April 1972, Super Stock and Drag Illustrated magazine Booth’s Pro Gremlin: Don’t Call It A Nash! ------------------------------------------ After many successful seasons with Chevrolets, Wally Booth accepted a factory deal to build and campaign a Pro Stock Gremlin. After six months and $30,000, the car is competitive at 9.50-142, and Wally thinks in some ways it’s better than a Chevy. photos by David Price --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOVE-Stock aluminum front cover, aluminum bar stock engine mount, and Pinto rack and pinion steering are some of the tricks used by Booth's team to get the noseheavy Gremlin down to Pro Stock racing weight. BELOW-Crew consists of Wally Booth, Dick Gostenik, Gordy Foust, and Dave Tratechaud, all floggers supreme. ABOVE-The AMC "mystery engine" is a 354-incher, based on a 360 that's .080" overbore, and destroked from 3.44" to 3.25". Wally uses JE forged 13.2:1 pistons, stock forged rods, Moldex crank, General Kinetics 332 flat tappet cam and kit with 2.04" intake and 1.75" exhaust valves, Stahl 1-%" x 30" jheaders, Mallory Super Mag at 35º total, Edelbrock UR-18 manifold and Holley 6214 carbs with 88 jets, Milodon oil system. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LEFT-Pinto rack and pinion steering assembly uses an adjustable-length shaft, U-joints, and support blocks to thread through Stahl's headers. BELOW LEFT-Extensively modified rear is a 5.57 Dana 60 with 10" removed, stock shafts, and a reinforced housing, Kelsey-Hayes disc brakes, leaf springs, ladder bars, and vertical "air shocks" to provide instant forward motion. Not shown here are the Cragar "Super Trick" aluminum disc 12 ' wheels and 14" Firestone slicks. BELOW-Photograph taken while car was still abuilding shows the deep oil pan with Milodon fittings, oil filter adapter on aluminum front cover, and the system of four alum!num mounting plates for the 354 ‘ engine, which requires no extra cable or chain underneath the pan for engine retention. Engine can be raised or lowered a total of about 3" with this system for weight transfer. ABOVE-The engine, and then the car itself, have undergone one of the most intense testing programs of any car in Pro Stock, with the result that Wally has already scared one win and one runnerup in Division III WCS racing, and has a hest performance so far of 9.52-141.95 at /ega/ weight and inches. Wally's car is by far the most competitive AMC race car ever built. LEFT-Sharp interior includes full 4130 roll cage, twin fiberglass bucket seats, S-W gages, Stahl tach, Hurst shifter, fiberglass replica dash, and adjustable steering column as well as fool-proof positive throttle linkage, aluminum pedal assembly, and full wire loom under dash panel. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOVE-Fiberglass bucket seat bolts to reinforced floor and directly to roll cage for safety, can be adjusted to suit any driver. ABOVE RIGHT-Looking through windshield hole, the extensive roll cage, supports, and complete lack of flooring are evident. Body was acid-dipped, frame cut away, moved, and re-welded in place to accommodate new whee/houses and narrowed rear. RIGHT-Laid over on its side /n Booth’s Detroit shop, the Gremlin doesn’t look like much without flooring, rear, etc., but the finished product, after six months and $30,000, looks and performs beautifully. BELOW-Trans is a Super T-10, behind a Lakewood can, Schiefer 40 lb. wheel and 10.5" 3200 lb. clutch. BELOW RIGHT-Suspension housing is all that's left of original front end. All stock metal was replaced The 96-inch wheelbase Gremlin started out noseheavy, but a healthy dose of acid, fiberglass, and engineering the rear end have made it into one of the best launching cars in the bracket.