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Race-ready Gremlin began as a mild-mannered soul

Street machines of all shapes and sizes descended on Wisconsin State Fair Park near Milwaukee last weekend for the 2016 Car Craft Summer Nationals. All told, the event had more than 3,000 registered vehicles participating.

The high-octane festivities lasted three days and included an on-site dynamometer tests, a drifting exhibition and a burnout competition. Car owners also had the chance to test the limits of their four-wheeled creations on an autocross course.

One peculiar hot hatch stealing the limelight while zigging around the cones was a 1974 AMC Gremlin. It's owned by Mark Greenisen of Slinger, Wisconsin, who purchased the vehicle in 2008. It was located in South Carolina and was a humble six-cylinder - a yellow, 74,000-mile runabout with tan interior.

Greenisen remembers American Motor Corp.'s Gremlin well. He has fond memories cruising around in one with a high-school buddy. The buy wasn't just for reminiscing - he wanted to build a serious performance star.

In 2012, he took it to his longtime friend Jeff Schwartz, owner of Schwartz Performance in Woodstock. Schwartz set to work crafting what he calls a "lethal track weapon." A Schwartz Performance G-Machine full frame was slid underneath. Ridetech triple-adjustable coil-over shocks were installed along with Baer six-piston brakes.

Mark Greenisen recently bought a 1974 Gremlin and took it to Schwartz Performance in Woodstock to have it transformed into a slick racing machine.

"We wanted the ride height as low as possible," Schwartz said.

That goal brought about an extreme challenge. After the body and chassis were put together, the crew realized the front wheels couldn't turn. The solution was to cut out the front fenderwells and move them up 4 inches. The process was completed on the rear for a matching look, thanks to a junkyard set of front fenders.

The Gremlin is powered by an AMC 360-cubic-inch V-8.

When it came time to select an engine, Greenisen was all set to go the tried-and-true, Chevy LS V-8 route. "I had one sitting at home but Jeff recommended an AMC 360 (cubic inch) V-8," Greenisen said. "We figured we'd get a little more notoriety that route."

The engine may turn heads but not as fast as the sporty sprite's far-out color. It's a Hyundai Tiburon green, but with a dash of rainbow metallic for a groovy '70s vibe. Inside, the cabin is mostly stock except for a pair of Corvette seats for "when the road gets twisty," the owner said.

The Gremlin's Hyundai Tiburon green paint has a dash of rainbow metallic for a '70s vibe.

Good thing as that happens quite often. The project was completed in May and already Greenisen has competed in many track events.

"When the suspension is adjusted for comfort, it rides just like a comfy 5-series Beemer," Greenisen reports. However, the enthusiast prefers the setup dialed for extreme firmness.

"The car seems most happy out on a track where I can really let 'er rip!"

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