The Family Behind the AMC Gremlin 401-XR

[@themanfromphoto]

I'm a gearhead but I never knew of this unique Gremlin. Thanks for the info.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Thanks for watching!

[@justinfletcher6322]

Mike Randall is a friend of mine (his granddaughter and my daughter rodeo together) Very humble guy who has awesome stories to tell.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Yes, I wish the dealer was still there. Those were the good old days!

[@chrisomalley-iy7sj]

I enjoyed learning about this rare Gremlin.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Glad you enjoyed it - thank you

[@davidelack8809]

I live a Mile and 1/2 north of the old dealership address. I own a Nash and a Hudson and have had 4 gremlins absolutely loved them. Not too bright but loyal as heck! thx for the Mesa history .Now I need to find some old Randall signage for my garage.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Very Cool, I’ll keep my eye out for some signs for you.

[@musclecarczarig4003]

Great video, Randall truly was the special AMC dealer. One of the coolest things I found for my 69 AMX build was a set of Randall Rambler license plates frames!

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Very cool! Thank you!

[@jamesnelson7415]

I remember Randall Modifying 4-cylinder Jeep CJs with V6 and V8 engines in the mid to late 1960s - they were light and very quick. I had a 74 and a 75 CJ5, both bought new in Phoenix. Both had 304s, and were pretty wuick. After I bought the 75 I let my younger brother drive the 74, and he wore out the engine. We replaced it with a new 401 - WOW is all I can say! (This from a guy that drove an L88 Corvette and a 427 Cobra in A Production SCCA competition.) I also modified the 304 in the 75 with headers, cam, 4 barrel carb, etc. Surprised a lot of people at stop lights.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

I’m looking for a Jeep they modified. I’m sure they are out there.

[@RandThompson-dd3sk]

Interesting. I had a 70 Rebel SST wagon w a 304. Most loved car i ever owned!

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Oh wow!

[@kennethrine8171]

😮 thank you for the great information. I live in Rockford Illinois and in 1983 I had a Gremlin x and my friend Robert had a Gremlin XR with the Manual Transmission. I didn't know how rare the XR was and is. I don't think he even knew

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Very cool!

[@peteflorek6050]

My ultimate dream car these were ment to just break hearts

[@HomersGarage5.0]

I agree!

[@oldschoolmotorsickle]

I worked at Valley Motorcycles (Yamaha/Norton) in Mesa at that time. I don’t remember these cars, but I do recall that the dealership property fronted an entire city block. It was a Mega-dealer before there was such a thing!

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Very cool

[@allanjechorek4381]

I had a Gremlin X. Silver blue with Levi’s interior. 304 V8 with a 4 barrel. A great street racer.

[@williamking6306]

I bought a 73 just like yours, I ordered at a dealer in Memphis, changed the three speed for a four speed and surprised a lot of small block Camaros, Dusters etc.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

That’s awesome !

[@HomersGarage5.0]

I would to find a Levi Gremlin

[@krisverde]

I have a Randall plate frame on my eagle. gotta represent my hometown

[@Freesavh1776]

I've always loved the Gremlin, Vega, & Maverick with big V8's. Other than the rusting problem they made great street cars. The Gremlin was made for the strip. I would love to see some modern remakes of this car. I love content like this about car history.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Thank you I’ll keep adding content like this!

[@robstukshis9490]

History is Fantastic. Remember the Henry J ???

[@BastardX13]

Yes sir. Built right in Willow Run Mi. I've even seen one in person! Just one though.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Yes, I think that needs a video

[@SPSteve]

I've always liked the AMC performance cars, the AMX, Hurst/SCRambler and The Machine. I came very close to buying a 69 390 AMX in the late 70's but I was an Oldsmobile guy and stayed with 442's.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

James Garner had an Oldsmobile, I think he raced the Baja 1000 in. He was a cool dude.

[@beyond_the_infinite2098]

That 401-XR must smoke those rear tires. I had a 70 AMX 360 4-speed with 3.73 posi and it would just sit there going up in tire smoke

[@HomersGarage5.0]

WOW That's crazy!

[@ziptiejedi5658]

I like the video and spotlight put on the Gremlin. I did want to clear up a misconception a lot of people have about gremlins. Not all Gremlin X's came with the 304 V8. The X dose not automatically designate a V8. The Gremlin X is a upgraded trim level that usually happens to be found on V8 Gremlins do to the V8 option being a more high end option. I inherited a 77 AMC Gremlin X Levi's edition about a year ago and ever since I've been trying to soak up as much Gremlin info as I can. I used to hace Gremlins as a kid and never could understand why my had owned 4 of them in his like time. Now that I own the Last Gremlin he owned I finally get it. It's slow, handles terrible, and brakes even worse, but something about it I love. It gets a ton of attention as well. I have a clean 06 Gto that is cammed and pretty loud but it dosent draw half the croed that gremlin does. It's cool to see other People that still care about these little econo boxes.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Thank you, Good to know that not all Gremlins X’s came with a V8

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

I gave them permission to make the cars, I then made these special builds available to order!

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Thank You!

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

@@HomersGarage5.0 you're welcome my friend!

[@IowaBudgetRCBashers]

I absolutely love gremlins. We have the gremlins brother the hornet.. we’re building a 304 for it. It’ll be my son’s first car

[@HomersGarage5.0]

He’ll be the coolest duded on the block with that car.

[@FrankStein1]

Great presentation!!

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Thank you, much appreciated. Its a work in progress. :)

[@NoPrivateProperty]

400 ci in 2800lb running low 12s should have been top dog

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Yep! And you could own one in America.

