concept 80 AM Van Foreshadowed the Minivan
pg 6
The AMC Gremlin X: Because Different is Good
pg 7-8
AMC Technical Tip
pg 9
AMCs on Television
pg 10-11
2015 Bowling Party
pg 12
Tidbits
pg 13
Classifieds
pg 14-15
Club Store
pg 16
1
From the Officers:
Cover Photo: 1971 Gremlin X
Free National Club Membership!!
In an effort to get more folks to attend our monthly meetings, a giveaway will be held a couple of times a year
to award some lucky members with a free membership to the American Motors Owners Association (our Club is an
AMO chapter). If the lucky winner is already an AMO member, he or she will have the option of a free membership
in one of the other national AMC clubs, such as AMCRC or NAMDRA. Keep an eye out for email regarding the
giveaway.
Upcoming Events
(items in green are information only, not club events)
May

2th, 3th – Keels and Wheels. Lakewood Yacht Club Seabrook, TX
o (this is a “Go and Look” only)
Admission $35.00 (ticket good either day of event) Kids under 10 free
Sat. 10:00 open to the public
Sun. 9:00 open to the public
Sun. 1:00 Car awards

12th – Club Meeting at Hickory Hollow Bar B Q

16th – Aeros & Autos at Ellington Airport (Great show with vintage airplanes and autos)
o 9 am – 4 pm
Car registration $30.00, without car admission $5.00
Trophies at 3 pm
Entrance off Genoa Redbluff
www.fly2houston.com/aerosandautos
rd
23 – Quaker Steak and Lube
o On I-45 in League City
o 10% off food for drivers
o 5 – 9pm

June

9th – Club Meeting at Hickory Hollow Bar B Q

13th – East Texas AMC Cruise In – Lufkin, TX
o All AMC’s welcome, including NASH, Willy’s, Rambler
o For more info call Reagan Ratliff 936/225-0569 or e-mail: [email protected]

27th - Niftee Fiftee’s
o Every Sat evening during the summer
Corum Shopping Center 4880 Louetta Rd Spring
2
AMCoH Officers
President
Tom Taylor
4406 Mize Rd
Pasadena, TX 775045
713-249-2466
[email protected]
[email protected]
*******************************
Vice President
Ted Davis
713-721-8960
[email protected]
******************************
Secretary
Jeff Jung
281-394-7985
[email protected]
******************************
Treasurer
Kevin Dalley
281-481-6363
[email protected]
******************************
Activities Director
By Committee
******************************
Membership Chairman
Kevin Dalley
281-481-6363
[email protected]
******************************
WebMaster
Gary Parente
713-859-7249
[email protected]
******************************
Newsletter Editor
Gary Parente
713-859-7249
[email protected]
Motors Club of Houston p. 3
The American Motors Club of Houston was founded in the
early 1980’s with the goal of advancing the image and preservation
of AMC vehicles in Southeast Texas and the surrounding area.
Our club is one of three AMC organizations in Texas – the
American Motors Club of Houston, Alamo AMC based in San
Antonio, and North Texas AMC headquartered in Dallas form a
strong contingent of Texas AMC fellowship, experience and
support.
We are a chapter of the American Motors Owners Association
(AMO) and we strongly suggest joining this fine organization.
Planned activities include a large display in the annual indoor
Thanksgiving Houston AutoRama Show, the annual AMO
Lone Star Regional Show, and the annual AMC East Texas Cruisein, family picnics, cruises, parties, races, etc. The 2001 AMO
National Meet was also held in Houston!!
We have regular monthly meetings on the second Tuesday
of every month (7:30 p.m.) at the Hickory Hollow restaurant,
located at 101 Heights Blvd. (just a few blocks south of I-10). If
you are not already a member, feel free to join us for a “get
acquainted” session before you sign up.
Ownership of an AMC vehicle or residence in our local area is
NOT required to join our group. Interest and enthusiasm are more
than enough. We’ll gladly help you find your own treasured AMC
if you don’t already have one!!
Dues are *$20 per year – we are a non-profit organization,
100% of your dues go to supporting club activities. The club
officers do not receive a salary for their efforts. Dues and an
enrollment form may be submitted at our monthly meetings, or
mailed to our Treasurer, Kevin Dalley, 12207 Courtney Greens Rd,
Houston, TX 77089.
AMCoH exists specifically to support you in your AMC
endeavors, and we look forward to adding your own AMC
experience to our knowledge base. If you need any additional
information, feel free to contact any of our club officers.
3
4
Club Member, Marvin Littlefield, recently shared some ‘street racing’ cred about his 1969 Javelin. His
car was stock equipped with a 390 and 4 speed transmission. He said he had over 60 street races in Waco,
TX and was only beat by 4 cars; a 440 Plymouth GTX, a hopped up 340 Dodge Dart, a very fast 1965 Malibu
SS, and a 343 4 speed Javelin that was setup for drag racing. All of these cars had twin-grip differentials
while his Javelin had an open rear end. From a rolling start, his Javelin stayed right beside a not-so-fast
1967 427 4 speed Corvette. The driver of the Vette was so embarrassed, he wouldn’t give Marvin his name.
Our AMC muscle cars are no slouches and Marvin’s Javelin clearly supports that!
5
In early 1977, AMC was struggling to preserve its
reputation as an innovator in the domestic automotive
marketplace. Looking to generate a bit of positive
publicity and convince a skeptical press that AMC had a
clear vision of the future, its public relations department
created the idea of a traveling roadshow to highlight a
series of concept vehicles. Stops were planned in seven
North American cities, including Detroit, New York,
Washington, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, San
Francisco and Toronto. Attendance at these “Concept
80″ events was by invitation only, ensuring that key
influencers (including a very young Patrick Foster, who
wrote of his experience in the September 2009 issue of
Hemmings Classic Car) would have ample time to take
in the six futuristic AMC models shown, as well as
ample access to AMC executives.
Each show was kicked off by AMC’s chairman, Roy D. Chapin, who told of a future shaped by an energy shortage
that would force the downsizing of personal transportation. Chapin predicted that Americans would be hesitant to
embrace the subcompacts and minicars offered by foreign manufacturers, but would welcome compact cars that offered
generous amounts of style, comfort, and build quality. The cars shown at each event represented AMC’s view of the
1980 market, and included everything from a futuristic electric car (the Concept Electron) to a scaled-down Jeep CJ (the
Concept Jeep II). The most mainstream vehicles were the Concept I, the Concept II and the Concept III, which looked,
respectively, like slightly futuristic versions of AMC’s Gremlin, Pacer and Hornet. The standout among the Concept 80
vehicles, however, was the Concept AM Van, a custom van in three-quarter scale that inadvertently foreshadowed the
minivan craze that would sweep America in the mid-1980s.
As described in period press releases, the
Concept AM Van was designed to give threeacross seating and offer exceptional visibility to
its occupants. With its four-wheel-drive
drivetrain, the AM Van was intended to be
functional as well as stylish, offering goanywhere utility to families and commercial
buyers alike (although the plus-size front
spoiler, sidepipes and oversize wheel flares
probably wouldn’t have held up well during
strenuous off-roading). In exit polling of those
