74 Levi's V-8 Gremlin

[themixtoo@xxxx]

I E-mailed Paul back in May and he thought everyone might find my Gremlin 
story interesting. Here goes...... I am the proud original owner of a 1974 
Levi's V-8 Gremlin with 13,850 original miles showing on the odometer. I'm 
betting it's one of the lowest mileage Gremies still around. In June of 1973 
I sat down with the owner of the AMC dealership in Euclid, Ohio and showed 
him my list of options; 'X' package (deleted side stripes), 304 V-8, 3-speed 
transmission (w/floor shifter), Levi's interior, manual disc brakes, rear air 
deflector, electric rear window defroster, swing open rear qtr. vent windows, 
limited slip differential with 3.91:1 gears, handling package, heavy duty 
battery and cooling system, and power steering. The exterior color was to be 
dark gray metallic, quite a list of options now that I look back at it. He 
took my order and my downpayment right there on the spot and told me I'd have 
the first '74 on the block. He predicted around the middle of August. The car 
finally showed up the last week of October 1973, however by this time the 'X' 
package had missed the option list and the gray metallic paint had been 
discontinued on the Gremlin assembly line (Jav's, Hornet's, and Matador's 
still got it!) so they painted it BLACK and charged me an additional $38.00 ! 
I picked it up on Oct. 22, 1973, drove it around the block and brought it 
right back to the dealer. You'll notice from the option list that I didn't 
buy this car just to go to the grocery store. Quarter mile trips were more 
my style and it was obvious to me that the 3.91:1 rear gears were not on this 
car, so up on the lift in the service bay it went with 1.3 miles on the 
odometer. Upon inspection by the service manager it was determined that the 
3.54:1 gear ratio had been installed by mistake. Now I was HOT, I had already 
paid four months on a car loan, still didn't have the car the way I wanted it 
and now the dealer says he won't refund the cost of the wrong gears and the 
missing 'X' package. To try to appease me he agreed to add one dealer 
installed option to the car at no cost to me (I think he was hoping I'd ask 
for a radio or something simple) .... I thought about it for a while and then 
agreed to allow them to install the 'Sidewinder' exhaust system that was 
usually available on the AMX's ( it had a factory part # for the kit). Other 
than these stupid things that happened I know I didn't have the first '74 on 
the block but probably the most unusual one. Oh by the way, how's $ 2800.00 
OUT THE DOOR (tax, title, and plates) sound?? If I'm lie'n I'm die'n. 
Gary ( the mix ) Steely 
Brooklyn Hts., 
Ohio