[@NoPrivateProperty]

@@HomersGarage5.0 I guess the free market declared the car a dud. probably cause it looks ghay

[@mikeduquesne3630]

Awesome

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Thank You!

[@chuckster6513]

Really enjoyable video. I really liked the Gremlin when it came out but never owned one. I still like the design and enjoy seeing one occasionally, be it stock or built to race.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

I would love to find one with a manual transmission.

[@Commander-McBragg]

In the northeast thousands of Gremlins were made into dirt modified racers. The wide rear body was perfect for the tube frame chassis and the flat roof provided downforce. The cars are still shaped this way. Some used the pinto for the same reason.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

All the dirt tracks are closing down around me. It’s a shame, good times on a Saturday night.

[@SeabeeTraveler]

New sub here. Russ with RVerTV recommended your channel. Glad I found it!

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Thank you! Love your channel and RVerTV’S too

[@jamesrankin9833]

Good stuff!

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Thanks!

[@spokanefut]

When I was 17 and fresh out of Coast Guard boot camp, I was willing to trade my "left n*t" for a Gremlin 401XR, but was told that they were all taken, sold out.... so I wasted my money on a cherry '66 GTO and fast women instead. Now I'd rather have the Gremlin. I DID score a '69 AMX a few years later though, which rocked my friggin' socks and outran all my pony car owning friends, at least in the corners.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

WOW, you had some nice cars!!

[@daveo532]

Was this the dealer that was putting Buick V6's in Jeeps long before Kaiser bought the engine line from Buick?

[@jamesnelson7415]

Yes, that was Randall in Mesa.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

I don’t know, I’ll keep digging for more information on the Jeeps.

[@craigpennington1251]

The 401 XR was a true speedster. It was a major hit with the dirt circle trackers. Some dealers called them Uncle Meat for some strange reason. Narrator puts you to sleep in under a minute. And low audio spoken word. Music blasts.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Good info, Thank you

[@godsowndrunk1118]

There were some pretty hot Gremlins on the streets back in the day. But I seem to remember that they would hit a wall aerodynamically at a certain speed . And it was hard to push them past that speed on the drag strip. Don't remember what speed that was, however.

[@mickangio16]

The legend is that they were actually more aerodynamic going backwards🤷‍♂️ I got my first drivers' license in a new Gremlin X.

[@johnwilburn8319]

100 mph.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

LOL

[@edarcuri182]

Chrysler, and its leader the self important Lido Iacocca, may have thought they acquired AMC "just for Jeep," but they also got North America's most modern assembly plant, management expertise that reduced conflicts as practiced by AMC, a dealer network, and platform engineering advances which they incorporated into future models. As often happens, looking at the car business from the outside can lead to conclusions based only on the model offerings without real referemce to the business. Now, fortunately, the lineage of AMC and Chrysler are now in the hands of Stellantis, a well run company.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Good info thank you

[@JuliusPitrowski]

In 72 I bought a 72 gremlin x orange with black stripes tan interior it was a test car no 304 it had a 390 no seamsealer or body deadner or padding under the carpet my boss had a son Jim worked for AMC getting parts to factory backed race teams he sent me to buranrambler after I drove his gremlin test car with a 401 wish l still had that car 7:42

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Very cool thx

[@RivetGardener]

The Gremlin was about te ugliest american car ever. With that, I have to say these XR's in white with blue trim are attractive, plus the monster motor makes me want to have one.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Yeah, so ugly it just might be cool one day……

[@stevenikitas8170]

I love these quirky car stories, with limited production runs making for rare vehicles today. And "Rambler" was never a great name for a car. Neither was "Gremlin".

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

No I'm not a dead corporation, I've just been imprisoned within Chrysler since 87. I've been plotting my come back! I Will rise again. Will you support my rise up and take over of the automotive industry and will you let me rage and stomp guts while I bring you some kick ass cars made here in the states only in the states? Will you help put me in touch with the spirit of Kenosha? Are you a believer in me? Would you welcome me, AMC back?

[@kennethrine8171]

OOH Yes Sir

[@kennethlindahl9206]

Will you bring back the XJ If so I will fully back you 4.0 HO will live on

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

@@kennethlindahl9206 oh totally. I'm all about telling the EPA to go to hell!

[@kennethlindahl9206]

@@American-Motors-Corporation As a gold prospector ...don't even get me started on the EPA As a motorcyclist...don't even get me started on the EPA Having an AAS in water quality/ water resources...don't even get me started on the EPA So I am behind ya there too

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

@@kennethlindahl9206 thank you, I want to bring back big honking heavy metal vehicles with big motors with lots of power. I'm talkin big Jeeps! And big jeep trucks! None of these van pick up trucks, I want a 1970's J20 or J10 big ass Cherokees too! I want a truck that will crush the cars the EPA inspectors drive! I want to bring back the highest ground clearance of any 4-wheel drive on the market. Four door trucks fine but we're not giving up truck bed size! It's going to be like the old crew cabs! No van like trucks!

[@MikeJones-yl5ci]

Great story, luv the cars especially the Gremlins but, i had to stop listening quarter way through in fear of falling asleep, bad narrator

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Sorry!

[@nighthiker8872]

Husson has more of a British look and not an American style appearance.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

Nash’s were British looking too,

[@bdd1469]

I love Gremlins and amc's in general, but...If a 401 gremlin is a supercar, Joe biden is a spry young man.

[@johnwilburn8319]

Fool yourself Buddy.

[@HomersGarage5.0]

LOL