attending Concept 80 shows, the AM Van was
chosen as the best design by 31 percent of those
surveyed, easily besting the second-place
Concept Grand Touring by a full seven percent.
AMC should have listened to those attending
Concept 80 sessions and put the AM Van into
production, but instead, budget limitations
prompted the company to release an updated Hornet (as the Concord) and an updated Gremlin (as the Spirit). The AM
Van never made it beyond the styling buck stage, and therefore exists without an engine, a full interior, or even rolling
wheels. Given the concept’s near 40-year age, its original paint remains remarkably well-preserved, in part due to the
care given this important AMC concept under collector Joe Bortz’s stewardship. The AM Van has only been displayed in
public on two or three occasions over the past 30 years.
Written by Kurt Ernst Jul 2nd, 2014 at 8am Hemming’s Classic Car
6
1971 AMC Gremlin X. Images courtesy of ProductionCars.com.
By the late 1960s, it was apparent that America’s appetite for small, inexpensive and fuel-efficient cars wasn’t going to
disappear. To counter this assault on market share, American automakers opened the 1970s with new economy cars of
their own, and as this 1971 print ad for the AMC Gremlin X clearly illustrates, none thought quite as far outside the box as
American Motors.
Introduced in April 1970, the AMC Gremlin hit the market five months before the Ford Pinto and the Chevrolet Vega. To
speed up development time (and reduce development costs), the Gremlin was built on a shortened and modified Hornet
platform, borrowing heavily from the corporate parts bin. While the front two-thirds of the car was conventionally styled,
the car’s kammback rear set it apart from both domestic compacts and imports alike, and its unusual shape quickly won it
both fans and critics.
While the Pinto and Vega made do with thrifty four-cylinder engines, the 1971 Gremlin gave buyers a choice of either the
135-hp 232-cu.in. inline six-cylinder or the optional 150-hp 258-cu.in. six. Performance was exceptional for the category,
with period road tests reporting a 0-60 MPH time below 12 seconds and a top speed of 100 MPH from the base engine.
Looking to capitalize on this capability, AMC debuted the Gremlin X for 1971, and was quick to point out that the car
offered more than a stripe package and revised badging.
In addition to a larger engine, Gremlin X buyers got wider standard tires than the competition, mounted on revised slotstyle wheels. Inside, the bucket seats were the same models found in AMC’s sportiest offering, the Javelin, which
consumers must have seen as a major selling point given the Gremlin X’s $2,299 starting price. The ad seen here even
brags about the Gremlin X’s heavier weight, perhaps looking to appeal to those who equated mass with safety.
7
Despite the Gremlin’s fuel economy handicap compared to the competition, sales grew year upon year. In 1971, the car’s
first full year on the market, AMC sold 53,480 examples, but by 1974, the total had climbed to 131,905. The 1975
introduction of the AMC Pacer caused production to plummet, and AMC built just 45,848 Gremlins that year; despite
declining sales, the Gremlin would remain a staple of the AMC product line through the 1978 model year, when it was
replaced by the AMC Spirit.
Whether the AMC Gremlin was a uniquely styled subcompact with the spirit of a sporty car or a uniquely styled sporty car
with the advantages of a subcompact proved to be an irrelevant debate. Instead, the Gremlin proved that thinking outside
the box can occasionally lead to big results, even for small (relatively speaking) companies. Written by Kurt Ernst Jun 25th,
2014 at 4pm Posted in featured posts,Hemmings Classic Car,vintage ads
8
The following instructions sound very complicated and intimidating, but this is a very easy procedure if you follow the
instructions and do things very carefully and slowly. During this procedure, if you notice any worn or burnt parts you should
replace them before continuing.
Reference Items:
Firing Order AMC 360cid : 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2
Distributor Rotation : Clockwise
Drivers Side cylinder numbering (front to back) : 1 3 5 7
Passenger Side cylinders numbering (front to back) : 2 4 6 8
1) Disconnect the battery.
2) Remove all 8 spark plugs to make the engine easier to turn over by hand.
3) Put your thumb over the #1 spark plug hole and rotate the engine in the direction of normal running rotation with a socket
wrench on the center crank pulley. There are other methods of rotating the engine manually, but I will not mention them here
since they are not very safe. (you can check the rotation direction by watching the engine from the front while someone
"bumps" the key to cause the engine to rotate slightly with the starter before you disconnect the battery).
4) You will feel air pressure on your thumb when you have rotated the engine to the compression stroke on calendar #1.
Continue rotating the engine until the #1 piston is at the very top (Top Dead Center or TDC) on the compression stroke.
Once you know you are compressing on calendar #1, you can use a long screwdriver as a feeler for the piston to know when
it is at the very top, but be careful not to get the screwdriver jammed between the piston and the spark plug hole. Also, be
very careful of the threads in the spark plug hole to not damage them.
5) Now, re-install the spark plugs, and reconnect the spark plug wires making sure that they all reach the distributor with
plenty of slack. Make sure you do not turn the engine at all or you will have to repeat step #4.
6) Disconnect all the spark plug wires from the distributor cap and remove the cap. Note the direction that the distributor rotor
is pointing, and determine which plug wire hole on the cap the rotor points to. This is where the plug wire for calendar #1
goes. Once you determine this you can put the distributor cap back on. If your distributor cap has a 1 molded into it, that
should be the hole that you identified (if not you need to check more thoroughly to see what the problem is, because that
indicates that you might have a mechanical timing problem). If your distributor cap does not have this molded marking on it
then you should mark your distributor cap for future reference.
7) Now, you can re-install the plug wires on the distributor cap by following the firing order above in a clockwise rotation from
the #1 position you have identified.
8) Reconnect the battery, make sure you removed the socket wrench from the crank pulley and have retrieved any tools you
had under the hood.
9) You should be able to start the truck and it should run fine now. Use a timing light to adjust your timing to within specs for
your altitude.
Copyright © 2007 by Colorado Full Size Jeep Association, Inc.
9
In the show, ‘Fat N Furious’, the guys buy a 290 powered 1969 Javelin to restore and sell
Here is the result! A stunningly restored Javelin!
10
continued
In the commercial for upcoming ‘Misfit Garage’
episodes they show a beautiful 1970 AMX
On the show, ‘Detroit Muscle’, they show a
stunning 1969 AMX
‘Detroit Muscle’ also recently highlighted a gorgeous 1970 Mark Donahue Javelin
11
A good time was had by all who attended!
Muscle Car Shop. Full restorations, stock, restomods, pro touring, bumper to bumper including:
chassis/suspension, LS conversions, paint/body, custom fabrication, rear-ends, engine work including crank
grinding, cylinder boring, valve work, decking and interiors. Please see our web site at:
www.texomaclassics.com contact us at: [email protected] or call: 903-819-1452.
Disclaimer
AMCOH in no way will be a mediator between customers and vendors. Any and all disputes over price or quality of service
should be between customers and vendors.
12
Tidbits
Matador
Spirit
This is why she calls him Ozzie!
This car really does have a Gremlin
13
'74 Matador X with a 360 that has A/C, pwr steering, pwr disc brakes, auto on the console, super nice tan interior
(I'd love to have the front buckets out of it myself), orange paint and brown vinyl top. John had said it can be
driven anywhere and rides really nice.
Contact John Williams at 936-675-1507.
'76 Hornet Sportabout with a built 360, an Arizona car with no rust, original reddish orange paint (Firecracker
Red?) that even has the original white stripes that have a nice fade and crackle patina, nice interior and runs
strong. Just a cool little car period. Here is info that Jack sent me to pass along to you on it:
1976 Hornet Sportabout
360 V8 rebuilt (1,000-ish mi.)
77,000+ miles on car
Arizona car (no rust)
Jack Lee 936-404-2540
Lyman Eppley has a 1972 Javelin grill for sale. It is an "early"1972 grill. On the "early" grill it is rounded and on the "late" grill it is
elongated the same as the '73 and '74 grills. This "early" '72 grill is in great shape with only one crack on the face and one small one
where the top metal support bracket screws on. It has a couple of typical broken mounting tabs which won't adversely affect installation
and even has the metal top support piece and one of the lower mount/support brackets still attached. Lyman is asking $175 for the grill
and can be contacted at [email protected]. If you are in need of this grill and are going to be attending the East TX Cruise-In
here in Lufkin in June 13th, you could pick it up then rather than have it shipped.
1965 American:
http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/amc/rambler/1735312.html?refer=news
1957 Rambler
http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/amc/rambler/1735854.html?refer=news
1948 Jeepster
http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/willys/jeepster/1736360.html?refer=news
1967 Jeepster
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2015/05/04/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1967-jeep-jeepster-convertible/?refer=news
1965 Rambler convertible in Austin area:
http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/4932688551.html
1967 American in Corpus area:
http://corpuschristi.craigslist.org/cto/4976205075.html
1971 Javelin:
http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/4976311117.html
1972 Javelin:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/361285463224
1972 Ambassador coupe
http://www.ebay.com/itm/151666267707
1973 Gremlin:
http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/4991990423.html
And a 1980 Concord D/L coupe being parted or sold whole in West Dallas:
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pts/4978801019.html
14
continued
Your newsletter editor is offering his restored 1964 Rambler American 330 2 door sedan for sale to club
members. Here are the details:

1965 232 engine that has new timing chain, rear main seal, water pump, and valve seals.

Rebuilt 2 bbl carburetor

Excellent shifting 3 on the tree manual transmission

Original working AM radio

Recent completed body work and paint

Complete new upholstered interior including new headliner, carpet, and front door panels
o
Ralley Wheels with 4 good tires
nd
o
2 place award at recent 2014 AutoRama
This is a very nice looking and good running AMC that you can own for $5000. Contact me at 713-859-7249 or
[email protected].
Wanted
Wade Phillips (Oklahoma) is looking for a wheel cover and dashboard for a 1973 Javelin. Please call him at 918 348-9230.
15
To Purchase please join us at a
meeting or club event. Or
send an email to
[email protected]
16