zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
At $9,500, Is This 1976 AMC Gremlin an American Dream?
At $9,500, Is This 1976 AMC Gremlin an American Dream?-October 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:19

Nice Price or No Dice 1976 AMC Gremlin

The seller of today’s Gremlin says it was their mother’s car and that it has so far been held onto for sentimental reasons. We’ll have to decide if it’s priced to make potential buyers hold onto their wallets.

Have you ever done something only to have others shake their heads and, indicating you with an outstretched hand, announce: “This is why we can’t have nice things”? Yeah, that’s a real buzz kill.

The we looked at back on Friday seemed to be a very nice thing and it would be a shame to let guilt over some poorly thought-out life choice deny anyone its automotive pleasures. This is the holiday season, after all. Do you want to know what else shouldn’t be a hurdle? The $13,900 price tag, that’s what. According to fully 77 percent of you, that earned the car a Nice Price win, which is a nice thing of its own accord.

Speaking of which, today we’re going to look at an Accord… Ha, just kidding.

Image for article titled At $9,500, Is This 1976 AMC Gremlin an American Dream?

What we’re actually considering is this , which interestingly enough, was American Motors’ entrant into the compact car market that was also the playground for the likes of the Honda civic and Accord.

The Gremlin, however, wasn’t really a compact car. Instead, in a move to save AMC development costs, it was a mid-size car (the Hornet) that had been reduced in overall length by chopping off much of the back half. Now, naturally, that was the part of the car that carries the passengers and their baggage, which significantly reduced the Gremlin’s space from that of the larger Hornet. It still, however, provided a mid-sized car’s engine bay allowing for it to use significantly larger engines than in, say, those Hondas. A more modern example of this cost-saving model development is BMW’s E36 Compact which, hilariously, is the Gremlin’s spiritual descendent.

Image for article titled At $9,500, Is This 1976 AMC Gremlin an American Dream?

This Bicentennial-Year car is claimed in the ad to have been owned by the seller’s mother. She apparently put a mere 40,000 miles on it before hanging up the keys. It comes in brown metallic paint, which that seller says is an older respray, but in the factory hue.At present it rides on rallye-style wheels, but those don’t come with the deal and the car will instead roll on steelies with appropriate covers.

Like the exterior, the cabin has been recovered as well, only in factory-aping vinyl on the seating. That seating is comprised of a front bench with forward folding backrests to aid egress to the rear compartment. There, a wildly uncomfortable-appearing seat offers accommodations for two additional passengers. It all seems to be complete and reasonably clean in the cabin.

Image for article titled At $9,500, Is This 1976 AMC Gremlin an American Dream?

As noted, the Gremlin’s odd proportions allow for a capacious engine compartment, and in this car’s case, that’s been filled with AMC’s stalwart 258 CID OHV straight six. In the Gremlin that was good for 90 horsepower and, more respectably, 170 lb-ft of torque. A 304 CID V8 was also available but that only made 122 horsepower combined with 219 lb-ft of twist. A three-speed TorqueFlite borrowed from Chrysler does transmission duties.

Image for article titled At $9,500, Is This 1976 AMC Gremlin an American Dream?

Like the cabin, the engine bay appears complete, right down to its factory air cleaner. Also, if anyone can tell me what that metal circle with the red cone is on the passenger-side wheel well, I’ll give you a gold star.

While you’re working on that, let’s wrap up our discussion on the rest of the car. According to the ad, it “Runs great” and comes with a clear title. The seller says they want to find the car a good home. That will most likely be with an AMC fan (you know who you are) and that fan will need to come up with $9,500 or thereabouts since that’s the asking price for the car.

Image for article titled At $9,500, Is This 1976 AMC Gremlin an American Dream?

What do you think, is that a fair price for this old small but not so small car? Or, like its namesake, does that price wreak havoc on this Gremlin’s chances for a sale?

You decide!

Washington, DC , or go if the ad disappears.

H/T to Jude Burke and S.R. Gooch for the hookup!

Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
I've Got $45,000 To Blow On a Two-Door Money-Pit GT Car! What Should I Buy?
I've Got $45,000 To Blow On a Two-Door Money-Pit GT Car! What Should I Buy?
Griff is all about that #Jaloplyfe and has a decent chunk of change to blow on something with two doors, solid performance, and highway comfort. Reliability is a bit lower on the list. He is torn between offerings from Germany, Italy, or Britain. What car should he buy? (Welcome...
Oct 31, 2024
Higher Interest Rates Mean Lower New Car Prices Won't Matter
Higher Interest Rates Mean Lower New Car Prices Won't Matter
There’s really no such thing as good news, or at least if there is, it comes with a price, literally. is reporting that prices may finally start to decline as 2022 wraps up, but higher interest rates will keep pretty much the same. While prices have come down a...
Oct 31, 2024
At $9,900, Is This 1994 Volvo 940 Turbo Wagon a Sweet Swede?
At $9,900, Is This 1994 Volvo 940 Turbo Wagon a Sweet Swede?
Boxing Day may be over two months away, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the boxy efficiency of today’s Volvo. Let’s see if we can also appreciate what buying it should cost. I think we all tend to get tired of the old same-‘ol, same-‘ol that can creep...
Oct 31, 2024
The Prologue EV Is a Return to Simple, Sensible Honda Design
The Prologue EV Is a Return to Simple, Sensible Honda Design
Honda’s first big EV bet here in the States will be the , an SUV built atop General Motors technology. It’s due to arrive in 2024, but we’re getting an extra early look at it today, as Honda’s just revealed a small collection of exterior and interior photos. “A...
Oct 31, 2024
At $19,500, Could This Custom 2003 VW Beetle Pickup Your Spirits?
At $19,500, Could This Custom 2003 VW Beetle Pickup Your Spirits?
Today’s Volkswagen Beetle pickup has a clean title as confirmed by its Carfax. That means its custom booty was crafted not as the result of an accident, but just because. Let’s see if that laissez-faire attitude extends to its price. Owing to its design and features, one could easily...
Oct 31, 2024
We Almost Got an Alfa Giulia-Based Challenger and Charger, But Dodge Changed Its Mind
We Almost Got an Alfa Giulia-Based Challenger and Charger, But Dodge Changed Its Mind
As you’ve probably heard by now, the for the and , Dodge’s muscle car duo that has been riding on the same LX-derived bones for roughly a decade and a half. They’ll leave us in 2024 to be replaced by an EV, likely very much inspired by the ....
Oct 31, 2024
Copyright 2023-2024 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved