Dragged another basketcase home

clinehall · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2014 11:50 am

Keith Quistorff wrote:

clinehall wrote:

this crap always finds me on Craigslist.

What about this:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/4423145867.html

Is that a Gremlin parked in the seller's driveway? No wonder he's selling the Spirit - two AMC's is two too many!

I didn't spot that! My kids live in Kenosha, WI home of Rambler, AMC, now Chrysler engine plant. Everybody that has any family that worked there get killer deals on cars so there are ton's of Gremlins, Concords, Javelins, AMX even the occasional Reneault Alliance convertible (brief marriage with Chrysler if you remember) running around up there.

Roger McDaniels · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2014 12:02 pm

I have no idea how much power my DD has, or what it weighs. I may have to start posting on the knitting forums.

clinehall · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2014 12:03 pm

Chuck Branscomb wrote:

clinehall wrote:

this crap always finds me on Craigslist.

What about this:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/4423145867.html

Cline,

If you would simply STOP searching on keywords AMC, Gremlin, Javelin, Pacer, Matador and even Eagle, you do realize all these problems would not find you, right?

I did look for a Javelin at one time, I saw a really nice one while riding my motorcycle one day and almost pulled the trigger.

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

Les Davis wrote:

You sound exactly like my mom. ;-)

I'll say to you what I always said to her when she would make the "speed limit" comment, even if the speed limit only technically allows me to go 65 going from 0-65 in 3 seconds is a helluva lot more fun than 0-65 in 15 seconds. If you don't get that, I'm sorry, have you considered taking up knitting? I do get what you guys are saying, I daily drove mostly stock Miata for many years, I did regularly wish they had a lot more power though. My current daily driver only has 140 hp, of course it weighs 500 lbs so 140 is pretty freaking awesome, and the "feel" you refer to is in another stratosphere.

Eh, just pretend I made some smartass remark about how you're only interested in straight line speed and that's why you moved to Florida because there's no elevation and it's perfect for stoplight racing.

Les Davis · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:04 pm **Posts:** 2059

Andrew Jonell wrote:

Les Davis wrote:

You sound exactly like my mom. ;-)

I'll say to you what I always said to her when she would make the "speed limit" comment, even if the speed limit only technically allows me to go 65 going from 0-65 in 3 seconds is a helluva lot more fun than 0-65 in 15 seconds. If you don't get that, I'm sorry, have you considered taking up knitting? I do get what you guys are saying, I daily drove mostly stock Miata for many years, I did regularly wish they had a lot more power though. My current daily driver only has 140 hp, of course it weighs 500 lbs so 140 is pretty freaking awesome, and the "feel" you refer to is in another stratosphere.

Eh, just pretend I made some smartass remark about how you're only interested in straight line speed and that's why you moved to Florida because there's no elevation and it's perfect for stoplight racing.

Just hop in your 2 and head to Michael's Jonell, I hear they have awesome knitting supplies.

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

Les Davis wrote:

Just hop in your 2 and head to Michael's Jonell, I hear they have awesome knitting supplies.

The great thing about the Mazda2 is the 60/40 rear seats that fold down. What's the measurement for knitting yarn? Bushels? I could probably fit a few bushels of yarn in the back of the 2. Extremely practical.

Roger McDaniels · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2014 2:20 pm

You need a minivan; kids, dogs, cats, race car engines, yarn, it all goes in the minivan. Once you get past the fact that you now drive a minivan, it's great!

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

Roger McDaniels wrote:

You need a minivan; kids, dogs, cats, race car engines, yarn, it all goes in the minivan. Once you get past the fact that you now drive a minivan, it's great!

If you get the right one, it can be mid-engine, RWD, and supercharged. It's rare, but you could also get it with a manual transmission, too.

Nothing is more sporty when you really think about it.

Roger McDaniels · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2014 3:21 pm

I really wouldn't mind a '83-'89 Toyota VanWagon with a manual, although I see very few good ones any more. I think I'll just see how many miles I can get out of the Mazda 5.

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2014 7:46 pm

Les Davis wrote:

You sound exactly like my mom. ;-)

I'll say to you what I always said to her when she would make the "speed limit" comment, even if the speed limit only technically allows me to go 65 going from 0-65 in 3 seconds is a helluva lot more fun than 0-65 in 15 seconds. If you don't get that, I'm sorry, have you considered taking up knitting? I do get what you guys are saying, I daily drove mostly stock Miata for many years, I did regularly wish they had a lot more power though. My current daily driver only has 140 hp, of course it weighs 500 lbs so 140 is pretty freaking awesome, and the "feel" you refer to is in another dimension.

Maybe I just made it to old-fartdom quicker?

Like I said, I have a 400HP Cayman. When I want a HP fix, I get a HP fix. Handles pretty decent, too. And I've had some pretty fast motorcycles in my past, and tracked them even. But I guess I just don't feel like *everything* has to have a lot of HP to be fun and enjoyable. My only motorcycle now is a 650cc thumper with knobby tires and a lot of luggage, and I'm just fine with that. I enjoy driving my Jeep that happens to have a Hemi and can spin the 37's if I want to, but I pretty much putter around in it. If I want to get really crazy, I still have the Birel gokart, too.

Yeah, 0-60 in 3s is more fun than anything slower than that. But I don't ALWAYS care to have that kind of fun.

--Donnie

JamesMilko · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:36 pm

I made a light today on my way home from bowling that I wouldn't have made if I didn't have 400HP at my disposal.

michaelsmiller · **Posted:** Fri Apr 18, 2014 4:34 pm

I want to bring this post back to the Gremlin. I think that one could make a pretty good case for turning a Gremlin into a CAM classed car for autoX. It has a short wheel base, is light (2,600 lbs), it has room for a V8, and best of all, it’s a Gremlin. With an LS and some suspension work, it could put a whooooppin on those Mustang and Camaro boys. Maybe even a Vette. I have always liked the unexpected in auto’s. I got a ride in a V8 Volvo 240 a couple of years ago and just fell for it. The Volvo was faster than any Mustang that I’ve been in. :twisted:

steve remchak · **Posted:** Fri Apr 18, 2014 10:22 pm

Andrew Jonell wrote:

Roger McDaniels wrote:

You need a minivan; kids, dogs, cats, race car engines, yarn, it all goes in the minivan. Once you get past the fact that you now drive a minivan, it's great!

If you get the right one, it can be mid-engine, RWD, and supercharged. It's rare, but you could also get it with a manual transmission, too.

Nothing is more sporty when you really think about it.

I had a '67 Econoline Super Van, with three on the tree / motor between the seats, many years ago..... would that be considered a mid-engine?

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

It's alive!

Bernie you nailed it. I threw the engine back together (bad cylinders and all) and it ran like crap. Sputtering, backfiring, hard to start, etc.

Replaced the optispark and it's running quite well. Smokes, but less than I thought it would considering some wall erosion.

Now, a question -- does anyone out there have a 944? I'm diagnosing gauges and want to know whether your stock temp gauge moves at all when the key is flipped on. Just want to know if it's supposed to bounce up from it's unpowered stop to the bottom of the gauge...

Charlie Guthrie · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 8:14 pm **Posts:** 832

Congratulations Mike, it lives. We never doubted your skills and determination, only your sanity.
All the talk about fun to drive cars with and without HP and torque reminds me that I really would like another CRX (only without the rust and rice next time).
Charlie G

THSCC Forums

Dragged another basketcase home

Who is online